I recently have been evaluating how I want to re-enter the world of drumming. For those who don't know the history, I played drum corps style and rock drumming for the better part of 15 years as a young man, and became very proficient in that capacity. I never had formal training on a full drum kit, but like many teenagers, that mattered very little.
Due to the usual struggles a guy has when first venturing out on his own, I lost interest in drumming, largely due to the lack of rehearsal space. That coupled with injuries to my wrist, that break ended up lasting 16 years.
A few years ago, I decided to at least deal with my carpal tunnel issue, so off to surgery I went. Then, about a year and a half ago, my buddy Dan relentlessly persuaded me to attend a jam session with a friend of his, who also happened to have a drum kit. Needless to say, I quickly went to my reliable (and cheap) resource, aka "kijiji" and found a very reasonably priced Pearl kit. This was followed by many more good used equipment finds, and now I have what I like to call a comfortable home practice set. Practicing on a regular basis has brought to a level where I am kind of happy, but mostly recognizing that I am hitting a wall, and I need to push forward in a more intelligent fashion instead of rehearsing my mistakes.
I finally took the plunge and booked lessons. At 39 years old, it is both humbling, and motivating at the same time. I was very fortunate to find not only an enthusiast for a teacher, but a truly skilled musician. I have a long way to go, but I am very excited to be finally taking that journey. At first when I posted some video links to my drumming, I was worried that it would come across as egotistical and foolhardy, given my limited ability. I never told anyone that I was a great drummer, but I intend on becoming one. It's never a bad idea to give it a go.
