The balance between school work, family, friends and drumming (or what ever your passion is) can be hard to find. 

I can tell you from experience that trying to balance my life is probably the biggest challenge I face.

Since I was old enough to understand english I've heard my Dad say "work at keeping your priorities right."  God first, family second and work at whatever you love and would like to succeed at with ever fiber left in your body.

I travel all around the country with my band and with my Peace Love & Drums show.  The one question I get asked most by both parents and kids alike is..."How do you find time to practice, perform and get school work done?"  Not to mention fun time.

From a time management stand point nothing can take presidence over my school work.  I understand that's just the way it is.  I'm an honors student and will work however hard I need to so that it stays that way. I LOVE DRUMMING TO MUCH TO LET IT BE A REASON TO FAIL AT SCHOOL.

If you sit down and add up all the hours in a week, then day by day start going through the week and determining the things (like school or work) that you must do every day and back those hours out you'll begin to see you have more time than you may think to do things that are important to you.  I go to school about 7 hours a day and sleep about 7 or so hours a day.  That leaves 10 hours of free time to manage.  10 hours!!  Let's say I totally blow 2 or 3 hours fooling around on the phone, with friends or whatever...that still leaves 7 hours.  If I practice 2-3 hours that still leaves another 4 hours for me or family or whatever I decide I need to spend it on.  You sit down and do the math on your personal time with 24 hours a day and I think, like I was, you'll be surprised how much time you have.

Reading a book, reading music, practicing drums or anything else "worthwhile" takes time and dedication to improve.  However you spend those extra 10 hours a day is what you will become good at.  Want to learn to read?  Spend the time.  Want to improve your independence?  Spend the time.  Want to become a couch potato?  Spend the time.

I did read earlier here someone said it's ok if you just want to drum for fun and have no desire to become a pro.  For me, it's all I've ever wanted to do...be a professional musician/drummer, so naturally my mindset needs to be a bit more intense.

Ninja I'm not sure what your goals with drumming are and whatever they are does not make you right or wrong.  They are your goals and if you're happy with them, congrats.

IMHO,reading music is important.  As a musician in an ensemble, following the direction set forth by a conductor is your job.  Between the notation on paper and the leadership of the conductor an ensemble comes together to make beautiful music.  How many hundreds of years has it been done that way?  It's kind of hard to make an "intelligent" argument otherwise.

I think it's great that you've opened up to everyone here at the DC and you've taken some very critical responses to your thread quite well. Although I don't any of the professionals here have swayed your thinking I applaude your ability to take constructive criticism with regards to your views on reading.

Just remember...your mind is like a parachute.  If it's not open....well, I think you know what happens.

Good Luck,

Hannah

Hey Johnny,

Thank you for the compliment.  Honestly I'm always a little uncomfortable when someone asks me for an opinion of their playing because I feel like I still have so much to learn myself.  LOL

I'll look forward to seeing that video.

Hannah

Hey Johnny,

Thank you for the compliment.  Honestly I'm always a little uncomfortable when someone asks me for an opinion of their playing because I feel like I still have so much to learn myself.  LOL

I'll look forward to seeing that video.

Hannah