Welcome!

As to P&W drumming—I've done it before.  

I notice the O-ring.  Nice; I think that ringy snare drums are highly overrated.

I actually don't mind barriers; they make me feel more powerful.  The reflected sound isn't too keen, but it's bearable.

What are the specs on your main snare, anyway?  

Hey, I play drums at Lakepointe Church in Dallas, TX. It is a wonderful blessing to be able to play there.  We play everything from traditional hymns to contemporary P & W. I am also the event organizer for the first "International Drummers for Jesus Celebration" which will be a 2 day event to be held at Lakepointe Church in March 2004. This event features a Friday night concert with artists like: Alex Acuna, Vinnie Colaiuta, Gregg Bissonette, Luis Conte, Paul Leim, Sheila E. and others. We will have a website up soon giving more info. Hope all of you will try and make it, it will be an unprecedented drum worship event for our Lord!
In Him - carlos benson

That is too cool. I grew up in Dallas and always hoped, wished and dreamed that there would be an event like that. What sucks is that I live in San Jose, Ca. now. That just my luck.

I played with a P&W group for a couple of years and enjoyed the daylights out of it. The priest at the church retired and the new guy thought drums were too much--he wanted a little more of a Peter, Paul and Mary sound/feel to the music. Not the 'hard rock' sound that we had. So my wife (who played flute) and I quit going to that church.

Many months later, I ran into the the new priest at Home Depot. He asked me why we quit going to their church? I told him that we didn't feel welcome. He explained that he just didn't want the drums playing with the P&W guys, we were still welcome. He just didn't get that was how I wanted to worship: by playing music. I got the feeling that he wanted us to come with our money, just leave the drums at home.

I play music in smokey bars for drunks now. I'd jump at the chance to play in church again if someone asked.

I was surprised to learn that some get paid to play on the P&W team.  I just didn't know.  Anyway, several years after learning this I can understand much better why this is so.  While I do it without pay, and will continue to do so, it would be nice to get some compensation for the amount of time, effort, and expense I incur performing on the team.  For me it's moved well beyond just showing up and playing.  I do a lot of team coordination, move gear when playing at other locations, all equipment maintenance, keep the stage clean and neat, etc.  By taking care of most of our P&W team's affairs, I make the lives of the other members much easier.

My church is on the small side and doesn't have extra money to pay us.  Perhaps one day they'll be in a position to compensate us.

Tom

I play most Sundays in our praise band at First Baptist in Bremond, Texas. I don't play drums in the band... I play pedal steel guitar. We do have a young fellow playing a set of Mapex that sound terrible to me... way to boingy and resonant. The young guy has no training at all other than what the music director has provided. He tries hard though! I've offered to correct the problem drums but the music director says "they were set up and tuned by a pro", so I don't touch them....

When they were last tuned and how much they've been played is also an issue.

As Louis said in a different thread

Me too.

I'm in a P&W band (mostly covers, 'bout a half dozen origs that our leader wrote - quite good songs) and I love it. Don't have anything against bars and drunks, I've patronized a couple of those places, but having grown up going to church (and liking it) I'm much more at home.

I've actually noticed how churches provide, not only some outstanding music to hear (check out the Christmas contata at your local big church this year and you'll likely be very impressed at the level of talent and musicianship gathered there - most of which are unpaid volunteers (choir members and such)), but many [not all] are great, regular, lo-stress gigs to have and an opportunity to develop as a musician. For example: This P&W band is my first drum gig, but I've now been playing/performing on drums at least once a week for a year and I now pass for drummer.

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If I'm correct, that's going with the very principle of Christianity.

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