• Welcome to Drummer Cafe Community Forum.

Who inspired you to take up drums?

Started by Dave Heim, September 20, 2004, 08:24 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

swede

I have an excellent memory, however I can't remember not liking drums. A few memories that cemented it for me:<1> my dad bringing home a new Henry Mancini album that had the theme from Peter Gunn (killer ride cymbal-drummer unknown to me)<2> my grandfather taking our family out to dinner & dancing when I was 3-5? yrs old and taking me up to meet the drummer he knew, who asked if I would like to play along with him. He then gave me one stick and and @ the proper que I kept time on either the cymbal or a tom? (it was that long ago) and then enjoying all the dancers saying "look @ the drummer"!<3> then the 1st album I owned, Herb Alpert & TB--Going Places, was played over & over while I kept time on Revereware "cymbals" and Quaker Oats "drums", using #2 pencil "sticks". ps: even though I had already got my first kit, (w/the help of my Grandfather and Father) I was very inspired by seeing Buddy Rich perform live!!

FungusHumungous

When I was 3 my dad was a sax player and his drummer sat me down behind his kit during a rehearsal in some night club. That got me hooked I think. A few years later I remember seeing guys like Ringo, Buddy Rich, Stewart Copeland etc. on TV. I never dreamed about another instrument again. ;D

dannydrumperc

Quote from: JacoWeckl on October 29, 2004, 02:18 AM
Danny- just practice. 240 bpm isnt unattainable it's just fast
Yeah, that must be easy to say if your eal name is your ussername :D

About your signature: who's that Wilson guy. He most be a prophet, ain'tt he?

Snaredrum

My Dad  has always had a band and he is a guitar player. Back in the day he had one of the BIG Gibsons. The case from that  BIG Guitar was my bed on the back of the stage when I was a baby. The drummer was right next to my nifty bed. It was like being in heaven.

pnewsom

Though I wasn't a kid when I was first inspired to play drums, I have always felt a certain kinship with the drummers I have worked with.
A friend who I play with also writes for Modern Drummer and he invited me to the festival a couple of years in a row(1997, 98). Being backstage during those weekends was fasinating! Meeting and watching such great drummers play, and observing what a nice community of musicians all these people were, really made me wish I was a drummer too. I even found myself sitting at the same table as Jack DeJohnette and Steve Ferrone one night!
Anyhow, a few of years later, I sold a guitar amp I had kicking around, and put the money towards my first kit.

xdrummer2000

This is quite ironic and redundant actually, but still, here it goes. The guy that inpired me was actually a real jerk towards me. He didn't have any faith in me, he didn't like me, and he also said he would always be better than me. I tried to be more humble than I actually should have(I called myself a starter, and back then I was a novice), and he used that against me.

But now, not to be cocky, I am probably better than he is. Anyway, this was back when I started 7th grade, and I am in 10th now. I have come quite a ways in a relatively short time, but think about it, jerks have their place in the world. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be where I am today.

Also, I think I have always had a natural love for drums. I remember a long, long time ago when I was in preschool and I used to watch those little kid shows, I remember thomas the tank engine was one of my favorites. There was this jukebox on there and when a coin would go in, there were these little guys in there who would play music with actual instruments. I would always be fascinated by the drums. I would always watch the drummer play, the sticks flying, the hi-hats going up and down.

So, while that jerk was the main reason I started drums, I had lots of reasons.

felix

Sounds familiar to me X.  When I was in HS my "idol" was a couple years older than me and he was the dude that made me want to REALLY play drums more than anything else in the world.  I thought he was the coolest guy on the planet.  Then one evening we were drinking an illegal beer with some friends and listening to some tunes and he flat out told me that "I sucked but had potential"... he didn't just say I sucked, but repeated it over and over so it would really sink in.  

But now, not to be cocky, I'm probably better than he is- but that's is such an incredibly stupid concept to even think about *no offense, it just is to me* that he could play a simple 2/4 beat and I would most likely be in awe if I ever got the chance to hear him play again.  I try to play stuff that doesn't suck too bad.  Cause I think everything I play pretty much does.

Some influences just need to be put on a pedistal and left on it... why would you even want to topple and "break" such a beautiful person- the person that inspired you to take up drumming?  Not me.

keyda

Since my ass was kicked by Marky Ramone, i don't say anything but 1..2..3..4 !!!!!!

neil

Lars Ulrich and Neil Peart, have you seen neil's kit, this guy has like 7 arms, I said to my self, I have just seen god on drums

xdrummer2000

Quote from: Neil_Peart on November 27, 2004, 02:26 PM
Lars Ulrich and Neil Peart, have you seen neil's kit, this guy has like 7 arms, I said to my self, I have just seen god on drums

::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

Well, your user name shows that peart is one of your inspirations. I must agree that he is one of the gods of drumming, and deserves every bit of credit he got.

matthias

joey jordison, neil pert, and mike portnoy

DaveGink

Quote from: Danno on September 21, 2004, 01:41 AM
Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees.

I was eight years old and I wanted to be like Mickey Dolenz, so I propped up my brother's old broken-down marching snare on a chair in the basement, and stood a little plastic table covered with silverware next to it to act as a cymbal. If I hit the table, the silverware jangled around - I was eight, it was close enough. The next year I replaced the table with a metal rod taped to the snare shell, with erector set pieces bolted to the top. I fanned them out, and it sorta looked like a cymbal. Sounded like one too, until eight minutes later when all the erector set pieces were bent and ruined. Good thing they were my brother's and not mine.

Micky Dolenz for me too. Only I was making my first drums out of my Mom's tupperware bowls.  ;D

a few years Later it was Neil Peart and Carl Palmer.

Ian

Well, I started off just being drawn towards drums for some reason, but my main influence was a guy called Paul. He was the lead drummer in my school's drum corps, and was really a great guy, a really good teacher/mentor and really inspired me to keep learning and improving. Unfortunately, he eventually had to leave and afterwards I didn't really enjoy it as much and ended up leaving the corps.

Ranman

I was born in Canada and when I was 16 a friend of mine asked me if I would go join Air Cadets with him (a youth organization).
While I was sitting there, I sat watching thier marching band practicing.
They happen to have a couple of great snare drummers.
The looks on those snare drummers faces made me want to be a drummer.
That look of coolness and pride knowing they can do about anything they put thier minds to with thier hands and swing while doing made me feel the grove with my heart because they were playing it with thiers.

Jimmy

My father was a drummer in bands when I was growing up so he was my biggest inspiration to play. My mom tells the story of when I was very young playing on Quaker oatmeal boxes with little drumsticks. Around 1969 my dad purchased a brand new gold sparkle Ludwig Hollywood classic kit. Man when I saw them I was immedately hooked and new I wanted to become a drummer. I was only 6 when he got the Ludwig kit but he still let me play them. However my dad did get me a little red sparkle no name kit for Christmas the following year and the rest was history.  From then on I was playing to records in my bedroom. Everything from Buck Owens to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

AMAC

Seeing Blue Man Group 4 years ago.

I had wanted to play drums ever since I was a little kid in kindergarden. I always thought that drums were the absoulute coolest instrument in bands....  Just the size of the drum kits up on stage, the playing of the drummer behind them... drummers always seemed to be this larger-than-life type thing to me, so I naturally had an interest.

By the time I hit 7th grade my interest was still there, but I just didn't do anything with it. When I went to see Blue Man Group play, though, that just set me off.

ChrisD

I srarted playing drums in 1946 at the age of 4.
My father was a professional drummer in the 1930's. / 40's. / 50's.  
I also studied piano for a while at school.
Had drum and tuned percussion lessons from my dad. I played every chance i had. No football, no hanging about........Just drums !!
Turned pro aged 15. Now aged 63, i am still a full time musician. My life revolves around music (mostly jazz now) all of the time.


ChrisD.

rockintheford

Well, I suppose it was the fact that as a three year old through 10 year old I listened to Dave matthews band constantly because of my babysitter.

Then my first middle school band concert, (i was playing the trumpet) I saw the jazz band. And Rachel Williams a big, cool 8th grader playing the drums. and she ROCKED. it was amazing. and i realized that i wanted to play the drums....

Another thing is my piano teacher at the time was a very strict person. when i announced i was switching to drums she says "ooh gabi, dont do it." so that even inspired me more.

Now I find myself still listening to dave matthews band, how many of you listen to them?

Todd Norris

My dad got me interested.  He played in his early years and when I was a kid, he would set up his 1957 Gretsch once in while to "scratch the itch".  In the 4th grade I was able to join band and it only took a minute or two to decide on drums.  I played up through my freshman year in college until I hung it up for about 8 years.  Now I've been back at it for over 10 years (but set for only the last 6).  It's more a part of my life than I ever could have imagined.  And though my playing isn't anything "special", I do well in the outlets that I have.