Since a child.
I remember acutely wanting to be a drummer since 5th grade.
I played piano, My mom taught me.
I was very rhythmic. I would speed up songs for fun, I was impatient I hated reading music. I wanted to improvise without actual knowledge of theory.
I got yelled at while practicing at home if I veered off practice course.
That mad me mad. I realized playing notes could express emotions.
I explored that notion.
In school we were prompted to choose a musical instrument to study at school.... I wanted to play drums, but that required private lessons, which I knew my parents wouldn't go for, my mom suggested Cello, because I could accompany her piano playing.
I was convinced. I found it easy to learn, it requires you know the bass clef. I was at ease not having to read treble cleff and bass cleff at once...sight reading for piano was NEVER a strength for me.
The way I learned was by ear, by arduous practice, and then by muscle memory.
Once owning Muscle memory I would fly...I would fly through a piece speeding it up to a ridiculous pace, because I understood, what my muscle understood...it was a phenomenon....I could play a song through my muscles.
It was mind first, then muscle....then Muscle became Mind.
So I played Cello in the school orchestra.
I improvised constantly. I turned my cello into a percussive instrument, I spun it on its extending peg. I made ethereal sounds by dragging the bow across muted strings...
All this to say...
I wanted to be a drummer.
I had a subscription to Modern Drummer Magazine, and in it I read an article on drummers and hearing loss. It greatly affected me, the knowledge that you can damage your hearing by playing your instrument.
When I finally got a drum set (long story) I was very sensitive to that information.
I played with isolation headphones, or ear plugs always.
The interesting thing about isolation headphones/earplugs, is that they make your drums sound good, even if you don't know how to tune them....
Playing alone with isolation headphones....when the band comes, I wore headphones with one ear off...
I was always trying to edit sound as a drummer in a band.
continue...
