Your Mom and any influence she may have had on your drumming?

Mom encouraged music in general at a young age.

At the end of grade school, I was planning on switching from trumpet to drums for the school band. This kid who was a year older than me had a kit, and I watch him play it, staring at the drums more than a Farrah Fawcett poster. One day, he got a new set of blue Ludwig Vistalites. I asked him if I could buy his kit, but he said he sold it.

Not too long after that, on Christmas, I had that drum kit wit new heads all around. It even had a little cymbal on a stand from the top of the bass drum. Don't know what she paid for it, but I heard the cymbal alone was $100. With three kids, the sacrifice to make this happen was not small.

She drove me long distances to weekly lessons, rehearsals, etc. until I could drive myself.

She was the president of the marching band organization for the years that I was active.

When it came time to consider college, she suggested that I major in Percussion Arts. It got me in the door.

Thanks, Mom!
 
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For me - and I'm sure it's the same for most of us - my parents were so hugely supportive, even though they weren't musicians themselves.

Shelling out for expensive drums and cymbals they couldn't really afford at the time; providing a regular free taxi service for me and my gear; and putting up with endless banging and hammering at home for years.

The life-affirming pastime and passion of drumming, which I've enjoyed for well over 30 years now, was always encouraged by my wonderful mother and wonderful late father.

Even now, my mum still always asks about my gigs and band.

Thanks for everything.
 
My Mom was not only a musical influence to me and my siblings but also to tons of young boys and girls in our community-she made all her kids take piano lessons, she gave lessons (she studied at the Chicago music conservatory against her father's wishes -he was a tyrant)-she made me take tap dancing lessons and all my siblings do stuff like that-gosh we hated it but I'm so glad she did it. She started an annual Junior Miss competitions at the local high school, wrote songs for it, played piano (from classical to jazz), taught the girls to dance-she could tap do any kind dance-she just passed a few months ago-almost made it to 92. I watched her sing, dance and play the piano my whole life-still playing at 92 when she passed. She was politically active too which running for office back in the 60s in the South with the good ole boys club was quite the experience-they hated her.
 
i still remember, I got an 18" crash and a 20" ride for 36 and 42 dollars respectively. That would have been 1971.

good price .. i paid 100 for a 22" zildjian ride with stand in 71. wish i still had it. but my mom was the one who gave me the set of white pearl ludwigs with 24" bass. i guess she saw me as some gene krupa type player with the 2 floor toms.
 
My mom only bought my first drum set. It was a Ludwig with a 20" bass drum, and she got me a red label 2002 Paiste 16" crash, a green label 602 20" ride & 14" Rude hats.

Not much else. I took care of the rest. She has always encouraged me to play them.
 
Apart from buying drums, paying for lessons (and getting me back and forth to them) my mum had a band (old time scottish dance.. the closest I got to rock was "Running Bear") and I got the gig with her when I was 14. 2 or 3 gigs a week, I got an equal share of the $'s. I thought I was rich!
Her best advice was "nobody is here to listen to the drummer.. they're here to dance.. don't get fancy".
 
$25 / month rent-to-own for her 5th grader...and a lifetime of encouragement.
 
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