Why Do I Play Drums?

Thanks for all the responses. Yeah, I'm looking for why you play, what keeps you engaged in the act of playing, not so much the reasons that may have inspired you to begin.

So far the responses:
+ because I can
+ it's fun, I enjoy it
+ born to play
+ it releases pressure
+ addicted to it
+ tribal instinct
+ channels energy positively
+ it's therapeutic
+ communicate / connect / understanding
+ brings all parts of ourselves together for a unified purpose
 
Playing drums mellows everything going on in my world...
 
That's easy. I like making people dance, especially women. Their hips mesmerize me when they dance. So naturally I prefer to play in a manner that makes it really easy to dance. It's my secret power.

Drums are the best instrument for me because I understand....completely.... how loud, obnoxious and repelling they can be, so I try and tame the instrument, so it gracefully adds to the music instead of detracting. A bull in a china shop is not my idea of good drumming. Yet that's what I see mostly.

I boiled it down to this: I play for everyone else's benefit, period. Meaning the singer, the lead player, the rhythm section, and the dancing public. Then drumming becomes greater than the sum of it's parts, that's my goal. That's my secret weapon, to play for the others benefit, and turn upside down the general perception of drummers.

I even have an equation: 80% listening 20% playing. Listening to everything else is #1 in my head. It dictates what I play, at what volume.

Excluding myself from the playing equation brings me everything I seek, in abundance...which is basically approval and recognition for doing my job in a positive way. It's a backwards approach from what I normally see, which is drummers who are still playing their self important drum part and missing the big picture that is the music of the song.
 
larryace said:
That's easy. I like making people dance, especially women. Their hips mesmerize me when they dance. So naturally I prefer to play in a manner that makes it really easy to dance. It's my secret power.

Drums are the best instrument for me because I understand....completely.... how loud, obnoxious and repelling they can be, so I try and tame the instrument, so it gracefully adds to the music instead of detracting. A bull in a china shop is not my idea of good drumming. Yet that's what I see mostly.

I boiled it down to this: I play for everyone else's benefit, period. Meaning the singer, the lead player, the rhythm section, and the dancing public. Then drumming becomes greater than the sum of it's parts, that's my goal. That's my secret weapon, to play for the others benefit, and turn upside down the general perception of drummers.

I even have an equation: 80% listening 20% playing. Listening to everything else is #1 in my head. It dictates what I play, at what volume.

Excluding myself from the playing equation brings me everything I seek, in abundance...which is basically approval and recognition for doing my job in a positive way. It's a backwards approach from what I normally see, which is drummers who are still playing their self important drum part and missing the big picture that is the music of the song.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I play a helluva lot better when there's women on the dance floor moving their naughty bottoms! That's what keeps ME going!
 
Midnite Zephyr said:
Oh, those naughty bottoms! That's always a good thing. ;)
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Sometimes I've gotten "in the door" with those naughty girls because of my musician status, and I've been able to SMACK those naughty bottoms! It's really funny how many girls enjoy that! Maybe because they all KNOW they're NAUGHTY! LOL! (But I'm happy to oblige them!) As drummers, we are the "ultimate" smackers of bottoms! Think about it!
 
Ok, ok, settle down now.

larryace said:
That's easy. I like making people dance...I play for everyone else's benefit, period. Meaning the singer, the lead player, the rhythm section, and the dancing public. Then drumming becomes greater than the sum of it's parts, that's my goal. That's my secret weapon, to play for the others benefit...

I even have an equation: 80% listening 20% playing. Listening to everything else is #1 in my head. It dictates what I play, at what volume.

Excluding myself from the playing equation brings me everything I seek, in abundance...
Click to expand...

Yes. Totally agree. I say that drumming is social event with the sole purpose of lifting others higher.
 
buddhadrummer said:
Ok, ok, settle down now.



Yes. Totally agree. I say that drumming is social event with the sole purpose of lifting others higher.
Click to expand...

Life Is! That's why the "spirit" became the FLESH! To ENJOY the TRIP! Nature is harsh....folks are being EATEN by predators. The Human Being is the only creature who can realize what we can. (Although my Cats are quite sentient, I have no doubt!) We are the ultimate pleasure seekers. That's why they will never wage a successful "war on drugs" (the drugs that "big pharma" doesn't own, anyway!) -because "ever since we lost our innocence, we've been trying to get it back". No good sending ME to "rehab" mate, I'd have everybody there back on the sauce and whatever else! From a purely philosophical standpoint!
 
buddhadrummer said:
Yes. Totally agree. I say that drumming is social event with the sole purpose of lifting others higher.
Click to expand...

This is great. The only thing I'd change is the spelling of sole to soul.
 
I happened to grow up in a household where music was playing almost constantly. My older siblings were all way into listening to music, but somewhat interestingly no one played an instrument (my oldest brother has dabbled in guitar over the years, but really only knows a handful of chords). Even at an early age I was always fascinated by the drums and drummers. I was maybe 12 years old, and was hanging out with a friend after school one day who played drums. I was watching him play his kit, and he asked if I wanted to give it a try. So I sat down, and I could somewhat hold a steady beat. He said to me that he didn't know I was also a drummer; I said "me neither!" I asked my parents if they could take me to get a pair of drumsticks, and away I went. 44 years old, still playing, still gigging, still love it. I try to instill in my kids that playing an instrument is something you can enjoy doing your entire life; the jury is out on whether they're buying in lol. They're young, plenty of time.
 
It's my therapy. I get to hit things legally.
 
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