What First Inspired You
- Thread starter The Big Beat
- Start date
evolving_machine
Silver Member
At first I was playing around with the piano by myself. Then my parents saw that I had an interest in music and they took me to get lessons and the salesman convinced my mother that I should learn the accordion first. Don’t laugh, this is a true story.
An accordion is not a cool instrument. When you play the accordion, you can not tell anyone that you do, because they will laugh at you. After a few months hauling and playing the accordion I gave up playing any musical instrument. That is, until a few years later, when I discovered the “drums.” Wow, you could bang out your frustrations, and make music at the same time? Life was great. Along the way I was playing the harmonica. Later on, I took up the alto saxophone for the melodic contrast.
By the way, I have not touched an accordion now, for almost 45 years.
An accordion is not a cool instrument. When you play the accordion, you can not tell anyone that you do, because they will laugh at you. After a few months hauling and playing the accordion I gave up playing any musical instrument. That is, until a few years later, when I discovered the “drums.” Wow, you could bang out your frustrations, and make music at the same time? Life was great. Along the way I was playing the harmonica. Later on, I took up the alto saxophone for the melodic contrast.
By the way, I have not touched an accordion now, for almost 45 years.
one-x_drummer
Junior Member
the groove of the drums...since i was a little boy i was playing with my fingers on the table drum beats and 1.5 year ago in one day i said "i wiil start drum lessons...".and watching my drum teacher and getting deep in the drums i loved the groove and the beats and now drums are a part of my life....
Pachikara-Tharakan
Silver Member
None of the drummers inspired me, nor any size flashy drum sets or tricks . (Still dont!)
I always tap with the fingers , i never sit still....always tapping on table or silently on the back of my left palm.
everything developed from there..... and then I got into Charley's simplicity.
I always tap with the fingers , i never sit still....always tapping on table or silently on the back of my left palm.
everything developed from there..... and then I got into Charley's simplicity.
Wegadrummer
Pioneer Member
Ian paice.. That man is a legend..
I'm sorry, I find this hard to believe. Perhaps you are not aware of the inspiration you have taken from others? Nobody lives in a vacuum.
druid
Silver Member
Hmmm interesting one....well I can remember prior to KISS ( first band I really got into) Liking the album Jesus Christ Superstar,Hair,Joseph and the Amazing technicolor dreamcoat... and picking up on the drums...my Mom said I rocked in my cradle ...allot. Then when I was 10 I started on KISS, Beatle and Zeppelin...then I went thru a phase of listening to Rainbow with Cozy Powell on drums...then I discovered Rush and became a NP listener..then it was Missing Persons , Police...many fusion band including the Dregs ( Rod big influence)...then Zappa ( rediscovering all the Zappa drummers-esp Bozzio,Vinnie,Chad) then I started listening to who those guys listened to (huge list) and went to Tony Williams...Billy Cobham....SimonPhillips...UK with Bozzio...King Crimson (old and new)...Bill Bruford solo material...Once i hear about someone good I check them out which always leads to checking out even more players....Gregg Bissonette, Marco Minneman....and I think I have probably gone way overboard while not scratching the surface simultaniously.
SharkyBait911
Senior Member
Watching my dad play drums #, he isnt really good or n othing but back then it was enough to get me hooked
And goin to a steve white clinic got me obessed with drums untill that night i didn't know you could do the things he did !!!
And goin to a steve white clinic got me obessed with drums untill that night i didn't know you could do the things he did !!!
Chollyred
Senior Member
I always had older cousins and uncles that played. As soon as I saw that first drum kit (I was 6), I knew that's what I wanted to do. I got a snare drum and a rudiment book for Christmas and spent the next year in the basement. I started sitting in with other drummers at 8 (they thought it was cute until they found out I could play). Got my first Penncrest kit the next Christmas and then played along with every record I could listen to. I've been influenced by more people than I could ever name.
Just about everybody from the mid-60s on.
Just about everybody from the mid-60s on.
Mikebike88
Member
I was probably first inspired when I listened to a few tracks by Dream Theater. It inspired me to pick up one of their earlier DVD's. After seeing Portnoy play on the DVD I think that is when I wanted to become a drummer. Since then of course my tastes have changed and Portnoy has moved down my list a bit, he definitely gets the credit for getting me started 
rjvsmb
Senior Member
My Pops.
I remember sitting on a pillow in the garage while he and other musician's would jam - god, I was about 5 years old. This back around 1970 in San Francisco.
The music scene was incredibly diverse with a strong jazz scene, and obviously, an equally strong rock (hippie) culture.
I was exposed to a lot of music. My dad was friendly with many musicians in the bay area including guys from Santana (including Carlos), and Tower of Power.
He would practice for hours, blazing through books like Stick Control like he wrote it.
He did some session stuff for the movies.
I got to see him play with Dizzy, he sat in with Miles Davis at The Black Hawk in SF a couple of times, and played with Cal Tjader. He's been a working drummer and has been in the musician's union since the age of sixteen.
He's sixty five years old and still plays five nights a week, four hours a night in a little lounge in Daly City, CA. (Westlake Joe's)
I've been very blessed to have been expose to an incredible amount of music and an incredibly talented drummer.
This is my influence.
Peace.
After Pops, it would be Buddy.
I remember sitting on a pillow in the garage while he and other musician's would jam - god, I was about 5 years old. This back around 1970 in San Francisco.
The music scene was incredibly diverse with a strong jazz scene, and obviously, an equally strong rock (hippie) culture.
I was exposed to a lot of music. My dad was friendly with many musicians in the bay area including guys from Santana (including Carlos), and Tower of Power.
He would practice for hours, blazing through books like Stick Control like he wrote it.
He did some session stuff for the movies.
I got to see him play with Dizzy, he sat in with Miles Davis at The Black Hawk in SF a couple of times, and played with Cal Tjader. He's been a working drummer and has been in the musician's union since the age of sixteen.
He's sixty five years old and still plays five nights a week, four hours a night in a little lounge in Daly City, CA. (Westlake Joe's)
I've been very blessed to have been expose to an incredible amount of music and an incredibly talented drummer.
This is my influence.
Peace.
After Pops, it would be Buddy.
Pete Stoltman
Silver Member
My story has a lot in common with Evolving Machine's story. I started out on accordion (believe it or not it was cool back in the late 50's-early 60's). I took lessons from a traveling instructor for about 6 years and am now glad that I had that background in melody and harmony. When I saw the Beatles it convinced me that there was another instrument in my future. I toyed with the idea of playing bass since I had some friends who already played guitar but decided to go to drums. Always had an interest in them and like many of you banged up the kitchen pots and pans, coffee cans and anything else I could get my hands on. I had a lot of encouragement from older musicians that were friends of the family and that sealed the deal. Along the way I've also learned some fluency on piano, guitar, and trumpet.
What a great way to get inspired!
What a great way to get inspired!
Ian Williams
Rebel
Yes, He is. I fully agree.
Havin guitar player friends, loving music, the movie School of Rock...
I knew I wanted to play an instrument, but what really showed me was a Bob Marley song, I forget which, in which I leaned against my moms car door and felt the base drum inside me, and knew I wanted that.
I knew I wanted to play an instrument, but what really showed me was a Bob Marley song, I forget which, in which I leaned against my moms car door and felt the base drum inside me, and knew I wanted that.
Concrete Pete
Senior Member
Hey Crew,
Two people- my dad, who at 92 years old is STILL playing drums in 2 different swing/big band outfits, and my meeting Buddy Rich at a concert in Columbus, Ohio when I was 10 years old.
I started playing (my dad's) drums at age 11, and am a ripe old 51 years old now. I sold one of my classic Harleys last year to buy a drum set, and pay some bills. I'll never look back, and thank "The Big Drummer In The Sky" that I made that decision to start rockin' again.
Without music, life has no soundtrack to live by.
Rock on,
C. P.
Two people- my dad, who at 92 years old is STILL playing drums in 2 different swing/big band outfits, and my meeting Buddy Rich at a concert in Columbus, Ohio when I was 10 years old.
I started playing (my dad's) drums at age 11, and am a ripe old 51 years old now. I sold one of my classic Harleys last year to buy a drum set, and pay some bills. I'll never look back, and thank "The Big Drummer In The Sky" that I made that decision to start rockin' again.
Without music, life has no soundtrack to live by.
Rock on,
C. P.
Spreggy
Silver Member
My big brother Danny was my inspiration, he used to make up a song called "I Am Elvis" and play it for us kids (huge family, 9 kids).
It went:
I am Elvis *flam!*
and I am cool! *du-bap!*
and I ain't gonna be a g-d fool! *Into hammering rock shuffle blues thingy*
Yep, that was it, my inspiration.
It went:
I am Elvis *flam!*
and I am cool! *du-bap!*
and I ain't gonna be a g-d fool! *Into hammering rock shuffle blues thingy*
Yep, that was it, my inspiration.
slingerland755
Silver Member
BB with MF and Bozzio with Zappa/Missing Persons. Two of my favs while picking up the sticks.