My Story

   
     A quick lesson, a cute guy, and a big crush changed my life forever. I get asked all the time, "How did you learn to play the drums?"  After all, the drums were the first instrument that I learned to play.  My childhood was filled with talented musicians and singers.  Every Friday night my parents would have church friends over (who also were singers and musicians) and they would sit around a camp fire or hang out on the patio and play guitars and sing for hours. Then by the time my brother (Jimmy) had became a teenager he was in love with his guitar and he was a good lead guitar player.  He started a country group and his band practiced in our family’s music room.  His drummer was Mike Palmer (later famous as the drummer for Garth Brooks).  I was eleven and had the biggest crush on Mike.  I kept asking Mike to teach me the drums.  I aggravated him until he finally taught me how to keep a basic beat on the drums.  That was the beginning of becoming a drummer.  Thank God for childish crushes!  (lol)    

     One year later my parents started to pastor a little country church.  My dad persuaded me to "try" and play the drums by stating that he would purchase a drum set if I could play.  That afternoon we went up to the church and I gave it a try.  My dad offered some instruction while he was playing the guitar and that was pretty much it.  The dream began thirty minutes later while playing a set of old Ludwig drums to "I'll fly away".  I don't know how I could play without lessons, it just happened.  I wasn't studio worthy, but I could keep a beat and accent with a crash cymbal.  My dad stayed true to his word and took me to Thoroughbred Music where he bought me my first drum set and opened up a whole new world to me.
   
     As the story continues, the church grew and musicians came and went.  However, I was not prepared for how this would affect me.  I guess you could say my dad was resourceful.  If there was another drum player attending church, my dad would move me to fill in on whatever instrument that was not already occupied by another musician.  The sequence occurred in the following order:  drums, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, and then piano.  I hated it when I had to change instruments, but because of it I learned how to play them all fluently. 

     I enjoy the fellowship of other musicians.  Everyone needs something that they can do or some way to express their feelings and emotions--for me, its playing music.  When I play an instrument, it provides me with an outlet to release my emotions and also an opportunity to minster to others.