...a beat of a different drum

Several of my hobbies include singing, writing, reading, learning, designing, drawing, sports and playing the guitar - but not drums.

I have played in bands for as long as I can remember. I play lead/rhythm guitar and also am - most of the time - the lead vocalist. But I haven’t taken the time to learn to play the drums at the same or similar level - I can play a slow song and that’s about it. As a band member/guitarist, I prefer playing with a live drummer - using real drum sets as opposed to programmed/arranged drumming or drum machines.

There are advantages of both, but a live drummer makes a band more bona fide in every sense of the word. The flexibility of a live drummer in adjusting to the beat improvising and general ad-lib augmentation make the overall playing experience in a band fun, fulfilling and enjoyable. The advantage of a drum machine is found in additional and variety of percussion sounds - and automation. But unless the sequencing is well programmed, electronic drumming can be a hindrance, not to mention technical and other difficulties and/or failures.

Drumming is another front - albeit a less popular one - on which the battle between man and machine is fought. And man still has the edge. Case in point - a drum machine still has to be operated by a person. And so is with perhaps all other machines and automation.

l-r: nelson(bass) loi(keyboards) self(lead guitar) percy (rhythm guitar)
back: sega (drums)

I still have a goal of learning to play the drums (mind you, I already know how to play with them). And if not for social enjoyment alone, it’s for the stimulation and growth of the brain’s neurons from the challenges in the learning process which have proven to contribute tremendously to healthy mental capabilities and faculties - even into old age. This is true with any new challenge and undertaking.

Oh, I was watching American Idol last night and the men were awesome. A few years ago, I picked Carrie Underwood who has a great CM voice. This year, I’ll pick another CM favorite - Scotty McCreery. He sang John Michael Montgomery’s “Letters from Home”. Scotty was great. I like his voice. I think he was born a Country singer. And if he doesn’t win, he’s already on every CM label’s radar and you will hear his name on the Country charts or when performing on CMAs in the next few years.