A tech CEO drums in various styles during snowfall in Philadelphia.
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My bass drum was replaced with a recycling bin stuffed with snow and a cinderblock and my cymbals were slightly muted from the heavy snow falling in Philadelphia, but that didn’t diminish the flurry of styles that played throughout my “drum snowlo.”
I played the drums in the snow once before, but it was only for a few seconds and I didn’t venture into multiple rhythms as I did in this session.
Some who saw the less than the thirty second video I posted a year ago loved it; others questioned why I would risk ruining expensive drum equipment for views on YouTube, among other platforms.
Well, for starters, snow won’t ruin drums – at least not the flurries that dance when I play. And, more importantly, the quick video wasn’t about views, it’s about producing a visual representation of self, in this case, a person who marches to the beat of his inner drummer.
Much wiser now than when first started recording myself playing drums, I no longer compare myself to others drummers on the web or stage, because uniqueness isn’t to be compared. Instead, I watch others and celebrate what makes them special, while working diligently to ensure my playing differentiates itself.
If I had to think hard about the reason why I, instead of playing traditional 4/4 drumbeats indoors, would rather play in natural environments and drum differently, it’s because I’m rebelling against the idea of predictability and normalcy, and embracing a lifestyle of spontaneity.
Just like I refuse to be limited to one style of writing in my journalism trade, I refuse to be boxed in as a particular type of drummer – for example, a funk drummer, a jazz drummer, or a hip-hop drummer.
At the end of the groove, I’m all of the above and more. But most importantly, at the end of the day, before being a journalist, drummer, or CEO, I’m a human-being destined for, if nothing else, individuality.
I AM MAN, HEAR ME DRUM!
Thanks for reading. Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® & I’m Drumming for JUSTICE!™