Channeling change for a positive outcome

I’m going to start with some quotes that I think really represent the year 2020.

• Roll With The Punches

• Changes aren’t permanent, but change is.

• The only way to make sense of change is to plunge into it and move with it.

• Improvise, Adapt & Overcome.

It’s been over 40 years since I started playing drums. It’s been over 20 years since I started teaching drums. It’s been only one year since I started my website and newsletters. I look back at my entire career as a drummer/teacher and I have seen so many things constantly changing and evolving to make our drumming and education better. Every single year there are new drum products and innovative inventions. Every single year I learn new things about drums, such as the many different ways they’re made, all the different woods and materials that are used, and how the evolution of the building process continuously improves. I learn new things about drumming, such as new beats, new sticking patterns, and new things to practice. I discover new drummers that I’ve never heard about and finding some incredible talent that inspires me to change my drumming or the way I practice. I’m also learning new teaching methods and techniques for every new student that starts lessons with me. Everyone is different and we all learn differently, so I have to change the way I teach for each student. I always find new ways of teaching, and sometimes it can happen right in front of my eyes. So far, the year 2020 has been a massive adaptation to change and learning how to deal with it. I'd never needed to teach using Skype or FaceTime or Zoom, even though it has been offered on my website. I know online teaching has been used for many years by many teachers. I even took a Skype lesson with Mark Schulman (drummer for Pink) back in 2008, but for me to teach with that method was new. It was also new to my students, and they have been fantastic adapting to the changes needed to continue drum lessons.

The entire music scene has taken another blow too. No live music. All gigs cancelled. Not being able to play with my band for months has been a massive change in my life. We all had to stay at home, so my band jumped into making music videos and posting them on social media to keep our fans entertained. It also helped us to stay motivated and to keep a positive mindset. Doing that was a big learning curve. We all learned so much about recording audio, video and editing.

When the environment around us changes, we also need to change, and because of change we find ourselves learning new things. So keep changing. Keep positive and keep learning.

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I want to thank my students for sticking with me in these crazy times and I want to thank my brother for helping me with technology. I couldn’t do it without all of you.

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