It’s not about what you can attain but rather what you maintain consistently.
Most prevalent in drums is the rhythm. The beat. The pulse. Globally the only other thing I’ve seen move a person to such direct, clear, and hypnotic action is a gun. The loud but precise and controlled nature of the drum (as well as the drummer) comes down to one thing: pattern recognition. Without pattern recognition, there is no pulse. Without a pulse, there is no rhythm. Without a steady and consistent rhythm to bring the human brain comfort and recognition, there is a world void of movement. We all need movement of some kind for both our mental and physical well-being. Movement provides balance to strengthen our proprioception on life’s inevitable bumpy road. Rhythm allows suspension on the road to stay as steady as possible, creating the pulse for all people to interact as well as reside. The drum is not only the most important instrument ever created (as it directly mirrors our circadian rhythms) but it is the foundation of musical sound as it gives sounds order, context, and — most importantly — ENERGY. When energy is optimized it sounds like a drum; controlling the noise of the stick on a loud surface that can equally be a calming and quiet surface dependent on the velocity. In this life we all live, there is no way to get through outside of rhythm. Therefore, a steadying, helpful rhythm (or lack thereof) is in direct proportion to the level of health one experiences. Of course, there are also those geniuses that defy the logic of simple rhythm with an intellectual drum solo that defies space and time with mesmerizing speed, efficiency, and precision. It’s all about personal choice. From my early childhood, I knew I had the ability to be one of the best drummers/percussionists ever to live. I knew this with such confidence that I never needed to discuss anything with anyone at any time about my ability, what I was hearing in my head, or my capacity to execute it all the time, in the moment, completely void of thought. With this ability to continue to prove my conclusion correct as I matured in both experience and unrelenting practice and execution on a professional scale, I always chose something else. That something else is being the best human being I can be by learning the simplicity of rhythm and its complication to maintain it. We all have the capability of being some form of genius. The most important question is:
Do you choose to attain genius status, praise, and mystery? Or do you choose to communicate with the world?
P.S. It is immutable at this point in my life that I have demonstrated my choice and its focus. That choice is made clear by my ability and willingness to articulate my thoughts consistently while maintaining quality for the world to comprehend on whatever level they choose (as it’s all a choice).
