Lately I have undertaken a drum project to add a bass drum and tom (that came with the bass drum, I didn't buy it) to my current setup. I couldn't be more excited to have it finished, but finishing it is not going to be easy. Or cheap :P
"Why on earth do you need another bass drum?" asks Jonas, my lovable bass player. "Why the hell not?" is my response. "So it's for shits and giggles I guess?" Couldn't have said it better myself. I wouldn't have jumped on this project if I hadn't happened to have found matching drums for my drumset; one of the disadvantages of buying anything used is the risks that come with finding fitting parts, much less finding MORE of the exact same product. But anyways, I came along these two shells for a mere $90 (miracle pricing in drum world) so by moral obligation I was forced to by them and begin this dastardly task.
It is amazing how much goes into one drum. And it is all absolutely vital! There is nothing "for show" on a drum. You have to have lugs for each side (the shiny parts that hold the rim on that hold the head on that hold the knee bone is connected to the footbone...) then you have to find the right length of screws, washers, and all sorts of smaller knick knacks just to hold the small knick knacks on.
For the tom shell hardware, I decided it would be cheapest to buy another used tom with hardware on it, and strip it from there. I did so, and it is a Tama as well, but unfortunately the Tama Imperialstar lugs don't match the sizes of the Starclassic lugs, so some drilling will be necessary. But it is still cheaper than buying the real Starclassic hardware.
And I have ordered comparable hardware for the bass drum, which I am hoping will not require any more drilling just because I don't like putting holes in anything valuable, even if it is to make it work :P That stuff should be here Friday, which is impressive since I just ordered it Monday using the "free shipping" option.
In the meantime, I am here. In my living room typing away on a laptop while watching the Braves and the Marlins battle it out in the 10th inning. My dog Wunder is staring at a treat he was just given (I guess it's not up to his standards). There's not much happening in my life other than this drum project, although I am looking forward to a Rocky (Horror) Mountain vacation in a few weeks with my lovely bass player, best friend and musical soulmate Jonas. Before that, I look forward to watching one of my top drum idols (and life inspirations) Neil Peart play on the Letterman show tomorrow night. Normally that wouldn't be a very special occasion, but considering how shy he is, I am very excited to see him get some exposure to a non-normal audience and show some people how brilliant he really is.
Neil is the type of drummer I aspire to be. NOT specifically skillwise, because I like to adventure on my own and that will certainly change over the years, but as a professional drummer. He is one of few drummers (famous and nonfamous) that does not annoy the living shit out of me. He does what he does, and he doesn't feel the need to go flaunting about saying "I'm a drummer, that's what I do, I'm awesome, I make people cheer for me every night". Or even those drummers who ARE professional and still need some false sense of security in their job by going around and promoting themselves saying they were in the studio a thousand times or they just got done working with someone more famous than them. It's like "Hey, I'm a plumber, and I just worked with a more famous plumber than me, chances are you've never heard of him, but I think it's really cool." It's like, that's nice, but I know you're a drummer, and therefore I know what your job entails.
When asked "Is music your life?" Neil responded strongly "No. How awful would that be? Not having time for friends, family and hobbies... why would anyone want to have music be there life?"
I once thought that music would be my life, until I read that. It definitely turns the perspective around in a very understandable way. I would never want to have drumming consume my life to the point that I didn't have other things I enjoyed. How boring and terrible would that be? So when I see these same pretentious and annoying drummers out there saying "Oh yeah man, music/drumming is my life..." I almost pity them.
There comes a time when a drummer (sometimes) gets to the point where drumming goes from a paying hobby to a job. That doesn't mean it is a bad thing, but it does need that it needs to be realized and recognized. With a job comes responsibility which the stereotypical drummer lacks. Yeah it's cool getting paid to have fun and stuff, but it is also now a responsibility NOT to go get drunk and party every single night, and save some semblance of health for your job. If history tells us anything, Keith Moon discovered the hard way that taking a horse tranquilizer before a gig is PROBABLY not a good idea. Probably.
But of course my pointless ranting won't change anything, not that I want it to. I want to be a one-of-a-kind drummer, specifically NOT like the ones I have just described. I am going to be a person, who just happens to drum for a living. I will have a life, a family, friends and hobbies, and I will enjoy the special job I have while still realizing that it is a job. It will not be easy getting to this ideal state, but I will make it happen, somehow, someway.
Wow how deep and inspirational. Fart, pudding, boobies.
