I started my life as a drummer, and that’s still how I see myself. 

After starting on drum set at age 7, I joined band in 6th grade, became a percussionist, and have never looked back. Along the way, as I was playing in rock bands and symphony orchestras, I noticed that many of my “classical” musician friends struggled with rhythm, time, and especially groove. Around that same time, I can recall a line of thinking that caused some of my own creativity and confidence in my musicianship to falter: follow conductor, don’t mess up. Maybe you’ve felt the same.

Here’s what I’ve realized–at some point, we lost the connection between movement and rhythm. Looking back at my own experience, it happened in middle school band, when, during the first concert I ever played on stage, I was told not to tap my foot in time because the audience would hear it. I can’t remember ever being told to embody the pulse again…..instead, I was told to use a metronome (which is a good thing, but not the same), and/or follow a conductor.

Developing our internal connection to rhythm , pulse, and groove can make us freer, happier, and more creative players. And creativity is what it’s all about. 

So, what we’re going to do here is develop inner rhythm, explore concepts from around the world that can help us play all types of music better, and just generally, be more creative.

Sound good? Great. Let’s get going.