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Drumming had been away of life for me for so many years. With the help of friends and family I am now here, with a way to once again communicate with, "The Drum Community".
The Dream
One of my former students, Brittnay, suggested that I write about a picture and a drawing that I speak to people about who wish to dream and want to achieve their dreams. When I was very young, before I owned a drum, I drew pictures of drums from old drum catalogs. My local music store threw away an old Ludwig and an old Slingerland drum catalog. I picked them up and treated them like they were gold! I drew for hours thinking what it would be like to have a really cool drum set up. I say this because the rest of the story is based on knowing that this picture was drawn when I was very young.Now let's jump a head several years. If you saw me perform with The United States Air Force Band of The Midwest, you know I played on very large drumsets, double bass multi tom giants! As I progressed as a drummer I experimented with all sorts of sounds and added them to my set up, for example garbage can lids, grease pans, even a base to a lamp.I was visiting my parents house and looked in what was my old bedroom. There was a sketch of my drumset displayed on a wall, the set up I was using in my mid twenties while playing for the Air Force. I asked my Mother who went to see me play? Did someone send her this picture? What made the picture even more interesting was that it appeared to be all yellow from age. My Mother's reply was a little creepy. She said that I had drawn the picture when I was around nine or ten years old. It was the exact set up I was using, every angle of every drum, cymbal, even the bass drums! But what was really wild was that I had drawen the garbage can lid, cowbells, and other percussion I was using. I was blown away!I share this story with you because I feel that every child has a dream in them, and with the proper encouragement, guidance, and a spot of luck they can reach there dreams. I did! I never gave up, it was as if I could see the future as a young child. Never give up on your dreams.
Magic Sticks
I first heard about “Magic Sticks” in a Mickey Hart book. I thought about the idea of having a pair of sticks that where so special that they where magical. I had a pair of sticks that I had used at every audition that I had. That may not sound that magical but I bought the sticks when I was in the eighth grade! The sticks were around sixteen years old at the time. This was at a time when I would break at least two or three sticks at every show. I realized that I would only use these sticks for special occasions and when I did they never broke and always sounded great on my cymbals. There was a couple that took me into their extended family and helped me though some hard times when I was a teenager. I felt so thankful to them that I presented them with my pair of magical sticks. I guess I thought that if I gave them the sticks I would be giving them the magic and then they would also share in the good fortune I had received with them. That was around twenty years ago, and now I realized that I must be in possession of another pair of “Magic Sticks”. Around 1993 I was working at a music store with the idea that I would break out and return to a life as a fulltime performer. I took a pair of sticks and put a set of rubber practice tips on them. I remember running all over the store banging on things. My hand and wrist control developed very quickly and found myself being able to perform complex rhythms at extremely fast speeds. I was something that I needed to help me build the confidence to move forward. Today in 2008 I am still using those same sticks to practice and build my confidence and self esteem. I absolutely do not understand why these sticks have lasted so long but I am so grateful. They are like a close friend that is so loyal and that you look back and realize that you could not have achieved what you have without them/ I don’t know if I will share the magic again or if they will stay with me till I pass on but I do know that yes, there is such a thing as a pair of magic sticks and I was blessed to have received two pair in my lifetime. Have you ever had or have a pair of, Magic Sticks”?
Congo Square
The year was nineteen ninety four. I went and purchased the Neville Brothers, “Live on Plant Earth” CD. There was a song on the album called, “Congo Square”. I was blown away by the rhythms. Then I remembered I had read about Congo Square in a book a few years before that. I found myself asking friends and family about how I could learn more about what seemed at the time to be a cool place. I was just trying to describe Congo Square to a fiend of mine and the only way I could describe it was that is was sacred ground, as or more scared than a church, for example.
My Favorite Mr. Ludwig Stories.
These are the stories
If you have ever been lucky enough to spend sometime with Mr. Ludwig II you know the feeling I felt many times. He was an amazing man who gave back at every opportunity. Since Mr. Ludwig passed away this year(2008), I thought I should share a couple of my favorite Mr. Ludwig stories. For those who may not know, Mr. Ludwig II was the son of Mr. Ludwig senior the founder of the Ludwig Drum Company. My first meeting with Mr. Ludwig happened when I was hired at Franks Drum Shop/Drums LTD. The owner’s name was Bill Crowden. He is married to Brook Ludwig who is Mr. Ludwig’s daughter. During my interview to work at the store, Bill Crowden asked me what my biggest weakness was. I told him that I was a weak Timpani player. That was on a Tuesday, on Saturday as soon as the store opened Bill Ludwig II walked in the store. I remember thinking how I was in the presence of “Drum Royalty”. Bill Crowden asked me to come into his office and all I could do was think, What I had I done? I need this job! Bill Crowden introduced me to Bill Ludwig II and told me that he and I were to go to the back of the store, and that Bill Ludwig II would teach me a few things about the timpani. I was blown away! Timpani lessons with Bill Ludwig II, I had stars in my eyes. You see Franks Drum Shop/Drums LTD had around twenty timpani that they used for rentals and they all needed maintenance. Bill Ludwig II took off his coat and hat and sat in a folding chair, he told me to grab a timpani drum and bring it over by him. I did and then he spilled the beans. I was told to completely disassemble the drum. I had never disassembled a timpani drum in my life! By the end of the day we had completely taken a part and rebuilt all of the timpani. I have never forgotten how to repair a timpani, even to this day.
My second story was a “Dream come true”. Bill Ludwig II called Bill Crowden and told him that he wanted some of his snare drum collection back. These drums where on display at Bill Crowden's store. I was told to take a coworker in the company van out to Mr Ludwig’s II House and drop off the drums. WOW I was going to Mr. Ludwig’s house. When we got there we were greeted by Mrs. Ludwig. The first thing we saw was a huge gong on display in the foyer. It was so unbelievable. Then Bill Ludwig came and greeted us. We loaded the drums into the house and then Mr. Ludwig asked if we would like to look around the drum collection at his house. He showed us original Civil War drums, drums captured from the Germans during World War II and Pictures of his father and uncle who started the Ludwig Drum Company. It was such a magical day. As we left to head back to the store I had to ask him about the large cannon in his front yard. He told me that he fires it off every 4th of July. I will always remember how cool it was to hang with Mr. Ludwig II at his home.
About the picture of Mr. Ludwig and me.
I ran into Mr. Ludwig several years later. He looked older and I asked him if he remembered me? To be polite I said my name was Kevin to help him remember. Without skipping a beat he goes into a story about how the greatest drummers were tap dancers and if I wanted to really master my craft I should talk dance lessons. I remember the day he told me that story! That was a story he would tell me all the time years ago. He was still as sharp as ever. He would have been pushing eighty years old at this time of his life! He signed a drumhead for me, “Tap Pity Tap Tap”(to acknowledge our inside joke)and we took a picture. I told him that I was glad we took the time to chat and take a picture(up until that time we hadn’t ever taken a picture together). I was so glad we did. Rest in peace my friend and thank you so much for all you have given to the Drum Community.