I want to motivate you.
So, I started brainstorming different ideas about how exactly I should go about this objective, and I came up with an idea. To really understand my motivation for making this blog, I would like to paint you a picture. This is the story of how I knew I wanted to devote my life to drumming and why I am choosing to write to you today...To put it simply, I suppose it all boils down to one moment.
It all started with the audition process. I registered online
with my favorite drum corp, the Colts. Following registration, I had to pay a camp registration
fee as well. After years of practice and committing myself to their junior organization, the Colt Cadets, my first real audition with the Colts had finally approached me. I arrived at a high school on a late Friday evening with my sleeping bag, a change of clothes, some toiletries, a pair of sticks, my metronome, and the music, ready to prove myself. I was a bit intimidated at first, as I noticed there were nearly 70 other kids that I was competing against for one of eight snare spots. These camps consist
of extremely strenuous activities, including: intense calisthenics, world-class
performance instruction, rigorous marching exercises, and not to mention the
task of doing it better than the people around you. But if you have practiced
and prepared, you will be fortunate enough to receive a call back, or a second
round evaluation, which I did. Once I had demonstrated my abilities appropriately, the day had finally come where my official contract had appeared in the mailbox. After going to three camps, and auditioning against over a hundred kids, I had received the last spot on the snare line.
Once I had confirmation of the accepted position as a snare drummer with the Colts, I was
immediately responsible for paying off my membership fees. These include the
costs that are associated with the travel, food, staff, and equipment that will
be needed throughout the summer. After the logistical information was taken care
of, all that remained were the final preseason camps each month. Once
June finally hit, it was move-in time, and off to Dubuque I went.
My summer was mainly focused around one goal, perfecting my
show. It starts with “all-days”, or the first three week period spent
practicing from 8 am – 11 pm every day, and then, advancing to the first round
of exhibition performances in late June. Next up was the 4th of July parades.
Then, the last 6 weeks of summer was spent touring all across the nation. Starting all the
way from the east coast in Boston, Massachusetts, down south along the ridge
all the way to Texas, finishing in the Midwest at good ol’ Lucas Oil Stadium,
home to the professional football team, the Indianapolis Colts. Here were where the final
three performances of the entire season took place….Finals week.
Finals
week is a time in my life that I just will never forget. Cameramen are
running around the practice lots filming various sections of the ensemble as they
warm up. The announcer is on a full blast loop promoting the next corp that is about
to take the field. Fans are literally everywhere; yelling, cheering, and applauding from inside the
stadium, to the sidewalks outside, to the warm up lot areas, to the souvenir stands. EVERYWHERE. The place is just packed with people who are ready to see a performance that will change their life.
These final performances are the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that you have
dreamt of since you began learning your craft. In these final days together as an ensemble, we are competing against
over forty other groups, while being live-streamed in movie theaters all across the
country. These are the circumstances that very few people actually get to experience
for themselves…
In
your final 12-15 minutes you spend on that football field,
your life changes. I spent the first minute of the last performance
waging
an internal war with myself over my own emotions as I attempted to control
the
fear, the anxiety, and the adrenaline. Finally, it settled in…this was it.
This is
the end. All of a sudden, a sense of determination consumed my body. I
began to relax and feel the entire snareline focus in together, as each
note played was perfectly balanced, both
sound and time. The stadium's lights shone down on us angelically as the performance carried on. The final seconds of the performance
began to draw near at last, and I took a look around… Time slowed down, I took a deep breath, and out of nowhere, an
inner beast came bursting out my soul. I embraced every
last second together with my newfound family, the Colts. We blasted our final notes, taking a powerful closing stance, and the crowd rose burst our cheer as they rose to their feet.
I thought to myself, I did it..
I lived my dream. These
are the moments I will forever live for... These are the moments that
will shape who I become... And this why I love drumming. When this was all said and done, I realized that I had to do this for someone else. I had to inspire others to chase their own dreams.
With that said, I wanted to create a physical representation of my vision. Something that will help define those of us who are drummers chasing our very own dream. Therefore, I am proud to announce that Every Drummer's Paradise has new t shirts available! These shirts were inspired as an effort to bring together EDP subscribers to identify those who are actively working to make their dreams a reality, TOGETHER. This shirt stands for a community that works together to inspire others!
If you are interested in supporting this cause, the new apparel will accommodate most sizes and can be found at my cafepress website below. All proceeds will go to delivering new and inspiring content, demanded by you, including:
EDP Merchandise
With that said, I wanted to create a physical representation of my vision. Something that will help define those of us who are drummers chasing our very own dream. Therefore, I am proud to announce that Every Drummer's Paradise has new t shirts available! These shirts were inspired as an effort to bring together EDP subscribers to identify those who are actively working to make their dreams a reality, TOGETHER. This shirt stands for a community that works together to inspire others!
If you are interested in supporting this cause, the new apparel will accommodate most sizes and can be found at my cafepress website below. All proceeds will go to delivering new and inspiring content, demanded by you, including:
- Live Performances
- Requested transcripts
- Keynote speakers
- And MUCH, MUCH MORE!
EDP Merchandise
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