TigerBill's DrumBeat Community Forums for Free Expert Advice on Drums and Percussion.

When I was growing up in the business there were many more opportunites for musical growth than you have today. I grew up playing wedding gigs and other club dates from the age of 13 which exposed me to all kinds of musical styles from jazz to rock to latin. In addition to that, I cut my reading chops by playing with everything from small groups to big bands in the big hotels in the Catskills and Pocono Mountains. Playing for a different act 6 nights a week from comedians to singers who all brought in their own charts tends to give you lots of experience very quickly!

Drummers coming up today, thanks to the rise of the DJ, have been pretty much robbed of this type of experience. (When is the last time you saw a live band at a wedding?)

So, in order to get the experience you need and play the type of music you want to play, you need to go actively looking for like-minded musicians to jam with. Jamming is the first step - go to local open mic's, local colleges, etc.

Once you find musicians you like to jam with, get their numbers so that you can get together and jam with them regularly. Eventually, you will find the type of guys that you like to work with from a musical standpoint and also from a personality standpoint, which is often just as important as how they play!

Regardless of where you live - unless it's totally in the middle of nowhere - you should be able to find some like minded players that you can form a band with.

If, after all attempts have failed in your home area, then I would consider making a move. But to do this you need to know what type of drumming you are interested in - studio work, live performance, et, because that will decide where in the country you should move to. Then, test it out by taking up temporary residence in the area of your choice. The only way you'll know for sure it to test the waters.

At 20 you are young enough and I assume have no family of your own to worry about yet, so this is definitely the time to do it!

The music business is a tough one to make a living in but it can be done! If you truly love it (and don't even get involved in it full-time if you don't), then you will be successful. The only difference between succeeding and failing in music or anything else in life is persistence.

Those who succeed are simply those who just won't quit!

Best of Luck and keep us posted!

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Tiger Bill Meligari
Tension Free Drumming

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