Back in high school, I thought it would be a cool idea to shoehorn my way into a drum set for having all ‘A’ averages for the semester.
I also threw in using the drum set as a birthday present instead of something else and managed to get my uncle on board with the plan.
Even though he didn’t let me pick out the EXACT set I wanted, he still managed to get me a full five-piece box set in black.
So, at least it fits my aesthetics and would look pretty cool on stage if ever got that good.
Now, my thinking was that I could pick up drumming easier than other instruments like guitars, basses, and so forth.
And most of that was based on the fact that my left fingers moved faster than my right when I typed.
Don’t ask me why I thought that made sense!
But, I only really had experience with singing by ear and was terrible at reading music.
It wasn’t like I didn’t get a chance to learn!
I’d been a choir student since the fourth grade and had plenty of opportunities, it just never clicked for me.
To this day, if the world was ending and depending on me to sight read a song, I’d just have to do something else that I enjoy before dying.
I might also apologize to the world for my failure – the key word being “might.”
For me, trying to read music always seemed to suck the fun out of it.
All I wanted to do was sing and express myself with music and trying to break down the music formula was boring to me.
Luckily, my junior high choir accompanist understood and we worked on my notes by ear and I could pick them out with ease by high school.
I was also so glad that said accompanist became my choir director and looking back, he gave me a lot of leeways.
But, I ended up securing a spot as a first soprano and didn’t need a microphone to belt those notes out.
Those skills earned me a spot in the Show Choir ensemble group and a bit of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder when I graduated in 2006.
However, that’s not the point!
The drum set wasn’t as easy to pick up as I’d hoped and after several years I ended up selling it to a friend of a friend for his band mate to practice on.
Still, I learned some lessons that had nothing to do with percussion and everything to do with myself as a person.
Plus, I’m gauging any hobbies that I think look cool with a grain of salt now, too.
I’ve already bypassed knitting, crocheting, and sewing because I know they won’t hold my attention.
And while I was considering a few more new hobbies thanks to the broken leg chronicles I decided to stick with something I knew.
My sister Ashlee helped me get my hands on some new coloring books and art supplies – so, I took advantage of those free opportunities to have enough patience to color within the lines.
I’m not an artist by any means but it was a nice bit of stress-relieving distraction and something I wholeheartedly endorse to my friends.
Just don’t look at my work too closely – I’m a better writer than I am at coloring.
