Why being even a bad drummer made me better at my work
I am an awful drummer. You would not be able to tell the difference between me playing the drums and someone who just happened to be seated at a kit the moment he had a seizure.
But I contend that taking lessons and learning the basics made me a better listener… and thus a better interviewer of drummers like Troy Luccketta (pictured)… and thus a better content specialist for drummers like Daniel Glass and bands like Huey Lewis & The News, Cowboy Mouth, etc.Â
It helped me develop a better understanding of the effort and skill involved in playing the drums. It taught me that even a basic groove played with great feel is harder to pull off than you think.Â
Even a little bit of music education and effort improved my insights, my analysis, my questions, and my content creation.
I always explain to students that question, "Why learn to read music and take these lessons?".
Because you're learning the language of music. You might not be able to speak it as fluently as others, but you can at least understand what's going on and not be totally lost in translation.