I'm a has-been

Often times I forget how many hours of my life I’ve sat behind a drum set. Whether it was a few hours on a Sunday morning or shows with my traveling band or simply practicing, I have spent a lot of time behind a drum set.

For the first time I realized just how little I’ve played since I moved here to Montana. It has been a couple of years since I’ve played in a Sunday service and I haven’t practiced for months.

I had a dream the other night that I was playing at a large indoor venue, but the set I was playing was made up of parts from several drum sets that had been sitting in a closet. I had no idea who or what I was playing for but I do remember that I played at the same level I had played when I played in a professional band.

Of course I woke up to realize that it was a dream and my skill level is nowhere near where it used to be.

I never thought there would be a time where I would be driving around a town without my drum sticks in the backseat. I carried those sticks with me everywhere because I had no idea who would need a drummer. Now I don’t even have a solid pair of sticks to practice with.

I used to wear a drum key around my neck almost like a political statement. Having the key came in handy when I needed to tune my drums or others I would play on.

Since I stopped drumming, I’ve also gained weight, which tells me that playing an instrument could be a great form of cardio.

When I was younger, I remember reading Drum! and Modern Drummer thinking maybe one day I will be on the cover. I never made it.

I also remember my first time recording a track and my first time being in a studio. I remember being in a homemade studio in Florida that was tiny enough to fit in a small bathroom and over a 100 degrees inside.

I never became a “great” drummer but man did I have fun throughout my years as a musician.

Of course there may be a day when I do drum again. My father had a long decade or two hiatus before he started drumming again.

After writing all of this I just may have to start drumming for the first time all over again.