Should you keep at least one of your life's dreams untarnished?

Friday, December 01, 2006


I've been fascinated with DRUMS since I was a small boy. Although no one else in my family is musical, my Dad was always a listening fan. When we had record player in the early seventies, he would listen to Kris Kristofferson, Neil Diamond, The Johnsons, Dr Hook, Janis Joplin, John Mayall, JJ Cale, The Beatles, Woody Guthrie, Elvis.....

So from my early childhood I was soaking up some pretty good music, and some pretty good musicians. My own first LP I think was either Status Quo Whatever You Want , or was it something by 10cc. Memory fails me.

In listening to the music, it was always the DRUMMING that caught my ear. I found it mesmerising. I never got a chance to do any until I went away to Secondary (High) School where I "commandeered" a set from a friend who had drums and began playing with guys who were learning guitar. The thing was I never had any lessons, but understand time and co-ordination and fills and patterns instinctively. I would not say a natural talent so much as I had programmed myself over the years of listening - and done a fair amount of air drumming.

But that was it. A couple of years playing in school. A couple of gigs - in school. Then I got into something else altogether. My Dad had been a keen cyclist before he settled down to family life. Being a bit sporty myself, this was always going to get some of my attention, and so I had a long and decent Amateur career as a racing cyclist, competing at International level representing my country. Drums were left as a dream unfulfilled.

I missed the buzz I had felt playing in school but had left it behind me for a different high. School, or more specifically Martin Crotty, had at least introduced me to my biggest influence in music, drumming and (as fans know) Philosophy and Life, in the form of Rush and Neil Peart.
Now at 40 I have decided to treat myself to a mid-life crisis and get a drum kit.

My dilemma is this.

Is it better to let it lie and not to frustrate or disappoint myself by trying to create something when it's too late and that ship has sailed? Will trying to attain a playing level that may take years frustrate me at this point in my life? Will I be left with regrets that my life didn't take a different course?

Should you always keep just one dream untarnished ?

Don’t waste time dreaming - just do it!

Sunday, April 06, 2008



So .... it’s been a while since I put pen to paper (shouldn’t that be fingertips to plastic?), and it’s time to update on my original blog .... about leaving at least one of your life-long dreams untarnished, always pure, perfect and complete.



Well guess what ..... I’ve come to a conclusion (refer to title).


I went and bought a drum kit - answered a "drummer wanted" ad on the net, made some new friends, and started to do what I’d wanted to do for most of my life: sit on a stool and bash things to music.


It’s been a fantastic year (life does begin at forty ... maybe forty one). After about eight months, despite really sporadic practice and rehearsal, some personnel changes, finally finding a bassplayer with ’chops’, I’m now in a band that I’m sinfully proud of and not only that - I’m officially a recorded musician.


Our foursome of classic blues and rock freaks have evolved into a Rolling Stones cover band - though I’m sure the repertoire is going explode in the coming months into various other influences and styles. The drums have been recorded for a demo which should start to see us get some gigs and start playing in front of real live people!


The point though is that unless you take a chance and roll the dice, you’ll never know whether the dream is perfect as it is, or if reality can be EVEN BETTER than the dream! Making that leap is its own high, but landing on your feet and not on your ass just makes the high very very special.


Don’t waste time once you’ve had the dream - wake up, get up and roll the bones.


"All of us get lost in the darknessDreamers learn to steer by the starsAll of us do time in the gutterDreamers turn to look at the cars" from The Pass


Thanks, Professor!