Written in 2018

Listening to

https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/6ly5DBm7QhjU8RQWl2neJg

I started playing the drums at the age of 10.

Everyone was required to pick an instrument to play in 5th grade band.

A friend a year older played drums and so I thought, "sure I'll play those." Then, my Dad grabbed an old drum kit my uncle had, got it tuned up and gave it to me for my birthday.

What followed was 20 years of rock n roll. Now I can't even play.

https://giphy.com/embed/dUkSKvdRHYUsBg2ZBy

Initially, I took a few lessons. But I didn't really need them - at least to accomplish what I desired to.

I quickly figured out how to play Nirvana's "Come As You Are." But seriously, the talent I had was evident. Humblebrag, but by 2015 I felt like I could've toured or played with any Indie Rock Band in the U.S. Gross, I said it.

I played super loud. I hit super hard. I didn't always wear proper hearing protection (see: Tinnitus). After playing in a band all through high school, I largely stopped playing in college. But then a friend of a friend mentioned his roommate's hip-hop group needed a drummer for live shows - mainly at bars. We clicked and I played with them for about a year. They were wild. And the shows were incredible.