What do you owe?

RobTheDrummer · Post by **RobTheDrummer** » Sunday Nov 16, 2003

The other day, I started thinking about something particularly special to me, as well as many others. I thought about what I would be doing if it weren't for drums. I mean, I owe my life to the art of drumming. First of all, I wouldn't know half of the people I know if I never thought of playing an instrument. I wouldn't have met the great instructors and teachers of music that I have, I wouldn't have met all of the great musicians that I have, including all of the people on this forum. I wouldn't even have met my girlfriend of 3 years! I would have nothing to look forward to, and I wouldn't have the fun that I do teaching others just like myself when I was their age. It just dawned on me the other day and I have an entirely new found respect for my instrument and music. I'm glad I chose the instrument I have and I am very very grateful for all of the joy that it has brought me...think about that. Reflect on it, what do you owe to music?

tonefight · Post by **tonefight** » Sunday Nov 16, 2003

credit card debt, better paying jobs I've passed up because they didn't fit a musicians schedule, quiting college to stay in my band at the time, lots of hangovers.

Seriously though I wouldn't trade it in, I've had alot of fun in the past playing music. This is how I met my wife and that is our hobby together as well. Cheers to many good gigs in the future ( as soon as we get this new project on the road )

facingwest · Post by **facingwest** » Tuesday Nov 25, 2003

I believe that you don't choose music, but that it chooses you and sucks you right in. I've been happily playing for 15 years and each day I wake up, I'm thankful for the day that my dad taught me how to play. It started with two basic 3 chord songs (Wonderful Tonight & Your Cheatin Heart) to what I know now. Like RobTheDrummer said, I too am greatful for the people I met over the years that opened my eyes to new things as well as educated me. This year will be the first year I actually have something to show for everything that I've learned over the years and that is a CD of original music. Anyone that knows me, knows that I've been talking about this CD for the past 5 or so years and it is now completely finished. We should be getting it back from the mastering house sometime next week and it's time to celebrate. If anyone's interested in hearing it, Jim Price was gracious enough to give us a spot on Q-94's Backyard Rocker, February 22, 2004, so tune in. As far as when it's going to be released, it should be around that same time.

tonefight · Post by **tonefight** » Tuesday Nov 25, 2003

That should be a CD to look forward to, and by the way since you mentioned the 15 years......... I always remember you and Red at around 15 or so out playing in bars ( I guess that might have been illegal, at least by todays standards )

facingwest · Post by **facingwest** » Tuesday Nov 25, 2003

I started playing in bars at the ripe old age of 13.

Back then, PLCB laws weren't as strict, or if they were, they weren't enforced as much as they are now. All I can say is I'm thankful for the pre-21 experience. I didn't want to jeopardize that privilege and didn't start drinking till 6 months after I turned 21. It made you focus and appreciate the most important thing.....the music.

JimmySkinny · Post by **JimmySkinny** » Wednesday Nov 26, 2003

to quote a song off of our new cd

"I coulda done so much more with my life, but nothing else ever seemed so right" Greatest Mistake - No Dice

if it wasnt for music i also wouldnt have met the majority of friendships in my life, or some of the numerous musicians in the area.

ToonaRockGuy · Post by **ToonaRockGuy** » Thursday Nov 27, 2003

What do I owe to music? What a great topic!

For me, having been in Central PA since 1993 now, I can say that I owe music a huge thanks for allowing me to play with some of the greatest musicians I've ever had the pleasure of jamming with.

I'm grateful for the chance to have learned from, sometimes played with, and soaked up knowlege from some unbelievable drummers that I admire to this day: John McKnight (Felix & The Hurricanes, Independent), Bobby Watters (Felix & The Hurricanes), Jamie Kmett (Stix-N-Stones), Matt Carlson (I Enemy), Mark Panek (Fat Vinny & The Wiseguys, Independent), Lenny Altland (Fist), Shawn Hocherl (Vs. The Earth), and many, many more that I've seen over the years.

I'm grateful to have seen and in some cases, shared the stage with some unblievable guitarists and bass players: Billy Nusom (Banditos), Jeff Clapper (Felix & The Hurricanes), Felix and Dick Kos, Eric "Fat Vinny" Kelly, Phil Wagner and Darrell Ruzzi (Banditos), Kenny Murdick (Bad Daze), Rich Johnson (I Enemy, Wake Up Screaming), Redawg (Stix-N-Stones back in the day), "Big" Jim Ricotta (who apparently knows how to play every song ever written since the dawn of time on guitar, he's amazing), and God knows I could go on and on and on...

I'm grateful for all the friends that I've made that support the music so hard here in Blair County, especially The Professor, Jim Price.

I'm grateful and proud that I taught David Wessels how to play the drumset, and even though he's in Kosovo right now, he still has that bug to play.

I'm grateful that getting involved in music has given me 30 years of drumming, learning, good times and bad, and helped me grow as a person.

Post by **Jim Price** » Thursday Nov 27, 2003

Since it's Thanksgiving as I'm posting this, I'll say a big THANKS to MUSIC for being the driving force behind MUCH of my life.

It's been a part of me since childhood. Learning to play an instrument (accordion) while in gradeschool, and then being turned on to rock music by my older brother (who brought albums from Emerson Lake & Palmer, Yes, Pink Floyd, Neil Young and more home from college) set the wheels in motion. Soon I was bringing rock'n'roll records to school to play on the classroom close-n-play during art class - my road to a career as a radio deejay had begun!

In high school and my early college years I was penning album reviews for school papers. Then at Penn State Altoona circa 1980, undecided about what career option I would pursue, I decided to join up with the campus' fledgling closed-circuit radio station, WARC. Within weeks I was a full-fledged "air-hog," offering to fill in for other students' airshifts because I liked spinning tunes on the air so much! The bug bit me, becoming a radio announcer was what I wanted to do. Everyone told me there wasn't much money in it, but spinning music on the radio was where my heart wanted to go.

Penn State Altoona was also where I saw my first live rock band, Harrisburg's Full Moon, playing a concert in the Slep Center. The live music bug bit me that night; a few months later I would see my first major concert, Ozzy & Motorhead, at the Cambria County War Memorial.

I transferred to Penn State main campus in 1981, majored in broadcasting, worked for two student radio stations there (WDFM and WSHR "South Halls Radio"), saw more concerts and started checking out local bands in places like the Rathskeller, Brewery, Phyrst and Scorpion.

After graduating Penn State in 1983, I eventually landed my first professional radio gig at WFBG-AM/FM. I was soon helping out Jay Randyll on "All Night Album Rock" (the best show in 'Toona radio history, R.I.P.), and started reviewing albums weekly on a feature called..."The Final Cut." (The show died in 1986, but the "Cut" evolved into a newsletter fanzine, and though in deep hibernation, is now a part of Rockpage!)

And when Jay formed the band Tommi-Gunn in '86 and brought me on board as publicist/manager, it led to me hooking up with Pennsylvania Musician magazine, and doing what I do to promote and publicize the area music scene.

To quote the Dead, "What a long, strange trip it's been." I often wonder why I do what I do, and where all of this will eventually lead me. I agree with Facingwest, music chose me and sucked me right in. At this point, I do not know where I would be had not the music bug bitten me when it did.

I was reading about Yes keyboard man Rick Wakeman lately (after seeing and meeting him in Harrisburg last month, review coming soon on "Weekend Recap"); Rick has been doing exploration of the concept of music actually being mankind's seventh "sense" (after the five primary senses and the psychic 6th sense, if you accept that). He also believes that music didn't originate in this world, but has a supernatural origin. When you think of how powerful and inspiring a force music can be, you might start to think that there's some truth to Rick's belief.

AndyWFromRampart · Post by **AndyWFromRampart** » Friday Nov 28, 2003

Without music, I would merely be an empty husk of the person I am today. Music is perhaps the most beautiful, yet fragile form of expression that humans are aware of. It exists in time, and thus can only paint the air when played, unlike a painting on display, which can be there for monts, years, or longer still. Music is possibly the only form of expression that can make me cry, without actual words or imagery to back it up.

To me, God is in every note I hit.

I am thankful for the piano that was in my living room. It's gone but not forgotten. I'd sit there on it and immitate videogame music when I was a little boy. I'd be playing Final Fantasy 2 for the Super Nintendo, and suddenly feel inspired by the game's music. I'd then walk over to the piano and play by ear the music in the game (and other games as well). I've had no formal training... I'm completely self-taught, and I'm not ashamed to say that I was initially inspired by videogame music (and even the scotch-irich balladry that my mom always sang me). Having been inspired now by anything from Type O Negative to Tori Amos, and Weezer to The Doors, I know that music is my soul passion, and it will always be that way. I barely graduated high-school. I don't see a point in working in a cubicle.

I want to be a servant to the structure of song.

For this, and all the friends I've made along the way, I am thankful.