How music and a rented drum set saved my life and started
the Creative Rhythm School

When I was a young boy in grade school I was having a very hard time learning what the school system was trying to teach me. I was labeled L. D... Better known as Learning Disabled. But I knew I had no problem learning because I learned how to eat, drink, sleep, tie my shoes and the list is endless. As my schooling went on year after year I was tested, poked, prodded and told over and over I was slow, stupid and I was not like the other kids. I was put into a separate class room for most of my school days. I felt like I was in prison for just being a bright young boy that was in a system that did not highlight my strong points and only magnified the weak points over and over until I started to believe them. By 10 years old I was acting out in bad ways because I believed what school had drilled into me for all of my schooling years. YOU ARE DUMB, NO GOOD AND YOU WILL FAIL IN YOUR LIFE!!!!! Is that not a sad way to see you’re self at ten years old?

Moments that change your life

When I was ten years old I was walking to a friend’s house to play for the afternoon. It was a bright sunny day maybe mid summer. As I was getting closer to my friends house I heard a loud radio playing I looked around trying to find where it was coming from. Then I spotted the location. It was a neighbor of my friend. He was about 18-20 years old washing and working on his 70s muscle car in the drive way. I stopped and asked "who is that playing on the radio"? He said "it's Peter Frampton" he is coming to town to play a live show in about a day or two. I said “I have got to go see him"! But how I said to myself? I am ten years old my mom will not let me go to concert in down town Omaha Nebraska and listen to Peter Frampton! I just loved hearing music like that it made me come alive and take notice of music for the first time in my life. By the way I did make it to the Peter Frampton concert that week that is how much it moved me. I talked to my mom and asked her if my older brother’s best friend could take me and I would pay for the gas and tickets with my paper rout money. She said yes! I was blown away that I made it happen. That was the first time I remember making something happen successful doing with music. I went the show and it was a big WOW!!!!!!! It was so much fun for me. I want to remind you at the time I had no direction in life and was making trouble and creating problems in school and not doing my school work because of my so called learning disability. At that time the only thing that made me feel good or worth while was music. Now lets move on to Jr. High school for the next life changing moment through music.

One night my life changed thanks to my mother. I never felt I belonged at school so I never did sports or any other school activities. All that changed thanks to a Jr. High school dance. My mother found out about the dance and made me go. I wanted to but I had no confidence in myself. She got me all dressed up in my polyester disco suite with my platform shoes and off we went. She dropped me at the front door of the school and said “I love you and have a good time.” Boy I was shaking in my platform shoes. My thoughts where going through my head like will the kids like me what am I going to do I have never danced before on and on this went in my head. Also the big thought and feelings in me where all the brain washing I got from school that I was no good where al- ways first and foremost in my hart and mind. As I gave my money to get into the dance I heard and felt this music coming from the Gym. I never heard anything like it. Then I approached the gym doors the music got louder and I actually felt the music. Boom-boom the beat went then the gym door came open at the same time I reached for it; someone else was coming out and man the music hit me in the face, eyes and ears it was like I was home in a place I did not belong-school. As I entered the gym I looked around and saw a lot of people I had never seen before but that did not matter because the music was playing and I hit the dance floor and people gathered around me as I dance and they loved what I was doing, I just felt the music and let go and that was my dancing. As the night went on people talked to me and they asked where I learned to dance and I "said I am just feeling the music and letting go that is my dancing". From that point on I knew music would be a big part of my life. Let's now jump up to me being in High school around age fifteen or sixteen.

I had just moved to San Diego California and my schooling is so bad that I am dropping out and hanging with the wrong crowd and doing bad things and going nowhere fast. One day about five to six months later in San Diego a tall red headed boy came across the street to my house and introduced himself. That day I made a very good friend. The next thing he asked me changed my life for the better forever. From that day on I have never looked back or slowed down in my musical journey. He asked “do you want to start a band and you can be the drummer?" I said "I don't play drums or any instrument." Then he said "that's ok you can rent a drum set at the music store in the mall for twenty five bucks a month and get free lessons what do you think?" Here is what I was thinking. YOU ARE DUMB, NO GOOD AND YOU WILL FAIL IN YOUR LIFE!!!!! But my love of music told me to say YES! I said ok ya let's do it. Now how do I get my parents to rent drums for me knowing my past schooling and learning problems? My inner voice of major self doubt kicked in on me as usual. But something inside of me, I don't know what it was you can call it what you will I just know I bolted through the front do with complete determination do be a drummer. I approached my mom very fast and she was taken aback. I asked or should I say I begged my mom to rent me a drum set with the agreement I would take lessons and practice every week. I have shortened this event because you know it was a long drawn out communication only a boy cold have with a mom and dad that knows his habits up to that point in life. But they saw something in me they have never seen before. It was a real purpose to try to lean something new. Now I have rented drum set and a band wanting me to play with them. The pressure was on. I remember setting up that drum set and betting on them for hours. Then that turned in to days, weeks, months and here I am 24 Twenty four years latter with the same passion and drive to learn and play drums and music. The time I spent learning the drums and then playing for friends and family early on with them all saying you sound good pushed me on because up to that point any time learned I only heard negative reinforcement in my learning. By learning to play drums it saved me from drugs, crime and I believe an early death because that is where I was heading with out music! At the time of this writing I am a professional drummer a music teacher, business owner. I owe all of my success to these seemingly small events one leading to the next with music being the core of the steps. Now I take my personal fun and passion and love of music and have put it into the Creative Rhythm School for the students who might be on a musical journey like mine or some who wants to just have fun learning music as their partner and music teacher.