The Drummer

CAM00118I’m the drummer. I sit in the back and you will probably never know my name. I am hardly ever in the spotlight. I am confident in my abilities. I do not need to be in the front. You usually won’t catch me singing. I’m the drummer.

I’m the drummer. I keep the beat going. If I mess up, it messes the entire song up. I can’t mess up. The singer can mess up, get winded and miss a word or two, can even start to sing the wrong lyrics but I can’t mess up. I have to play my best every night. I can’t have an off night.

I am the anchor of the band. I keep the rhythm and time going. I can push the beat faster or slow it down. I don’t do any fills that don’t need to be done. I listen to the rest of the band. I help keep the timing of the song in check.  You can feel the power in my arms and legs. You can feel the beat in your heart. You can feel the energy build as I pick up the pace, sweat dripping off my face.

I’m a drummer. I can play anything. Country, rock, pop, hip-hop, gospel, Christian, alternative- you name it, I can play it. I can identify what a song needs and play it with the right sound and feel to make you feel it.

A band with a strong, reliable, confident, dynamic drummer is a band with a strong foundation.  Think of me as the engine of a car. All the parts working together but without me, the car won’t go anywhere. Don’t get me started on drum machines. There is nothing like a live drummer. Drum machines will never replace what I can do. What I can bring to the rest of the band.

I have the best seat in the house. I see the rest of my band mates. I pick them up if they are having an off night.  I can see you, my audience. I feel your energy bouncing off mine. There is no other feeling like it. Can you feel the bass drum? Can you hear the clash of the cymbals?  Can you feel my heartbeat?

Reminds me of someone I have come to know. His name is Jesus. He has the best seat in the house.  He is the driving force behind the rest of us, his band. He has perfect time and rhythm. If you turn away from Him, your song will be a mess. If you are having an off night, He can pick you up. He sees us, hears us, watches us. He is our biggest cheerleader. He wants us and loves us.

If your heart and His heart beat in time, you can feel Him. You can hear Him. There is no one else like Him. There are others that try to be like Him but they are only drum machines. They will never ever replace Jesus. Listen to His voice. Listen to his beat. Do you hear it? Can you feel it?

Dedicated to my dad. He could play anything I brought home by ear.

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Bang The Drum All Day by Todd Rundgren – 

Wipe Out by The Surfaris – 

John Bonham Drum Solo  – 

Neil Peart (Rush) Drum Solo – 

Jen Ledger (Skillet) Drum Solo – 

Drum Solo from the movie Whiplash –