When I was a budding drummer in my teens, I had a handful of teachers who made a big impact on me.
First Impact – Mr. Johnson
In 1972, as part of the music program at Rockbrook Elementary School in Omaha, NE. band teacher Jim Johnson asked me what instrument I wanted to play in the band, and I answered guitar. He told me there are no guitars in band or orchestra. He suggested trombone since there was a shortage of kids taking up trombone at that time. But I knew I also wanted to play drums, so I picked that.
Little did I know, in the first year of becoming a drummer in band, we had to learn how to play the bells first. This taught me about melodies. We also started with drumsticks on a drum practice pad.
In the first year of band, there were a handful of drummers, and by the end of the first year, I was the only drummer in band.
In the second year of band, sixth grade, I got a snare drum. It was so cool, loud, and fun.
The summer between elementary school and junior high school, my dad bought me my first drum set. It was a cheap brand of drums selling for $450.00, but that day it was on sale for $250.00. It had a purple, swirly-type design on them. Very cool.
Second Impact – Mr. Baxter
Moving on to junior high school in 1973, I was in a performance where a teacher named Mr. Baxter heard about it. He was one of my elementary school teachers. I can’t remember his first name or the subject he taught.
Mr. Baxter saw that the performance was in a local newspaper with my name as the drummer. He took the time to send me a letter of congratulations which made a big impact on me around 13 years old. I can’t remember the contents of the letter, but it was the fact that he did that. I still remember it and how it made me feel.
Third Impact – Mr. Thomas
I started taking private drum lessons from Steve Thomas who worked at a local music store. From Steve, I continued to learn the rudiments of drumming and music theory. There were snare drum competitions where I got to meet other local drummers.
It was during this time, my teen years, that I also took up jazz piano lessons from a local jazz pianist. I listened to a lot of jazz music and hung out with other jazz musicians. I learned about chords and melodies, song structure, and patterns in jazz, blues, and rock music.
Fourth Impact – Mr. Jenkins
Moving onto high school in 1975, my band teacher was Bob Jenkins. Mr. Jenkins was full of energy and had a big passion for what he did as a music teacher.
During my last year of high school in 1978, Mr. Jenkins told me there was a music clinic going on at another school. He suggested that I come along with other students to attend the clinic. If I remember right, it wasn’t a planned event. Something that happened on the spur of the moment that day.
The clinic was being put on by jazz trumpeter Clark Terry and his combo. They were in Omaha to perform a concert later that night.
During that clinic, Clark Terry and his combo performed a few songs and talked about jazz music. I was so blown away by what the drummer was playing that I had to find out more.
Fifth Impact – Ed Soph
The drummer at the Clark Terry clinic was Ed Soph. The stuff Ed was playing blew my mind. I had never heard or seen the drums played that way.
After the clinic, I asked Ed to show me how to play with brushes and he proceeded to give me a mini-clinic on how to play brushes. To my surprise, Ed taught me how to play brush patterns on the top of a TV set. He also wrote an outline of what he was teaching me on a piece of paper. That piece of paper became gold for me. I referred to it often until I let another budding drummer borrow it. Without my knowing it, that person moved out of state and I never recovered the paper. I’ll write more about the impact Ed Soph had on my drumming in another article.
The impact these teachers made on me, along with my passion for drumming, led me to experiences like playing with Chuck Berry, Mose Allison, and many others, and a lot of fun and crazy stories along the way.
Teachers make an impact that changes lives.
Action: Thank a teacher. Whether it’s your teacher from years past or a current teacher. Find a school website and send a thank-you message.