For the love of drumming

I started playing the drums during the COVID lockdowns. And honestly, I still regret not starting much earlier. Apparently I needed a global pandemic before realising that hitting things in time can be surprisingly good for you.

For me, drumming is about far more than playing a rhythm. Your hands, feet, concentration, timing and a healthy dose of coordination all have to work together at once. Your mind cannot keep endlessly circling when you are trying to make four different things fall into place at the same time. There is simply no room left for overthinking, which is quite efficient really.

Afterwards, my head feels clearer, my body more awake, and my mood is usually noticeably better. Cheaper than therapy, although perhaps not always quieter for the neighbours.

That is probably why drumming can feel so restorative: it demands your full attention, brings you back into your body, and quite literally allows something to be released through rhythm and movement.

The Drummers series, which you can find here, grew out of my love for all of that. It was also inspired by the 10th anniversary of Drumschool Jeroen Molenaar and the percussion day organised to celebrate it.

These collages are about the different types of people behind a drum kit: recognisable characters, a little exaggeration, and above all, plenty of humour.

From the drummer who always needs just one more cymbal, as if the twelve already there are somehow holding back the music, to the one who has to straighten the logo again after every hit. From the minimalist player to the drummer who sits so far behind the beat that everyone thinks something has gone wrong, while the groove is actually getting better and better.

And which drummer am I? I am afraid it has to be The Heavy Hitting One. Subtlety is clearly still a work in progress.