Thanks for stopping by!  Here's a little background information about me and the project:

I have always been interested in- okay, obsessed with- music.  From when I first began taking piano lessons at age four, I've always had an insatiable desire for playing music and learning different instruments.  Thanks to my incredibly supportive parents, my childhood and young adult years were filled with music.  They allowed me to indulge in my obsession in the form of piano and violin lessons, school band and orchestra, and numerous ensembles in the Milwaukee area.

In 1996, I joined as drummer for the band Sunspot, and discovered a new passion for both performing and songwriting.  At the time I had some experience in percussion from a few years in middle school band, and a small amount of experience playing the drum kit (my dad had a vintage kit in the basement that had been his when he was in high school- a dream for any kid to be able to putz around with!).  I had even less experience playing rock music, but I loved what my bandmates were doing and was more than willing to learn if it meant I could participate in the songs they were creating.

Through thirteen years of rehearsing and performing, 5 full length albums, and some 750ish shows, I've developed a style of rock drumming of my own.  Although I admit I'm no "fancy drummer", I'm proud of where I stand (or rather, sit...) as a drummer, and what I've done with Sunspot.

However... There's always room for improvement!

A certain neurotic side of my personality absolutely loves coming up with challenges for myself.  I don't think this is abnormal by any means, but I fully acknowledge that I have an obsessive-compulsive aspect that people frequently question (usually like this: "are you insane?!").  Anyway, I go through phases wherein I become very dedicated to working on something, such as physical fitness, for a given amount of time.  I like to track my progress to see what is working and how far I can improve things over that time.  My favorite challenges are ones that test my will power and/or force me out of my comfort zone.

With the band and performing being such important parts of my life, I decided to make music the focus of my next little experiment.  For six months, I'm going to immerse myself in the world of drumming.  Yes, my life is already largely centered around the activity of playing drums and making music, but I would like to focus more on the actual skill itself- much more so than I have ever done.

Initially, I thought I would draft up a schedule to follow, with certain hours of practicing, listening, transcribing songs, etc. each day.  But I decided instead to go for a more "free form" style for this project.  I'll start out with a plan and adjust it as I go, depending on what is working, etc.

The bottom line:  I am committing to doing SOMETHING that will increase my knowledge of drumming every single day, beginning October 1st, 2009.  Who knows... at the end I just may come up with the ULTIMATE DRUM SOLO!  Just kidding.  But I'm not ruling out the idea of a drum solo. :)

I will record my results in the Journal on this web site, for anyone interested to see.  I welcome feedback in all forms, so if you have suggestions for good things to practice, excellent drummers to listen to, or ANYTHING you think might help me in my quest of improvement, don't be shy!  You can either leave a comment on any of my blog posts, or Contact Me by email.