Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick.

Having become something of a lazy musician of late, I decided to apply some energy into actually improving my skills by buying an electric drumkit so I can work on my drumming.

I wouldn't say I'm a drummer so much as someone who can drum a bit, which is wholly in keeping with my 'Jack of all trades, master of none' approach to life and particularly music. My experience is mostly limited to having a quick go on someone else's kit during a rehearsal or a soundcheck. And while I've never sat down to practise, it's certainly something I've always wanted to do.

When you're a musician without a lead instrument, like me, it's easy to rest on your laurels and stop improving. I'm the type of person who only stretches himself musically when a job requires it; when I'm working as an actor/musician, I frequently find myself in the role of lead guitarist, bassist or keyboard player, which gives me a reason to focus on that instrument. And when I do this, I often learnt a lot. But it's all too easy to let it slide in my downtime. 

So that's why I thought I'd put my money where my mouth is and work up a new skill, partly for the enjoyment and to increase my employability. While I'm less inclined to seek actor/musician work now, I like the thought of doing at least one job as a drummer to tick something new off the list. It's also good exercise and even good for my mental health; recent events have left me so frequently trapped in my head that it's nice to do something that encourages me to step outside of it to concentrate on the feel instead of intellectualising.

So that's what I'll spend much of the remaining lockdown doing: caught in an eternal 'We Will Rock You' loop. I'll meet you on the other side in a vest with inordinately muscular arms at total odds to the rest of me.

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