I Drum, Therefore I Am: Being and Becoming a Drummer

228 Pages·2013·1.69 MB·English

by  Gareth Dylan Smith

I Drum, Therefore I Am
Being and Becoming a Drummer
Gareth Dylan Smith
I Drum, Therefore I Am
SemPre Studies in
The Psychology of music
Series editors
Graham Welch, Institute of Education, University of London, UK
Adam ockelford, Roehampton University, UK
Ian Cross, University of Cambridge, UK
The theme for the series is the psychology of music, broadly defined. Topics
will include: (i) musical development at different ages, (ii) exceptional musical
development in the context of special educational needs, (iii) musical cognition
and context, (iv) culture, mind and music, (v) micro to macro perspectives on
the impact of music on the individual (such as from neurological studies through
to social psychology), (vi) the development of advanced performance skills and
(vii) affective perspectives on musical learning. The series will present the
implications of research findings for a wide readership, including user-groups
(music teachers, policy makers, parents), as well as the international academic
and research communities. The distinguishing features of the series will be this
broad focus (drawing on basic and applied research from across the globe) under
the umbrella of SemPre’s distinctive mission, which is to promote and ensure
coherent and symbiotic links between education, music and psychology research.
other titles in the series
The Act of Musical Composition: Studies in the Creative Process
edited by Dave Collins
Studio-Based Instrumental Learning
Kim Burwell
Musical Creativity: Insights from Music Education Research
edited by oscar odena
Advances in Social-Psychology and Music Education Research
Edited by Patrice Madura Ward-Steinman
New Perspectives on Music and Gesture
edited by Anthony Gritten and elaine King
I Drum, Therefore I Am
Being and Becoming a Drummer
GAreTh DylAn SmITh
Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, London, UK
© Gareth Dylan Smith
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
Gareth Dylan Smith has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act,
1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
Published by
Ashgate Publishing limited Ashgate Publishing Company
Wey Court east 110 Cherry Street
Union Road Suite 3-1
Farnham Burlington, VT 05401-3818
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england
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Smith, Gareth Dylan.
I drum, therefore I am : being and becoming a drummer. --
(SemPre studies in the psychology of music)
1. Drummers (Musicians)--England--London. 2. Drummers
(Musicians)--Psychology. 3. Drum--Performance. 4. Drum
set--Instruction and study
I. Title II. Series III. Society for Education, Music and
Psychology Research.
786.9'1-dc23
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Smith, Gareth Dylan.
I drum, therefore I am : being and becoming a drummer / by Gareth Dylan Smith.
pages cm. -- (SEMPRE studies in the psychology of music)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4094-4794-8 (hardcover) -- ISBN 978-1-4094-4795-5 (ebook)
1. Drum set--Instruction and study--Psychology. 2. Drummers (Musicians)--Psychology. I. Title.
ML3830.S554 2013
786.9'19076--dc23
2012031452
ISBn 9781409447948 (hbk)
ISBn 9781409447955 (ebk – PDf)
ISBn 9781409473084 (ebk – ePuB)
V
Printed and bound in Great Britain by the
MPG Books Group, UK.
To Mum, Dad and Nan
Who knew when you bought my first kit
This was something I would never quit?
That look of surprise
When I, 13, laid my eyes
On those drums – the spark had been lit!
And when you bought the replacement drum set
(That I still play today, don’t forget)
I was quite simply thrilled
And my heart still is filled
With delight every time that I get
To play the drums live on a stage
Rock from memory or a show from the page
So this book is for you
I’m so glad that you knew
It was worth it, even at that young age
You always told me ‘do your best’
And to challenge myself, not the rest
As I put this out there
In the public square
I hope it stands up to the test
This page has been left blank intentionally
Contents
List of Figures and Tables ix
Foreword xi
Preface xiii
Series Editors’ Preface xv
Acknowledgements xvii
1 ‘I Drum, Therefore I Am’? 1
2 The Snowball Self 15
3 Learning to Play Drums 25
4 The Snowball Self in Motion 55
5 A Part, and Yet Apart 77
6 Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage 121
7 Gender and Drumming 139
8 Conclusions 167
Appendices 173
Bibliography 191
Index 205
This page has been left blank intentionally
List of Figures and Tables
Figures
1.1 Me playing drums at the Institute of Contemporary Music
Performance’s ‘Bandeoke’ night, Power’s Bar, Kilburn, London,
14 December 2012 xviii
2.1 Snowball Self, showing passive and active identity realization,
passive and active learning realization, principal meta-identity,
meta-identities, and contextual identities 22
5.1 Eruptörs rock band in concert at the Luminaire, London,
8 July 2010 (me playing drums) 83
7.1 Gemma Hill in action, playing drums with Robots in Disguise 156
Table
A.1 Participant interviewees, in alphabetical order of given names 177