You've really got to keep on improving and improving and improving. It still involves work. It's not like you get to a point, and then you're good and that's it.
You don't really think that things will ever get better, but they do. People always ask me, "What would you say to gay teen youth that are suicidal, or someone who is addicted right now?," and it's hard to say with words that things will change, but they do.
I love to go see live music. That used to be what I would do, almost every other night, and watch drummers play.
I feel like I'm 11 again, with my drums. It doesn't matter if it's good or bad. I'm just playing.
The drums are what drives the whole thing. It's the backbone of the song.
To play the drums, you have to spread your legs and use your arms. It's a very physical instrument to play. It's not feminine.
Nowadays, there's a lot more that comes before music, that I need to take care of before I can sit down and play, and be a contributing member of a band or society. I have to take care of myself and my recovery, and then my family, and then my music.
For people that are in recovery, you really need to stick by your boundaries. It's hard because you're sharing this space and this experience with other people who might not need to do those things for themselves.
I always wanted to play music, and always loved it. I saw a band come to school, when I was in elementary school, and wanted to play drums. I started playing drums at 11, and that's where it all started.
When I was a kid, I felt like I could do anything and play anything. I just felt super-confident. And then, once I started to play music professionally, maybe it's from being from a small town, but you grow up and then you're suddenly a big fish in a small pond, and I realized that there were a billion other drummers out there that could play as good as you or better, and everybody wants that job.
No one really listens to the drums, I don't think. They're there, but it's not a conscious thing to listen to. Everyone listens to the vocals, of course, and the words.
It's uncomfortable, definitely, but it's also really, really great to talk drums with kids and hear them get excited about music and talk about listening to the drums.
Talking about music and talking about drums brings me back to my beginning and the simplicity, and the excitement about trying to play something and see if it works for your band.
It's always inspiring to watch live music.
For a person that's on tour, the environment is difficult. I don't want to come off sounding like, "Oh, it's so hard!," but it gets tough, after awhile. You need to take care of yourself. You need to sleep and you need to eat. Those things are hard to keep on any kind of routine.
