Welcome!

My name is Rob Richard and I'm the creator of Handidrummed.com. I've been playing drums off and on since I was 10 years old, despite being born with Cerebral Palsy.

I created this website as a result of the many years of frustration that I had while playing drums. (Read my biography on my profile page). Especially in the years where things were the hardest and my self esteem towards my playing was at an all time low, I didn't have any resources to turn to at the time. There weren't many disabled drummers that I could turn to for inspiration. I'm a child of the 80's, so of course I knew about Rick Allen, and while it helped, it wasn't enough. I wished that I could see other drummers with a disability that had an effect on the same area of their drumming that I was having trouble with. Someone to relate to. Even now, while there are a few support groups and organizations out there, for me, I was looking for an "instant resource" if you will. A place where I could see visual evidence of other disabled drummers and how they approach the drumset and overcome their disability. In comes Handidrummed.com.

Handidrummed.com is designed to be a resource for all drummers who face some sort of challenge. Whether its a permanent disability or even something temporary that they've had to work to overcome in order to play the instrument they love. But also, this site is designed to be an inspiration to ALL drummers. In my experience on drum forums and discussion groups, I've been told by many drummers that my personal strength and determination to keep on playing has given them a new outlook on the drums.

THAT is what I'm looking to achieve; For anyone who visits this site, to come away with a sense of hope and a different attitude towards their playing. I truely hope that this is the case for you.

Good luck with your playing and remember, you CAN overcome any obstacle that you may face. Don't give up, think outside of the ordinary, and you will succeed.

Rob Richard

Handidrumed.com Administrator