|
|
BiographyStyles/Influences and History re-written 07-06-07 Name: Jamie Rae Allison
Styles/Influences: Christian Rock (Skillet, Kutless, Third Day, Sanctus Real, Pillar, Falling Up, Newsboys, and tons more), Contemporary Christian (Carman, Michael W. Smith, Mercy Me, etc.), Jazz (Art Blakely), and some Classic Rock (Marshall Tucker Band, CCR, Three Dog Night, etc). History: I have been playing drums for about two years and seven months. I still consider myself "new" at it. I started playing when I was 31 but always seemed to have a favor towards drumming. I beat on many a pot and pan in my younger days. I fell in love with an old toy marching drum one of my friends had. It was promptly given to me along with a pair of old wooden spoons to bang on it with. One of the heads was torn and patched up with duct tape. I fondly remember carrying it around and beating it everywhere I went. I'm sure it drove my parents insane! At the first sign of me losing interest they whisked it away to get some relief. Any time a group of my friends pretended to be a band, I almost always chose to be the drummer. My parents always liked music as well and I was exposed to different genres of music at an early age. It has always seemed like I was able to pick up on the beat of a song before anything else. I went through childhood and my teenage years but never took up an instrument, save the ones in music class at school. I didn't really share that interest with my parents. Keeping up in school with no adaptations took a lot of my time. (Thank the Lord I now can read Braille and am proficient at cane travel!) I also knew that instruments and lessons were expensive and mom and dad may worry about paying for them. There was also another gift that caught my parents' attention. When I was still fairly young, they discovered my ability to draw, granted my nose hovered consistently an inch or so over the paper in the process. They seemed more enthusiastic about that, so I stuck with it. I'm glad I did, as it opened a career for me. But I continued to be an avid listener of music and often wondered what it would be like to actually play music and not just be a listener all the time. Flash forward a bit. I had gone through high school, college, and had been teaching for several years. My cousin whom I spend a lot of time with was going to start taking guitar lessons. One day she asked me about what instrument I would learn to play if I had a chance. Without a moment's hesitation, I told her that I would learn the drums. I gave it some thought and decided that I could use something new and different in my life. I was in a rut having spent so much of my time doing things that related to school. I went to the local music store to check out some lessons. I came home that day with a practice pad and some sticks. I started lessons a few weeks later in November 2004. My drum instructor is excellent! He is an awesome drummer and is versed in many different genres. He is very patient and had no hesitation about taking on a blind student. My family has also been very supportive and gave me my first drum kit for Christmas that same year. I will be the first to admit that I still have much to learn, but I am motivated by the progress I have made. I have already played my first "gig", which came in the form of backing up the school choir during a song at last year's Christmas recital. Right now, my drumming is still more or less at a hobby level. I definitely want to get more experienced as a drummer but I (and the Lord as well) am not ready for me to quit my day job. But I would like to get some experience with playing in bands, either in an amateur setting or in a worship team. My cousin plays guitar and some bass now and we play together when we get a chance. The drummer in me was there all along but it had to wait until the right time to show it! GearUpdated 07-06-07 
Drums: Tama Swingstar in Midnight Blue Finish
Cymbals: Various
Hardware & Misc: Tama
The rest of my Tama hardware consists of an MTH500 Omnisphere Tom Holder, HS20W Swingstar DX Snare Stand, HC23BW Swingstar DX Boom Cymbal Stand, and two HC22W Swingstar DX Straight Stands. Heads: Stock Tama Heads Sticks: Zildjian 5A Dip Style Wood Tip & Zildjian 7A (for practice on a Remo Practice Pad) |
)
)
)
