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BiographyName: Rich Blount
Styles/Influences: I have spent many many hours behind the wheel tapping along with anything on the radio. I am a hobbyist drummer so I just fire up the radio and play along with whatever comes up. History: I began taking classical Piano lessons at 4 and, showing some talent in that regard continued taking lessons until I was well into the 6th grade, when I had surgery on my right hand to remove scar tissue from a burn I received as a youngster. I quit taking lessons but still can plunk out a tune once in a while. Luckily, at that time I started in Grade School Band, where I was introduced to percussion. Because I could already read music, I played Marimba, chimes, Kettle Drums as well as the Snare. I remained in band through High School, playing Snare and Tri-Toms until graduating in 1979. My days of playing drums seemingly ended there. Fast forward several years. I had the typical College experience, a mediocre student at best, an excellent consumer of malt beverages at worst. I graduated on the 5.5 year plan in 1985. Started working at a little Sears project called Discover Card Services, which turned into a very large project! I left the company in 1992. Along the way, got married, bought a house in the burbs, had baby etc.. I was living the American Dream. I changed careers and found myself very happily employed at Ohio State University, Fixing PC's and maintaining all the telephone systems at the Newark Campus. 4-500 PC's and maybe 385 phones, with network stuff and PBX stuff, all of which I loved to learn and conquer new problems. Fast forward again June 2002, I suffered my first of a series of crippling 'ice pick' headaches. These only lasted from 15 to 45 seconds. I entered the wonderful world of the practice of medicine. I was referred to a headache specialist at the Ohio State University hospitals, and after a number of tests they found nothing. I was given a goodly supply of Imitrex inhalers (Obscenely expensive) to help with the pain. By September I was having the headaches along with debilitating Vertigo and I went back to the Doctor, who prescribed an anti-vertigo drug to keep me upright. At this point I started using a cane to help keep my balance. On Labor Day 2002, I was pulling out a bush in the front yard when I started experiencing chest pains along with the headache and vertigo. This time the spell lasted several hours. I went back to the doctor who FINALLY ordered some blood tests and other lab work. It was then when my journey finally started (notice, no drums yet).."You have just officially become my most interesting patient" was the line I heard from the Doctor who called me on a Saturday morning. It was very unusual for him to call me on his day off: Curious? We met in his office that afternoon when he told us about what a Pheochromocytoma is, and what it does. Briefly it is a rare form of cancer that secretes hormones that make the adrenal glands go bananas. He explained that the headaches and vertigo were all probably symptoms of the tumor as it went active and inactive. I had merely adapted to compensate and had by that time learned to tone out the dizziness and rely on my vision for balance. He wanted to order exploratory surgery and Chemotherapy right then and there, but we opted to consult the Cleveland Clinic for a second opinion. At Cleveland, I endured all the same tests, some quite unpleasant, tests which initially confirmed my doctors suspicions, but they recommended against surgery until the tumor(s) grew large enough to find. Apparently these tumors can be anywhere in the body cavity and it would be like an Easter egg hunt trying to find a tumor the size of a rice kernel. However, one 'benchmark' test turned out negative which implied that perhaps it was not a 'pheo' but something else. I was referred to the Neurological part of the Cleveland Clinic. More tests, scans, even a spinal tap, left everyone scratching their head. By now, I was taking 8 different medications to control various symptoms and side effects to keep me working. June 30, 2003, I was sitting at my workbench and experienced a routine headache and woke to find myself on the floor. I had apparently lost consciousness for a time. I began to become concerned. That same day, at lunchtime I went to the cafeteria, as was my habit. A woman wanted to get into the cooler I was standing in front of and I started to step back out of the way? Apparently my top half went, but the bottom half didn't. Again I was unconscious for some 30 to 45 seconds. I was taken to the Hospital where they said everything is fine and sent me home, literaly handing me a taxi token and sitting me out on a bench in front of the hospital to be picked up. Later that afternoon, my doctor called and told me I would not be returning to work until we got this all sorted out. Back to Cleveland we went for several brain scans where they discovered scar tissue and shrinkage of my left Cerebellum and suspect damage to the hypothalamus. They had finally deduced I had suffered a 'brain injury' (read stroke, they no longer use that word) and that it was no longer an option to go back to work. I retired effective January 2004. OK now drums come back on the scene. Our church had a new minister who really wanted to get a praise band started. He knew of my musical background and asked if I would like to learn to play 'trap set' (I guess that's the term he used) I dug out my old R-380, untouched since 1979 and started practicing rudiments with him. I intuitively felt that I needed some kind of exercise to get some coordination back. I learned some basics from him until he left the church and I bought a second hand set of Premier Olympics and began to practice in the garage. The physical therapists were thrilled as it would help rebuild the strength and mobility I had lost on the right side. I had many problems remaining on a standard throne and found that an office chair with arms allowed me to play without falling over. I have been on my own for the last 6 months or so, accumulating drum stuff and fixing up an old Set of Slingerlands that had been sitting on the shelf at the back of my music store for more years than the owner knew. "They were there when I bought the place", were his words. I bought the shells for $50. $550 in hardware later, I have the set I just finished a couple of weeks ago and am kind of starting over after a hiatus over the summer. I have re-discovered the music inside that has been trying to find a way out for a long time. Sometimes, when I play I don't feel the pain or the dizziness or anything and just get lost in the music. Sometimes I can keep up with the pace, sometimes not. I get tired pretty quick so I play then rest and then play some more. And having a set of drums I pretty much built from the ground up makes me feel I can do almost anything. Just sometimes a little slower than when I was in my 20's. I remain a work in progress on the Medical front, but am continuing to teach myself to play these drums that I have made, picking up a trick here or there. I may have to take a couple lessons to stay on track, but it all feels kind of natural..aside from separating my left foot from my left hand. It just ain't natural. Gear
Drums: 1968 Niles Slingerland in White Finish (except where noted)
Cymbals: Ufip (except where noted)
Hardware & Misc:
Heads:
Sticks: I'm stil using an old set of 70's vintage Rock 747's. The new Neil Peart ones changed the profile and changed the balance, I like them not. I had duplicates made of the old profile custom made by Jeff Rich at www.customdrumsticks.com. He couldn't get the Japanese Oak I wanted, but found some Hickory heartwood that was very similar in weight and Arrow Straight! I can't say enough good stuff about Jeff. I also use handmade brushes I made from Bamboo that I think make KoolRodz (or however they spell it) sound kind of crude. |
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Rogers R-380 Snare
