Being In A Band

by Robin Wheeler

What does being yourself for a living mean to you? For me, it has recently meant being the drummer in a band. Beyond running BEntrepreneurING, the people development network, it now also means living another dream, that of making music.

When I started drumming, I made a point of getting close to any music being made, so when I was at lunch with a client from a law firm and he told me he sang in a band, I pricked up my ears. He invited me to a practice session, where seeing people bravely making music made it feel much more accessible, and inspired me to keep learning. The drummer offered me his kit to jam with the others, and after a couple of songs, the guitarist said, "I thought you were a novice, Rob, but you're a drummer, man!"

A few months later the singer invited me to another practice and, again, I took my sticks in case I got a chance to play. As everyone was arriving, though, he suddenly said, "You do realise you are the drummer tonight." Their drummer had left and I was being considered as his replacement.

There was no time to get anxious, so I just got behind the kit, did the best I could, and had fun. I didn't know the songs, and still hardly felt like a musician, but the band seemed to find me useful enough to invite me back, and since then I have been the drummer in The Chalks.

It's already been quite a journey to get here, but we have ten strong songs that we are playing live and want to record for an album. It is tremendously demanding and a huge risk and investment to follow your music, but so worthwhile I offer you just three more words of encouragement.
Rock and roll.