[Alan0899]

G'day everyone,
I never considered any other instrument, so, I acquired my first pair of drum sticks, when I was about 10, bashed on various plastic containers for years, to the Beatles, Deep Purple, whatever I could find, then when I was 15, I had annoyed my parents long enough, I was given a set of drums, for Christmas, I thought they were the best thing since sliced bread, I can't remember the brand.
That was 1969, 2 weeks later I played my first gig, January 1970, used those cheap crappy drums until I moved up the coast, bought a new set of Tama Swingstars, in midnight blue, that was 1978, I still have them & still use them for practice. I played in what is known here as a 50/50 dance band, for 12 months, then in various dance bands, rock bands, a country rock band, & most recently a Classic Rock & Roll dance band, for 3 years. In 2008 I thought, maybe I should give the old Swingstars a rest, they were 30 years old at the time, & had played many, many gigs, too many to count.
So I bought my Tama Superstar Customs, & I'm still playing gigs, 40 years after I got my first drum kit, I have just learnt as I went along. I'm only a dance band drummer, & that's all I ever wanted to be, I never thought about stardom, or being "famous", I was using music to have fun & getting paid for it, which helped pay for all the things that 4 kids need, & they think I'm a star, anyway.
What more could any man want.
And I'm still having fun, I will stop when it ceases to be fun.
I'll shut up now, I've bored you long enough.

[TerenceM]

I remember very clearly the 'moment of enlightenment' when I knew that drums would become my future. It was 1975,I was 9 years old and my brother was playing the 1st Black Sabbath album and one track stood out from the brilliance of the others,slapped me in the face and turned me on to the drums,the track : "Behind The Wall Of Sleep",the drummer : The great Bill Ward.
I still use that fantastic beat as part of my sound check at all the shows and teach it to my students. So that was it for me,I wanted to be like Bill Ward and did not sit behind a kit until 5 years later,after many hours playing 'air drums' and dreaming of the big stage. So here I am,aged 44 and still learning the art of Drums. I still use the 'air drum' technique to help me focus and learn new beats: Positive Mental Visualization. It really works.

[VinnieRay]

I bought a guitar :-p.... spent a week jamming on that then i pulled out my dads old premier kit,put it together and fell in love.

[MrJackLangley]

well i was a guitarist to begin with then i realised i would never be very good as my finger were clumpy so to speak so i checked my middles schools music lessons time table and drums was the one that crossed over with my religious education lessons so i picked to learn the drums and i havn't looked back since as now im in a pretty awesome band (if i dont say so myself)

[Homeularis]

I heard beats in my head from when I was a baby. Mom and Dad would tell me that I would rock my head back and fourth, making the crib bang against the wall for a while, until I fell asleep.
Pretty much for my whole life (even now sometimes!) when I would lay down I would rock my head back and fourth, clicking my teeth to different beats in my head.
I didnt get my first kit until I was ten, but I've been a natural drummer all my life.