DRUMMERS TO THE RESCUE…

Saving lives with drums. That’s the plan, anyway…

Hello, Paul here; I am a drum/percussion teacher based in Cambridge (I do other bits and bobs too, obviously.) I love teaching drums, I have been a drummer for pretty much all of my life and for the last seven years I've been having a lovely time educating, watching my young (and, er, older) drummers also get the same enjoyment out of it. I've always wanted my lessons to 'not feel like school' - we'll learn, but it must be fun, and exciting. NOTHING is more exciting than being onstage, performing live, especially if you're new to this. The buzz! The adrenaline! I could go on for hours about the benefits of drumming to our mental and physical health, but I've covered that over at my main teaching page.

For a while now I've been putting on these little showcase gigs, they went virtual for a bit in 2020 (like the rest of the country) but it's nice to be allowed out again. We've always done them for charity, a bucket goes around, a few quid goes in from happy parents/randomers at the bar, my magnificent students have the chance to show the world what they've been learning. Lovely, but we can do more.

Let's not get political, but the country is in a bit of a state at the moment. I feel very lucky, privileged even, to make a good wage out of doing what I love. I'm really very fine, I eat well, I live relatively comfortably. My students and their families seem to be in the same boat, too. But many others aren't. I've recently turned 41 and old and as a result I now listen to far too much Radio 5 when driving and I hear a lot about this 'tough winter' that is hitting the UK, the 'heat or eat' battles facing families. Not to mention the rising energy costs...there's too many dilemmas hitting honest, hard working people.

We're a developed country, how is this allowed to happen? Young families struggling, good people who have done nothing wrong. And not just this country; there's wars, there's earthquakes. People are losing everything. We must be able to help. Drummers to the rescue! No, seriously, we can. I may have drunkenly bought a 'drummers saves lives' domain the other day but my wife rightly said that was a bit strong, but we can help.

We're going to put on more and more student gigs, and make more and more for charity. It's a win-win situation: I have a lovely time training up my drummers for gigs > they have the time of their lives > charities make a ton of cash > venues do rather well at the bar because it turns out proud parents watching their children make music like a celebratory pint or two. 

And we'll do more than just gigs. I'm thinking we even stage a drumming musical at some point...drum orchestras perhaps, get it to festivals, but let's calm down. Either way, lots of things. 

This can't just be 'Paul puts on a charity gig every 6 months and raises a bit for a good cause', that's what I do anyway and isn't worthy of its own website. We are in a position to help others, whilst having an amazing, educational (in a fun way) time in the process. This needs to be a very regular thing, I want my students onstage all the time until they get confident enough to form their own bands...and then their own bands will guest in our events. I want to put on big shows, I want us all to be out of our comfort zones. Even if the events get so regular we have the odd quiet night where all we've raised is a tenner, a charity somewhere will still be very grateful for that money. 

If you're a charity that needs our help, if you're a musician who wishes to collaborate with my drummers (onstage or recording), if you're a venue that is up for hosting an event...drop me a line: thepaulrichards@gmail.com