| I have been playing the drums since I was in 8th grade. I started off learning how to play the drumset for rock and jazz music. This gave me a great foundation, so it was easy to move on to orchestra and wind ensemble music in high school. | |
|
When I went to college, joined the Penn Band. The Penn Band is a "scramble band" which means that during football season, the band runs around on the field while someone over the loud speaker makes jokes about Penn and/or the opposing school. When the joke ends, the band gets into a formation and plays a song. Both the song and the formation are essential to the joke. During basketball season, the band is a typical pep band. In addition to playing the drums, while I was in the band I visited all seven other schools in the Ivy League multiple times, went on two NCAA paid trips, and saw other schools in the big 5 and the patriot league. I got addicted to sports at Penn, and I made friends with some crazy people. |
| During my senior year at Penn, I learned how to play what is possibly the best instrument in the world: tabla. It is an Indian drum that you play with your fingers on both hands. I love it because it's a drum but it can play many different pitches and there are so many sounds you can make. There is also no musical notition, rather, there are spoken syllables for the sounds you play. I absolutely love this instrument. |  |
|
Even more than playing the drums, I love to tap dance. I started a year before starting up the drums, in 7th grade. After years of suffering through ballet and modern dance as a medicore dancer, I finally found my passion. At Penn I was in Soundworks Tap Factory. The all tap dancing group was founded when I was a freshman, and I was director in my junior year. Since its beginnings it has expanded and become a really amazing group, especially with the addition of the class of 2006. I like to take tap classes at the Broadway Dance Center in New York, when I'm in the area. In Philadelphia, I take classes from Jarrodd Beverley. This is a good site for other tap dancing resources worldwide. |
 |