What would you say to a drummer who wants to quit?

You may have seen my references to my teen-age bongo-playing buddy (the one with whom I've jammed for a couple years and who has appeared with me in those comical "Latin Night" concerts in which something goes wrong).

I found out this week that he's wanting to sell his drums and quit drumming entirely. This blows me away because he's studied percussion since he was six years of age and has played regularly for his church's group...and until about six months ago, he was gung-ho for drumming.

I understand he's planning to marry by next year, and he's worried about how he's going to make enough money to start his family...but personally I think he's making the biggest darn mistake a dude could make...he's extremely talented and has had an awesome ministry for a guy his age, and I hate to see him throw it all away!

What would you say to him?

:pray: I'm praying he'll change his mind...and

I would tell him that God gave him the gift of rhythm and he should consider staying with it.

I wouldnt tell him anything
I know he'll be back sooner or later, sometimes people need to do what they gotta do. even if it seems stupid in other peoples eyes.

I would tell him to keep on drumming...
but if he really doesnt want to drum anymore than whatever..
lol maybel lucids right, maybe he will come back lol

if he loves it like everyone says then he will

well of course pray about it, ask god what you should do, and if he does decide to quit Lucid's right a true drummer cannot quit drumming entirely because it runs in their veins, after a while he will begin to miss out and most likely take it up again.

yeah.. kinda weird though..
who wants to quit drumming? lol I dont.. im gonna keep drumming for as long as I can.. I luv it soo much, it puts me out of my boredom (lol) and music is the best thing in my life.. who would want to give that up?

but yeah amps right, if hes a true drummer, he will come back... it runs in his veins.. lol not to copy exactly what you said but I liked it.. lol

sometimes life leads you on a different path and you have to give up what is most important to you

but if your really meant to drum, then you'll drum.
If drumming is really what hes supposed to do then he'll come back.

I started playing music when I was 4 (Grandma forced me to learn the piano, bless her soul) and learned how to play a variety of instruments by the time I was a teenager. I played in a few bands and started seriously recording music by the time I was 20. Then it happened. I met a woman and life was better than ever. I surfed, played in a band, had a great job, and was going to get married. I got married at 23 and then she decided to try and take control and gave me the ultimatum. Music or her. I made the biggest mistake of my life right then and chose her. I quit the band, got rid of all my instruments, and pretty much gave up on life and happiness. I tried with everything I had inside me to make things work, but without making music, I was only a shell of the person I really am. Well, I was happily divorced about 5 years later and immediately started writing music again. I am more active than ever in the music scene as I feel I must make up for the "lost" years. I wish I could go back in time so I could have made a better decision, but I can't and I have to make the best of it now.

Sorry, that went a little longer than I probably should have, but I am just trying to make a point from my own lifes experience. You can stop playing and say you quit, but after playing for any period of time, the music becomes part of your soul and you will never be the same without it.

Bongobro, your friend might quit playing now, but he will soon feel the emptiness of what was once there. He will be back and when he does start playing again, it will be with a renewed passion that he never had before.

I wish you the best of luck in talking to him and I wish him the best of luck in making the right decision!

i tried to quit once....to play bass....was not pretty...not that i cant play bass just i would get annoyed cause my lead git would tri to play drums and sing....and do it horridly.

tell him if he quits hes bassicaly throwing alot of years of hard work away, and that he shouldnt have started if he was gonna quit

wow 1DB, great story..
lol if I ever make a thread saying I want to quit, make sure and tell me not to!!

To be honest i think its terrible that he's deciding 2 give it all up but if he's trying 2 raise a family soon and doesn't think he's making enough money through the music scene i think thts fair enough. However i don't think he should give drums up altogether i mean it can be a hobby.

if he quits drumming he will regret it for life! for God sake he went to school for this. He says he wanna get money, why can't he use drumming? Anyway if he has passion for drumming he will come back and we all will sing a welcome back song for- ill be the drummer lol. But seriously, he will come back!