Man Marries Drums - Part Two
Catagory: world-drumline-news
Issue 9.2
An eDrumline Exposé ~ by Beth, WDN Columnist
...Part Two
Smith’s father is an accomplished pianist, his mother, a lover of the Bassoon. When Smith was not more than two years of age, he could effectively play the triangle. Together, this talented family made great music.
As a child, Smith’s love of music was a bit abnormal. While many children had imaginary friends, Smith was playing with an imaginary Santa Clara Vanguard Drumline.
“We suspected a problem when the boy began side stepping to and from the school bus.” – R. Miller, principal of Smith’s elementary school. “I recommended the boy be prescribed medications, and placed in a special education classroom.”
What began with the triangle grew into a fondness for drumming and more specifically drumline. Smith’s parents would have none of it. Being strict concert musicians made drumline something reprehensible – a potential pox on the family. Desperate for help, Smith’s parents forbid his drumming. This forced the boy to find alternative drumming experiences in the dark underworld of resource drumming.
In time, Smith’s resource drumming was discovered. First is was a series of dents on the dinning room table, then holes in the drywall. His parents had reached a breaking point. Soon, the young Smith found himself enrolled in the Military Academy of Rockford.
Rockford was a lonely place for the boy. He began to wonder what would become of his love of drumming. A wrong turn in Foosbutt Hall brought Smith directly into the MAR band room. There he would find sanctuary among others who found pleasure in music. Even so, the MAR had no drumline and Smith still felt empty.
Visits home were becoming less and less frequent. His parent’s tolerances of drumming could not stretch so far as to understand why the boy would beat things and find joy in doing so. Needless to say, poor Joseph was at a loss for what to do to make his parents happy.
After graduating from MAR Smith moved to Utah and soon discovered that there were others who loved drumline as much as he did. Smith was filled with a new fervor for drumline. He soon enrolled in the local community college where he studied drumline and ancient religion. He was successful at any instrument he touched. He mastered scales and arpeggios, but nothing could out shadow his love of paradiddles, or his joy in holding a pair of Hardiman sticks.
One day, while browsing a local bazaar, Smith saw “them”. “Them” being the most beautiful set of Yamaha tenors he had ever laid eyes on. For Smith, it was love at first sight. The seller saw Smith’s interest and quickly jacked up the price, but price is no object for a man struck by cupids arrow.
Once home, Smith began to feel as though his life with the tenors was in some way blasphemous. He sought a way to make a permanent bond to the love of his life. After much “googling” he found a remote chapel in Canada that would allow him to marry his tenors.
It was a quiet event with only the basics of a marriage ceremony.
Smith found the missing link that connects him to his love of drumline, albeit the marriage to a drum, he has found it.
“I wish everyone could find the great love in their own lives. Bonding with that love would make tem so happy. I hope that [my parents] see my happiness and that they are supportive of my partner’s, but that is all to be seen with time.” – Joseph Smith