I think of this place as a family to everyone that is part of it including me. I think of Webmaestro as our father for some reason. And the moderators and Administrators as our uncles or big brothers. I may think that my drum days might be over for good. I hate my instructors. No one understands the way I perform. They say I don't play from my heart when I feel the music inside of me. My family is really not helping me any. I'm having a real problem with school. I'm kind of really depressed a lot of times. My softball buddies want to know where the old me went. They say I'm not happy anymore. That may be true. I'm seeing a doctor to see if I can get help there. I know that the guy may not understand me at all. So I ask you guys as a sister to you guys if you can help me somehow. I may seem happy in the outside but in the inside I'm not really. It bugs me sometimes too.

What do you mean they don't understand they way you perform? I think you need to pinpoint to problems closely and figure out how to solve them. What problems are you having at school and with your family? When did this occur; did it come about suddenly or gradually. Help us see what the problem is.

Hey man i know how ya feel im like that alot a lot too it jsut doesnt go away. Try and find things that make you happy deep down and do them its the only way to help make it better. i use drumming and i got a gf and i play video games and do other things that make me happy. Give it a shot it might help ya out...

i feel the same way sometimes, being depressed, and i am doing horrible in school, but to get your mind off of it, and get better at performing, everytime you feel depressed or mad, grab some sticks, and i a practice pad, and just play show music, all the cadences you know, warm-ups, anything, and just do that until you dont feel down anymore, that is what i do, and trust me it works, it helps you become a better performer, you will start to be part of the show, or music, i did this all of my freshmen year, and part of this year, it works trust me

To answer to your question AMC this has been happening for about 3 months already. My instructor always says play from your heart and well in me I know I am playing from it. To her I guess I'm not. I have tried getting out a practice pad and drumming but it actually makes it worse. My family thinks that band is a waste of my time. I also play softball which usually makes me happy but they don't agree to it. My mom started to understand how softball and band are important to me after all this happened. Part of my problem might be that I have a really close relationship with my dad who is about 1000 miles away from me in another country. Another country which won't let him out or let me in. My grandparents do not understand the way I am at all. They think everything that I do extracurricular is a piece of crap. I know they want me to go to a good college but I cannot explain to them that these things are what is going to get me there. I just think that no one understand my way of performance. That is why I am not in winter percussion at my school. Those people ruin it for you. Along with the drumline wannabe people who don't switch but still want to be known as drummers. Some are pretty good and I respect them during that amount of time and they can be called drummers during that time but in other times like in the fall they say oh yes I'm in the drumline in the winter so I'm just as good as anyone else. I cannot stand winter because of that. The only people I can stand are the ones who did fall and are "True Percussionists". It's kind of hard to believe that so many little things can make me unhappy. School is hard and I'm getting help from teachers. As for the other stuff I have no clue on what to do.

Post deleted by Middle Age Man

Sorry to hear that your going through a difficult time. I sortof went through the same thing, where no one understands why your playing drums and telling them you like it isn't a good enough answer. You said that your mom is beginning to understand, but if she still doesn't maybe you can try and talk to her and explain why these activities are important to you and how they will help later in life, such as applying to colleges.

As for your grandparents try and show them why you are learning percussion. Maybe you can perform something for them or have them come to a band concert or marchingband activity...anything just to show them what your doing and why your doing it. My grandparents live across the country from me and i didnt know what they thought of when they knew i was a drummer. Maybe they thought i would turn into a crazy drummer of a bandwith problems and stuff...but now i know they are proud of me after i sent them a video of me performing a solo. Maybe this would help you.

WIth your instructer you should ask him/her why they think you are not playing fomr your heart when you really are. If they do not know why they think this then don't listen to them and continue playing how you play. If they do tell you any good advice try and use it to see if it works.

I hate wannabe drummers. Kids that come out from the band and just try and pick up sticks thinking they know all. IF you are mad because they say they are better than you or because they think they are drummers just don't pay attention to them. If you know your good then you are good no one can tell you otherwise. I have people coming up to me all the time saying they can beat me at drums for what ever reasons but I just leave it be and don't pay attention. You can't let these people bring you down. I was about to quit the drumline when i was in 9th grade (because of reasons such as yours and also because i was getting beat up and such by other drumline members because they hated me), but i realize now that that would have been a huge mistake since drums takes up a lot of my time now.

Hope i helped a litte and that you solve your problems.

sorry to hear that. when ever im down i just play my drum.

My parents are all into music and everything everyone but my mom plays and instrument. But i still get those poeple that dont understnad why i try so hard. I have had other people in the band ask me why the hell do you practice so much when you dont need to , to play the music we do every year. I tell them that i enjoy it and really cant stop playing becasue its becaome such a huge part of my life. They still dont understand but i dont feel bad becasue of it.
As for this stuff helping you in the future. here is a great example. you see how many people do DCI,Dca,wgi,and other circuits every single year. Well i doubt you will go through life without meeting other people who have done marching. It helps for having common ground when you say try to get a job or get into a college. If you can live with a group of a 150 people for 80 days on a bus then you can survive college. you can also use the arguement that kids who play music are smarter than those who dont.
lastly
If the wannabes get to be too bad jsut show em up once it worked for me. it just got the point where it was so annoying that i basically told them to put up or shut up and well i won it made it so much better becasue they stopped saying they are better than me and moved on to someone else. If they persist after that then jsut ignore them or you could ask them to stop.

i know how ya feel im that way a whole lot just what ido is keep my mind off things and lisen to music and think about everything and it usallly cheers me up