I started at the age of 14, nearly 15, as me and my two high school friends simultaneously got the idea that we should start a band.

11 right after i saw Peter Criss doing promo for the Rock'n'Roll over album....There was live footage in the commercial and that was it for me. My Uncle from New-York showed up with a full kit after a few weeks of me crying and rolling on the floor because i had to get some drums to bang on. Plus my parents were sick of getting all the pots and pans from my bedroom because i was putting on a show pretty much every day. My first kit was a Maxwin 22-13-16 and a 14' Pearl snare with amazing 602's... And of course, i knew nothing about how ****ty the drums were or how good the cymbals were....

John I used to love the smell of my practice room I remember it like yesterday silver kit and as I said early on the hottest drum lady ....

I was 13 and in the 8th grade. The year was 1964. So, you might be able to guess who influenced me to start playing.

joe Morello?

Ahh, I loved Joe Morello (still do), but didn't learn to appreciate his incredible skills until I started playing some big band and jazz in high school.

i would say that most of us are in the same boat...we all have to start at the bottom and work our way up Mallet Player2

I was 8. Started with a drum Corp in Burtonsville Md. and they only let us play on pads. We had to learn to read and play all of the rudiments. If we showed proper technique and could pass the "test" they let us progress to a snare. Lots of great memories learning with that Haskell Harr Method book 1. Got the bug to play because my best friend in elementary school played. Now ~ 52 years later I'm still playing and absolutely love to see a good drum line !

Started at 5 taking snare (rudiment) lessons from a guy in a Baton and Drum Corps that was run by a friend of my mom. Later took over teaching the line at 15 as I was better than the guy who taught me and I was also playing in HS and could read.I always taught students to read.

Later played in Drum Corps,Marching Bands. Then in the Army Music Program for 7 years. Back to Drum Corps teaching playing Still at it teaching playing but not marching. Knees are shot.

9 years old, school band practice in the basement. What a racket! Got a Ludwig WMP Superclassic at 13. Took lessons with Mr. Vance in his tiny, carpet-walled studio in RJ Music, Akron, Ohio. I can still smell his pipe smoke...