Issue 10 - Sarah Thawer - October 2019

INTERVIEWS LESSONS ARTICLES 

ISSUE 10 

OCTOBER 2019 

ARTICLES & REVIEWS 

SHOULD QUIT MY 

DAY JOB??? 

By Warren van Wyk 

DRUMMER’S 

WIVES 

THE WOMEN BEHIND THE DRUMMERS 

ONLINE LESSONS 

NOW 

AVAILABLE 

THE SINGLE STROKE ROLL 

INTERVIEWS & FEATURES 

JULIANNA MASCIA 

MARGUERITE SWART 

MICHAELA ISAACS 

ALL FEMALE - ALL POWER 

SARAH THAWER 

THE DRUM GURU 

A JAMPACKED ISSUE FULL OF BADASS DRUMMERS... OH YEAH, TURNS OUT THEY’RE ALL FEMALE

ISSUE 10 

CONTACT US 

Let us know who you would like to see in future issues. 

Or just what you think of the mag, We’ll add our 

favourite letters to the next issues. 

info@SAdrummer.net 

FOLLOW US 

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www.youtube.com/SAdrummerTV

Editor’s Letter 

Celebrating 

Women! 

Our second issue using the new layout and design 

is here. And we thought, seeing as it was 

just Women’s Month over here in South Africa, 

what better way to celebrate than by having 

an all female powerhouse issue. There were so 

many amazing drummers to choose from but 

we finallty settled on the ones you are about to 

meet. That being said, even though it was just 

Women’s Month, we have had a rough couple 

of weeks here when it comes to gender based violence 

and the awareness thereof in our country. 

So this does end up on a bitter sweet note. 

We have also added some articles showing 

appreciation to the strong, amazing women in 

our lives and we have a drum chart from a band 

with a “monster” female drummer; this being 

something we would like to do more often for 

you guys, adding drum charts for you guys to 

peruse, especially from local drummers. 

To end it off, we hope you enjoy this very 

special issue that we have prepared for you and 

we look forward to having more consistent representation 

of all the amazing female drummers 

out there going forward. 

LOUIS R. MALHERBE II 

EDITOR 

September 2019 | SA DRUMMER | 5

Articles 

Drummer’s 

Wives 

The women behind the drummers 

Giving credit where credit is due 

By Louis R . Malherbe II 

Being a musician and then also being the 

partner of a musician is something that is 

often glamorized. Parties, events, meeting 

celebrities, etc. We know that sometimes 

that is a part of it. But, what we want to 

know is what is the side that people don’t 

see? The behind the scenes of being a drummers 

partner? What are the parts that aren’t 

glamorous? 

Caitlin: Yes, being married to a drummer 

definitely has its perks. We’ve had 

some awesome experiences together. 

But as you’ve said, there is a side that 

not everyone sees. These are the moments 

when all night band practice is 

happening or weekends away for festivals 

that I’m unable to attend. Theres’s 

studio time for a few days in a row. It’s 

the late nights and a couple hours of 

sleep when we have to be up and ready 

super early the next morning. There 

have been a few family occasions, such 

as weddings and milestone birthdays 

that I’ve had to attend alone because it 

falls on the same day/weekend as a gig. 

There are those unseen moments when 

I’m at home, unable to sleep, because I 

want to be sure that he gets home safely 

after a late night’s gig. 

Heidi: The truly unglamorous parts 

that people don’t see includes all the 

effort put into getting the gear to the 

venue, set up for sound check and then 

& & & 

Candice Warnasuriya 

Larissa Ferreira 

(Drummer for Variary) 

Caitlin Jayne Chetty 

Craig Wesley Chetty 

(Drummer for Strait Jackal) 

Heidi Kuhn 

Louis R. Malherbe II 

(Drummer for Jesse Clegg) 

packed up again. I’ve spent many a late ited him here in JHB for the first time. I 

night at the end of the gig lugging gear thought he was soooo cool hahaha. My 

back with Louis to the car to pack up. musician boyfriend. 

Sometimes I wish that he was the singer 

so that the packing up part wasn’t so on him. I clearly remember him play- 

Heidi: I instantly had a major crush 

tedious (not really but sometimes maybe 

a little). 

in Potchefstroom at a small bar. Never 

ing in a bluesy rock band at that time 

Candice: Carrying the gear. With have I ever seen a man playing a cajon 

both of us being in a band together it and purple tambourine look so attractive. 

I’m pretty sure the performance 

means I carry my stuff AND then I have 

to help her carry all of her stuff. was great too! 

Candice: I was like damn she’s got 

What went through your head the first time good timing. I just thought she was 

you saw your partner performing? better than all the other drummers in 

Caitlin: The first time I saw Chetty play the world. 

was actually at church band practice, in 

2008. We were still dating and I had vis- 

For you, what has been the most memora- 

6 | SA DRUMMER | September 2019

le gig your partner has played? And why 

was it so memorable for you? 

Caitlin: The most memorable gig 

that Chetty has played was definitely 

Strait-jackal’s first gig at Oppi-Koppi 

in 2016. He always told me how much 

he wanted to play at Oppi and I knew 

that this was an opportunity not taken 

lightly. So seeing him up on that stage 

was a really proud moment. I knew how 

much went into being there. Also, their 

last gig in Lesotho recently, at Afriski 

Winterfest was awesome! Everyone had 

such a jol. 

Heidi: Thats quite a difficult question 

to answer. I think the most memorable 

one would have to be the first 

time I went with to Splashy Fen, Louis 

was playing for The Motherland at that 

time. It was a great gig and the most 

beautiful festival ive attended. We were 

however not prepared for the cold!! Be 

prepared for the cold!!!! 

Candice: We’ve always been in bands 

together, even before we were dating. 

My most memorable gig with Larissa is 

hard to pin down because at every gig 

I wasn’t even focused on her, I was just 

trying not to mess up my guitar parts. 

I never managed to look at her while we 

were on stage because I was focused on 

my own stuff. So technically I’ve never 

“seen” her play a show. Ha ha! 

Right, we need to know, what is the one 

thing they complain about most when it 

comes to their drumming career? 

Caitlin: “I’m never in photos!” Hahahahaha. 

No seriously, drummers are way 

at the back so they aren’t always on the 

pictures with the whole band on stage. 

The amount of drumsticks he goes 

through is another complaint haha. 

Heidi: Probably the admin around 

being a professional musician. It’s quite 

difficult to plan around music lessons, 

gigging for multiple bands and rushing 

to sound checks. Just looking at his 

scheduling on our calendar makes me 

tired so I can definitely sympathize. 

Candice: She complains about a 

lot. Number one is that she isn’t endorsed 

and has to pay for drum sticks 

always. She complains about not gigging 

enough, about not being in studio 

enough and about how she can’t play 

her hi-hat like Jay Postones. Shame. 

Okay drummers, now it’s your turn. Show 

some appreciation for your ladies. How do 

they make your life as a drummer easier? 

Chetty: My lady has been there and has 

been supporting me from the very beginning... 

with the late nights and time 

away from home, I’m always sorted with 

schedules, things to pack and a cooked 

meal before or after a gig. She’s always 

in front taking videos and dancing her 

tits off. At festivals she’s always running 

around reminding people when 

our gig is and that they need to be there 

to dance with her and helping me carry 

my heavy equipment from my car to 

stage and back. She’s my number one 

supporter and first person to regret not 

coming to a gig. 

Louis: Wow, it’s impossible to list all 

the things that Heidi does for me when 

it comes to actually just making my career 

possible. The amount of shows she 

has lugged gear at 01:00 in the morning 

with me, and the amount of times she 

has packed me quick little snack packs 

either when I leave for a long roadtrip 

to a gig or just for a day where I am up 

and down the entire day. She knows I 

can barely take care of myself when it 

comes to manic days so she helps me 

do it. If it wasn’t for her I 100% think 

I wouldn’t be able to keep up with my 

own schedule. She also vents with me 

about all the frustrations of being a 

professional musician and it helps!! 

Larissa: Okay, my turn! I am probably 

the luckiest drummer in the world 

because I’m married to a guitarist. I get 

to talk about music and make music 

inside and outside the band room. She 

makes my life easy by making music 

so accessible for me. It’s really special 

when you get to do something you’re so 

passionate about with the person you 

love. Also I have a lot of gear and she 

really does carry a bunch of it around 

for me. 


Local 

Hidden 

Gem in 

the Heart 

of the 

South 

(of JHB) 

Michaela 

Isaacs 

By Louis R. Malherbe II 

Photography by: 

Trioleo Photos 


Michaela Isaacs 

In our never-ending quest to find 

new content for our readers I happened 

to stumble across one of your 

videos, and just fell in love with your 

playing. It was such a great feeling when 

I realised you were South African as well. 

So first up let’s hear where you are from? 

I was born and lived in Little Falls until 

I was three years old and we moved to 

Johannesburg South where I grew up 

and still currently reside. 

How old are you now and how long have 

you been playing drums for? 

I am 20 and I have been playing drums 

from as young as five years old but more 

seriously for about nine years now. 

What got you into music and when did it 

happen for you? 

I was brought up by a very musical 

family. My mom sings, my dad plays 

the keyboard and my brother plays the 

bass guitar. There is no doubt that I was 

always surrounded by talented musicians 

and exposed to incredible music 

with extended family members also being 

musicians. My love and passion for 

music started from a very young age, 

I used to play drums on car seats, tables 

and chairs etc. The minute I heard 

music I got my sticks, which was cutlery 

at the time. I was about five years 

old when my father realised I had a special 

gift and I got my first drum set for 

Christmas. 

You’ve got some chops going on for sure. 

10 | SA DRUMMER | September 2019

Where did you pick that up? Did you teach 

yourself or did you have education or a 

drum teacher? 

I have never really been one for chops, 

I enjoy sticking to the groove but I am 

fascinated when watching other drummers 

play chops. This inspires me to try 

and I quite enjoy it. I was self-taught at 

first but received a few lessons from David 

Klassen and was mentored by Mr. 

Larry Rose while I was at the National 

School of the Arts. 

Are you currently studying anything drum 

related? 

I am currently studying Music Production; 

it’s not directly related to drums 

but does afford me an opportunity to 

bring my instrument to assist students 

with drum tracking. 

You cover a lot of pop music in your Instagram 

videos but you put a very different 

spin on them when playing. What were 

your musical influences like growing up? 

My parents were musicians in our local 

church and also sang in various gospel 

bands so my first exposure was to different 

local gospel bands and their style 

of playing. My dad is also into jazz, fusion 

and R‘nB music and over the years 

invested into a lot of live DVD recordings 

of artists like Fourplay, Earl Klugh, 

Lira, Isreal Houghton, Fred Hammond 

and many more. I was exposed to different 

genres and styles of playing and 

my main influencers were Harvey Mason, 

Ron Otis, Joshua JStar Zacheus, 

Marvin McQuitty Jr, Calvin Rodgers to 

mention a few. 

What genres do you find yourself listen- 



L o c a l H i d d e n G e m 



ing to most often now? 

I currently play drums for my local 

church and therefore listen to a lot of 

gospel music. Gospel music has evolved 

over the years and you find various 

genres within gospel music. I do however 

also enjoy a variety of genres and 

listen to a lot of pop, R’nB, jazz, fusion, 

soul, rhythm & blues artists. 

Who are your local and international 

drumming inspirations that you currently 

look up to? 

Locally in no particular order, I look 

up to guys like Lydell Wilson, Joshua 

JStar Zacheus, Ramon Sampson, 

Leagan Breda, Sabu Satsha, Sinikwe 

Mabaso, Ricco and Daniel van 

Niekerk. Internationally my female 

inspiratons would be Sarah Thawer, 

The Pocket Queen (Taylor Gordon), 

Nikki Glasper and Bianca Richardson. 

I know that’s a long list 

(lol) but lastly there would definitely 

be guys like Eric Moore, Aaron 

Spears, Devon Taylor and Aaron 

Smith. 

Are you involved in any bands at the 

moment? What are you currently doing 

musically? 

I play at my church, Crystal Ministries 

and for Thabsie. At the moment I am 

working on improving my drumming 

and would like to start my own drum 

school. 

Are you playing at a professional level at 

the moment? If, not, is that something 

you would 

like to do? Or do you have other plans for 

your future? 

I am playing with Thabsie, she is fairly 

new in the business and I look forward 

to growing with her. 

What are your favourite Cymbals, Drums 

and Stick brands? And what models of 

those brands do you actively use? 

I recently moved on from using Paiste 

to Anatolian Cymbals, the Kappadokia 

series to be exact and I must 

say I am enjoying them, they have 

a very earthy and natural sound to 

them which is good for jazz music. 

I have the 14” regular hi-hats, 

15” crash which is very small but 

still has a great sound and the 

20” ride. I am still working toward 

purchasing an 8” splash 

and maybe an 18” crash. I have always 

been a lover of Tama drums 

and I currently own the all birch 

shells, Tama Silverstar 6-piece 

kit. I use the Remo Emperor black 

suede drumheads on my toms and 

the standard Remo Emperor coated 

drumhead on my snare drum. When it 

comes to drumsticks, I love Vater and alternate 

between 5As, 5Bs and Sabu Satshas 

signature African Rhythm sticks 

which are the 55AAs. 

FOLLOW 

MICHAELA ISAACS 

Facebook.com/michaela.isaacs.79 

Instagram.com/drummer_kay 


ADVERTISING SPACE

Exploding onto the scene with 


Balancing drumming, social media and education 



Julianna Mascia 

You are absolutely one powerhouse 

drummer, especially on your Instagram 

videos. There’s not much 

more to find about you on the net, apart 

from your playing, which already speaks 

tons. But would you mind sharing some 

details about your life with our readers? 

At what age did you start playing drums 

and how old are you now? 

Thank you! I started playing the drums 

during my freshman year of high 

school, just around my fifteenth birthday. 

I’m currently 22-years-old, born in 

Staten-Island and raised in New Jersey 

with one heck-of-a NY/NJ accent. 

There’s a story about a grumpy English 

teacher being the reason you picked up 

drumming initially. Is this true, and were 

there any other influences in your life that 

led you to drumming? 

Who can blame her for being annoyed 

with a student tapping their hands and 

feet the entire class?! Haha. I shockingly 

used to be a super, super, super 

shy kid. I am forever grateful for that 

push to go out of my comfort zone. The 

camera continues to push me, for any 

one can really examine their technique 

and search for areas of opportunity to 

grow. In high school, my band director 

always pushed me to be better since day 

one. He taught me the importance of 

18 | SA DRUMMER | September 2019 

PHOTOGRAPHY PREVIOUS SPREAD: JOSEPH FLANNERY

FOLLOW 


Youtube.com/juliannamascia 

Facebook.com/juliannamasciadrums 

Instagram.com/julezdrumz 

Twitter.com/julezdrumz 

to have my absolutely amazing best 

friend wake me up. She asked me to go 

to an event with her in California for a 

drum company I have highly admired 

for years. I knew I couldn’t go empty 

handed and it was time to put my 

over-thinking mindset aside for once. 

I had exactly a week to get content out 

and not at the best time – finals week. 

I made it to Cali – and then it clicked. 

This is my dream; this is what I want to 

do. I had to do something while I was 

still in school, so it was time to evaluate 

what was realistic for me. With taking 

18 credits, working, having an internship 

and hitting the gym six days 

a week, I chose Instagram clips. I really 

can’t thank my best friend enough, 

the iconic YouTuber and overall Internet 

sensation herself, Kristina Schiano. 

I especially can’t thank her enough 

for all the times she’s come over my 

house to help me record and film and 

has had to deal with my crazy self. I’m 

super grateful for my family, who have 

had to deal with so many hours of loud 

playing throughout the years. Mom 

and Dad, I’m sorry!!! I also am blessed 

to have several talented friends who 

have gifted me inspiration and support 

acknowledging everything from hard 

work to failure. Most importantly, he 

believed in me and I needed that more 

than ever. We still keep in touch and I 

know we always will. 

Fast forward into my 20’s, I was in 

a rut. I lost inspiration from getting 

a small taste of touring to eventually 

leaving my band at the time. I didn’t 

have the courage to post any videos 

until I was beyond fortunate enough 

PHOTOGRAPHY LEFT TO RIGHT: JOSEPH FLANNERY; JULIANNA MASCIA September 2019 | SA DRUMMER | 19


from jams to buying several tickets to 

shows over the years. 

Did you have a drum teacher at the school 

you were playing drums at or are you selftaught? 

I went to a local music shop for my first 

30-minute lesson. My teacher, Brian, 

told me we would start on the practice 

pad for a few weeks and eventually 

head to the kit. 20 minutes later, I had 

played my favorite All Time Low song 

in full on the kit. I remember my teacher 

telling my father, “Your daughter 

has something very special.” However, 

I decided to go off on my own and 

kept in touch with Brian. At the time, I 

was still highly invested in sports and 

would have never thought drumming 

could indeed be my career. When I was 

16, I dropped sports and instead spent 

that time listening to endless tracks 

off my iPod and watching drum cover 

upon cover on YouTube. Drumeo eventually 

became a huge influence in my 

self-education, with everything any 

drummer could ever want at their fingertips. 

I continued to learn in college, 

taking music theory and technology 

classes. Even outside of class, I spent 

hours learning the basics of how to 

edit videos, mic placements, recording, 

etc. and attended lots of local shows to 

watch other musicians. I think we all 

continue to teach each other, indirectly 

and directly. There are always things 

we can learn along our journeys. 

It was quite strange the first time I came 

across your playing on Instagram. I tried 

my best to follow the rabbit hole and see 

where you’re playing started and how you 

progressed and to the best of my efforts 

all I could come up with was that you literally 

just exploded into existence with an 

arsenal of chops that most players would 

dream of. Can you shed some light on this 

phenomenon? 

Love me some chops! Haha. I know it 

all comes down to the pocket. When 

you’re hired, you have to enhance the 

music and embody the sound. This is 

where it all started for me and it will 

continue to be my foundation in hopes 

to tour soon. However, I take my clips as 

an opportunity to create my own fills, 

focus on truly listening to all elements 

of a track and creatively grow overall 

as a musician (not just a drummer). I 

cherish the recognition, love, feedback, 

inspiration and opportunities of 

growth. After only posting drum clips 

for about a year, I am truly blessed to 

have received the amount of love I have 

gotten. I’m super excited now to chase 

my career in full-force post-college. I 

previously played in some local bands, 

cover bands and even one serious band 

for quite some time. However, I decided 

to make the decision to finish my 

education and chose to major in communications 

with a focus in public relations. 

My education helped with understanding 

branding, marketing and 

enhanced my communication skills 

while also developing a true passion 

for it. It was then I decided I wanted to 

start a project on my own with drum 

covers always being something I really 

wanted to do. I needed it – I needed to 

chase something on my own, to grow 

better independently both musically 

and personally. 

Did you have any musical family members 

while growing up? 

Music was a world I had discovered on 

my own, even outside of playing an 

instrument. No one in my immediate 

family plays an instrument and I think 

it’s still pretty shocking that I’ve turned 

half of our basement into my recording 

space to chase a dream. Prior to 

this, it started with pop music for me. 

I remember carrying around the same 

navy blue CD player with that years’ 

“NOW” CD. Who would have thought 

that I would eventually become infatuated 

with the idea of playing an instrument? 

I remember the day so vividly – I 

was listening to a Paramore single on 

the back of the bus on repeat the entire 

way to school. This actually inspired me 

to pick up the guitar first. Fast forward 

to high school with an altered vision 

for primarily drums, my band director 

helped me branch out into many styles 

such as rock and jazz. When I joined 

my college jazz band, my craft became 

much for preciseness and my musical 

ear grew. While in this group, I met and 

performed with Bernie Williams along 

with many other renown artists such 

as Bernard Purdie, Brandford Marsalis 

and Renee Marie. Today, I listen to it 

all. I think it’s important to keep every 

door open to all different styles of music, 

to not only learn, but to be a versatile 

player for more opportunities. 

How did you go about developing your 

own identity as an artist and a drummer? 

I stay true to myself. I always have and I 

always will, with anything I do. I’m passionate, 

a jokester, like to have fun and 

spread that happiness to others. However, 

I’m also very serious, diligent and 

work hard at whatever is thrown my 

way (even in school with 4.0 GPA). Balance 

is important – you have to be great 

in your craft and a superior team player. 

I’m not afraid to be myself – even 

if that means putting on a Darth Vader 

mask or throwing Sour Patch Kids all 

over my drum set. It’s important to remember 

who you are and your foundation. 

What bands have you played for and 

toured with so far? 

I’ve worked and toured with several solo 

local artists and groups. I was in one serious 

band in which I was fortunate to 

experience my first international tour 

in Japan. 

Are you actually performing with any acts 

currently? 

Not at the moment. I made the decision 

to focus on getting better as a player and 

musician in hopes for future freelance 

work after college. Now, after graduating 

in May 2019, I have my doors fully 

open for any opportunities! 

What are your goals with regards to your 

drumming career currently? Are you looking 

to become a social media drummer, a 

touring drummer, a studio drummer? Or 


and acoustic drums. We live in a time 

where we are fortunate enough to incorporate 

electronic products to expand 

our creativity, not just in drumming, 

but in so many of the Roland products. 

all of the above? 

In regards to my career, it’s a mix. Ideally 

– I want to play my heart out every 

night on stage in a different way 

than most have seen and have yet to see 

through my videos. However, I want to 

continue to post on my socials, too. I 

would never want to trade the platform 

I am blessed to have to inspire and get 

to know other drummers and for them 

to inspire me. 

You are primarily active on Instagram, 

where you post regular drum vids, with 

all sorts of twists, and it’s great. Is there 

a reason that you aren’t also posting full 

length video on YouTube? 

I had to do what was realistic for me, especially 

with taking 18 credits, having 

an internship, maintaining a healthy 

lifestyle and working. I set realistic 

goals to not only post, but focus on my 

mental and physical self and perfecting 

my craft behind the camera. 

Do you feel that being one of the “Hit Like 

A Girl” contest weekly winners, was a big 

deal for your career? Do you think it had 

something to do with catapulting you into 

a spotlight you weren’t in before? 

“Hit Like A Girl” definitely inspired me 

to be better and blessed me with opportunity. 

This recognition did indeed help 

me join my old band and experience 

touring internationally. Post competition, 

this inspiration helped me develop 

my socials on my own. 

It was obvious that you were heading in 

that direction, but you are now officially 

a Roland artist. What does this mean 

for you? Are you going to be moving into 

a more electronic scene or maybe focus 

more on the hybrid vibes? 

Future Sound 

Pushing the capabilities 

of drummers 

in the modern world 

with modern gear. 

I’m always going to explore the endless 

options of combining both electronics 

Do you feel that partnering up with Roland, 

will open up certain doors for you 

or present you with opportunities you 

wouldn’t otherwise have had? 

Absolutely. I’ve been working with Roland 

for over a year now, attending 

events for their new products and performing 

at their NAMM 2019 booth. 

Ironically, the first kit I ever played was 

a Roland kit, so they definitely hold a 

sentimental place in my heart. Now, as 

an artist, I am ready to work even harder 

with a staff that empowers and supports 

me. More specifically, I want to 

be an example and outlet for aspiring 

drummers that you can achieve superior 

sound and your dreams out of 

your home, basement, practice spot, 

etc. Now with my TM-6 Pro in my studio 

set up, I am thrilled to show viewers 

how Roland products can enhance 

their sound, creativity and confidence 

to put out quality content to showcase 

their talents. However, Roland and I 

are not only showcasing these quality 

products but are focused on the bigger 

picture: spreading priceless inspiration 

to all musicians. 

Can you run us through your current gear 

set up? What kit are you using and what 

cymbal set-up are you using? 

I proudly endorse Evans Drumheads, 

Vater Drumsticks, Roland, MeeAudio, 

DrumTacs, Snareweight and VRATIM. 

I rotate between Vater’s Power 5A and 

3A models and have for years. I tend to 

aim toward the 3A models when I want 

to practice my rudiments since they are 

a bit heavier. I’m currently rocking my 

Roland Octapad (SPD-30) and I am super 

excited to start showing you all the 

magic of Roland’s newest hybrid drum 

machine, the TM-6 Pro. I really believe 

this product is going to change drumming 

forever and whip up endless creative 

ideas. 

PHOTOGRAPHY CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: YOUTUBE THUMBNAIL; WOJOKEYS, ROLAND US September 2019 | SA DRUMMER | 21


I currently am rocking a Tama Silverstar 

Kit (22” x 18”, 16” x 16”, 10” x 8”) 

with an Orange County Percussion 13x7 

Snare. I play Zildjian cymbals – a mix 

of A and K Customs, the Oriental Series 

and the A series. I’m a sucker for 

stacks. I’m constantly mixing around 

my cymbals. I think its super important 

to change your set up every month or 

so to inspire new ideas and strengthen 

technique. I also use DrumTacs to and 

a silver chrome Snareweight to help 

dampen my drums to get rid of additional 

hums. If you catch me wearing 

any drum-themed apparel, it’s from 

Destroy A Drum, the sickest and most 

comfortable drum apparel out there. 

For drumming shoes, I prefer the VRA- 

TIM Drum Shoe II for an additional grip 

on the pedals. 

“I want to show you can 

come from a dream – you 

can come from no musical 

background at a 

young age – you can come 

from a small town on the 

focusing on overall musicality. After 

searching to purchase my Tama Silverstar 

kit, I discovered Dillinger Escape 

Plan’s Billy Rymer, who had demoed the 

kit out in a video. Shortly after, I found 

Matt Gartska as well. Rymer and Gartska 

eventually became two of my biggest 

influences, especially in opening my 

mind to polyrhythms. Currently, my 

absolute favourite drummer is Aaron 

Spears, not only for his superior playing, 

but his love and spirit he spreads 

everywhere he walks. 

What have been some of the highlights to 

you career so far? Played any interesting 

shows? Any amazing experiences? Met 

any people that you wouldn’t have met 

otherwise? 

I was fortunate enough to sit in and 

jam with Bernie Williams on multiple 

occasions with his all-star band with 

legends such as Richie Cannata. Ultimately, 

NAMM 2019 changed my life 

both musically and personally. I was 

able to perform with Williams, perform 

four times at the Roland booth 

while demoing the TM-6 Pro and improvised 

a set at the Drumeo booth. I 

remember looking at the camera for a 

brief second and couldn’t believe I was 

seeing myself behind that iconic blue 

background I had watched for endless 

hours when practicing. I’ve been fortunate 

to meet so many awesome players 

and meeting so many other drummers 

I have inspired in-person. There’s no 

greater feeling in the world than someone 

taking time out of their day to not 

only support you, but to tell you their 

story and how you’ve helped make them 

better in some way. That to me is something 

that continues to change my life. 

Where to from here? What are your longterm 

goals? 

From here, I grow and continue to grow. 

I have concepts I want to build toward 

and eventually introduce throughout 

my career, aside from touring, studio 

work, clinics, lessons, workshops, etc. 

As I build toward these ideas, ultimately, 

I want to lead a change. I want to 

show you can come from a dream – you 

can come from no musical background 

at a young age – you can come from a 

small town on the East Coast. I am in 

full-gear, taking a chance toward my 

dream. I live with a faith that someone 

will take a chance on me and I can continue 

that chance in the future to another 

aspiring drummer. 

East Coast.“ 

“I’d like to leave you all with something: it takes time. 

It takes effort. It’s not going to always be easy and expect 

Who were some of the most influential 

drummers for you in your early days of 

playing? 

It all started after listening to Paramore’s 

Zac Farro’s style. When I started 

jamming to Paramore on the guitar, 

I noticed my focus started to shift toward 

the drums. The way he accenting 

his grooves and fills was a way that my 

ears have never heard. Eventually, this 

led to searching YouTube and discovering 

Cobus’ iconic “Pop” by NYSNC 

cover. Additionally, Guitar Center 2012 

Drum-Off Champion Juan Carlito Mendoza 

helped open my mind to incorporating 

hybrid drums while playing and 

frustration. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had lost an 

awesome session, had lights falling on my head, etc. But it 

can be done. I promise to be living proof of that and we can be 

that living proof together. If you have found what you truly 

love to do, whatever that may be, why not spend the rest of 

your life getting better at it? 

Thank you for your time, SA Drummer and special thanks to 

Evans Drumheads, Vater Drumsticks, Roland, MeeAudio, Drum- 

Tacs, Snareweight and VRATIM. Much love to all of my drummers 

and musicians” 


She is the drum guru; genre bender, positivity ambassador and intense facial expressions 

SARAH THAW 

all wrapped in one powerhouse package. 


ER THE 

DRUM GURU 



Sarah Thawer 

Okay to start off, can we get some back story? Where 

were you born? Where did you grow up and at what 

age was your first musical performance? Age 6 if 

I’m not mistaken. 

I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Close! :-) My first 

performance on stage was at age 5. 

When did you start playing the drums? 

I have been playing drums for as long as I can remember. 

My parents have footage of me playing the drums at age 

two, so I usually go with that! 

Were there any other instruments before you found the best 

one? 

Drums were always number one and they will always be! :-) 

We had so many percussion instruments as well as drum 

kits in the house. I played various world percussion growing 

up, such as tabla, dholak, dhol, ghatam, kanjira, cajon, 

tumbek, darbuka, congas, timbale, bongos, etc. I also 

studied western classical piano for over 10 years as well 

as sang in english and various other languages. I feel that 

playing all of these instruments on top of playing drum 

kit played a huge roll in my development as a drummer 

and musician. 

What was your earliest musical performance? Age six if I’m 

not mistaken? 

Close! :-) My first performance on stage was at age five. 

Did your dad being a musician have a very large influence on 

you with regards to your passions for drumming and just music 

in general? 

My dad’s passion for music was the way I was introduced 

to music. He would have rehearsals a few times a week at 

our home and there would be instruments laying everywhere. 

My dad would babysit my twin sister and I by having 

us three jamming on instruments for hours. I would 

fall asleep with either hearing music from my dad’s band 

rehearsing or my parents would have us fall asleep to different 

albums playing every single night. 

Since my dad is a self-taught musician as well, I learned 

music in a very organic way. I first started off playing percussion 

in his band then moved to the drum kit. Being the 

drummer in his band, he didn’t always hire percussionists, 

and he would ask me to play all the percussion parts 

on the kit. Indian music is very percussion based and he 

would ask me to cover tabla, dholak, dhol, etc parts on the 

drum kit. This forced me to tap into my creative side. This 

became a hobby of mine, where after school I would listen 

to Indian music, hear the grooves, play them on Indian 

percussion and then hop on the drum kit and see how I 

could voice them on the kit. To the point of imitating the 


PHOTOGRAPHY PREVIOUS SPREAD: MIKE SQUIRES

“On stage he would quickly beat box 

the groove to me and tell me to just 

feel the song and figure it out.” 

clicking of a ring hitting the shell on the dholak, and using 

the rim on the kit to simulate that sound. 

Two big lessons I learned from playing with my dad was 

learning the right “feel” in the music and developing intuition. 

Anything I played, specifically the Indian genres of 

music such as ghazals, bhajans, qawallis, folk, etc, I would 

start playing them in rehearsals for the gigs, and he would 

say, “It doesn’t feel right”. Because he was self taught, he 

didn’t know why it didn’t feel right, so he would just say 

“it doesn’t feel right. Figure out why, fix it and come back 

and play me the groove”. I developed intuition by playing 

with my dad because he would put me in so many situations 

where we would be on stage, I wouldn’t know what 

song we were about to play, and when we would start playing 

it was a song that was never rehearsed and chosen on 

the spot. On stage he would quickly beat box the groove to 

me and tell me to just feel the song and figure it out. His 

band was (still is) kind of a house band for different artists 

coming from India, for local gigs and various festivals, so 

the repertoire is massive and of course each artist’s style is 

very different. 

My development as a musician was unorthodox. I never 

had formal lessons on drum set growing up. I learned on 

the bandstand and from the music, from watching, and 

transcribing percussion onto the kit. I never learned how 

to hold a stick or never used a drum book until I went to 

university. 

PHOTOGRAPHY LEFT TO RIGHT: MIKE SQUIRES; BRENDAN MARIANI September 2019 | SA DRUMMER | 27


Was your mom a musician as well? 

My mom is not a musician, she’s an 

electrical engineer. She has an incredible 

work ethic, discipline and this constant 

desire to learn in every area of her 

life. She inspires me to practice, work 

hard and her motto is, “Never leave a 

page unturned”. 

Tell us about your drumming journey, and 

how growing up in a traditional Indian 

household influenced that? 

My parents did not want me to become 

a drummer because they never wanted 

me to suffer and they cared for my 

well-being. Their reasoning was the life 

of a musician/drummer can be unpredictable 

and not consistent or reliable 

and it includes staying up late nights, 

carrying gear and on top of that, drummers 

are always at the back and that no 

one cares about drummers. They said 

if I wanted to be in music I should become 

a singer/songwriter and pianist, 

so that I will always be at the front of 

the stage since I am the ‘artist’, and that 

I will not get treated poorly, and make 

more money. 

As a result, they enrolled me in western 

classical piano lessons for over 10 

years, as well as Indian classical singing 

and pop singing for over 10 years. 

At the time I hated it but was forced to 

attend these weekly lessons and practice 

piano and singing daily. However, 

they quickly noticed that all I cared 

about was playing drums and how hard 

I worked towards being a drummer. 

So they told me to take the mindset of 

being an artist and translate it to the 

drums and become a “drummer-artist” 

and have a name for myself. 

I feel so fortunate that my parents 

have been incredibly supportive towards 

my music journey for as long as 

I can remember. Since I was a little kid 

I asked for them to buy me so many instruments, 

and they would never say 

no. They bought me over three drum 

kits growing up, over 20 percussion instruments, 

pianos, guitar, you name it. 

They always encouraged me to practice, 

to keep learning and getting better. My 

parents, especially my mom and grandfather 

believed in getting educated at 

the post-secondary level. I wasn’t sure 

if I wanted to go to university for music, 

I just wanted to play. She forced me 

to go to university and told me that the 

condition was that they would continue 

to support me after high school only 

if I went to university and got a degree. 

So I went to study at York University in 

Toronto to study jazz and world music 

performance, was awarded the Oscar 

Peterson Scholarship, and graduated 

with the Summa Cum Laude distinction. 

I thank her almost everyday that 

she forced me to go to university. University 

exposed me to so many genres 

of music and exposed me to so much 

that I did not know was out there. 

Can you tell us more about your piano education 

and training and how it affected 

your perception of music, your thinking 

and performance on a kit? 

My parents forced to take piano classes 

weekly for over 10 years. I studied 

western classical piano under the Royal 

Conservatory of Music program, and 

completed until grade 9 (which was the 

second last grade for the program). Then 

in university I took harmony, counterpoint, 

jazz theory, harmony and composition 

also. Understanding theory 

and playing piano is so important. It 

has helped me see music from various 

angles and helped me understand what 

is happening in the music, so I don’t always 

have to respond to rhythms— so 

that I can respond to chords and melody. 

I love listening to music without any 

drum kit and I especially love listening 

to ballads. My theory and piano education 

connected me emotionally to melody 

and harmony. I feel so emotionally 

invested in chord changes, melody and 

can respond with an emotional connection 

on the drums. 

You told your parents that if they supported 

your drumming career you would 

give over a 100% and it’s evident that you 

did seeing as you received the Oscar Peterson 

Scholarship as well as graduating 

with the Summa Cum Laude distinction. 

Have you always been a hard worker? Or 

was this you you proving as point? 

To be honest, I don’t think I work hard 

enough. The thing is that I love what I 

do, and because I enjoy it so much, I can’t 

tell if I am working hard— i’m just having 

fun and enjoying the journey. It’s 

funny because when I am doing laundry 

I feel like I have worked extremely 

hard and need a reward and a break. 

But when I practice three hours on the 

drum kit on an average day, I just want 

to keep going and I know there’s still so 

much to learn and do. 

Do you feel there were benefits to growing 

up in Canada, Toronto, with regards 

to the music scene, culture etc? 

Most definitely. Toronto is extremely 

diverse in regards to the culture and 

especially music. You can listen to any 

genre of music and you can find a venue 

that will suit that genre. One of the 

main reasons I love living in Toronto is 

because I get to play at least three different 

genres of music weekly. Every Sunday 

I play gospel music at a church (this 

will be the fourth year since I started 

playing there), then I’ll have a straightahead 

jazz gig at The Rex Hotel and 

Blues Bar, then the following day I’ll be 

playing Cuban music at Lula Lounge, 

then some R’nB and hiphop at Poetry 

Jazz Cafe, then some middle eastern 

music at the DROM, and then I’ll play 

some Indian music at a festival. By the 

way, this is just scratching the surface! 

You strongly advocate taking Indian 

rhythms and applying them to the drums 

in a modern way. How do you go about 

translating or interpreting these ideas? 

A simple example of interpreting for 

instance the tabla on the kit would be 

to take the bass of the tabla (Baiyan) and 

assign it’s pattern to the kick and take 

the high pitch sound of the tabla and 

assign it to the snare, and the hi hats 

would be emulating the ghost notes 

that are played in between the accents 

on the tabla, which really helps with 

the feel. To go another step further, the 


PHOTOGRAPHY: PEPO HERRERA

“I never knew that I had 

crazy facial expressions 

when I played the drums, 

until people started 

telling me that they love 

my showmanship.” 

EXPRESSIVE 

You’ve never seen 

anyone with as 

much expression 

as Sarah Thawer 



syllable “Ghe” being the bass of the tabla 

would be the kick, the “Tin” a more 

open sound on the tabla could be simulated 

by the cross stick and “Ta”, a sharp 

accent could be the snare. 

My approach of translating Indian 

rhythms and grooves came from just 

having fun and being creative. Growing 

up I was a kid who was a drummer 

but loved the rhythm and grooves 

that came from percussion. It became 

a mission of mine and a hobby to hear 

a tabla, or dholak or dhol groove for instance 

and then find many ways to voice 

it on the kit. My favourite rhythms to 

translate on the kit were from genres 

such as ghazals, qawallis, folk, classical, 

semi-classical, Bollywood, and so 

many others. 

A little back story on why I started 

translating Indian rhythms onto the 

kit: 

Indian music was the only music 

I was surrounded by and listened 

to growing up. On these records, the 

rhythm section is filled with various 

and diverse percussion instruments, 

with drum kit being played like a per- 

“It started with listening 

to the music, on 

stage & diving into creativity 

of how I could 

achieve the sounds not 

even knowing how to 

hold a stick correctly.” 


PHOTOGRAPHY LEFT TO RIGHT: MIKE SQUIRES, 2

on the SPD 30. I still remember some of 

those grooves. 

Growing up I never played drum kit 

in a conventional way - I never thought 

of coordination, independence, rudiments 

or any of that stuff. That came 

later on. I just tried playing the grooves, 

beats and tried to emulate the sounds 

from those records, as mentioned earlier. 

Then, I would start to improvise. I 

would sit for hours and just play with 

the floor tom. Looking back now, I did 

develop some independence as many 

of the grooves had a theme and then 

one limb would do different variations, 

but I never thought of it like that. My 

drumming journey never started with 

a drum book, a rudiment or a drum 

teacher. It started with my ears, listening 

to the music, on stage and diving 

into creativity of how I could achieve 

the sounds and have a creative approach 

without even knowing how to hold a 

stick correctly and understanding various 

grips. That mindset of listening 

to percussion and playing grooves that 

stem from percussion on a drum kit has 

moulded me into the drummer I am 

today. It’s like seeing the kit in a whole 

new way. 

#VF Jams LIVE! What a performance! Tell 

us about that feeling and how exactly #VF 

Jams work? 

Thank you! :-) Being a part of VFJams 

Live was truly an honour. Joe Testa (Vice 

President of Artist Relations at Zildjian 

and Vic Firth) reached out in November 

2017, about two months before and 

asked me if I wanted to be a part of the 

lineup. I couldn’t believe it and was beyond 

excited. Robert Sput Searight was 

the musical director for the session and 

he rearranged and added so much to my 

song for the session. It was THE experience 

of a lifetime; to perform at East 

West Studios in Hollywood, to have all 

of your idols watch you play and to play 

with an all-star band that I’ve actually 

never played with before at that time 

but have been a fan of for years. We ran 

through our song twice the day before, 

and the day of the session it was 3-2-1 

GO. The take that was chosen and released 

was my first take. I was nervous 

because everywhere I turned was a musician 

or drummer I loved and every 

instrument I heard in my headphones 

was being played by some of my favourite 

musicians. 

Anyone who watched that performance 

would be hard-pressed to put you in a 

specific stylistic box. It was such a beautiful 

blend of everything from rock to Indian 

rhythms. How do you find yourself 

being so diverse when it comes to playing 

music in all these styles? 

I grew up listening and playing mainly 

Bollywood music (music from Indi- 

cussion instrument rather than it being 

in the forefront such as in western 

music. I would line up all my percussion 

instruments and drum kit in the 

basement and would use my elbows, 

fingers, hands, hold the stick in funny 

ways, hit cookie jars, hair straighteners 

and the locks on doors to try and achieve 

and copy the sounds and grooves that I 

heard on those records. I even remember 

hiding in the corner during family 

gatherings to make drum and percussion 

grooves on my dad’s drum machine: 

BOSS Dr. Rhythm DR-660 and 



GENRE BENDING It’s impossible to put into words exactly how truly versatile, 

intruiging and convincing Sarah’s performance was. 

an cinema), which in itself contains so 

many genres. For instance, there was 

an era of Cuban music where there were 

congas, guiro, timbale in the music. 

As well middle eastern music, hiphop, 

R’nB, flamenco, jazz— you name it. 

I never grew up consciously learning 

different styles, to me it was all music. 

I don’t think I could ever only play one 

genre of music. I love it because I find 

myself constantly re-inventing myself 

in different situations. When I play gospel 

music every Sunday I am known 

there as a gospel drummer, when I play 

indian music at festivals I am known 

as a drummer specialising in Indian 

music, when I play with an R’nB artist I 

am known there as an R’nB drummer. 

I find it so challenging in the most fun 

way, because it forces to me to be as authentic 

as I can to each genre and to 

constantly listen and study the music. 

Is there any specific style of music you 

have a particular love for? 

That’s a tough one for me to answer. If 

I have to answer I can give three vague 

categories: jazz (improvising), anything 

with groove (hiphop, r&b, gospel), 

world (indian, cuban, etc.) and lastly 

I like to use the word fusion because 

it encompasses everything and has no 

boundaries. 

I recently witnessed your out of this world 

single pedal speed. How long did it take 

you to develop that speed/technique? 

It took me a few years to develop my 

single pedal technique. Especially to 

figure out which technique works for 

me depending on how many strokes I 

want to play. I don’t think I’m that fast, 

still a long way to go. :-) 

Was there a reason you opted for building 

single pedal speed instead of using a 

double pedal? 

I wanted to make sure that I can first do 

everything that I want to do with one 

pedal rather than relying on a second 

one. 

Shout out to your brands, Vic Firth, Evans, 

Yamaha, Zildjian. How long have you 

been with all of them? 

Most definitely! A huge shoutout and 

lots of love to Vic Firth, Evans, Yamaha 

and Zildjian! I have been officially 

with Yamaha and Zildjian since 2017 

and with Vic Firth and Evans/D’Addario 

since 2016. 

Additionally, I endorse ProLogix 

Practice Pads, 64 Audio in-ears and Gruv 

Gear. I also am the brand ambassador 

for the company Remitbee. Remitbee is 

one of the most reputable and leading 

money transferring online companies 

in Canada. It is regarded as one of the 

best ways to transfer money from Can- 


VIDEO THUMBNAIL: VIC FIRTH YOUTUBE CHANNEL

has to rely on anyone to get work— that 

one was a big one for me. I played this 

gig in Amsterdam back in 2015 and we 

(the musicians) were walking with the 

artist back to the hotel, and it started 

to rain. The organisers rushed to cover 

the artist with umbrellas and the musicians 

and I were soaked and walking 

in the rain. That made me frustrated 

and there have been so many situations 

where I have seen this difference in 

treatment between the musicians and 

the artist since I was a kid. So growing 

up I developed that mindset of being a 

drummer/musician but an artist at the 

same time. I love social media because 

it gives us such a platform to create our 

own fan base and our own brand, and 

not having to rely on anyone to get any 

publicity or work. 

Style & Genre Fluidity 

So between all the Drumeo 

Drum-offs, Bollywood 

Monster Mashups, 

Drum Fests and all the 

other gigs thrown in, 

Sarah is as comfortable 

playing Indian Rhythms 

in a Saree as she is when 

playing a full on rock show 

in a jumpsuit. 

ada to India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. 

You can download Remitbee’s 

Money Transfer app on Google Play or 

Apple App stores. :-). I am extremely 

grateful to be with all of these amazing 

companies. 

What Yamaha kits do you own? And what 

do you use most often? 

I own the Yamaha Absolute Hybrid Maple, 

22”, 20”, 16”, 14”, 12”, 10” 8”, 14” Snare 

and Yamaha Stage Custom 20” 14” 12” 

10 and 14” Snare. As well as 13” Steve 

Jordan Snare, Recording Custom 14” x 

6.5” and Yamaha 10” Birch snare drum. 

I use the Absolute Hybrid Maple most 

often and I played the new Live Custom 

Hybrid Oak at NAMM in January and 

fell in love instantly. Hoping to get my 

hands on one soon! 

Can you run us through your most used 

or preferred cymbal set up? 

I play an array of Zildjian cymbals, and 

pick the ones to use based on the musical 

setting. I find myself most often 

using the 13” K Custom Hybrid hi-hats, 

and the 10” splash, 21” ride, 16”, 18” and 

20” crash from the K Custom Special 

Dry line. I also love to use the K Custom 

Hybrid crashes as well as the K Cluster 

crashes. I am a big fan of short and quick 

response sounds, so I have tons of fun 

with splashes and stacks. I love to stack 

the 10” and 8” Trashformer with the 10” 

A Custom EFX, as well as the K EFX 18” 

with the 18” FX Oriental China Trash. 

‘How to build a brand for yourself’ is a really 

difficult concept to explain to young 

drummers, or musicians for that matter. 

How did you develop that mindset of creating 

your own product and selling yourself 

as an artist not only as a drummer? 

My dad is a band leader and seeing him 

hire artists versus musicians was very 

different. The artist/singer always gets 

the best treatment, increased pay, has 

to do the least amount of labour, always 

at the front of the stage and never 

How do you stay authentic to your own 

identity instead of chasing trends on social 

media. 

To me, social media is a vessel in which 

we can express ourselves, it’s an outlet. 

I use social media to showcase my 

playing, my ideas and who I am— I 

try to be as transparent and honest as 

I can be. I use social media as a tool to 

get gigs/work and I use it to get inspiration 

by watching videos of incredible 

drummers and musicians. For me, social 

media is not a destination; it’s not 

about how many likes I get and having 

that as an achievement—no. For me, 

it’s not about trying to copy the latest 

trends and trying to be someone I’m not 

to get likes and followers. Social media 

for me is to share my drumming, my 

love for drumming and music, sharing 

my thoughts and having the intention 

to share my growth and journey, and 

hoping to inspire and put a smile on at 

least one person’s face. 

Social media is an illusion. On social 

media we are all happy, we all wear 

the nicest clothes all the time, and have 

the nicest “stuff”, and are always at the 

coolest places and living such incredible 

lives. That’s not reality. What about 

the days when we can’t get out of bed in 

the morning, or when we’re sad, or anx- 

PHOTOGRAPHY CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: PEPE HERRERA; BRENDAN MARIANI, 2 September 2019 | SA DRUMMER | 33


ious, or when we fail, make mistakes, 

and are struggling. I see people in third 

world countries who can’t even afford a 

phone because they don’t even have the 

basic necessities such as water or even 

food, and here we are taking pictures 

trying to show how perfect our lives 

are. That keeps me on the path of being 

authentic to my identity and being as 

real as I can. 

Have you got any tips on how to go 

about building your brand on social media? 

You’ve mentioned the never-ending 

chase for followers on Instagram or other 

social media. Do you feel that it is completely 

irrelevant or is there a purpose as 

long as you have a healthy perception of 

what those followers can do for you? 

My tip would be to use the social medias 

as a vessel to share who you are, your 

work, your music, etc. Be yourself, be 

authentic. Just because everyone’s posing 

a certain way or writing something 

a certain way doesn’t mean you have to 

copy the trend to get followers. Social 

media depicts perfection in everyone’s 

lives—we all have our own strengths 

and flaws which makes each one of us 

so unique and ultimately human. Social 

media and technology takes away 

our human-ness and make us feel like 

robots. We always have to be happy, we 

always have to have the perfect post, 

the perfect videos, the perfect playing, 

etc. I try my best to post my live performances, 

because it shows some incredible 

moments and mistakes as well. Before 

I used to record videos until I got 

the perfect take or use footage that had 

no mistakes, because a lot of people 

online don’t post mistakes. In turn, I 

had this misconception and started 

believing that to be an amazing musician 

means that you’re perfect and that 

you don’t make any mistakes. Not true 

at all. I have been making a conscious 

effort to post moments online as they 

are in real life, mistakes and all. 

If you like my Instagram videos and 

my social media accounts, that’s awesome. 

And if you don’t like my Instagram 

videos, or my drumming or me, 

“Maybe some people 

judge, I don’t know. I consciously 

choose not to 

look in that direction or 

think about it that way.“ 

that’s totally ok too. I try to be the best 

version of myself on the drums and off, 

and that’s all I can give. Whether you 

like it or not that’s totally up to you because 

I don’t play drums to please anyone, 

I do it because I love it. That’s the 

mindset I have when posting online 

and building my brand. 

I feel that second only to your drumming, 

your faces you pull when you are drumming 

are world renowned. Was this a conscious 

decision? Or are the faces just a 

thing that happens that you have owned? 

I never knew that I had crazy facial expressions 

when I played the drums, until 

people started telling me that they 

love my showmanship and the fun that 

I’m having behind the drums. As a kid I 

used to stick out my tongue while playing 

if I was thinking too hard or having 

fun, and my mom would ask my why 

I am doing that, and my answer was, 

“Doing what? Whatever I’m doing feels 

natural to me”. As I started recording 

myself I started noticing what my expressions 

looked like, and I realised 

that my facial expressions represented 

how I was feeling inside in that particular 

moment. It felt natural, so I never 

stopped. 

As a kid I loved the art of performance, 

I loved being a performer and 

I loved humour. I would be the MC for 

various shows at my high school, be the 

lead for plays and be the class clown. 

I would do solo drum/percussion performances, 

where I would set up a mini 

drum kit, the indian congas, tabla, dhol 

and run around the stage playing them, 

sitting on my knees, using my face to 

pitch bend the Indian congas, you name 

it. I also took this act to a competition 

in 2010 called “South Asia’s Got Talent” 

in Toronto, and won the competition. 

My showmanship at first was unintentional, 

as it was my natural expression. 

When I would keep a straight face and 

play the drums, I felt uncomfortable, 

unnatural and like I was holding back. 

The facial expressions, and the fun I 

have is my normal and who I am behind 

the kit. Actually it’s who I am both on 

and off the kit. 

Another motivation to express myself 

freely behind the drums and when 


PHOTOGRAPHY: MIKE SQUIRES

I’m playing music is to connect with the 

audience. I always imagine my 91 year 

old grandmother sitting in the audience. 

Will she connect with me and the 

music though my fast paradiddles or 

through the intense chord changes or 

odd time signatures? No. She will connect 

with how I am feeling, my expression 

and my emotion while I’m playing. 

Another completely different motivation 

to continue my innate ability 

to display showmanship was, because 

of a frustration I had growing up. The 

frustration was not understanding 

why musicians get treated differently 

than the artists. It never made sense to 

me as why drummers are sometimes 

hidden in the back and people don’t 

know what the name of the drummers 

are. Drummers are the glue that hold 

the band together. As mentioned earlier, 

my goal became to prove to myself 

that I could be a drummer-artist. That 

I would be recognised for who I am and 

not only for whom I play for and am associated 

with. 

You talk about everyone being proud individuals, 

and being healthy on social media. 

Do you feel judged on social media? 

Or are you excited about being watched 

by peers? 

It depends how you look at it; glass half 

empty or half full. I feel very excited 

about sharing my drumming as it’s just 

an extension of who I am. Maybe some 

people judge, I don’t know. I consciously 

choose not to look in that direction 

or think about it that way. 

You are very into developing positivity, 

and it’s amazing. Does it stem from family 

morals, from past experiences, or are 

you just a great person in general? 

Thank you. :-) I grew up with my grandparents 

living with us all my life. With 

my parents being only children, my 

twin sister and I had to be an adult before 

our time. I got to witness what matters 

at an age where you lose your ability 

to walk, talk, eat, your memory, basically 

things that we take for granted. I 

learned at a young age that nothing is 

permanent, and we are not entitled to 

anything. So that whatever we have, be 

grateful. Whatever you don’t have, still 

be grateful. Being so close with my three 



beautiful grandparents taught me to 

have empathy and to be understanding. 

My parents are also immigrants, 

and from a child I saw the struggle of 

being an immigrant, and witnessed the 

poverty that exists back home. With all 

of these experiences that I have had so 

far in my life I continue to remind myself 

that walking is a gift, love is a gift, 

being able to feel sad is a gift. 

We live in a world today where everyone 

is comparing each other’s lives 

and “successes”. Success to me is being 

happy. Success to me is learning, growing, 

making mistakes and especially 

being grateful for my past and present. 

In music and in the arts, success can be 

easily associated with awards, likes and 

follows on Instagram, applauses and 

validation from others. I know some 

people who help the elderly, donate to 

various causes and help humanity behind 

the scenes and don’t get any applause 

or recognition for their kindness 

and generosity. 

“Before I hit my sticks on 

the drums I tell myself 

that I will play the best 

that I can, with all my 

heart and with all of my 

being.“ 

of learning is never ending. With this 

mindset, I feel successful and want to 

be the best version that I can be. 

Seeing my grandparents age made 

me realise that we all are on this journey 

together, we take nothing with us. 

Why not work on making this world a 

better place, and be the best that we can 

be with the best of our intentions. Life 

is not a race nor a competition. Everyone 

is on their own path and their own 

journey. Create your own path and keep 

being the best version of YOU. Believe 

in yourself even when no one around 

you does. 

Do you have any advice for developing the 

confidence you seem to exude? 

Play music from a place of humility and 

gratitude. Before I hit my sticks on the 

drums I tell myself that I will play the 

best that I can, with all my heart and 

with all of my being. I will play from 

a place of love and gratitude and I will 

give all that I can in this moment. Because 

that’s all that I can offer. I remind 

myself how lucky I am to be playing the 

drums, and there are people who wish 

they could play, but maybe they cannot 

because of their health or circumstance. 

I play for all of those people as well. 

Do you believe that a plan B is a good idea? 

Any backup plans yourself? 

Everyone operates differently and different 

things work for different people. 

However for me, I don’t believe in a 

backup plan or a plan B. 

the social media front. At what point do 

you feel that you “made it”? What was 

the point where you felt that you had now 

become a known name when it comes to 

being a badass drummer? 

I don’t think there will ever be a point 

where I think that I’ve made it. Whenever 

I reach a goal that I’ve worked towards 

or played with someone that I’ve 

dreamed of playing with or finally gotten 

a technique down in the practice 

room, my mind is always on the next 

goal and how I can be even better. 

What have been some of the highlights 

of your career so far? 

Being on tour for two months this year 

in US and Europe (around 42 shows in 

60 days) with George Watsky and playing 

a drum solo at every single show. 

Being invited by AR Rahman to play at 

Coke Studio in India back in 2013. Playing 

with the Mark Lettieri Trio in Toronto 

last month. Playing at Tam Tam 

Drum Fest in Seville Spain, doing a 

drum clinic tour in Mexico with Yamaha, 

and lots more fun stuff. Extremely 

grateful! 

Any tips and words to motivate young 

girls and women, but more specifically, 

any lover of music, to chase that dream 

regardless of what their parents or peers 

say? 

Follow your heart. Go after whatever 

makes you happy. Believe in yourself 

even when no one around you does. 

There are people who are suffering 

and for them to simply wake up in the 

morning is a milestone. Success to me 

is having empathy, being grateful for 

this moment, and still grateful even if 

I don’t get what I want. I used to tell myself 

that I’ll be successful when ___. It 

made me greedy, envious and play and 

practice drums to be the best or “win”, 

and post videos to get likes and followers 

and waiting for validation from others. 

Now when I play drums I play from 

a place of love, of humility and from 

a place of knowing that the journey 

You have a certain charismatic confidence 

when speaking to crowds, is it natural or 

did you develop it? 

Thank you! :-) Since I was a little kid I 

was the MC for so many variety shows, 

Christmas concerts, lead in some plays, 

I loved giving speeches and I would 

even do the New Years countdown at 

my dad’s shows with hundreds of people 

in the audience. I loved being on 

stage, talking to crowds and also loved 

including humour in whatever I did. 

It really felt like you just exploded onto 


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HERO 

SKILLET 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Single Stroke Rudiment 

Exercise 1 

Exercise 2 

Exercise 3 

Exercise 4 

Exercise 5 

SINGLE STROKE RUDIMENT 

 

 

 

By: 

 

Louis R. Malherbe II 

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Articles 

Should I 

Quit My 

Day job? 


Everyone has a dream and a passion, 

and to do that as a living 

is everyone’s ultimate goal. That 

comes with a price and a lot of hard 

work, dedication and some risks, but it 

will reward you with the most incredible 

life and journey that you could ever 

imagine. 

I had a young drum student one day 

with loads of potential say to me that 

he wants to quit his job and start pursuing 

drumming full-time. He asked 

my opinion, and I am always careful 

to answer these questions because it’s 

one that you cannot take lightly. I have 

played and taught drums for a living 

most of my life, and I know the sacrifice 

and dedication that it brings, but 

the reward outweighs the sacrifice by 

far. 

If anyone asks me this question, the 

first thing I ask is why they want to quit 

their job in the first place? Sometimes 

it is because they hate their job or that 

they wish to pursue their dreams or 

both. 

If you hate your job and want to quit 

to pursue music full-time, there is a 

much better and less risky way to approach 

this. The mind is a powerful 

thing, and if you change your thought 

pattern and your outlook on your situations, 

you will most definitely get a 

different result. 

Back to this particular student. Here 

is how the conversation went: 

Student: I am thinking of quitting my 

job so I can focus on drumming. What 

do you think? 

Warren: You work in a music store, 

right? 

Student: Yes, but I earn such little 

money, and I don’t enjoy it. 

Warren: There is another way you can 

look at this situation. Firstly, you are 

around music all day and meet different 

musicians all day. That is awesome 

because you never know who you may 

encounter. That’s not so bad. Why don’t 

you carry on with your job, take that 

money you are earning and put it into 

your drumming instead of giving the 

income away. Buy new gear, use it for 

marketing your videos on social media, 

use it as a network platform for all the 

musicians you meet. I wouldn’t think 

of your job as a burden, think of it as 

a way to fund the foundation for your 

drumming career. If you are thinking 

about quitting your day job that probably 

means (I hope) that you don’t need 

that income to live, so another alternative 

is to put that money away in a savings 

account. You could try and save at 

least three months worth of income, so 

you have some back up if need be. 

I was listening to a podcast not so long 

after this conversation, and I couldn’t 

help but smile because it was so relevant 

to my discussion with this student. 


Someone asked whether they should 

quit their job because they hate it and 

would instead make money from one 

of their passions, and by leaving their 

jobs, they could focus on that. The answer 

to this was fantastic: 

Caller: I hate my job and want to 

know if I should quit so I can start my 

own business doing the things that I 

love. 

Podcast: Why don’t you change the 

outlook on your job? Don’t think of it 

as a job you hate but rather as a fund 

for your business that you can start 

in your spare time. Make your dream 

business a side hustle for now. When 

the company kicks off, only then quit 

your day job. If you think of your day 

job that you hate as a way to make your 

dreams possible then your whole perspective 

will change and you will find 

that you won’t hate going into work as 

much as you do because you will have 

a bigger picture and a goal. The job you 

currently hate will have so much more 

meaning because it can now make your 

dreams a possibility. 

If you are in this situation and don’t 

know what to do, I suggest taking a 

step back and write down all the pros 

and cons before making any final decisions. 

Change your outlook towards 

the job you hate and start thinking of 

it as a temporary way to make all your 

dreams come true. I can guarantee you 

that you will hate the full-time music 

game if you are going to struggle your 

whole life. You will start to resent it and 

land up back into a job that you hate to 

make ends meet. Take your time and 

work towards your dream. Consistency 

is vital in everything that you pursue. 

Never give up your dream but also 

don’t kill it by jumping the gun because 

you want to get out of a situation that 

is making you unhappy, which with a 

goal in place, will be a temporary feeling. 

No matter what type of job you 

have, think of the bigger picture and 

change your thought from “I hate this 

job” to “I love this job because it is paying 

for my future career in music.” 


Marguerite Swart 

FOLLOW 

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Marguerite 

Swart 


Photography provided by: 


How did you get into music? 

Growing up in a musical family 

there was no doubt that I 

would end up playing some kind of 

musical instrument. I always used to 

lean with my ear against the speakers 

and listen specifically to the drums in a 

song. I used to make beats and rhythms 

with my mouth so my dad figured “this 

one is going to be the drummer.” So, 

he bought me my first drum kit for my 

tenth birthday (whoo hoo) and my siblings 

and I formed the band Buckle Up 

that later became Roots Of Youth. 

Which local and international drummers 

influence you? 

Internationally Thomas Lang, Jojo Mayer, 

Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro, Dave Weckl, 

Simon Phillips, Aaron Spears, Tony 

Royster Jr and many more. Locally I’d 

have to say my drum teachers Andrew 

Rheeder and Neill Ettridge, and Phillip 

Botha, Riaan van Rensburg (percussion) 

and Darren Petersen, to mention 

a few of my friends. 

Do you play any other instruments? 

Drums and percussion is my thing. 

Did you take lessons, or did you teach 

yourself? 

I took lessons with Andrew Rheeder 

from age 11 to 18 and completed the 

Rock School Grade 8 drumming examination. 

I then went to study further 

at COPA and obtained my NQF4 

(with distinction) in 2009. In London, 

I acquired the Academy of Contemporary 

Music Certificate for performance 

drumming. I then had lessons with 

Neill Etridge and completed my Trinity 

Classical Grade 8 examinations (with 

distinction). I don’t think being selftaught 

is always the best thing. If you 

start off with poor technique it takes 

more time un-learning these bad practices. 

Tell us about your early beginnings with 

the band Roots of Youth that you were 

playing for when you were only 10 years 

old? 

My brother was nine at the time (bassist) 

and my sister 16 years old (keyboard). 

Another brother and sister duo that 

went to the same school, joined Buckle 

Up and we later changed the name to 

Roots of Youth. We recorded two albums 

on our own, and gigged at music festivals 

and private and corporate events. 

Our songs aired on Jacaranda FM, and 

numerous other local radio stations. 

We won the Grand Champions Award 

at the Junior World Championships for 

performing arts in 2004 and also won 

R100 000 in the Doritos competition 

for up and coming artists. Numerous 

of our videos featured on music channels 

and we just had a ball! We’ve been 

all over the place, revelling in the punk 

and pop rock genres. I am so thankful 

for the actively gigging childhood I’ve 

had. I’ve gained so much experience 

from a young age of how the music industry 

works and just the magic of it 



all. Large crowds, big stages, best lighting 

etc. Roots of youth lasted 12 years 

with the same five members and were 

eventually signed by SONY BMG. Our 

third album was produced by Byron 

Keno under the SONY BMG label. 

How do you feel Roots of Youth paved a 

way for you to be able to play drums professionally? 

Well, you can’t put a price on experience. 

It opened many doors for me as a 

drummer. If it wasn’t for Roots of Youth, 

we wouldn’t have met Louis van Wyk, 

who introduced us to Kurt Darren when 

he wanted a band. We performed with 

Kurt for more than 200 shows touring 

the country. 

Who else have you played for? 

After Kurt I played for Mean Mr Mustard 

for two years and on and off for 

Irene-Louise van Wyk. and now currently 

for Karlien van Jaarsveld. I also 

do occasional gigs with The Divas. 

Then I perform on a project basis for 

shows such as Carpenters Retrospective, 

and The Billy Joel show for Show 

Time Australia. I performed in the 

house band of the Lief Afrikaans show 

for some of greatest Afrikaans acts. I 

also toured India for five months with 

the Red Entertainment Company, gigging 

for the most spectacular indian 

weddings you can imagine! 

You are currently playing for Karlien van 

Jaarsveld. How did you land the gig? 

I was doing a show with Irene-Louise 

at Carnival City one evening. Karlien 

stood in the left wing of the stage checking 

us out. After the show she told me 

that my energy had her captivated and 

that she would love if I could fill the 

drumming seat. 

Being one of the only professional female 

drummers in South Africa, what do you 

feel it is that has made you stand out? 

You have mentioned the answer in your 

question. Professionalism is hard not 

to notice. 

What do you think are the key things you 

need to have a chance at having a career 

in drumming and music? 

This is a meaningful question that deserves 

a meaningful answer! 

To really improve your chances of 

success in a very competitive industry, 

irrelevant of your gender, the following 

key points can be noted, assuming you 

have a great musical/rhythmic intelligence: 

• Hone your skills set through following 

an appropriate syllabus under the mentorship 

of a good teacher. During this 

process, ensure that you learn to read 

drum notation and become skilled in 

rudiments and the application thereof. 

Practice through the hurt! Don’t think 

if you can play singles very fast that you 

are a good drummer. 

• Get experience. Play regularly with 

tracks and live. Learn music dynamics 

and focus on what really matters 

namely keeping a beat, not funny tricks 

with sticks. Drummers that can deliver 

an awesome solo but can’t keep the 

beat are just show-offs. A professional 

drummer is firstly a timekeeper! Learn 

about good drum mixes and how to act 

on stage for sound checks and performances. 

Learn what is important for 

studio drumming and how it differs 

from live 

• Get to know your field. Get acquainted 

with technology such as in-ears, good 

gear etc. Watch drumming videos but 

do not get discourage by skills of others. 

It’s not a competition. Learn about 

different genres and legendary drummers. 

Engage with other musicians and 

drummers and learn. 

• Be professional on and off the stage. Apart 

from technical acumen, be disciplined, 

responsive, ethical, trustworthy, 

friendly, humble, kind, and committed. 

• Teach. The industry is competitive, 

and gigs are sometimes not frequent 

enough to pay the bills. If drumming is 

your thing in life you must also teach! 

Self-taught drummers are not always 

the greatest teachers. During lessons 

they normally play more than the learner! 

Not only do you play professionally but 

you also teach, right? 

Yes, I teach! I’ve been teaching from 

the age of 16. With my mom also being 

a music teacher, I’ve learned a lot from 

her. I currently teach at St Mary’s DSG 

school for girls and I love to see them 

grow! I mentored a few students, male 

and female, from scratch to grade 8 level. 

What advice would you give to another 

female drummer that may feel insecure 

about being a female drummer? 

Audiences are still intrigued by female 

drummers and that could put extra 

pressure on you to perform well. If you 

feel insecure as a female drummer, get 

over it, fast! Follow the steps above and 

get your mind right. You are not the 

main artist. You support the main artist 

to perform at their best. Stage lights 

are often such that you are not really visible 

behind your kit. Just meticulously 

keep the beat with confidence and musicality 

and perform with passion. That 

is sexier than how you dress. 

I have noticed a considerable shift in the 

female drum community, which is getting 

more and more popular. Have you 

seen this? What/who do you think gave 

the female drum industry such a massive 

boost? 

There is an increase of female drummers 

although the ratio between male 

and female drummers are still leaning 

largely towards male drummers. I personally 

trained great female drummers 

but most of them pursue more lucrative 

careers and do not feature in the industry. 

I personally know just a handful of 

professional female drummers. 

Do you think that there can be more support 

for female drummers in South Africa? 

There is enough support for drummers 

in general. Good drummers rise 

to the top, male or female. The problem 

with support for female drummers 

is that it is sometimes misplaced. For 

instance, a competition is launched 


to find the best female drummer and 

the prize goes… To the half-naked one! 

Criteria for such a search should rather 

be judged on technical acumen, experience 

in different genres, musicality, 

performance/showmanship/ability 

to read drum notation/ability to keep 

time in live performances with or without 

track etc. That will be meaningful 

and inspirational support for female 

drummers. 

What are your goals for your drumming 

and career? 

To keep playing for top performing 

artists and to keep travelling and visiting 

new places around the world doing 

gigs. I would love to play for a few 

international artists as well and to be 

recognised as one of the go-to drummers 

for major South African shows. 

Who would you marry instead? Luke Holland, 

or Chad Smith. 

Lol! This made me laugh! Definitely 

Luke. hands down. 

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