Issue 10 - Sarah Thawer - October 2019

Julianna Mascia
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
20 | SA DRUMMER | September 2019