Name: Jon Campbell
Age: 32
Nationality: Canadian
Instrument: Drums
Genre: Rock/Blues
How old were you when you started playing drums?
I started drumming at 13, much to my parents’ dismay. This was after almost five years of piano and six months of guitar. I started playing hand drums a few years ago.
What’s the hardest part about playing drums?
Transport is the number one problem. Transport and noise are two things that make it difficult for many urban dwellers to take up the drums. Technically speaking, the hardest part is getting your four limbs to do four different things simultaneously, like patting your head and rubbing your stomach.
What do you love most about drums?
I think that more than any other instrument, it’s the one thing that people react to most deeply and immediately. Rhythm is ingrained deep in our bones, and drums bring that out – whether you’re playing or listening to them.
Who is your favorite drummer and why?
John Bonham from Led Zeppelin was the one who got me wanting to bang drums. You can feel his talent on just about every song he plays. He was doing such amazing things, even after you ignore the fact that he was the first person to do them.
If you could play any other instrument, what would it be and why?
Either the cello or the upright bass. When I saw Ben Sollee (who performed in China with Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet) play the cello, something really drew me to it, but I like the upright bass because it’s got such a great sound. I should pick something smaller, though, like the harmonica.
