Nan Turner - Currently studying at FDW     Nan Turner says:   Drumming, Injuries and the Body   Being a self-taught musician who was stuck in a rut playing the same beats all the time, I started seeing Paula three years ago with the intention of acquiring more tools as a drummer. Something I'm slowly beginning to understand alongside learning different patterns and beats, is how important it is to be in your body when you drum, and how the right postioning of holding your sticks can prevent injuries.   I've had a ganglion cyst in my left wrist for about 8 years now. It is an aching that runs up my forearm and used to hurt so much that I could barely play. Paula showed me pressure points to massage on my arm a couple of times a day to help circulation...and also helped me reposition how I was holding my sticks. Remembering to breathe while playing became extremely important too. Otherwise no oxygen can get to your muscles and can cause cramping.   Some other things that helped me was not lifting anything heavy with that hand when it hurt (sort of obvious, duh) and being careful when using a computer not to strain my wrist (actually that goes for both wrists). Also using the herb Arnica in the gel form, several times a day helped with swelling and pain.   I play guitar in another band (Pantsuit) and I had to readjust the height of the guitar so there was no strain. At first it felt dorky with the guitar right under my boobs like a push-up bra...but I quickly got used to playing that way when I realized my wrist didn't hurt anymore!   They say the best drummers are the best dancers. I think every drummer should take a dance class. Or do yoga. Or something physical. I go to modern dance classes occasionally and nerd out on all the different ways you can accent phrases and count things in different time signatures - using my body as one big drumkit. Being more in your body can only help with the physicality of drumming.   The last thing I want to say is that sometimes there are emotional factors that aggravate injuries. I don't think it was a coincidence that when my wrist hurt the most happened to be at a time when I was stressed out and had just been laid off and was going through some big changes. Paula said recently at a lesson that during that period I had asked her - "Does drumming mean I have to be in pain all the time?" It shocked me that I had said that, because I feel so far from that hurt place now. My wrist hasn't bothered me for quite a while.   I'm currently on tour with Shchervon! in Europe and have played 18 shows in a row pain-free. I didn't realize how far I had come until I started writing this.                             Check out Nan's travels at olivejuicemuxic.com   Drum pads make the world go round   Why Do You Need a Drum Pad?   Because you need to practice your handwork and technique on a regular basis. A drum pad is great because you can work on your sticking in your apartment and don't have to worry about disturbing your roommates while you practice. Hand development is very important and this can be done on a drum pad...day in,,,day out. If you find it a bit weary to practice alone, turn on the TV with low sound or play a radio in the background. For many, this helps with your attention span to practice longer than you might in a completely quiet room. If you have any questions about practicing on a pad, don't hesitate to contact me. I practice all my best moves on a practice pad first and then take it to the kit! Paula Elaine Machless   Elaine Machles says:   1. Practice – this one is the most obvious. Practice a lot b/c that’s how you get good. Nobody starts the very first time playing as good as John Bonham. He needed to practice to get that good. 2. Have fun – don’t act as if your life depends on being the best drummer ever. Once you do that, it becomes too much pressure and you won’t be able to learn and improve at what you do. 3. Don’t get frustrated – say you go to Funkadelic Studios and you can barely coordinate playing 1 and 3 on the bass and 2 and 4 on the snare, but the drummer in the next practice room sounds great, don’t listen to it. When s/he first started s/he couldn’t coordinate either. And as long as you do rule # 1, one day you’ll be the drummer in the other room that another beginner can hear through the wall. 4. Practice – I think I said this one already. Even a few minutes on the drum pad every day will help you improve. 5.Once you get through learning the basics, it gets easier! When I was first learning to play I was also teaching my brain to understand a lot of new concepts. Once my brain got used to the basics, it was much easier to pick up the complicated stuff.                                 Wendy Kid former student Wendy Kidd says:   Studying with Paula at the Female Drummers Workshop takes the student to a realm where only a teacher with a pure heart can go; where the student becomes a real musician. Paula is an amazing teacher and a fantastic drummer. The technical knowledge she’s given me is there whenever I sit down to play. She is a guiding light for young women who have the desire to learn the drums at whatever skill level they are starting from. I have received constant encouragement, guidance, patience, and faith. Paula is a mentor in the truest sense of the word. I now believe that I am indeed a drummer.