sixwordstories | (no subject)

::looks thoughtful, waving hands and tapping a foot as if drumming, then shrugs:: I expect it's a lot harder to do with actual drums than just thinking about it would make it seem!

::watches, bemused and chuckles:: Yeah, it's pretty hard to get a handle on. I started playing the drums when I was very young so I'm quite used to it.

Like my age young, or like baby young? I used to have a pair of toy bongo drums when I was three, because I got real sick and couldn't get out of bed, so I had them to play with! I dunno where they are now; I'd forgotten all about them until just now!

I had my first drum set at like... 4 but it was a toy set. I started really learning when I was around 8 I think. Bongos are fun to play around with, I have a set laying around somewhere.

I'm only five years behind then! Are all your family musical? Do your brothers play everything too?

It's never too late to start learning an instrument or anything for that matter. Yeah, my whole family is musical. Both of my parents are singers, they're the ones that started teaching us when we were young. Kevin plays the guitar and sings back up, Joe sings and can play the guitar and tambourine and my younger brother Frankie sings and I've been teaching the drums and guitar.

My brother sings really well -- he used to be in a church choir back when we did that -- but I've never been very tuneful! Can you learn that too?

You certainly can learn that! It takes a good teacher and a lot of practice but most people can learn proper tuning.

Hmm! That'd probably be real expensive, though, huh? It's not like I'd want to sing professionally or anything!

Yeah, vocal lessons can be a bit pricey. Maybe your brother could help you?

I don't think he knows how he sings well, he just sort of does! He tried to teach me how to take better photographs, and that sort of worked, but he can just look at a thing and now how to take it, and I'm not sure you can teach that sort of skill!

That's a good point. Sometimes it's just natural talent rather than known skill.

Plus, we're not all that good at explaining things to each other! We kind of end up fighting a lot! It usually works out in the end though! Or dad makes us work it out, which is practically the same thing! Never go to bed mad!

Most brothers are like that [chuckles] don't worry. Going to bed mad sucks, definitely don't do it.

You fight with your brothers too? That must be kind of awkward if you then have to go play a concert with them!

We rarely ever fight but sometimes we do. We rarely have ever had to go on stage angry at each other but we're all professionals and can put an argument behind us to put on a show. Luckily my brothers and I get along pretty well though so we don't have to worry about that.

That's good! It's always sad when family doesn't get along!

Yeah... That's why it's important to do whatever you can to keep things good and happy with your family. [frowns a little, thinking]

Well, not everything, I mean, you have to be your own person, too! Like, I mean, if, I dunno, like, okay, if you really wanted to quit your band to concentrate on your solo stuff, say, your brothers would probably be mad for a bit, but they'd get over it, because you're family!

[raises his eyebrows] Yeah, probably. Though I think they'd be angry for more than just a bit. It's okay though, I have no plans on going solo so that's not something I worry about. But sometimes you do have to do whatever it takes to keep your family happy, even if it means sacrificing some of your own happiness.

I sort of agree, I guess, in that it's good to compromise if you can, but it sounds really dubious when you say it like that! Making yourself unhappy to make other people happy just makes everybody unhappy in the long run, I think!

It can be really, really complicated sometimes. I'm not making myself unhappy exactly, I'm still very happy just... keeping a secret from my family because I know if they'll find out, they might not want to be my family anymore.

Are you a vampire?

[smiles a little and chuckles while shaking his head] No, I'm not a vampire

Then I'm pretty sure whatever it is, you're family won't mind that much!