Photo Courtesy of Charlie Karleskint

Charlie Karleskint (9) showcases his drum set at home. “I started playing in fourth grade, then stopped playing until sixth grade, then kept going because I wanted to keep playing music,” Karleskint said. Karleskint’s least favorite part of drumming was when he broke his sticks by hitting the drums too hard.

Hitting, pounding, the noise is deafening, but there is a sense of pride and a rush of adrenaline. He is feeling the rhythm and hearing what he is playing with enjoyment after so much work, this combined with the knowledge that he is creating music. For Charlie Karleskint (9), these emotions are present whenever he drums, and he looks back on his past and how this started.

“I started playing in fourth grade, then stopped playing until sixth grade, then kept going because I wanted to keep playing music,” Karleskint said.

Playing music for this long can require dedication and practice. However, that could be halted by other hobbies.

“I do practice a lot, but I also play a lot of basketball, so sometimes I have less time to practice the drums,” Karleskint said.

Some drummers might say that they look up to more talented drummers from famous bands to learn from their toolkits, their songs and maybe use that style of sound. Karleskint does not feel quite accustomed to this thinking with one exception.

“I wouldn’t say [I look up to] anyone in particular besides the drummers everybody looks up to like Dave Grohl, because who doesn’t want to be Dave Grohl,” Karleskint said.

People might have heard the phrase practice makes perfect, but what lies in between where you are and where you could be is something that Karleskint believes should be discovered through more practice.

“I feel like everyone has room for improvement all the time,” Karleskint said.

For others who may be starting to play an instrument, Karleskint shares a message on something he would have liked to know while struggling through that stage and now is what he thinks helped overcome his struggles.

“I would just say to not be too hard on yourself,” Karleskint said. “It’s pretty hard to play an instrument at the beginning.”