
Hello there! I’m Izabela! Welcome to my 2020 In-Depth presentation: drumming (and playing in a band)!
I knew that I wanted to pursue drumming this year, even while In-Depth 2019 was still in progress! I’ve wanted to play the drums for as long as I can remember, and this was the perfect opportunity to finally try it out! Part of of what draws me to drumming is how much co-ordination and focus it takes, and how different is is from other instruments I play; there’s a big difference between drumming in a band and playing violin/viola in an orchestra!
Thankfully, my mom played the drums in high school so it was easier to convince her to let me get my own kit!
Below are links to songs (with the band and individually) that showcase my learning from In-Depth.
Don’t feel obligated to watch all the videos! Feel free to comment any questions you have for me!
Also, you can click here to check out the band’s Instagram account! Maybe give us a follow while you’re there? đ
Band Covers:
- Marlboro Nights was the first song we played together as a band! My mentor helped me figure out the drum part, which took a lot of practice to get right. Once I could play the part, I worked on speeding it up. Our cover is slower than the original, but it fits our vibe better!
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
- For this song, I learned the basic beat from online tutorials, and added my own fills. Unfortunately, due to the quarantine and some technical issues, I couldn’t record my electric drums and had to re-create my part digitally on BandLabs. The bright side is that I was forced to learn how to use a new program! Thankfully, my previous musical experience meant I already knew how to read and write sheet music, so I just needed to figure how to translate that into the program.
- Mozzie is the band’s first original song! I’m absolutely blown away by Jian, Jewel, and Amanda’s songwriting skills! This was my first time needing to create an original drum part from scratch which was daunting. I started by figuring out the basic beat, and gradually added making it more complicated by adding more interesting elements. I am so proud of how we adapted to the quarantine and were able to put this final piece together without any physical contact!
- Unfortunately, I had to use BandLabs again, but I made use of what I had access to.

Individual Covers:
- Devil Town is one of the songs the band was contemplating covering. It’s high energy and volume make it one of my favorites to play! This song is special to me, as it was the first song I figured out how to play by myself.
- In the beginning, the hardest part of this song was the 8th notes on the snare drum with my left hand; for some reason I couldn’t wrap my head around it. After a lot of practicing, I was able to play it correctly, and now I can do it automatically!
- I thought Comfort Crowd would be easier to play, but it actually had its own challenges. The song is slower, so it’s easier to notice if you’re notes aren’t consistent. I spent a lot of time practicing to make sure I was playing on beat.
- The high-hat notes at the end were difficult for me. The problem was that I would second-guess if I was playing it correctly, which would cause me to hesitate and get thrown-off. This video is my best take, but I still make a small mistake with the high-hat. I wanted to leave that in to show what I will continue to improve on after In-Depth is over!
Overall, I’m proud of how much I learned over the past 5 months, and how I adapted to continuing the project during quarantine. I would also like to thank my mentor for teaching me so much! I had an amazing time during In-Depth. I can’t wait to continue growing my skills and working together with the band! Thank you for visiting my online In-Depth presentation!