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| TJ playing the drums at 15 months! |
When TJ was 15 months old, his older brother was given a child’s toy trap set for Christmas. I don’t have a single picture of his brother playing those drums, but I have two of TJ. In one of the pictures he is singing and having the time of his life. In the other picture the gleam in his eyes lets you know just how much fun he was having on those little toy drums.
Fifteen years later one of TJ’s friends showed him a few simple things about playing the drums. He bought himself a pair of sticks and began practicing / playing the drums in the church’s youth room whenever he could. One Sunday evening after services were over, his dad was down the hall from the youth room and asked one of the other teens, “who’s in there playing the drums?” They looked at him with surprise and replied, “It’s your son, TJ.” We were stunned and amazed. Without a single “professional” lesson, he had learned not just how to play the drums, but how to do so with sensitivity to the music and his audience.
That year for Christmas TJ and his dad watched the eBay sales for drum sets and won the bid for the one that TJ had decided was “perfect!” They arrived several weeks before Christmas but we made him wait until Christmas morning to have them. He also received several desired attachments, like several more sets of sticks, a cow bell, cymbals, and his requested “throne” as the drum set’s seat is occasionally called.
Our neighbors were very thankful for our basement where the drum set was assembled. And then it was time for a family “jam” session! His older brother played electric guitar, dad was on the keyboard, and there was TJ, in all his glory, playing his very own set of drums!
From then on he spent as much time as he could, with a pair of headphones on listening to music while he played his drums. He spent his money purchasing a double drum pedal, more cymbals, and of course, lots of drum sticks. I had no idea how quickly he could go through a set of drum sticks!
Later TJ became the drummer for the worship team at church. He instinctively knew when a cymbal roll was needed, or just a light, quiet brush of the snare drum, and when to let loose with a run across the other drums. It was so much fun to watch him. He loved playing for his Savior.
On his last Sunday before heading off to boot camp, he was allowed to really let loose and played a 3-4 minute drum solo during one of his favorite songs. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the entire congregation as we watched him play for the Lord with all of his heart.
Leaving his drums behind was probably one of the hardest things TJ did when he headed off to serve in the Air Force. Once he was assigned to Malmstrom Air Force Base, he made arrangements for his things to be shipped out to him. He gave me specific instructions to make sure the movers packed his drums very carefully! Though he had no place to assemble and play his trap set, he wanted them with him. During his first few years on base, he was able to play for the worship team at the base chapel and again, thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to worship with the drums!
Frequently I find myself watching the drummer of the Sunday morning worship team, and often I must fight back tears as I think of the days when TJ sat there. How I miss watching him praising his Lord on the drums! I suppose that is why I love the following verses from Psalm 150.
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord,
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:1, 3-6
Keep praising the Lord in any way you can, TJ. And may the day soon come when you can do it with your cymbals and drums!
