Dorothea Taylor (the godmother of drumming)’s version of blink-182’s classic track “What’s My Age Again” is the perfect bird-flip for anyone who thinks you need to be a fresh-faced 20 year old to be a drummer.
One reason why this song is perfect for Dorothea is how Travis Barker uses rudiments in the intro (Dorothea is the rudiment queen). Barker was a marching drummer in school and it’s cool how he incorporated that training into his drum parts. Flams, five stroke rolls, pataflaflas…who would’ve thought you’d ever hear these in punk rock drumming?
“You’re never too old or too young to start playing drums,” says Dorothea. As a testament to this, she’s officially challenging Travis Barker to a drum battle. Think we can make it happen?
(P.S. If you catch someone judging too many books by their cover, share these videos with them)
Dorothea Taylor is a knowledgeable multi-instrumentalist and instructor with over 50 years of experience. She was introduced to the world of high-level drumming through the Blue Notes Drum and Bugle Corps which was instrumental in establishing her high standards, which ultimately helped her build a successful career in and out of the studio. Over the years, Dorothea played with acts such as the Long Bay Symphony, the jazz band UNI, and Rick Alviti, as well as lending her percussion and organ chops to the Ray Charles Concert and her Church, respectively. When she’s not playing, Dorothea teaches at the Forestbrook Middle School and Sound Systems Music Store.
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