First off, Thank you to Joe Diaz and Tushar Swamy at MIT’s Heavy Metal 101 for the opportunity to talk about two things that I’ve been passionate about for more than half my life (that’s a weird thought): metal and drums. It may have been my most nerve racking and vulnerable experience/performance, but I loved every second of it.
Next, thank you to everyone that came out, shared, and supported me and the event. The amount of feedback that I’ve received after the performance has been overwhelming (I’ll be getting to all of them asap). I’m happy that I was able to give back to the genre that helped me feel strong at times when I didn’t.
In the lecture, I went over fundamentals of heavy metal, performed two Protean Collective songs, discussed the origins and evolution of heavy metal drumming, and my stories of years of being a touring musician.
Lastly, like every community nothing is perfect but I was glad to find a place that made me feel at home to grow up, and regardless of your race, sexuality, or religion you are welcome to be a part of the genre. Metal is for everyone.
Ps the video of event will be coming soon