We haven’t met? My name is Cat with Hats and to this point my story is 38 years long. But let me keep it short: My Mom called me cat, my Dad had a camera and my big brother didn’t want me to hit his drums. So I became a cat who played the recorder and was photographed on Christmas Eve. Boring! I wanted those drums and so I got to take my first lesson when I was 11 years old. Over the next years I learned to connect music styles and pieces to certain names such as Evita, Ellington, Eagles, Boléro, Brubeck, Bowie, Stravinsky, Swing, Sting, Mozart, Morello, Madonna, Chopin, Chattanooga Cho Cho, Chicago, Peter and the Wolf, Perdido, Police, Ludwig van Beethoven, Lady Day,  Led Zeppelin, Ave Maria, A Night In Tunesia, Animal and many more.

Los Angeles, Habana, Los Angeles

In 1999 I took a plane to Los Angeles and started my drum studies at the Los Angeles College of Music (back then called L.A.M.A.) Why not? Great teachers, small campus, nice classmates and a bunch of my musical heroes in small clubs nearby. A year later another plane, another airport: Havana, Cuba. This time I took percussion lessons as well as lessons in life. In 2000 I arrived and in 2001, but only nine weeks later, I hurried to catch a plane back home.

Back in my small village – did I mention that small means 600 people? – I tried to figure out where to go next. I found an advertisement for an audition of the musicals Cabaret and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. First a train took me to St. Pauli in Hamburg, then during the following five months a bus took me from one hotel and theater to the next. When that was over, I switched to airplanes again, heading towards the west coast of the U.S. again. But let’s fast forward.

Berlin & Bavaria calling

In 2002 I moved to Berlin – more important lessons in life about to come. I decided to jump into the eclectic music scene – played and taught drums. Why not write a drum method book, which my students could use? Done in 2010 with Get Ready: Play Drums! 1 and in 2011 with part 2. Why not write some more and change the surroundings? In 2013 I moved away from Berlin into the land of Sauerkraut and Knoedels. That’s where I was trained as an editor at DrumHeads!! magazine. Fast forward another two years and I am back into the freelancing world – this time as a journalist though. Among my clients is also the German magazine drums & percussion.

Indie and blogging

But I am kind of restless. There is so much to see, to listen to and to tell others about. So why not travel around the world and film drumming people doing their thing? And why not show it to everybody, who is looking for modern drum edutainment?That’s a dream of mine and I want to make it real.

My name is Cat, I like and have hats, I also have a computer and a camera. So this is my blog. And so far I am doing everything myself. I guess I am truly wearing many hats. It’s fun and hopefully it continues to be for quite a while. Feel free to like, follow and subscribe to support me. And if you are into any of the gear, books or music of the drummers I interviewed, why not buy gain it the quickest way? Just click on the affiliate links I provide. By doing so, you create a triple happiness: blessing yourself, the artist and me. Sincere thanks and …
Stay on or by(e)!