I used to play in the percussion ensemble in college and we made instruments out of everything. I recall paper bags, cowbells in buckets of water, inverted cymbals and triangles on timpani, brake drums, oil drums, conduit, copper tubing, etc. I even made a set of "octabons" out of 4" PVC pipe, PVC couplers, some hardware off of old marching drums (which I wish I had now) and the heads and rims from 6" Remo practice pads.

Ahhh... the college percussion ensemble days! Fort Hays State, Hays, Kansas back in 73, 74, & 75.

Mitch Markovitch (national rudimental champion from the Chicago area) was a grad asst. (I think that's what he was) and percussion instructor in 73/74.

Anyway, back to the plastic tubs: My very first "practice" drum was a Folgers Coffee can with the new-fangled plastic lid: mid 60s. Had a couple of different sizes! That even drove my dad nuts! (I think Purdie & I have discussed this on here before!)

Bill

Coffee cans with plastic lids. I did the same thing. I whittled out some drum sticks from a dowel rod or something. I suppose my dad trusted me with a pocket knife at a young age. I recall taping some wire of some sort to the bottom of one of the the lids (see the thread about single headed snare drums) but that did not really work. I used my Estes rocket launching pad for a cymbal as it had a 4" metal disc on a stand. I did cover all the various cans and buckets with aluminum foil which, by the way does not make for a particularly effective drum wrap. I had pretty much forgotten about all of that. Good times.

Oh and by the way, getting to study with Mitch Markovitch? That is pretty outstanding.

Yeah, in my "young and stupid" days.

BTW -- info on him here: http://www.pearldrum.com/Artists/All-Artists.aspx?id=401

This bio says he got his bachelor of music at Ft Hays. So, I just remembered it wrong (getting old!)!

Anyway, back to "young and stupid." He and I didn't get along at all. Why? Well, I was completely self-taught on the drums, and he tried to change everything I did... which would no doubt would have been the way to go! But, sometimes "young and stupid" is too big a hurdle to go over. (This of course is a LONG story, but this Reader's Digest Version will suffice.) My problem was that I was pretty good as it was, but my head was too big to be able to learn ANYTHING from the best!

Ahh youth.... That is so true. Unfortunately sometimes still true now that were older. I try to never pass up an opportunity to learn something new or to pass something on for that matter if anyone is interested of course.

Yeah, no problem NOW. Big problem THEN.

Actually, he was just getting into playing the set seriously then. He was the main drummer in the FHS jazz ensemble, I was his backup. Too me, he was way to "technical" in his approach to playing the set. Shoot, I didn't care about "technique," I just cared about how it sounded!

Anyway, one of the big issues was that he thought, in order to correct my technique issues, I needed to STOP playing in night-clubs on the weekends. The problem with that, of course, was that was good money for a college kid back in the mid-70s. And, our front man/lead sing-er (had to insert the hyphen to keep the avatar from popping up!) was a local radio station personality and we were very, very sought-after. We even were the local "front band" for a big concert there in the spring of 74.

Of course, looking back now I know I would have been better off in the long run actually TRYING to learn something from him. Like I said: "young and stupid!"

Bill - it wasn't cans for me, I learned to play on the seat cushions of our vinyl dining room chairs. Man, I really tore those seats up. I over heard my mom chewing my father out, telling him; "I told you to buy that boy some drums before he destroys the entire house!" My old man called for me, put me in the car and drove us down to a huge Pawn Shop in Harlem on 125th Street and Amsterdam Ave. He bought me my first kit, a WMP Kent with a 12", 16", 22"/6-lug 14". After we got home, he took my mom out and bought her a new dining room set. I was always impressed that she had taken my side and pressured my old man into buying me some drums. Mom's can be very cool. Mine was.

John

Bill I played on the coffee cans too. I remember one can (Maxwell House maybe?) in the 60's was printed like a old rope drum. 5 lbs or more it was a big can. I saw that and the (somewhat dim) lightbulb went off. A drum~! I talked Mom into getting the BIG can and my first drum was had. As the plastic top got beat I just took a roll of Dad's electrical tape and taped her up good. Ha~! Dad always needed to buy more tape it seemed?? My bud and I soon covered the neighbor hood for empty tins with plastic lids. Those and cardboard boxes. I used to empty whatever was packed in the box right on the floor where it was and take the box. DOH It was a very fun time in my life.

John your right on our Moms~! Mine really stepped up to the plate and helped sway Dad to get my first set too. I think she was happy she didn't have to hide tin cans and boxes from me.

I really enjoyed where this thread went...It`s nice to hear these childhood stories...Thanks gents!!

Cheers