Gill's moved her new drum kit into the spare bedroom of her semi...but her husband still isn't considering moving out to a bungelow down the road to escape the noise...
 Gill Hands and her drums |
Gill's drumming habit started last summer when she spotted a green shiny drum kit in a music shop window. She wasn't musical, although dabbled a little with the recorder at school and hung out with guys who played in bands. She didn't even think she wanted to play drums, she just wanted the beautiful drum kit. She told herself that 46 year old women don't play drums and tried to put them to the back of her mind.
The drum kit kept appearing in her mind though so she decided to do something about her lack of skills. Gill's 19 year old daughter plays bass guitar and her teacher's father happened to play drums so she rang him up and asked if she was too old to learn. He said he'd come across quite a few ladies of her age interested in the drums and that age was no barrier - he had been teaching someone who had retired to play.
So off Gill went to learn how to play and to help justify spending 拢300 on a new drum kit. She spent 2 months practicing, she bought a practice pad and some drum sticks, set it up on a typist's chair, the back of the chair acts as the cymbal apparently. Then when the day came to buy her drum kit she had to ask the teacher to show her how to set it up. As it turns out the kit she bought, a 5 piece, was also being eyed up by another of the drum teacher's lady pupils who was very disappointed that it had been sold.
The kit is set up in the family's spare bedroom, the only problem being no-one can get to the wardrobe now where all the coats and party clothes are hanging.
Gill's 19 year old daughter thinks her mum is a bit sad for taking up such a hobby but then Gill points out that her daughter has taken up knitting so she's not one to talk really. Gill's husband finds it rather annoying but he is pretty easy going and the fact that he suffers from wax in his ears helps - he can fall asleep by putting his good ear to a pillow and his deafer one uppermost while she is practicing in the spare room. (Plus Gill has put up with his snoring for 27 years). She says he has admitted defeat by buying her a hand drum for Christmas.
And Gill has very understanding neighbours...
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