tips

 Storing drums is bad enough.  Drums should be played not stored no matter how nice your cases are.  But, I know - sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.  Most cases, even the bag type, are good enough to keep your drums safe from scratches and dents.  But don't forget about the silent heavy metal killer, the cancer of the hardware...RUST.  Especially with the humidity down here by the sea.  Keep your drums dry and check on them often before its too late and you find your once-shiny stands and rims brown and flaky.  And don't forget, storing drums causes rusty hands too! 

  Leaving drums in a car or near a window will cause the heads to tighten and detune and can even cause permanent damage and warping to the shells and cases.  Keep 'em out of the sun, even in the winter.  I just had a yard sale in front of my shop and put a couple of sets out on the sidewalk for not even 3 hours!   WARPED! It doesn't take long. 

 Even if you like all types of music, you probably have one kind you like to play the most.  But don't get stuck in a rut playing just metal or country or blues or whatever.  Even Metalica, Iron Maiden, and Tool, as hard as they rock, know the value of the art of dynamics and variety.   There's nothing more moving than a song that picks you up by your pants and then drops you into a soft melodic reflection.
Try this:  Play to a radio and every five minutes or so turn the dial to another station at random.  The trick is to put more effort into the stations you don't like.  This will get you ready to deal with any live or improv situation you might encounter in the real world of drumming.  Also, it will prepare you to alter that pop song with a catchy classical, blues or reggae break . 

 This is the curse of the good drummer.  There's plenty of time to show what you CAN play but a good musician knows WHAT to play, WHERE to play and WHEN not to play.  The biggest complaint I get from musicians about their drummer is that they overplay and don't adapt their playing to what the music calls for.  The worst example I have seen of this was seeing Carmine Appice play for Ozzy in the '80's.  (Where's Carmine today...Where's Ozzy?!)  Remember, Its the Song that matters, not the parts.
    I grew up thinking that if it wasn't  Rush, Kansas, King Crimson, Genesis, Yes, ELP, etc. the drumming was mindless and it took a lot of adjusting and whining when it came to playing a simple SOLID straight beat.  Try it sometime.  Try playing to AC/DC or Nirvana or Garth Brooks straight through with arena intensity without adding YOUR "style".  Its harder than you think .  If you get bored, you're probably not ON the beat nor moving people's feet.  

 Let The Beat play through you.