What’s up, MD! My name is Jesse Marquardt, and I am the drummer for the soul-rock band Winslow. I’m generally not much of a writer, but I jumped at the chance to share my story and thoughts in such an incredible way.

I sat around trying to think of what I really wanted to share. I’m not one of the guys with all of the school background. To be honest, I can’t read music. My education has come from shed sessions and from the groups that I’ve played in over the years. My path was different than some, but I think there’s still something to be shared with young drummers out there.

Like a lot of eight year olds, I had a ton of extra energy and was always looking for the next big thing to catch my attention. One of the members from our church, Paul Campbell, sat me down behind my first drumkit. I’d love to say that the moment I sat down, a great feeling came over me and I knew that it would last forever. Really though, I was just a curious kid, and I decided to go with it. Over time, I truly fell in love with the drums. I realized that music just kind of came to me. I played in as many groups as I could. It has always felt like each genre I’ve played has taught me lessons about music and about myself. Advertisement

Gospel music was, and always is, my first love musically. I think most drummers like myself love the opportunity to weave in and out of the pocket. Gospel music has a life that is unlike many other styles of music. As I got older, I started to move into the worlds of funk, rock, salsa, and R&B. Each genre has something special that made me grow as a musician. With funk music, there’s such great interaction with the bass lines. Kick and snare work are fundamental when you play funk, and that really honed my ears. With salsa music, the rhythms and patterns can be intricate. I feel like salsa music has a whole different level of passion and vibe that I really dig. R&B music is about the repetition. Sit in the pocket and just groove all day. R&B taught me about patience and the fact that it can’t always be about the drums. Lastly, with rock music, I learned about simplicity. Overplaying can kill a song, so I learned to pick my moments and make the most of each opportunity I get.

I think we all have our heroes. I grew up listening to cats like Eric Moore, Tony Royster Jr, Dennis Chambers, Aaron Battle, and Elijah Gilmore. I’m focused on improving as a drummer each and every day. I’m blessed to have new endorsements with Silverfox sticks and Soultone cymbals. In this game, you’ve got to stay hungry. I think good things are in sights with Winslow. Stay tuned!

 

For more on Winslow, visit www.winslowsoul.com.

Photo by Lesley Anne K