Drumming and Uni

[gimp fest]

Well i'm heading off to university next year (hopes) and i've been thinking a lot about how i'm going to keep up with my playing while i'm there.

My dad is really keen on supporting me through uni and is willing to buy me a really nice e-kit if that's what i would need, but i think that would be difficult in halls of residence with issues of space and the noise of the pads, am i right in thinking that?

Also, as my premier kit is getting pretty tired and (as it was made over 40 years ago) lacks the funtionality and reliabilty that i need nowadays, i'm considering asking for a new kit for my 18th birthday(march), if i was to do this, is there any way i can have my kit in a practice room or space in the uni itself? or maybe in the city somewhere? I realise this will depend on the uni (i'm not going to music college) but it would be great to hear from anyone who has done/thought about this.

So basically what i am asking is how you have dealt with keeping up drumming while you're at uni. Any help or advice would be greatfully recieved

Sorry for rambling.

[trysthedrummer]

Firstly, electric would be the way to go rather than an acoustic set if your living around other people. Secondly, electric kits take up less space than acoustic sets, so this is another thing to consider. I doubt you would be able to store your Premier kit anywhere in the grounds, or at uni for that matter.

As long as your not tapping late at night I think it should be fine? Which uni may you be going to?

[gimp fest]

thanks for replying mate, my top choice is manchester, second is leeds. Thing is, i need a new acoustic kit pretty bad for the reasons i said above, so if i got an electric kit now, i wouldn't be able to upgarde my acoustic for years. How do you play at uni(if you do)?

[gimp fest]

haha!dickhead!

[Vannaroth]

if Manchester halls of residence are anything like all the others i've seen then even practice pads will be heard from the next room. walls made of paper i tell you.

to answer your question though I havent really dealt with keeping up drumming through university to be honest. its very hard to do. supposedly we do have practice rooms over here but i am very lazy. makes me look forward to going home for holidays more than i otherwise would though.

[sLarkin20]

Even with an electric kit people will hear the hits through walls, so people in your same room on in rooms next to you might complain.

I wouldn't think it'd be a huge deal if you are playing during the day, though.

[trysthedrummer]

Well it's down to you. Buy an acoustic set and purchase some practice pads for in your room. See if there is anywhere you would be able to leave your kit near uni. I don't think it would be too much of a problem unless you get some very awkward people living near by.

No I didn't go to uni, my brother did in Manchester. I went straight into work! :)

[Zebba]

How many years is the uni course you want to do, how far away from home will you be?? more details! what kind of kit are you looking at getting :)

[_Wrathchild_]

Probably an e-kit is your best bet. Space might be an issue if you are living in residence but you can easily fold it up when you aren't using it. If you use headphones and don't play at night people shouldn't bother you about noise from the pads unless they are complete jerks.

[sLarkin20]

And, if you are not on the ground level, a bass pedal can cause some noise for the people below you, even on a practice pad.

Being above the ground level in a dorm or apartment or whatever generally makes it sort of hard to do any full on drumset playing, unless you can really dampen down the noises and vibrations.

[eatsleepandblink]

The school will have a drum set there in a practice room available to practice on. But if your not studying music there or in the percussion studio, you won't have access to it. Acoustic set in dorms = no. and you won't be able to store your acoustic set on campus. E-kit in dorms, a little better, but only during the day. But that depends on how bitchy your roommates/ neighbors are. TBH your pretty screwed without your own place.

[ace76543]

mesh heads

[eatsleepandblink]

mesh heads

though they may be quiet, still make sound, which travels through thin dorm walls enough to annoy people if they choose to be annoyed by it.
As far as playing in dorms goes it really depends on the people living around you.

[gimp fest]

thanks again for the responses, i really appreciate the help.

How many years is the uni course you want to do, how far away from home will you be?? more details! what kind of kit are you looking at getting :)

i'm going to be doing a three year course, between 2 and 3 hours from home depending on which uni i choose. I will without question be in halls in the first year. my dad said he would pay around the £1000 for an e-kit, if that was exactly what i needed for my whole uni time, but judging by what you're all saying it seems a big risk to get an e-kit, as i don't know if i'm going to be on the ground floor(unlikely) and whether my roommates will be bothered by the noise, am i right to think this?

has anyone just used a practice pad for the first year and played acoustic when at home?

[Vannaroth]

has anyone just used a practice pad for the first year and played acoustic when at home?

yeah thats exactly what i do

[AfroMan]

To be honest if your dad is gonna pay £1000 on an electric kit, id just buy the cheapest e-kit possible and keep the rest of the money for your next acoustic kit. Its just gonna be something to practice on so you won't need anything too fancy anyway.

My problem with drums and Uni is that I have so many essays to write during semesters that I barely get time to play my drums... even when I do, my ears are ringing and Im all worked up after playing... try writing a history essay after you've just played along with some death metal :lol:

[sLarkin20]

Yeah that's also a good point. I think I play, at most, a couple of times a month during semesters. Then when the semesters are over I'm so damn tired I don't even feel like playing when I have the time. I've thought about selling quite a lot of my gear, since I hardly play now. I'm sure you will run into the same issue when you go off to college, unless you happen to have lots of free time.

[gimp fest]

oh god this is depressing :( no time to play?!

Afroman: It's not just my dad giving me a grand,he would pay that for an electronic kit for my time at uni, but i'm pretty sure he wouldn't put up that kind of money for an acoustic as i will be unable to play it regularly by the sounds of things.

[Mike Goes Numb]

Well, if you actually care about your coursework and doing well and getting what you paid for, then yes, you won't have much time at all to play.

On the other hand, if you plan on skipping classes and not doing any homework then you'll have all the time in the world!

[DrummerJonny]

you dont HAVE to be in halls 1st year, its possible To be in privately renTed fom the start :)

still a btch tho

[Harrow]

Dude just get an ekit and don't worry at all about the noise you make during the day. When I was living in the dorms I would hear terrible music blasting from 10 am till 10 pm. The last thing you need to care about is the sound hitting a mesh head on an ekit will make.

[gimp fest]

On the other hand, if you plan on skipping classes and not doing any homework then you'll have all the time in the world!

Haha, not at all squire, i'm going to be doing a biology degree at one of the best life science unis in the country.

you dont HAVE to be in halls 1st year, its possible To be in privately renTed fom the start :)

still a btch tho

yeah, i know this, but i want to go in halls. For the experience more than anything.

[Riding The Short Bus]

Well if you get an electric kit, you can get all mesh pads. When I was in apartments I did that. If you have the cymbals as rubber, switch them over to mesh. That should be quiet, If you not on the ground floor, watch out for the stopping of the pedal.

Honestly though I would suggest just setting up pillows, and use some sponge like material on a piece of woods for the pedal to hit against. Electric does not come close to comparing with acoustic, in my opinion. If the choice is between getting a better acoustic set and an electric, I would go with the acoustic. Just my opinion though.

[DrummerJonny]

yeah, halls are a good experience...


except youve got security there ready to yell at you 24/7, which means no massive parties, loud music, ect ect ect... whereas my flat has a 1200w sound system...

[gimp fest]

yeah, halls are a good experience...


except youve got security there ready to yell at you 24/7, which means no massive parties, loud music, ect ect ect... whereas my flat has a 1200w sound system...

ok ok you've got an amazing flat let's move on now yes.

riding the short bus: thanks for the advice, i think this is probably the sort of route i'll take, and make use of uni bands and such to play acoustic. thanks again for all the help mx.

[DrummerJonny]

srsly though, i'm buying an e-kit. it is the best option, yeah :)

[Bernie812]

Probably an e-kit is your best bet. Space might be an issue if you are living in residence but you can easily fold it up when you aren't using it. If you use headphones and don't play at night people shouldn't bother you about noise from the pads unless they are complete jerks.

This makes most sense. The guys that live next to us in the dorm play rock band all day long, but its not an issue unless we're trying to study (which rarely happens) or we're trying to sleep (but we always go to bed later than they do). If it ever does bother us, we just ask them to stop playing. (May I add we have cinder block walls).

Just be polite and do all your playing before quiet hours. Stop playing after someone has asked. You should have no problems unless you live with jerks.

[Trev]

Last year (my first year at uni) I brought along a DTXPress to my room and had no problems. Sure, there's a slight tapping noise, but no louder than the volume that most people would play music at, and I had no complaints. I'd be sure to pop a towel or something over the bass drum pad though. Pretty much all uni accommodation that I've seen, regardless of which uni, have been big enough to accommodate an e-kit.

Although I joined a band soon after starting uni and my e-kit got little use, and by my 3rd term I left my e-kit at home and brought along my acoustic instead, to be stored in my room inbetween gigs. I was never a fan of playing on the e-kit anyway, so you might get more mileage out of yours.