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The 7 Things Rocky Balboa Can Teach You About Drumming

This may sound odd but...

To me, Rocky Balboa is much more than just a movie character. He is a real person. Being born in the early 80's meant I was too young for his movies when they first came out. However, that didn't stop me growing up with Rocky.

His movies were the only violent movies that my parents would let me watch. They loved Rocky. They loved the character, the story, they loved that me and my brother would be quiet and stop arguing when we watched it. For me and my brother, Rocky was who we wanted to be.

The spirit of Rocky lives inside all of us. When we decide:

• To do something with our lives, that's Rocky.
• To achieve something even though the odds are against us, that's Rocky.
• To be more than just another bum from the neighbouhood, that's Rocky.

So what can we learn from Rocky Balboa that we can use to push our drumming forward? What hidden lessons from those movies can we apply to our own playing? Well, first of all...

You have to fight for what you believe in

Rocky knows that dreams don't come true automatically. He shows you that you've got to work hard for them. That's why he gets up at stupid o'clock in the morning, drinks raw eggs and runs around Philedelphia. If you want to be the best then you have to show it. Put the work in and train and practise like the best. Rocky is one of the main reasons that I am kicking my most disgusting habit.

"You gotta be prepared to take the hits"

Rocky knew it wasn't going to be easy to go 15 rounds with Apollo Creed. But he did it. He took a huge beating and he did it. He even did it again in the second movie and won! You've got to be prepared to make sacrifices for your drumming. It's not easy putting your practising ahead of all the other things that you like to do but that's how you win.

You gotta make the most of your opportunites

The only reason Rocky gets a chance to fight Apollo Creed in the first movie is because he is selected pretty much at random. But he takes advantage of this lucky break. He sees it as his way of making a name for himself. Keep your eyes open because you never know which gig or conversation might lead to your big chance.

You gotta hang in there

No matter what, you need to keep going. You need to keep practising even if you're not seeing results. That's how Rocky wins. He's not a great fighter but he is mentally stronger than his opponents. He just lasts it out longer than them. Even if you're having a bad day on the drums or you have a bad gig just hang on in there and it'll turn around.

It's never too late

In the last movie, Rocky gets back into the ring with the undefeated world champion even though he's over 50 years old. No matter what age you are there's always time to give it a shot. Or if you've been playing on and off for a while and haven't taken your drumming seriously, it's not too late to start doing so now.

Don't worry what other people think

Rocky doesn't listen when people try to talk him out of fighting Apollo Creed or Clubber Lang or Ivan Drago. He just trains, gets in the ring and wins. That's what he does, he's a fighter. Even his own son trys to talk him out of fighting Mason Dixon. But does he listen? No! He knows what he wants and he goes after it. So if people don't get that you want to be a drummer or they think you're crazy. Don't listen to them. There's enough doubt in your mind without letting in other people's. Just do what you think is right.

"It ain't over 'til its over"

This sums up the entire Rocky experience for me. Rocky never gives up. Setbacks happen all the time. Work, meetings, exams, family occasions. These are a part of all of our lives. Even if you have to take some time away from the kit... it ain't over. Get back on as soon as you get a chance and get practising again. Only you can decide when your dream is over. Why not quit after you've achieved it rather than before?

Rocky changed the world. You won't hear me say this often but he's not even technically a real person. So just imagine what you, a real person, can do!

So are you a Rocky fan? What heroes do you look up to? Maybe there are there other stories that you find inspiring?

Speak your voice below

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