David Chapman + Drums / Percussion    weblog

1)  What is your full name?
      David Carl Chapman
2) What instrument(s) do you play?
     Drums and percussion. I dabble in other instruments (mainly banjo and mandolin), but am not proficient in them.
3)  How long have you been playing & how did you learn your instrument(s)?
     I began playing drumset in 1991. While I initially learned the foundations of my instrument through private lessons and participation in my school's marching band, percussion ensemble, and concert band (Yes, I was a band geek), I am largely self-taught when it comes to the drum set.
4)  When & why did music become “your thing” or something that helps define you?
     While I originally became involved in music as a social outlet, it quickly became one of the defining characteristics of my self-image. This was a gradual process that deepened as I entered college and continues to change to this day.
5)   What is your family set (married? kids? pets? etc.?)
      I am married ( 5 years, Heather) with one child (Noah, 20 months) and one dog (PJ,  Jack Russell Terrier).
6)   Who are some of your favorite bands?
       Rush, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, King Crimson, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, King's X.
7)   Who are some of your favorite musicians?
      Victor Wooten, Bobby McFerrin, Vinx, Johnny Cash,  Geddy Lee, Miles Davis, Tori Amos, John Coltrane.
8)    Who are some of your influences, musical & otherwise?
       Musically, my big influences are DJ Shadow, Bill Bruford, John Bonham, Dale Baker, Stanton Moore, and the various drummers of James Brown. Otherwise, my influences include my family and friends, as well as the various life events that I have experienced thus far.
9)    What inspires you?
       My friends and family. Honesty. God. Trust. Being able to live up to the expectations that others have of me.
10)  What drives you?
       My fear of the penguins in my dreams. I must obey my arctic overlords.
11)  What is/are your day job(s)?
       I am a research assistant at the University of Kentucky's Transportation Center.
12)  What is your educational background?
       I have a BA and MA in Secondary English Education with a minor in music theory and history. I am currently working on my Associate's degree in Nursing.
13)  Who are some of your favorite authors?
       C.S. Lewis, Edgar Allan Poe,  J.R.R. Tolkien, Timothy Zahn, Mark Twain.
14)  What are your hobbies/interests?
       Comic books, music, video games, science fiction and fantasy literature, movies, woodworking, and games such as Munchkin and Pirates.
15)  What are some of your previous bands?
        The Search (a.k.a. Treebeard), Gnatspaw, Cord of 3, The Covering, Dave's Not Here, Something Blue, Van Gogh Sky.
16)  Who are some of your favorite artists?
       God, Edvard Munch, Vincent Van Gogh, Matt Groening, M.C. Escher, whoever created Stonehenge and the Nazca Lines, Bob Ross, Jean Massa.
17)  What is your favorite song?
      Currently "Bravado" by Rush, but this changes from time to time.
18)  What are your aspirations as a musician?
       While I would love to be able to support my family through my art, I take equal joy in the process of creating music as well as the physical and mental work involved in performance. I would like to seriously tour once with a band and perform to a crowd of thousands, just for the sheer thrill of it
19)  What are your aspirations as a person?
       To improve every day and never regret the past.
20)  What song(s) do you like that you’re embarrassed to admit to?
        "In the Still of the Night" by Whitesnake.