The PANArt hang drum is a steel instrument that can produce different tones. Learn more about its history and variations.

Career

Learn more about the PANArt hang drum.

Try one of these easy DIY tutorials to make your own instrument using materials all around you. What music were you able to make? Did taking your creativity to the next level inspire you?

Skills

Make your own musical instrument. 

Take a drumming class at your school or join the drumline in marching band.

Education

Take a drumming class.

Musicians

Play one or more musical instruments in recital, in accompaniment, or as members of an orchestra, band, or other musical group.

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Second Interest High-Point

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

First Interest High-Point

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Third Interest High-Point

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Musicians, Instrumental

Musicians, Singers, and Related Workers

Musicians and Singers

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers

Specialize in playing a specific family of instruments or a particular type of music.

Play musical instruments as soloists, or as members or guest artists of musical groups such as orchestras, ensembles, or bands.

Sight-read musical parts during rehearsals.

Audition for orchestras, bands, or other musical groups.

Provide the musical background for live shows, such as ballets, operas, musical theatre, and cabarets.

Transpose music to alternate keys, or to fit individual styles or purposes.

Promote their own or their group's music by participating in media interviews and other activities.

Make or participate in recordings in music studios.

Compose original music, such as popular songs, symphonies, or sonatas.

Practice musical instrument performances, individually or in rehearsal with other musicians, to master individual pieces of music or to maintain and improve skills.

Perform before live audiences in concerts, recitals, educational presentations, and other social gatherings.

Listen to recordings to master pieces or to maintain and improve skills.

Arrange and edit music to fit style and purpose.

Accordions

Acoustic guitars

Alto horns

Alto saxophones

Amplifiers

Autoharps

Bagpipes

Banjoes

Baritone horns

Bassoons

Bb clarinets

Bongo drums

Bugles

Capos

Cellos

Clavichords

Clip-on microphones

Cymbal stands

Digital tuners

Double basses

Drum mallets

Dulcimers

Electronic metronomes

English horns

Euphoniums

Finger picks

French horns

Guitar stands

Handbells

Harps

Harpsichords

Instrument mutes

Instrument tuning forks

Kettle drums

Laptop computers

Mandolins

Maracas

Marching bells

Marimbas

Mellophones

Musical cornets

Musical flutes

Musical organs

Oboes

Orchestral cymbals

Personal computers

Pianos

Piccolos

Sheet music stands

Sousaphones

String cutters

String winders

Stringed instrument bows

Synthesizers

Tablet computers

Timpani

Trombones

Trumpets

Tubas

Vibraphones

Violas

Violins

Wooden drum sticks

Xylophones

Apple GarageBand

Appointment scheduling software

Avid Technology Pro Tools

Avid Technology Sibelius

Blogging software

Email software

Facebook

Financial tracking software

Instagram

iZotope Ozone

MakeMusic Finale

Microsoft Word

Snapchat

Twitter

Web browser software

YouTube

Percussionist

[MUSIC] So what do you wanna do with your life? You should be a lawyer, a doctor, an accountant. Everywhere you turn, people tell you who to be and what to do. Instead of travelling down someone else's road discover your own. Three friends, Shawn, Tim and Christina, took a road trip to cross America to figure out what to do for life. On the road they spoke with unique and interesting people to learn how they found their way. This is Roadtrip Nation. &gt;&gt; Hello there. My name is Timmy Nokt and this is Sean Murphy and Christina Patty. We're here, and it's time to do some of our first cold calls for the interviews. &gt;&gt; Christina I think you're up first. &gt;&gt; All right. &gt;&gt; Boy. &gt;&gt; Can I get the number for Sean Combs? C-O-M-B-S, it might be listed under Puffy. Yes, Sean Puffy Combs. &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; Well, that one didn't work out. Maybe it was under Diddy. &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; It's the end of school, we finished all of our finals. And we've already booked our route, we know where we're going. From Miami, all the way up to New York, over to Seattle, down to LA. And something like seven weeks before we actually go on the road, but we're all splitting up. Christina's going to California, Shawn's going to Wisconsin and then I'm going back to Oregon. All right, it's off to Wisconsin. [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; This is the backyard here. Too bad the camera can't capture the smell of the air. Since I can remember, I've never had a bored moment. The only problem is I've had too many interests and I can't figure out like what I need to sacrifice, cuz I just wanna do it all. [MUSIC] I don't know which way to go you know and that sure where my heart really lies. My interest is so broad, I mean, it's heart to know about the level of art I love performance, I love music and biology and medicine. And it's like Jesus it's really hard to find some all those difference things that's really really what I hope to get out of people. Hearing their story. Asking them questions about that critical time in their life like we're at right now. I didn't even realize the amount of work that this whole road trip would be. You have so many emotions you go through. Excitement, we are really hoping to see if there is an off chance we might be able to catch Mr. Adam Sandler. All right, we got his managers number and then losses no answer at that number. But at least we got the managers number. I'm just doing some cold calls from off and then you got to find time to also eat and take a nap and whatever you normally do to stay sane. &gt;&gt; I do feel like I'm getting pulled a number of different directions. There is very little room for trying to figure out we're my passion for English would fall. There's a lot of things like what I want to do. As I opposed what I think I need to do. And these discrepancies, like huge discrepancies between the two right now. [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; I have about six interviews booked already, but I've run into a few problems. All right, this one's a little long shot. [SOUND] I can't figure out this dang speaker phone thing. Hello. When I first got accepted to Miami, I wanted to be a filmmaker, so I was in the film program here. But I dunno, I change my mind a lot. I'm the type of person that has so many interests, like every single subject. The hardest thing for me is just to choose one thing to study. I kind of want to study them all. I guess the threat is indecisiveness, mostly. I like keeping my options open all the time. [LAUGH] And I don't know. I have a really hard time with commitment, I guess. It really scares me, so. [MUSIC] There's just so much stuff that I just don't know, there's stuff people just don't tell you. And you have to go out and ask these questions and reach for it, no one is gonna tell it for you. &gt;&gt; We are all humans, we're all trying to find our way. We are all trying to find what's important to us. &gt;&gt; Everybody can relate to that feeling, everybody's been there. How often do we ask ourselves these questions of what are we gonna do with our life. &gt;&gt; Especially right now, there's no better time for me to go on the road. I would like to talk to people and figure out what they did, so that I can better figure out what I'm suppose to do or what I can do. [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; This is actually happening. [MUSIC] [LAUGH] Yes, it's so awesome. My God. [MUSIC] I had no idea it was this big. [LAUGH] [INAUDIBLE] man. &gt;&gt; Home sweet home, right? [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; Welcome home? &gt;&gt; Wow, just think, we could stand on this thing anywhere. [SOUND] &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] I like, already it feels like it has good character to itself. It's just like another person going along for the trip. [MUSIC] All right, I'm actually on a real road right now. This is not a test. This is not a test. I was really scared with driving that big RV because if I screw up someone could really get hurt. Well, that's a person. Please don't walk in front of me. You have to put your faith in the other teammates. You can't drive that thing alone or you're gonna be getting yourself in some pretty tricky situations. &gt;&gt; Gosh. [MUSIC] Can I get over? &gt;&gt; Yeah, you can get over. [MUSIC] I think you can relate that to a lot of things in life where you're really scared about it. You really doubt yourself that you can actually do it. But then you have the support from others and you just dive into it and there's a sense of accomplishment there. I'm ready to pick up maybe a 12 wheeler or something like that. [LAUGH] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] What's the name again? &gt;&gt; Bobby Thomas Junior. &gt;&gt; Bobby Thomas Junior. &gt;&gt; Mostly he's a freestyle Jazz Percussionist. All right, so do you know where we're turning left? &gt;&gt; What was it? Davis, or something? &gt;&gt; South-West 80th. &gt;&gt; All right, 80th street, I'm coming up here. &gt;&gt; That's it. &gt;&gt; That's it. &gt;&gt; That's his Mercedes. &gt;&gt; All right. &gt;&gt; Got it? &gt;&gt; Hey, Tim, do you think he's coffee stains are no big deal? I just wanna be presentable. I think I put this shirt on. [MUSIC] Time to get psyched. [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; Hey. &gt;&gt; Hey, what's up? I'm pleased to meet you. &gt;&gt; [INAUDIBLE] &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; Welcome. &gt;&gt; Hey, I'm Tim &gt;&gt; [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; In this crucial time in our lives when we´re young and we´re in school, and everybody is pointing in a different direction comes difficult to follow your heart, and so we're trying to talk to people that love what they do, are passionate about what they do. Followed their dreams despite what people said to them. Figure out what they did and just have a cool little conversation. &gt;&gt; I have in me like this really strong desire to be a doctor, but I'm not naturally good at science. Like I know it's like easy to say that like no one's naturally good at science. But I've always been like an English person. I've always really loved to write. I've always been involved with like journalism, like newspapers and stuff. But a lot of people think that the English major is totally superfluous that just it shouldn't be there. That I should major in Chemistry or Biology or something that matches the pre-medicine track a little better. But it's what I want to do. [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; I guess during highschool, I came across a video camera. And the first time I ever started making movies and editing them like it just it was so much fun. And I wanted to pursue that into college, but everyone was saying, you you don't want to get a bachelor's degree in film. You should you should study something else that'll give you a better background I guess so then, I went in to college just trying to look for a bachelor's degree. And, but I'm still, you know, wondering if I want to pursue a career in film, or if; I don't know. There's just all this indecisiveness, I guess. &gt;&gt; Where did you start out into this endeavor? What shaped you when you were young and directed you towards this life of artistic. &gt;&gt; I would say that my mother was sixteen when I was born. So she was like my sister. And in elementary school everyday I came home she was singing to American Bandstand. Singing around the house. Doing her work. She had a great voice. I think my father told me that five years old. He took me to see floor matching band and when those guys came out with the stepping blue fast. Everything was so fast and perfect I couldn't believe it. I was like wow I wanna play. Like that real fast, real clean, and I wanted that suit the drum major had on. &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] Yeah and the big staff, and the big tall hat. I wanted to be like him, it was cool. &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; My dad got a new job at a Jewish temple. So from here my mother is singing all of this rock and roll, and R&amp;B. I go now to Jewish temple and I see these canters coming out I thought they were God, coming with the curls and singing with no microphone. That really amazed me that they can sing like that. So all these things really influenced my music. [MUSIC] I would go play bebop with my friend Jet Nero. And it's funny, man. The drummer and his band was Billy Peeples, the drummer for Ray Charles. He taught me how to play swing and bebop straight ahead on trap drums. And so I learned all of these cool knowledge that I could transfer to hand drumming. So it really really started to change my style quite a bit. &gt;&gt; You lucked out in that respect. &gt;&gt; It's very lucky, I just think I was blessed. I was in the right place at the right time, around all of these old guys that had done all this incredible work, and they were now passing it down to me. Now, I'm this weird sort of freak sort of hand drummer that people love to watch. [LAUGH] I got some Switzerland so I wrote some new music for it, so that's what I'm working on now. &gt;&gt; What is that thing? &gt;&gt; It's called pan art, so this magical sort of instrument steel drum. I love this thing. [MUSIC] My senior year, I got head over heels into drumming. That was my thing. I played hours a day, even just doing like a single stroke rough, it would be exciting for me. And I got to school and I was so busy with engineering and studying mechanics and physics and I was like, do the right thing while on the wrong track. &gt;&gt; Bro, I think that you really have to follow your heart. I heard you say that when you just practice a riff you get excited. That means that you love doing it. All you have to do is get a couple clipboards. One for your music time, and one for your class time, and you have to make yourself a priority. And also your hobbies, and what you really want. You have to write it down and go for it every day just like any business man head of a corporation. You write it down and you don't stop until you get it done. &gt;&gt; One fear that I always have when I think about what I think are my passions, I think are the things I love that I find myself gravitating to is what if it doesn't work out. &gt;&gt; What's your name again? &gt;&gt; Sean. &gt;&gt; Sean, I'm going to tell you this. Don't entertain if. Get that out of your vocabulary, all of you. Don't entertain fear. If you put that thought into your mind it's gonna manifest. All of you just tell yourselves no more ifs, when. [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; I told you, you wouldn't miss it. &gt;&gt; Wow, man, you couldn't park it in front of my place, I see. [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; The first thing we did like when we saw this for the first time, is we just climbed up that ladder and ran on top. [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; Let's go up there guys. &gt;&gt; What happened to your somebody took the took it under to Lova bridge in a tour off the air conditioning and the TV, so it's real hot in there. So we're, this is the first half. We're gonna be going all the way up to New York, all the way over to Seattle. &gt;&gt; Well look in there. Everybody sign this. &gt;&gt; So where do you want me to sign? &gt;&gt; There you go. &gt;&gt; Will you read it out loud for us? &gt;&gt; Always follow your heart. Bobby T. &gt;&gt; That was awesome. What a great first interview. &gt;&gt; It's so cool how he was talking about how there's so much knowledge out there that's just untapped. You can do whatever you want you know. And why not now, like he was saying. The opportune time while we're young, why wait you know? Just follow your dreams now and then it seems like it works out. [MUSIC] [MUSIC] Yeah, breaker, breaker, one, nine, there's a big pick-up here. Just driving through the countryside, I gotta say I love it. If you feel the same way, I wanna hear it from you, come on. &gt;&gt; [INAUDIBLE] going South [INAUDIBLE] [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; Going for a hike in the smokey mountains was just awesome. [MUSIC] Gotta climb up at the end, that was really cool and made it really special. [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; What an amazing view. [LAUGH] To see, for miles, Appalachians, smoky mountains and to be able to step back and take a deep breath. [MUSIC] We're in Manhattan. [MUSIC] When I was in college like you guys, I was pursuing a lot of different things. I'm not the kind of person that was born, had one thing that I liked and knew that's what I wanted to do. [MUSIC] I was studying psychology. I was studying computer science, which I was actually really good at. And I was like just old enough to understand what was going on in the women's movement was happening in the late 60s early 70s. And what they were doing made a lot of sense to me. After leaving college and deciding that I wasn't going to go on computers really made that clear decision of like, this is the path that would make the most money and I'm not gonna take it. I have to say at 45, like not having money feels very different. [LAUGH] And it's not having to live in a box and having- &gt;&gt; And have a successful publication. &gt;&gt; Yeah but living in a small, a tiny little apartment and being really limited in my options. I don't care about expensive clothes, or, anyway, expensive car, or any stuff like that. But it really limits you. And at a certain age, it's tiresome to be limited in that way. So I'm not necessarily gonna say that not going for something that would give you a good financial stability is necessarily, like a moral high ground. Because the first thing that I'm gonna say, was going to maybe some weird coming from me, is that like work is not necessarily the most satisfying thing in a person's whole entire life. I think we think that a lot in America like what you do for your career, that's your life and that's what you are and that's what you become. My schedule I realize there's like a lot of other things that define you the wood. Okay. So anyway, I went to grad school and dissecting leeches and studying their neurons and stuff like that. And then I was also taking all these women studies classes on the side. And you sometimes find that like if there is something that really is your passion, it'll just keep coming up in your head. Even when you're doing other things, and after couple of years I was like okay, you know what? I've had it with these leeches, this lab life is not for me. I'm good at this, better at it than little children all that kind of stuff. But there is whole other puzzle about woman that I'm really obsessed with. I can't stop thinking about it and I can't incorporate it into my leech research. So I asked at my graduate school, like, could I switch to over something where I could do a dissertation that was about the media and how it influences women. Because that's what I was really thinking a lot about. And they let me do that. So that's when I did my dissertation and I got my PhD and then I came out of grad school. And I got into the typing pool at MTV Networks. So I was typing there and I ended up at Nickelodeon, which is all part of the same company. And getting kinda promoted into different kinds of department coordinating jobs. The whole time thinking like well, what am I, why am I going down this path? [LAUGH] Like what am I doing, what am I supposed to be doing, who am I? I was supposed to be making better media for women. For a long time that went on, and then one day my friends and I had been reading Sassy Magazine. I don't know if you remember it, was from when you were quite young. But it was like, I wanted a magazine like Sassy that could just sort of celebrate the cool things about being women. And also talk a little bit about some of the ambiguities we were having about our lives. I just really wanted to find some sort of way to have an influence. And then we ended up starting Bust where we just got a bunch of friends to write articles for us, and we had other friends lay it out on the computer, cuz you could do [INAUDIBLE] fancy. And we xerox and stapled 500 copies of the issue, and then- &gt;&gt; Wait just a second. Did you have any other experience in printing or journalism, or anything before? And you just decided, that's so brave of me and for you to not experience, you just- &gt;&gt; Well, I didn't quit my job. [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; Yeah. &gt;&gt; I didn't quit my job to do it, so- &gt;&gt; But you put in a lot of time. &gt;&gt; Yes, yeah. &gt;&gt; I'm just really into the fact that you're giving us the most tangible idea of how to get passion, it's just always in the back of your mind, it's always something that comes up. &gt;&gt; Mm-hm. But for other things, if you're gonna try to find something that's really a passion, a lot of times you're just gonna have to, not gonna necessarily pay your rent for a while. And if you like it enough It doesn't matter, cuz you sorta wanna do it in your off time. So we worked on the magazine nights and weekends, and we did that for seven years. We just did it with tiny little baby steps. Went from being four times a year to six times a year. We've taken over the whole entire office space. We actually were able to afford to buy desks now. We don't have to sit at a piece of plywood on top of boxes anymore. [LAUGH] We got a bunch of awesome ladies working with us and it's our job. [MUSIC] One thing I could say is I've had 15 Bazillion different jobs, and everything that I learned in all those different jobs helps me here. Every experience that you collect will end up in some way, it'll add up to something, even if it doesn't feel like it's adding up. [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; I think It's been a whole other month There's just so much opportunity for growth. And as long as I am willing to kind of accept it, and be ready to listen to these people and see how I can use their advice, apply it to my life, I think that could be really powerful and changing who I am as a person. [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; To view more road trips all around the globe and learn more about Roadtrip Nation, visit pbs.org. [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; If you don't have the passion, you're not gonna be a great graphic designer. Figuring out what you have passion at and pursuing that is a very, very. &gt;&gt; We're sitting here and accomplishing things, and like learning things about our career. But we're also like enjoying New York. &gt;&gt; There was something in me that just said you're not gonna fail. It's just how long they're gonna be hard for. &gt;&gt; Why can't I be there? whay can't I be doing that? I can, kinda have to stick with it for a little while. [MUSIC] 

<p>Meet Sean, Tim and Christina from the University of Miami as they prepare for their roadtrip across the US. In their first days on the green RV, they meet with jazz percussionist Bobby Thomas Jr., who admonishes them to never say 'if,' only 'when.' The team then heads to New York to talk to Bust magazine Editor-in-Chief Debbie Stoller and listen to how she built Bust into what it is today.</p>

Miami - New York City

Hey. &gt;&gt; Hey, what's up, Bob? Great to meet you, man. &gt;&gt; [INAUDIBLE] Welcome. &gt;&gt; Hey, I'm Tim. &gt;&gt; How you doing, Tim? [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; At this crucial time in our lives when we're young and we're in school and everybody's pointing in a different direction, it becomes difficult to follow your heart. And so we're trying to talk to people that love what they do or are passionate about what they do. Follow their dreams in spite what people said to them, figure out what they did, and just have a cool, little conversation. &gt;&gt; I have in me, like, this really strong desire to be a doctor, but I'm not naturally good at science. I know it's easy to say that no one's naturally good at science, but I've always been like an English person. I've always really loved to write, I've always been involved with journalism, newspapers and stuff. But a lot of people think that the English major is just totally superfluous. Like that just shouldn't be there, that I should major in Chemistry, or Biology, or something that matches the pre-medicine track a little better. But it's kinda just what I wanna do [LAUGH]. &gt;&gt; I guess during high school, I came across a video camera. And the first time I ever started making movies and editing them, it was so much fun. And I wanted to pursue that in the college, but everyone was saying, you don't wanna get a bachelor's degree in film. You should study something else that'll give you a better background, I guess. So then I went into college just trying to look for a bachelor's degree. And but I'm still wondering if I wanna pursue a career in film or if, I don't know, there's just an indecisiveness, I guess. &gt;&gt; Where did you start out into this endeavor, what shaped you when you were young and directed you towards this life of like, artistic- &gt;&gt; I would say that my mother was 16 when I was born, so she was like my sister. And in elementary school, every day I came home she was singing to American Bandstand, singing around the house and doing her work. And she had a great voice. I think my father told me that at five years old, he took me to see the Florida A&amp;M marching band. And when those guys came out with that, stepping real fast, and everything was so fast and perfect, I couldn't believe it. I thought wow, I wanna play like that, real fast, real clean and I wanted that suit the drummer had on [LAUGH]. &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; Yeah, and the big staff and the big tall hat, I wanted to be like him, it's cool. &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; My dad got a new job at a Jewish temple, so from here my mother's singing all this rock and roll and R&amp;B. I go now to Jewish temple and I see these character's coming out, I thought they were God [LAUGH]. &gt;&gt; [CROSSTALK] &gt;&gt; Coming with the curls and singing with no microphone, that really amazed me, that they could sing like that. So all these things really influenced my music. [MUSIC] I would go play bebop with my friend Jet Nero, and it's funny man, the drummer in his band was Billy Peoples, the drummer for Ray Charles. He taught me how to play swing and bebop straight ahead on trap drums. And so I learned all these cool knowledge that I could transfer to hand-drumming. So it really, really started to change my style quite a bit. &gt;&gt; Lucked out in that respect. &gt;&gt; It's very lucky, I just think I was blessed. I was in the right place at the right time, around all these old guys that had done all of this incredible work and they were now passing it down to me. Now, I'm just this weird sort of freak sort of hand drummer that people loved to watch [LAUGH]. I got to Switzerland, and I wrote some new music for it, so that's what I'm working on now. &gt;&gt; What is that thing? &gt;&gt; It's called pan art, so this magical sort of instrument, steel drum, I love this thing. [MUSIC] My senior year, I got head over heels into drumming, like that was my thing. I played hours a day, even doing a single stroke rough, it would be exciting for me. And I got to school, and I was so busy with engineering, and studying mechanics, and physics, and I was like, did I do the right thing? Wow man, am I in the wrong track? &gt;&gt; Bro, I think you really have to follow your heart, I mean, I heard you say that you when you just practice a riff, you get excited. So that means that you love doing it, so all you have to do is get yourself a couple of clipboards. One for your music time and one for your class time and you have to make yourself a priority, and also your hobbies and what you really want. You have to write it down and go for it everyday, just like any businessman or head of a corporation. You write it down and don't stop until you get it done. &gt;&gt; Well, one fear I always have when I think about the things that at least I think are my passions or I think are the things I love that I sort of find myself gravitating to is, what if it doesn't work out? What if I end up- &gt;&gt; What's your name again? &gt;&gt; Sean. &gt;&gt; Sean, I'm gonna tell you this, don't entertain if, get that out of your vocabulary, all of you. Don't entertain fear, if you put that thought in your mind, it's gonna manifest [MUSIC] All of you just tell yourself no more if's, when. &gt;&gt; [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; I told you you wouldn't missed out. &gt;&gt; Wow, men you can talk in front of my place I see [LAUGH]. &gt;&gt; In her,e the first thing we did when we saw this for the first time is we just climbed at that ladder and run on top. &gt;&gt; Let's go up there guys. &gt;&gt; What happened to your- &gt;&gt; Somebody took it under tool over a bridge and tore off the air conditioning and the TV, so it's really hot in there. &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; So this is the first stop, we're gonna be going all the way up to New York, all the way over to Seattle. &gt;&gt; Look at this, everybody signed this. So where do you want me to sign? &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; There you go. &gt;&gt; Can you read it out loud for us? &gt;&gt; Always follow your heart, Bobby T, home. 

Interview

Well one fear I always have when I think about the things that at least I think are my passions, or I think are the things I love, that I sort of find myself gravitating to is, what if it doesn't work out, what if I end- >> What's your name, again? >> Shawn. >> Shawn? I'm gonna tell you this. Don't entertain if. Get that out of your vocabulary all of you. Don't entertain fear. If you put that thought in your mind it's gonna manifest. All of you just tell yourselves, no more ifs, when. [MUSIC] 

Fear

Don't Entertain Fear

My senior year, I got head over heals into drumming. Like that was my thing, I played hours a day. Even just doing a single stroke rough, it would be exciting for me, you know. And I got to school, and I was so busy with engineering, and studying mechanics, and physics and I was like, did I do the right thing? Like, wow man, am I on the wrong track? &gt;&gt; Well, I think you really have to follow your heart. I heard you say that when you just practice a riff, you get excited. So that means that you love doing it. So all you have to do is get yourself a couple clipboards. One for your music time and one for your class time, and you have to make yourself a priority, and also your hobbies and what you really want. You have to write it down and go for it every day just like any businessman, head of a corporation. You write it down and you don't stop until you get it done. 

Desire

Planning

Don't Stop Till You Get It Done

My mother, uh, was 16 when I was born, so she was like my sister. And um, in elementary school, every day I came home, she was singing to American Bandstand. Singing around the house doing her work, and she had a great voice. My father told me that at five years old, he took me to see the Florida A&M marching band. And when those guys came out, with that stepping real fast, and everything was so fast and perfect, I couldn't believe it. I thought, "Wow, "I wanna play like that. Real fast, real clean." And I wanted that suit the drum major had on. You know, aw yeah, the big staff and the big tall hat. I wanted to be like him, you know, it's cool. [playing steel drum] You really have to follow your heart. You have to make yourself a priority and what you really want, you have to write it down and go for it every day. Just like any businessman, head of a corporation, you write it down and you don't stop until you get it done. 

Bobby Thomas Jr. Highlight

I'm happy to stay home and work on my garden. Let me tell you, the times that what we're living in now, it's greed and power and money, and sort of just obliterating the middle class. Just a doable thing now. So for all of you young people, and my son included, who's now 14. I'll tell you, go for starting your own company or business, or find something you really love that people need. &gt;&gt; Yeah. &gt;&gt; You're all young and bright. You all know you can think of something that people can use this. Even in your medical field or movies. I mean, you never know. You might come up with some techniques that could change the industry. Like Madonna's husband, he did this one movie, now everybody copies his style. You never know this, why you have to follow your heart. If you don't do it, you miss your mark. So why be here in this world, this life, if you can't be serious about what you wanna do. You have to take it real serious because you can't wait until you're 45 and say, man, I should've taken this class. It's way too late. &gt;&gt; Yeah, man, that's why we're thinking about this stuff now. And none of us wants to look back at that age and feel- &gt;&gt; Yeah, you have to be smart, man, you gotta go for being an entrepreneur. Think of some ways to make money now. Now, there's not gonna be any pension plans and companies looking out for you, that's over, that's over. It's over, you young people have to go for your dream and make it happen while you have your health and your youth. I mean, wow, you guys have your whole life ahead of you, really. Just don't plan on the government doing anything for you, or anyone doing anything for you. Trust me, go for yourself. 

Opportunity

Risk

Act Now

Whatever's in your heart, that's what you're gonna keep gravitating back to, no matter what your parents or friends say to you in life. Don't listen to anybody, listen to your own voice, that inner voice that tells you what to do. That's what you listen to. Your parents and your friends, they made their choices. It's your life now, so you're the bus driver of your own destiny, nobody else. You live in a time where everything is possible, everything is possible. So you can have success in all of those areas that you like, regardless of what anybody else says, if you seek the knowledge and then you do something with it. 

Individualism

Societal Pressures

You're The Bus Driver

The bottom line that all of my elders have told me, the bottom line at the end of the day is happiness. When you wake up in the morning and you go get in your car and you go to work, are you smiling? Are you really happy to be going there? I tell my son this tear after year, since he was in preschool, I said, hey see that guy over here? See all these people do you know why they are mad? They gotta work for a living. Grow up, have your own company, do what you love to do, that way you'll always be happy. And money, you gotta make money. So be smart. Find something that you love to do that pays you well and focus on it and don't stop until you reach your goals. Don't let anything stop you. Nothing. And life will always be easy for you. 

Goals

Passion

The Bottom Line

I don't know the whole idea is we're at this point in our lives when everybody's trying to tell us go this way, go that way, make sure you get a career. You gotta make money, you gotta pay off your loans. &gt;&gt; You do, you do, that's all a priority, but what's also the biggest priority is your right to be happy in this life, which is a blur. Trust me it's a blur after you hit your 30s and things start to sink in, hm, it's no joke now. And then before you know it, you're 40, and you don't wanna get caught and late in life getting serious about life. Because when you reach my age at 51 and then time for me is a lot different than time for you guys. And you realize that when you get older, but if you can grasp on to that concept now while you're young, you can attain everything you want at an early age. And be happy and not after have the stress of trying to get what you wanna be cuz this life everything is here for you, everything. You make the right choices you can have everything you want right now. 

Bobby Thomas Jr

Percussionist

Videos

Bobby Thomas Jr

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Art

Music

Being Creative