Nathaniel Schmidt

Location: Melbourne, VIC

Challenge: Vision Impairment

Website: njschmidt.id.au/percussio/

Nathaniel Schmidt is a drummer/tabla player from Melbourne, Australia.

Nathaniel says "Music (especially rhythm and percussion) has often been a relatively big part of my life. Although my parents were and are not terribly musically inclined playing-wise, my sisters and I must have inherited some kind of gene somewhere, as both of them sing (one professionally), one plays guitar and one or both can play piano to an extent". When Nathaniel was twelve-years-old, his parents bought him a Legend drum kit for his birthday - "yes, I know, drummers will probably cringe at the thought - but it was a good start" he adds.

Nathaniel's first unofficial drum lesson was from Grant, one of his Dad's first cousins, shortly after he got his first kit in 2006. He adds "I recall him saying it only took me about 45 seconds or so to pick up a basic rock beat but don't ask me how I did that". When Nathaniel went to high school the following year, he got lessons from one drum teacher in basic rudiments, then moved onto another music teacher who trained him in how to collaborate in a band context. He says "Then I got most of my block of private drum kit lessons from Clint Leys and for a short time, one other drum teacher before I finished my schooling altogether".

In high school, Nathaniel played in a school band called Soul Faction which played mostly, broadly in the funk genre. Between roughly 2009-2014, he played the drums for the music team at a Baptist church he used to attend. And from 2017 or maybe 2018-2020, before COVID-19 hit the world scene, he played at the Albury Presbyterian Churches Morning Church service.

In around 2012 or so, Nathaniel purchased a Pearl drum kit to go with some Zildjian cymbals he recieved for his birthday. He adds "It served me well enough, although as I was studying and living on campus, it didn't get used a lot. And then in 2021, I gave the kit to my cousin for Christmas, as I thought he would like it and that the kit would get more productive on-going use that way. I also could not fit the kit into my share house, so it wouldn't have been able to be used. But I got fidgety, so I started seeking out other options".

Nathaniel started showing interest in Tabla and was inspired by seeing Pete Lockett play at Australia's Ultimate Drummers Weekend in 2009 when he went with his dad. He adds "I was quite fascinated by his playing and had always wanted to know more. But for a long time, I suppressed my desire for knowledge and experience".

Then in around March 2022, Nathaniel started taking lessons with Dr. Sam Evans at the Melbourne Tabla School, who is a senior student of Panditb Anindo Chatterjee, has a Masters degree in traditional Tabla repertoire, as well as a doctorate in contemporary Tabla performance. He says "In July 2022, I purchased my first complete Tabla set."

Nathaniel says "It's going to be a long commitment journey: I'm told about twelve months before I can play in the MTS anual concert; and eighteen months before I am taught how to tune the drums. The technique is very complex and utterly unlike any drums I have played previously (acoustic drum kit and Djembe)".

Nathaniel Schmidt - Introducing Tabla