Gary Schopmeyer


Location: Haymarket, VA

Challenge: Traumatic Brain Injury

Website: garyschopmeyer.wix.com

Drumming has been a passion of mine for over 40 years. Love is a universal emotion, a language which all people everywhere share and need! Drumming and the art of rhythm is a universal language too and is expressed by people of all cultures for eons of time.

"I'm a Survivor-Thriver!" On October 15, 2010 I was in a devastating car accident in which I was seat belt restrained and took several paramedics and the Jaws of Life to extricate me from the vehicle. I was in an induced coma and life-lined by Air Evac to a trauma hospital in Indianapolis, indiana.

While in the ICU neurologists and other specialists determined from MRIs and medical technology equipment that I sustained a Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

Medical records show I was in a coma for 5 days. Upon consciousness I looked down at the foot of the bed and saw my mother and sister, and I asked them what are you doing here, and where am I?

A short time later a nurse was assisting me and I told her I don't have any feelings in my fingers and feet. I went on to tell her I've been playing drums for many years and I was concerned that I may never play again.

Through physical, occupational, and speech therapies I was slowly rehabilitating to walk, speak and develop cognition with memory and judgement. As I was released from the trauma hospital I was sent to a rehabilitation hospital as an Inpatient. While there I had extensive physical, psychological, speech, and occupational therapies. Friends from Tennessee visited me at the rehab. hospital and brought me gifts... a pair of drumsticks and a rubberized practice pad.

In addition to all my therapies, I had my own individual drum therapy!

Since being released from the rehabilitation hospital I had close to 200 appointments with doctors and therapists. As I am adjusting to my life with TBI and recovering cognitively, spiritually, physically and emotionally, I am coming to understand the new "normal" life with Traumatic Brain Injury. I have shared with friends, family, and therapists I want to give back to the brain injury community with my time and talents.

I want to facilitate drum workshops for persons not only with Traumatic Brain Injuries, also other persons with developmental disabilities, as well. The purpose of facilitating workshops is help people learn to enjoy the art of rhythm and expressing the emotion of joy in playing drums! Integrating sounds and touch as two of the five senses hearing, feeling, smelling, tasting, and seeing, are positive steps to a person's recovery.


Gary Schopmeyer - "Hat Tricks"