Comments on: Fishbowling the drummer.

By: @SecretOfNymh

@SecretOfNymh — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 03:11:52 +0000

Play him off, Keyboard Tiger!

By: Curtis Honeycutt

Curtis Honeycutt — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:26:54 +0000

Heaven forbid we let the drummer loose. His energy just might be contagious at 9am on a Sunday morning.

By: Cara

Cara — Fri, 21 May 2010 23:06:31 +0000

My church actually did have a tiger on stage once… I can't confirm whether it was of the Bengal variety or not, but according to the info on the YouTube video of said tiger jumping on our pastor he in fact was… here's the url:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KRDEg7Wg9w

I adore my church.

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:01:50 +0000

I once went to a church where they enclosed the drummer in a large black box, with a small window in the front. There's probably a small door in the top so they can feed him. Who knows, maybe when no one's around they put him in a large hamster ball so he can roll around the sanctuary and get some exercise.

By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 05:54:00 +0000

The reason they keep the drummers in a fishbowl is because if they shine the lights just right, the old people can’t see into the bowl and will not raise a ruckus.

By: joshua conti

joshua conti — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:46:00 +0000

i have been a church drummer/percussionist for over 8 years… the secret reason for “fishbowling” is because the other musicians are hating on us drummers. here’s why:
#1 drummers get to have custom kits with cowbells and dobros and egg shakers and chinese crashes and we get to hang them around the drum set like mr. t rocks chains. the guitarist may have a limited edition les paul custom signed by willie nelson but unless some pimple faced 12 year old kid wearing the korn t-shirt his mom told him not to wear to church approaches the guitarist after the service to inquire about his guitar- aint nobody gonna care.
#2 drummers may forget to tune the drum heads but they can still get the point across and no one would notice. guitarists, pianists and bassists have to tune like there is no tomorrow because if they were to have one out of tune string the pastor would be questioning their holiness and their wife would be wondering if it was because they had decided to avoid the saturday honey-do list.
#3 drummers keep the beat. everyone else has to remember chord progressions. i can name many times sitting in worship practice and almost falling asleep while waiting for the guitarist and bassist to figure out a key change. i just hit some dead animal skins whilst counting time in my head. if i miss a hit i can make up for it. if the guitarist or keyboardist misses a note the congregation snaps out of their worshipful stupor and coldly eyes the offending musician. i got it good.
there are many reasons to hate on the drummer and so thusly many worship teams have taken to “fishbowling” under assumed “technical reasons” (and believe me i am also a media guru and sound tech so i understand those points!)…
and we drummers forge on despite the hatin…

By: Matthew Furukawa

Matthew Furukawa — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:04:00 +0000

Speaking as a drummer who has worked both behind and beyond the”Fishbowl” I present reason #4 Safety glass for the rest of the band, having gone through a period of using cheap drumsticks, (And if you’re a drummer admit it, you’ve either done the same, or considered it) I have learned that they last about as long as a bag of skittles at a youth-night movie. Thankfully the bits and pieces that shatter and go flying are “Caught” by the fishbowl protecting the eyes and arms of the rest of the worship team. (Including our Cow-Bell player)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:38:00 +0000

I think you should do a post about the people who leave a lot of comments on your blog. HAHA

By: Gary

Gary — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:19:00 +0000

At my church, we fishbowl the sax player. Not because he sucks, but because it’s a small stage and when he’s playing full blast the rest of us can’t hear ourselves. We have electronic drums, so we can turn the drummer down when we need to. Not so the brass (or woodwind, technically)!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:26:00 +0000

yeah, we have that. But we can still hear him. Over the exteamly loud moniters that are blaring out guitars, basses, and vocals. And then there are the drum fills, during the chorus usually, that should not be there. that is why I learned when I am singing with the youth band–
“No follow drummer, Yes follow tone-deaf lead singer” Oh well, But hey, it’s for the service of the Lord.