By Jessica
I consider Jess Bowen from the pop rock band The Summer Set to be my inspiration. Not only is she a girl in a band with four other guys but also she’s the drummer. Ever since I saw The Summer Set at a concert 3 and a half years ago, I’ve been captivated. A short conversation with her after the concert is what inspired me to play drums. I remember being told by her that there weren’t enough girl drummers and that I should play. After pestering my parents about wanting a drum kit they finally bought me a cheap one from guitar center that I would just beat whenever I got the chance to. The advice I’ve been given by Jess Bowen was to “be persistent” and “to listen to your favorite songs and play along to them”. Eventually I learned how to play some songs from listening to them by ear. Since drum tabs are hard to find, the difficult part is figuring out beats and memorizing exactly each hit of a song. Males typically look down upon female drummers for not being able to play as well or always being off timing, but Jess Bowen has proven those stereotypes wrong. Recently, I was lucky enough to take two drum lessons from her, something I’ve always wanted to do. During the lesson I got to learn new techniques and be taught how to play some of The Summer Set songs. The most empowering thing about the lessons was it was all female. I hope Jess Bowen encourages a new generation of young girls to start drumming and prove to guys that girls are just as good, if not better. At The Vans Warped Tour I got to watch The Summer Set from backstage. It was such a change being on the other side of the stage for once. Maybe one day I can be in her place. A girl can dream right?