Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Owens.
Hi Sam, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Dalton, GA and grew up in a military household. My parents thought it was good for me to put down roots somewhere so my dad traveled and my mother and I lived in Calhoun (GA). When I was an adolescent I started in the band program and immediately loved it. I was VERY competitive. I earned many band awards throughout middle and high school, participated in All-State and District Honor bands, and won the Mars Music Drum-Off three consecutive times for my age group. My parents were very supportive of my craft and helped me develop my education and musical talents with private lessons and summer music camps. After graduating high school I attended college studying music and gigging as much as I could. I earned my BA of Music at Valdosta State University and attended Georgia State University with an assistantship soon after.
While living in Atlanta I began making my way through the music scene and started performing on steel pan and drum set primarily. After about four years in Atlanta, I started working with an entertainer by the name of Mike Geier who had an Atlanta-based band called Kingsized. This opened up new doors for me as a mostly freelance musician and I first started working with Mike in a Tiki/Polenesian style band called Tongo Hiti. Later on, because I play drum set, I was hired to play kit with Kingsized. What a fun and talented band! Mike then went on to create Puddles Pity Party which has exploded and is now world-famous. I’ve had the pleasure of performing with Puddles at the Fox Theatre, Center Stage, and several YouTube videos. I currently play with Bogey and the Viceroy led by Tyron “Bogey” Thornton and Dusty’s Ragtime and Novelties with Dustin Cottrell. I work with the orchestra and praise band at Mt Bethel UMC and have a teaching studio at Mt Paran Christian School in Kennesaw (GA). The music business has been an adventure for sure!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The music business is tough. It’s not only competitive but it can be stressful financially and mentally. Entertainment in general is not for the faint of heart and takes real sacrifices to be successful. I graduated with a wealth of knowledge about music and quickly learned that the music business is composed of many backgrounds including some that never went to school but could fill music venues and sell-out shows. They didn’t care how good I was at music theory; they just wanted to know if I could play. Of course, my education served me well, especially playing jazz and orchestral music, but the more I worked in entertainment the better I came to understand the importance of connecting with my audience. I’ve certainly had obstacles and hard times, but I live to play and love to entertain. I’m grateful to be working again coming out of the pandemic. That was a scary moment for everyone involved in entertainment and the performing arts.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a professional musician that specializes in percussion. This includes, but not limited to, drum set, timpani and other orchestral percussion, mallet percussion, steel pan and world percussion, electronic percussion, and I also play piano, guitar, and sing. I’m always perfecting my craft and learning from others. I’ve done studio work in the past when session musicians actually went to studios (not as prevalent now). I, like most pros, have a small in-home studio where I record my own projects and write for fun and to promote myself.
I think the instrument that set me apart in the Atlanta music scene was my pan playing. Most Americans call this instrument the steel drum but the Trinidadian creators called it pan and do so to this day. I started working at Bahama Breeze and Lake Lanier while in graduate school and gained a lot of experience on the instrument. I mostly played with tracks at those venues but had some opportunities to play with some groups, including Trinidadians in the metro area. My pan playing caught the attention of many Caribbean people who were sometimes surprised to see a guy who looked like me excelling on the instrument! I surprised jam leaders and audience members with the sound the instrument makes and the vibe it creates. It is by far one of my favorite instruments to play and definitely helps me acquire more work. As a percussionist, I have had more opportunities to play in professional-level groups and situations. My skill set is broader than just drums and the contrast of musical styles I play demands a healthy knowledge of many percussion instruments.
I guess I’m most proud of earning the respect of my peers as a professional and being recognized by strangers. I get to perform for a living. Not many people have this privilege and opportunity. I also have a zany and bold personality. I’m not shy. When I’m on stage I’m very comfortable and content.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Wow, that’s a very difficult question to answer because music, like most art, is always changing and developing. What I do know is that music will always be around as long as there are human beings. Music exists almost everywhere in the world including in remote areas. Music went from the human voice and primitive instruments like flutes and percussion to more advanced acoustic instruments like brass, woodwind, and keyboard instruments, to finally electronic and computer-based instruments. And of course, there are always trends to resurrect old styles and sounds. I’m secure in the fact that music will stay with us with each new generation having its own ebb and flow in the future of music. It’s very important to keep music in schools and support local venues and houses. Music, especially singing or playing an instrument, works the brain like nothing else. Hopefully, it’s around forever and cherished by all who are fortunate to hear and make it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.samowensdrums.com
Image Credits
EMily BUTLER photography Cathy and David Photography Jacob Heckman
