Episode 71 | Devin Sumner
The story told in this podcast with Devin Sumner is one that so many drummers, musicians, and entrepreneurs can relate to. Maybe you have just begun your quest with little to no feedback on whether your idea will work, or you have already cleared your first major milestone and by receiving those affirmations you become even more dedicated to your brand and vision. Where ever you are in your journey, this podcast will probably spark a reminder of where you are heading and where you have already been.
So Devin had never been interviewed for a drumming podcast before, which I still cannot believe because he is an amazing drummer and he has a pretty steady following on Instagram. But regardless of that, I gotta say that I am so glad that I set this one up. The reason is that he has an incredible story and he was so forthcoming with the honest truths of his journey and I am certain that a lot of people can likely relate to this story and understand it. As a side note, I always enjoy when people are transparent about their life because how are we to believe that anyone succeeds in their first attempt at anything? It is not realistic to think that, nor should anyone assume that people get to where they are without some bumps along the way. With that being said, Devin explains how he moved in with Mike Johnston for a year in Sacramento and in the beginning stages of his first attempt moving out to establish himself life was grand. He had left home for the first time ever and he was living with his hero. So what could go wrong, right!? To the outsiders looking in at Devin, it must have seemed larger than life. Devin explains that it was in fact quite the opposite for him. He felt a lot of pressure to "keep up" with Mike, not by comparing himself to Mike necessarily, but by having such a strong influence around him revealed many insecurities about himself. Overall, Devin got hit pretty hard with the first move to Sacramento and ended up moving back to Orlando and began living, what Devin would describe as being "a normal life."
What would follow for Devin was ultimately needed for him to understand the contrast of living as a pedestrian citizen, versus what he knew he was truly capable of achieving for himself. The truth is, Devin fell down and stayed there for a little while. He met a girl, they moved in together, prepared their lives for marriage, he went back to school, he quit drums for almost two years, and as he explains in the interview, he was very unhappy with his life.
So what do you do when life seems to have you in a checkmate? Do you assume defeat and say, "Well, I guess this just wasn't meant for me", or do you realize that there is something missing within you that you need to reobtain and pursue with more vigor than ever before? I hope you chose the latter.
Even though a person's journey is uncertain, we need to realize that by actively including our passions in our lifestyle brings a healthy state of mind and a purpose to us all. There is nothing worse than ignoring what will bring us success, and I don't mean financial, but rather the success of knowing that we are doing what is right for ourselves. If we as people recognize what we are meant to do and we work hard towards our goals we, in turn, become better people for our spouses, family, colleagues, and friends. We also become a beacon for other people to recognize what good can come from being aware of our interests and living through them.
With all of the people who admire Devin for his ability to play drums and teach drums to his students, what we ought to do is look at ourselves and relate to the reality of his progress in his career. Simply put, it didn't just "happen". He struggled. He gave up. He tried again, and eventually, he recognized his purpose with the instrument and he is now working harder than ever before to make sure that he stays the on the course.
Overall, I really enjoyed speaking with Devin. He is as humble and genuine as they come and his story is quite inspiring to say the least. This dude has seen a lot of shit in his life and I think he has used it to his advantage to build his character and to appreciate himself for how far he has come along in his journey with this instrument. I hope you all get a tingly feeling and that each of you relate to his story with your own.
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