Continuing our series of interviews with unsigned and independent acts, we had the opportunity to talk to 9 year old drummer Kate Kuziakina.
- When did you start drumming? “When I was 4 years old my ‘drums’ were chairs and my drumsticks were chopsticks. After such ‘performances’ there were a lot of splinters in the chairs. One day my Dad sat on such a chair and suddenly decided to buy me drums 🙂 . So, in 2014 I got my first ‘adult’ drum kit and started playing real drums – I was 6 years old then.”
- What inspired you to enter competitions? “There are 3 things that inspire me to enter competitions and contests:
- To meet new interesting people: musicians, music lovers, talent supporters, producers, TV and radio stations, and many other. This is an incredible and amazing world!
- To understand whether drumming is just a whim or something much more serious for you;
- To give other people clear criteria to understand who you are and what you worth. Honestly, my very first competition was not successful for me – I didn’t even pass the audition. This made me and especially my older sister Valerie a bit angry. Valerie posted a video with me playing drums on the Internet. That video became viral. After that we believed in ourselves. So, competitions are a good challenge and could be a great spur that makes you stand up and take the first step forward to the next achievements.”
- Is there anything that you’d like to do, that you haven’t already done? “One of my dreams is to perform with the famous Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy. Hope one day we’ll play their amazing songs together.”
- You have performed with many bands, did you find it hard to adapt? “Sure, I’m a bit nervous every time when I perform with a new band. But I learn songs that we will play in advance. Often the band know about me beforehand too – they watch my videos on Youtube or my Dad tells them about me. And usually band members are very supportive and help me a lot to adapt. Also, when performing I concentrate all my attention on playing and drums, and in such moments other musicians and spectators in the concert hall don’t distract me.”
- What is the next competition or step for you? “I’m a self-taught drummer but we understand that lessons from the Internet are not enough. That is why I am taking an intensive drum course now – huge thank you to all who have supported and are supporting me on Patreon helping me to pay the tuition fees!
Then, a career of a solo Internet drummer is not so easy. To improve your level of playing and develop as a musician, you should contact many other people too, including communication in person. So my sister and me want to organize a girl rock band. Now we’re thinking and discussing a lot about this idea. Hope that we’ll succeed in this adventure.”
Associated Links:
- Official website: http://KateKuziakina.com/en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/KateKuziakina
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katyakuziakina
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateKuziakina
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatyaDrummer
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/KateKuziakina
Thank you to the management of Kate, who gave us permission to ask questions, and publish this interview.