Welcome back to this week’s episode of Drummers I Like. Today isn’t an ordinary show, today we have our first ever take over episode! Amir Oosman will be hosting, and his guest and good friend Nick Arocho will be sharing his experiences and inspirations. Amir is an exceptional musician, producer, and engineer. He has played and taught with the Blue Devils. Nick also has a background in drumline performing as well with the Blue Devils, RCC, and takes that experience and structure with him. So get ready to be inspired by these amazing lads!
0:00-3:40 - Richard Introduces Amir, explains a little about how they met, and how Amir and Nick have become good friends. Richard then quickly lets Amir have the wheel and take us on this amazing ride!

3:40-11:00 - We delve into Nick’s past and what brought him to the drums, and ultimately to the drum kit. Nick started and has a deep rooted past with drumline. Nick has played in the Drum Corp for Arizona State, Blue Devils, and RCC. He has won world championships awards as well. For Nick, the daily challenges he faced while in the drum corp really helped him mature, not only as a drummer but as an individual, from all day practices in the Arizona heat to a metronome beating into his ears.

11:00 – 14:30 - How did your drumline experience help you play drum set? For Nick, the biggest transition pain, switching to the kit, was adjusting to the size of the drumsticks used to play jazz. Along with having a smaller stick, playing with more dynamics was also a new take for Nick when moving away from the Bass Drum. On the bright side tho, learning to play to a metronome really helped Nick fall into the pocket while playing jazz.

14:30 – 22:20 - Nick and Amir now share how they are able to play in a Drum Corp. For those who might not know, playing in drum corp is expensive, and for those just starting out, they might not have a support system behind them to finance equipment or transport them. Nick points out that although he had a support system behind him when starting out if he didn’t have that support, the best way to find it is reaching out to the community for help. Asking neighbors, local businesses, and really getting creative in your approach to achieving your goals is key to receiving that support. There is no downside to being told no if the person saying no isn't giving you anything already.

22:20 – 36:00 - Amir shifts us away from drumline to point out that Nick isn't only an amazing drummer but he is a talented web designer. While Nick was attending ASU he took web design as an elective. From there, Nick started designing websites for his friends and eventually was asked if he could design a website for money. Since then Nick has designed websites for many well-known Musicians such as Wayne Bergeron, Scott Johnson, and much more. Nick has been able to create amazing websites, while also using that as a network for his music. Even tho music isn't his main source of income, Nick finds that the two coincide with one another in how he learns and shares new ideas and content. Amir expands on how inspiring it is how Nick has grown his web design business just by having confidence, and desire to learn and grow.

36:00 – 42:00 - All of this amazing knowledge and talent that Nick has acquired is not the result of sitting and hoping, it's from taking on new experiences with confidence. One of the ways Nick works out his brain is by ready. Amir asks Nick if he has any material, such as books or online resources, that he uses to learn a new craft or further gain knowledge? Aside from the obvious Youtube, and Google, Nick uses a website called www.udemy.com, which has hundreds of lectures and books available. Nick also reads many books such as How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie,