Arts - Camden Music School student salute - Camden Music School student salute

Camden Music School students have many good stories to tell, so each week of the term a student is interviewed and saluted as a CMS Student of the Week. For the first week of winter term, Victory neighbor, Martin Spies got to tell his story.  

Martin Spies has been a Camden Music School student since Fall, 2008 and participates in drum set (currently), piano (previously). His instructor is Dave DeGennaro.

Martin’s story: 

In the beginning I took drum lessons just to learn how to play. Now I take lessons because it’s my passion.  

Music makes me feel like, well, it’s almost like no other experience. You feel connected with everything. It’s awesome. 

I’m in the percussion section in band at school. I play snare drum, timpani, xylophone, bass drum and the congas. Music definitely helps me with my schoolwork, too, like math. Music is lots of math.    

There’s a connection between music and baseball. [Martin is a baseball player.]  They’re both challenging.  There’s always something to learn, and always something to improve on.

I love practicing and looking things up on YouTube…just playing things over and over, and figuring out how the beat is played. And I love taking lessons.  I really grow from them.  Dave is an awesome teacher. He taught me how to read music. You really need to know how to read music so you can play other instruments.   

Music is awesome. I know I’m using that word too much, but it perfectly describes how music is and how the Camden Music School community is.  

Drums are the coolest instrument. When you’re playing a good drumbeat, it’s such an amazing thing!