Music is an amazing form of art. It can inspire almost anybody to try it, and continue to pursue it with the proper support. After hearing his uncle play, Nicholas Hastings decided to follow in his footsteps, picking up his own pair of drumsticks, and sparking the love he has for the drums.

Hastings began with music five years ago, when he started playing the tuba. Three years into the tuba he heard his uncle playing the drums, as soon he heard this he was immediately set on the drums. Hastings has always looked up to his uncle in life. He admires his uncle’s dedication to his family, so naturally, he would easily become Hastings’ biggest inspiration. ¨My uncle is definitely my biggest inspiration,¨ he said. ¨He’s been there for his family and when I’m in a bad time he’s there to help. I was motivated to start because of my uncle, he started playing and I would always hear it. I’ve always wanted to follow in his footsteps.”

He began playing the drums two years ago being taught by his friend’s dad, giving him all the basics and still teaching him to this day. Later on, he and his friend had an idea, to start a garage band named “The Country Crossover.” “It was mostly because we wanted to be like his dad’s band, and just to have fun really,” he said. Despite all this time and dedication, Hastings said he will never get tired of playing the drums. “I like to keep going as long as I can. I’ve been playing for two years now, and I’ll keep going with it because to me it’s a great stress reliever and it’s really fun. I keep learning new songs, recently I’ve added two drum sets together to keep the diversity in the set.¨ He wants to continue playing the drums far into the future and he keeps finding more ways to keep away from burnout.

When asked advice about discipline, Hastings said that fear is the reluctant factor. “The best way to learn is to not be afraid and just put yourself into it,” He wants others to share his love for music. Hastings overall is someone who was inspired by family and will continue the thing he loves, as he says “You just can’t be afraid of a new thing, always put yourself out there.”