Each month we will be featuring different drummers and styles of music, letting them speak their mind on all aspects of drumming, equipment, what they love about the drums, philosophies and their reflections on music from the drummers unique perspective.

Please contact us if you would like to share your thoughts at info@MetroMusicMayhem.com.

This Month: Bryce Kretz

Fourteen year old rocker helping other young musicians
follow their dreams in music

What can you say about a slammin rock drummer that's only fourteen years old? Maybe the most surprising part of Bryce's story, is that he learned to play the drums by playing a video game. At age 10, he got the game Rock Band and instantly discovered that he had a natural talent on the drums. So four months later, his dad bought him a real drum set. He began by playing to tracks at home, and posted videos of himself drumming to them on YouTube. About the same time he also also posted an ad on Craigslist trying to find some kids his own age to play with, and attached some videos to it. That is when Paul, the bass player from the band Rough Shot, found him and sent him a message.

Paul had wanted Bryce to come to some gigs and sit in for a few songs. Bryce and the band had interacted for a few months, and soon Rough Shot’s old guitar player had to go to college and leave the band. The drummer at the time moved out on guitar, and Bryce soon hopped in as the full time drummer in Rough Shot. Over the past year, they have brought others into the show with them as well. But most importantly to his success, is the fact that he has surrounded himself with good people. People that teach him right from wrong, and show him the ropes in the business. He always tries to treat people the way he wants to be treated and also likes to give back to people his own age, because of his luck, and from what people have taught him along the way.

Some of his influences

Without so many people’s help, he truely feels he would not be where he is today. When asked about some of his influences he says "To me are Rich Redmond of The Jason Aldean Band, Tracy Broussard of Blake Shelton, and Benny Puckett, of the band Big Engine. Rich is a great guy, while I was just starting out with Rough Shot, him and I talked over YouTube, about him playing and his experiences, and about how I was just coming up. He has helped me so much during my career, teaching me many things. I have really taken to his drumming style a lot, watching him play. Now whenever he has a concert down here, we hook up all the time. Tracy is another great drummer. We have talked on Facebook for a long while now, and just recently connected when Blake Shelton came down here. He is an awesome guy, showing me around his kit, how he has his click set up, and equipment he has on stage. He puts on a great show as well, and I have taken from his style to in my playing. Benny, last, but certainly not least, is a monster behind the kit. He is also an endorser of DMR Custom Drums, as am I. On top of his superb playing, he completes insane stick tricks! If you see me performing any trick, it is from him. But I do not have his skills to do some of the crazy stuff he does haha… All these guys are great and I am one big mash of these three drummers. Thanks much guys!"

Bryce now at age 14 has taken pride in helping other young musicians follow their dreams in music. He and his band ROUGH SHOT help kids and have them on stage during shows to show off their talent. Bryce likes to give back the chance he was given by the members of his band when they first let him perform on stage. Bryce says "without that first chance by my band-mates who knows what I would be today? I owe it all to them" You can find Bryce all over South Florida playing every weekend with his band ROUGH SHOT.


Bryce can currently be found performing with the band RoughShot. He is also endorsed amd proudly using DMR Custom Drums. Bryce can be contacted at Ronkretz@bellsouth.net

 
 
 
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