Welcome to the very first Rising Star feature here at Drum Faster! Mikaela Swan is a perfect example and we are so happy for her to be our first feature. These articles are here to feature the best up and coming drummers we think you need to know about.
Mikaela Swan has exploded online in 2020 with videos getting millions of views on both TikTok and Instagram. Today she now has over 100,000 followers on both platforms!
It is easy to see why her videos have blown up. Each performance is full of passion and energy. It is infectious! And of course, great drumming.
Let’s find out more about Mikaela Swan and her drumming journey so far.
Q. Who is Mikaela Swan?
My name is Mikaela Swan, and I am a female drummer that is all about changing people’s perceptions, providing entertainment, and expressing my creativity through my social media. I enjoy playing various genres such as rock, indie, heavy metal, pop and classic.
I first started the drums when I was young when my parents gifted me with a High Five musical kit. From there, I was instantly drawn to the little drum.
I started taking lessons to read and play music in grade 3 and continued through school with it. Unfortunately, I was a little bit lazy and did not take it all too seriously and fell a bit out of love with the drums.
That was until grade 9 when my dad said to me that they would sell my drum kit if I weren’t going to practise and play at home, which I wasn’t. From there, I picked up my game and has been taking it seriously, learning and pushing myself to become a better drummer.
Looking back, it has now; it has been 6 serious years of playing the kit, and I am excited to see my progression evolve even more and to make a career out of it.
Q. Who are your influences?
The two drummers that have had the biggest impact and influence on my drumming have been Dave Grohl and Emerson Barrett.
I have grown up my whole life watching Dave play the drums, and it has honestly blown me away to see someone go that crazy on the drums; he is an animal. Dave feels the music like no other and goes headfirst into the music. He has been the main reason I started the drums, and also influenced my crazy and animated playing style throughout my drumming journey.
Emerson Barrett has influenced not only my artistic style but also my drumming. He has inspired me to take myself to the next level and to push myself as an individual artist. His ability to do immersive himself in both the art of drumming and drawing makes me want to take that direction, hopefully inspiring and changing the lives of others around me.
Q. What is your playing style?
I love to play a range of different genres such as classic rock, right down to heavy metal, funk, classical music and even pop. I love to give myself a challenge and keep an open mind to playing different styles and a range of music, this way I am building my drum vocabulary and my skills on the kit.
My playing style is often described as very animated and lively. I can not help but feel the music and really get into playing the drums. I always got to be moving around and bouncing on my seat.
Q. Who have you performed with?
I have three bands I play with who are Happy Valley, Big Blue Eyes and Bronze Age. I am also known for doing some session work with local artists. The people I have fortunately had the opportunity to play with were Oskar Campbell, Tom Dron & Lucy Francesca Dron.
Q. What gear do you use?
The drum kit I predominantly use in my videos Is a Roland TD-27KV, which I also share an endorsement With. Aside from my electronic E-kit, I also use an acoustic mainly used for live gigs and occasion acoustic covers.
In addition, I have a Matt Black Pearl Master Series with Custom Hyrbid Zildjian K’s and a mixture of both Evans and Remo drum heads. I also have custom drawn artwork on my skins to fulfil my artistic needs.
Find more of Mikaela Swan
Final thoughts
Mikaela fills her videos with energy and joy that is infectious to watch! It is amazing to see that she is growing so fast and having the opportunity to do so many amazing things.
We can’t wait to see what Mikaela gets up to next on her drumming journey!
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