Many students pride themselves in being talented musicians or athletes. It is difficult to excel in both of those areas, but one student does not let that stop him. Since he was in elementary school, senior Eric Quam has been a competitive hockey player and has practiced music often to become a skilled drummer.
Quam’s passion for music was inspired by a local band that found major success. “I started playing drums in the second grade. The band OAR inspired me because they originated here, and their drummer lived in my neighborhood. My uncle gave me my first drum set so I started taking lessons and I loved it,” Quam said.
As Quam continued to advance his skills in the musical field, OAR continued to have a big impact on his desire to learn. “In fifth grade I had the opportunity to take lessons over Skype with the drummer from OAR. I was able to do that because I knew him from my neighborhood, it was really cool that I got to learn from someone who motivated me to want to be a drummer,” Quam said.
Music has always been a major outlet for Quam to access his creative side. He is excited that he will have the chance to continue in the music field when he goes to college. “Music has always been a way for me to be creative and it helps me express myself in unique ways. Studying music always sounded appealing to me, and the whole career aspect of it sounds great. Next year I will be majoring in music business at Belmont University,” Quam said.
In addition to being an avid musician, Quam has been a big fan of hockey since he was first exposed to it in elementary school. “I started playing hockey in fourth grade. I would always play with my friends in my neighborhood, and it got me hooked to the game. I tried playing it on ice and I loved it and I just kept playing,” Quam said.
Quam has been grateful to express his love of hockey in high school by having the opportunity to play on the team here. “I have built a lot of friendships and connections with my teammates and it has been a way to put stress behind me. I feel like it is a performance; I always want to impress people watching and do the best that I can,” Quam said.
Although it can be hard to dedicate time to multiple interests, Quam thinks it is worth it because of how much he gets out of them. “I think there is a lot of value to making time for my interests. It can be hard, but I find time to play hockey and music whenever I can because I am passionate about them,” Quam said.
