We were lucky to catch up with Mike Diggs recently and have shared our conversation below.
Mike, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the toughest things about progressing in your creative career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?
When I chose to pursue a career as a professional musician, I knew it wouldn’t come without its challenges. My biggest concerns were always things like my playing ability, networking skills, getting hired or booked, and whatever else related to the music part of it all. I’m very proud of the hurdles that I’ve overcome to get to where I am today; though when I think about it, some of the biggest problems and obstacles that I faced during this creative journey were none of the aforementioned. My toughest battles involved all the “other stuff” like daily routines, work-life balance, personal finance management, even relationships with family, friends, and my fiancé (an update since our VoyageLA interview). Diet, exercise, sleep, physical and probably most importantly, mental health fall under this category as well. I’ll tell you from experience, if the “other stuff” doesn’t feel right, your artistic endeavors won’t feel right either.
I moved to Los Angeles in 2015 to push my dream of becoming a professional full time drummer to the next level. I hit the ground running and slowly but surely the grind began to engulf my purpose and worth. Out here, you need to hustle, hustle, HUSTLE, they say! And some people really do hustle 24/7, it seems. I wanted to keep up and make it to “the top” so I worked my ass off. And wow was it worth it; I think about the experiences, credits, and memories that came from all that effort and feel very accomplished. All systems were go and it was full speed ahead. Things were great! Until they weren’t, that is…
In the summer of 2022, I suffered a mental health emergency that required my full attention. It was so severe that I needed to step away from my current gigs and projects. I’ll never forget how fortunate I was to have the support of my teammates and colleagues when that all happened. I had been living an unsustainable lifestyle that placed my music career above everything, at all costs, no matter what. In doing so, I finally broke when I realized that it wasn’t possible to maintain a happy and healthy life much less a music career that way. When I got addicted to the grind of the industry, I was chasing success as if I were climbing to the top of a ladder (please excuse me, I love my metaphors). But when you’re climbing like that, you can’t take much with you; otherwise you’ll get weighed down or, God forbid, fall! So you leave behind what you can’t carry and that usually ends up being the “other stuff” I mentioned before. I finally looked down and realized that I was too far away from the things I forgot I needed so badly in my life. I decided that I didn’t want whatever was at “the top” of this climb. So I worked my way down, back to a place where I could fix myself and figure out what was really missing.
People love uplifting each other when it comes to their goals, passions, dreams, etc. But I believe we often fail to offer support or talk about the very real life happening behind the scenes of the grinding and hustling. You know, the stuff that’s ACTUALLY keeping you alive and able to use your talents and skills? Something as simple as sleep can be considered an example of this. Are you the kind of person that requires 8-10 hours of sleep every night no matter what? If so, how does that affect your ability to attend social gatherings and networking events that run late? What happens when you neglect your sleep and only get 4-6 hours? Your diet and exercise fall under this category too; maybe you give extra attention and care to what goes into your body and how you maintain your health. That takes effort and from personal experience, a lot of time in the kitchen. Does living a healthy lifestyle get in the way of grinding to “the top” like everybody else?
My relationships with friends and loved ones often got put on the back burner during my heavy push in the music biz. I would barely visit my family back in New Jersey out of fear that I’d miss a call for a gig or an opportunity of some sort. After all, this job is basically 24/7, remember? I only saw some of my closest friends in musical contexts likes rehearsals, shows, and jams; never just to hang out and shoot the shit. I almost stunted the growth of my beautiful romantic relationship with my now fiancé because I didn’t believe my music career was “in the right place” to allow me to make big life choices like marriage. Even planning dates and quality time was a struggle at one point because I just didn’t know how to give my time away without feeling guilty that I wasn’t working! What happened is that eventually I got very lonely. No matter how high I climbed, I couldn’t get a glimpse of the success I was looking for.
Taking the time to learn more about what my body, mind, and spirit needed basically saved my life and my career. I enhanced my close friendships by making time to bond outside of work-related environments. I traveled back east to see my family a little more, even took a trip to Poland last year to see my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins! I’m engaged and cannot wait to explore marriage with the person I love so dearly. I’m able to handle my finances, my daily routines, and work-life balance way better than I had been doing. And now, I’m ready to jam again! Over the last 12 months I’ve tapped back into the music scene as a better person and musician. I’m more confident, less stressed, and actually set boundaries for myself. The “other stuff” feels right, and now music stuff does too.
Listen, I am a big advocate of setting high goals and working hard to achieve them. There are people that sacrifice everything for this career and for some of them it really works. But even then, I don’t find it to be sustainable in the long run. Because the climb doesn’t stop; there is no such thing as “the top” because when you compete with life that way, nothing will ever be enough. Perhaps a healthier approach for people like me is not so much like climbing a ladder but more like…building a house. You lay out the blueprints to decide what you want the house to look like. Then you move forth with the building and establish all the rooms, features, landscaping, etc. Once your house is built, live in it and grow with it; tend to the garden, dust the shelves once in a while, sweep the floors, and reorganize some furniture every now and again. Over time, build an addition, install a nice porch, maybe even a pool (I love a good pool). One day you’ll look around and realize, you’ve got a really nice spot. I’m learning to pay attention to the “other stuff.” I’m not comparing my career or success to others, or getting caught up in the facade of social media. These days, I work hard to find balance and stability in my personal life, and this has allowed me to excel in my career in ways I never thought possible.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m a session drummer and private drum instructor based out of Los Angeles. My job is pretty simple and usually comes down to one of two things: play drums for your band or teach you how to play them. But I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without the 20+ years that I’ve put into this craft. This is a good time to give a nod to my first teacher, Andy Miller. The best drum teacher in the world! After starting lessons with Andy at age 13 back in my home state of New Jersey, I joined tons of school and local bands. That lead to teaching kids from my high school and soon enough some paid live and studio work. In 2015, I knew I needed to live somewhere that would allow me to permanently build this into my lifestyle; so I moved to Los Angeles with my best friend (and now Emmy Award winning producer) Doug Rockwell.
The strongest layer of my brand is that I am in love with the drums. I always present myself to clients in a way that displays this first and foremost because I believe great artists have a lot of passion. Nobody wants to hire a drummer that isn’t crazy about drumming (all solid drummers are a little bit crazy FYI). The next biggest layer of my brand is my versatility as a team member. I can be whatever drummer you need. If my job is to sit down and play exactly what I’m told and nothing else, then yes chef! I can also be the drummer that helps write parts, musically direct, and get more hands on with the project I’m involved in. This all goes for teaching as well; I pay special attention to the true goal of my student, whether it’s to become a professional or just challenge their mind and body in a new way.
When I get hired onto a gig or as an instructor, there is a specific energy that I am trying to create between the client and myself. I want them to look at me and feel safe, whether I am their session drummer or their teacher. I have worked hard over the years to gain the trust of many artists and students as their favorite go-to drummer; somebody that they know is going to get the job done right. Many of us know what it feels like being on stage and not feeling confident about one of your players. I don’t allow that for myself or those who hire me.
My work ebbs and flows with regards to which half I’m more involved in. Sometimes, I’m playing tons of local shows, recording, and touring. Lately however, the teaching side of my business has been the focus. Sharing my experience and talent with other new aspiring drummers has been more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. Not to mention it’s made me a better player myself! You really do learn a lot from teaching. It’s challenging at times, but there is something really special about seeing a student master a new concept they’ve been working hard on. I expanded my business to involve private lessons a few years ago and it has proven to be a great decision so far!
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Support your friends first! If you’re an artist in LA, you most likely have friends that are too. While looking for new connections and relationships, I feel like we sometimes forget to lift up the people closest to us. Don’t forget that these are hard-working creatives as well, not just the people you grab drinks and gossip with. Go to their shows, listen to their music, and buy some merchandise. Stop doom-scrolling and looking for useless content from people you don’t even know; read that announcement that your friend’s band just shared on Instagram and see what they’re up to. By feeding the people right here in your circle, you’re helping and motivating them to do the same to the people in theirs. That ripple effect keeps the local scene strong. It’s important to grow your network, but don’t forget your homies in the process!
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My mission on this creative journey has changed drastically over the years. It used to be very monetarily focused in the sense that I wanted to make all the money I needed to live through music and music only. But I lost myself on that mission. I was selling myself short, accepting gigs that I didn’t really want, and missing out on a lot of other important things in life. The spark I once had inside me became very dull.
Now my mission has much more purpose to it: to stay involved in and be a valued member of the music scene and my local music community. With this new mindset, I’m playing better gigs, having more fun, and even making better money believe it or not. My art is more authentic nowadays because my intentions with music are more pure. I’ve even made time to explore new hobbies and passions that add more diversity to my life. I’ve learned to realize the truth that I am a drummer, plain and simple. I always have been and always will be. It doesn’t matter what bills it pays for or how many followers I have. It also doesn’t matter how many more or less gigs I’m playing than the next drummer. My story is MY story, and so far I like what I’m writing.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @mikeondrums
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@mikeondrums24
Image Credits
Personal Photo: Ken Morton
Additional Photo 1: Robb Duchemin
Additional Photo 2: Daniel Jun
Additional Photo 3: Danny Stravers
Additional Photo 4: Ashley Grace M