FAIRBORN, Ohio (WDTN) — Myles Hall just finished his freshman year at Wright State University.
He’s not your typical music performance major; the 19-year-old drummer has very little formal training.
“I was never part of band. I was mainly a self-taught drummer,” admits Hall. “Everyone starts from somewhere.”
For Hall, his start was playing music video games.
“It all first started basically with me playing Guitar Hero. I was literally four years old,” says Hall.
From Guitar Hero, then moving onto Rock Band, he mastered music video games and then leveled up to a real drum set in front of a live crowd.
“My dad is also a drum set player. So he ended up, he ended up having me come over to his bar that he owns called the Soft Rock Cafe,” says Hall. “It was very overwhelming at first because it was super freaking loud. It is very loud and very different from playing on a plastic drum set.”
From plastic drums to real ones, he’s honed his skills, leading him to Wright State where he’s a music performance major.
”Just wild to think that someone playing a plastic drum set can get where they need to be,” smiles Hall.
When Myles first auditioned, Percussion Director Jerry Noble had no idea Myles had little formal training.
“To hear that’s how he got his start and to know where he is now, I’m kind of impressed,” admits Noble. “When I see people play Rock Band, it’s not usually a starting point. It’s sort of, they’re awkward, and they’re not playing perfectly in time. It’s the way the program is set up.”
“For him to be able to come to Wright State and get into this very competitive percussion program really speaks highly to him,” states Dr. Daniel Zehringer, Chair of the School of Fine and Performing Arts at Wright State University.
Now a part of jazz band, pep band, and percussion ensemble, his skills have earned him paid gigs as he’s found his passion.
“At Wright State we really try to take kids where they are and get them to that ending spot so they can really follow their dreams,” says Dr. Zehringer.
Hall says for him, drumming is anything but a game.
Hall has gotten paid work with his talent, and in some cases, he’s been out-gigging seniors. He recently auditioned for Cedar Point. In the fall, he will play at the park’s Halloween events every weekend.
