374 – [Daniel Glass Show] Inspiring Stories: Ray Levier
In this session, Daniel talks with Ray Levier, a drummer who suffered severe burns over his face and body at the age of 12. Despite losing most of his fingers in the the accident, Ray’s incredible outlook on life and drive to succeed helped him overcome his limitations and create a successful career as a professional drummer. Truly an inspiring story!
What’s covered in this session:
- Ray Levier describes the horrible accident that burned his head, body and arms at the age of 12.
- What he learned about himself during the recovery process.
- How Ray applied his “go for it” attitude to learning drums and adapting to his injuries.
- On having his thumbs reconstructed so he could better hold the drumsticks.
- Work arounds like rubber bands and wig glue used by Ray to help maintain his grip.
- A discussion of the message behind Ray’s new album, Lost and Found.
- Ray’s unusual work as a drummer/composer for television shows.
Resources/Links/People Mentioned:
- Ray Levier official website.
- Ray’s new album, Lost and Found.
- A great drum duet featuring Ray and Daniel Sadownick.
- Cover story about Ray in the March, 2018 issue of Drumhead Magazine.
- A photo showing how Ray uses rubber bands to help hold the stick in his left hand.