A Local Drummer's Tribute to Neil Peart

Dan Kesterke is the Director of Bands at Siena Heights University and a long-time drummer / percussionist. We asked him to share his thoughts after the passing of Rush drummer Neil Peart.

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My love of Rush and Neil Peart’s drumming began when I was in high school. My friends and I would buy vinyl albums at New Moon Records in my hometown of Mt. Pleasant. There was a Rush section, and I would collect whatever was there. 

My introduction to Neil’s drumming was the song “Xanadu” off the “Farewell to Kings” album. I was astounded at his mastery of virtuosic fills, but also with his use of melodic percussion, including chimes and bells. 

I worked into the “Moving Pictures” album and, obviously, the most important track, "Tom Sawyer." It changed my perspective of what drumming in a band could be. If you watch the videos of thousands of Rush fans air drumming along with Neil you’ll see how important he was to the music.

Neil Peart’s life and his relationship with music was hard. He expected a lot of himself and his bandmates. At the height of Rush’s popularity, he lost his family to two random accidents. It took many long road trips and a reintroduction to drumming to bring him back to the music he loved. 

While Neil took his art seriously, he demanded space from his fans and bandmates, even though he created his art in front of millions of people. He was a deep thinker and a voracious reader of literature; a constant learner, too. He even changed his technique halfway through his career to achieve a higher level of playing.

Neil left Rush after the band's last tour to spend time with his family. My hope for all artists is that they're able to achieve that balance; a point where they can say they've accomplished what they set out to do and then can dedicate their remaining time on this planet to their children and spouses, partners, and other loved ones. 

May all of us embrace life, family and art as Neil Peart did.

- Dan Kesterke

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