Larry wright by Ashlee Allen

CONTENTS 11

4 CLICKS

19 VERSE 29 OUTRO

FOREWORD Tap...Tap...Tap...we all hear the tapping of the pens in the office or the fingers drumming on our books impatiently waiting to get out of class. Rhythm is an avenue in which we can express ourselves whether it is intentional or not. Many express through dance and musical instruments, but it all comes back to the beat. The beat is what engages us and keeps us moving. When we hear the beat something is sparked within us that may be hard to explain, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a

moment where we feel a connection to something greater than us. Whether you are on the beat or do not have any natural rhythm, your desire to move with the beat never ceases. The beat is where it all begins. Feel the beat and make the connection.

4 CLICKS FROM THE TOP

LARRY WRIGHT

INTRODUCTION Larry Wright was just like any other kid with a dream. When that dream is birthed in you and there is no one there to deter you from it, you go after it with everything you have. Larry’s dream was to be the best street drummer in NYC, but how Larry began his journey to the top is not your average avenue to fame.

“Larry’s dream was to be the

BEST...”

EARLY LIFE Street-born drummer in 1975, five year old toddler, originally from the bronx, carved the street to the sound of drums PVC. Drumming came early and easily to Larry. His mother used to say he began tapping on things when he was 3 months old; his uncle, Bernard Mercer, says the baby always headed for Mercer’s tambourines. “He was just crawling in diapers. He couldn’t walk or talk,” the uncle said.

“He’d bang on the TV screen. He’d bang on the wall, on the refrigerator, anything.” Larry himself remembers tapping on floors when he was 3. Later came table tops, garbage pail lids, trees, bottles, cups and eventually, plastic buckets – the five gallon size used to package wallboard compound and other products.

“Larry Wright gets more music out from a five-gallon plastic bucket than some drummers get from a real kit - especially at age 15...” 15

Which is what he was looking for on a recent day at 46th Street and Broadway. He scrounged several buckets from a construction site, knocked out the residue and was ready to warm up. He tapped out various beats on the bottom of the bucket, gradually playing faster and louder. He threw in strokes to the side and rim to produce diﬀerent sounds. Using his right foot to rock the open end of the bucket up and down aagainst the sidewalk, he created a thumping bass beat. Many drummers could imitate his rhythms with a little practice, but Larry’s listeners marveled at his speed and

precision. At the age of 15 the world begins to reach out to Larry. Larry has been given a $3000 set of drums, a $5000 scholarship and oﬀers of free instruction. But it took more than material goods and good intentions for Larry to accept these things because of his mother’s death and threatened by Harlem’s streets. For about two years, the powerful teenager had been a fixture in Times Square, dazzling sidewalk crowds with virtuoso drumming on the bottoms of 5 gallon plastic buckets and collecting hundreds of dollars a day from admiring passers-by. But most of Larry’s money went to

his mother, who spent it on drugs before she was shot to death in August in the building where they lived. Although Larry avoided drugs, the street had other, more insidious traps: the hangers-on, the temptation to get rich quick, the lack of discipline. Since his mother’s death Larry has had to live with his grandmother and several unemployed relatives who have relied on him for money. Since then, Larry’s story has received wide exposure in newspapers and on television; he has been featured in a Levi’s jeans ad and made cameo appearances in several music videos and the

film “Green Card.” Imitators inspired by Larry’s success but lacking his talent had started showing up on midtown streets. They pounded on their buckets, but collected no more than the subway beggars. Larry himself attracted the interest of professional drummers, who credit him with an undeniable undeveloped talent.

Verse interview

LARRY WRIGHT

INTERVIEW Over the years Larry Wright’s career as a street drummer has expanded. Larry’s vision for the art in street drumming is to bring the drummer forward. Larry desires for everyone to respect the art and for drummers worldwide to love what they do. Money and fame are good luxeries to have, but beneath the performance should be an unfailing love for the sound of the drum.

“ ... I wanted to do

something to bring us

forward...”

The Drummer’s Journal: Can I sit on this bucket?

I make my own rhythms up. I take a little piece of a

Larry Wright:Yeah, that’s cool.

rhythm I hear someplace and I mix it into my own

I only ask because I guess you see them as proper

style. That’s what makes it unique.

instruments right? You seem to be able to get a lot

What influences you in what you’re creating? What

of tones out of them.

are you thinking about when you’re playing?

Yeah - they are instruments - no doubt. I’m

Most of the time I ain’t even thinking! I just play

stepping on the buckets to get different sounds,

from here (he points to his chest). It just comes out

using my feet to dampen them. My wife, Sonia,

fluent.

mainly does the bass to coordinate with my tom

You’ve been doing this for a while, right?

type sound.She uses a seven gallon so it’s a lot

I was the first person to do this - to come and play

deeper sounding.

using buckets. I’ve been doing this since I was five

So the rims act like the high end?

years old.

Yeah! They’re like the hi-hat. High sounding -

How did you start out playing?

good for the timing. The centre is more like a

I play all percussion – I play drum set too. I just

snare.

wanted to do something different. Drummers

There’s a whole host of buckets here. Are some

are always at the back of the band. I wanted to do

different sizes?

something to bring us forward. So that’s why I’m

Yeah. They’re mainly either five or seven gallon

doing this. It’s something unique, something cre-

buckets. I usually play a five gallon.

ative. I started this back in ‘83.

What about some of the rhythms you play - are

You grew up in New York?

they your own?

Yeah. Born and raised.

Where specifically?

(To Sonia) So you were busking too?

The Bronx. It was cool. But when I started on the

Sonia: No, I just saw him playing one day. It was

buckets I was living in Harlem. That’s when I start-

Larry who taught me how to play.

ed doing different stuff. I did a Levi’s advertise-

Larry: We met at 42nd Street. That’s where I always

ment. I did a Mariah Carey video too. It’s called

used to play. She used to hang down there. Then we

Someday.

got together and I showed her how to do this.

So you and Sonia met doing this? Yeah.

CONT’D... (To Sonia) What were your first impressions of

I’d like to start doing more magazines. More

Larry?

commercials.

Sonia: (Looks at the ground, smiling) That he was

So all the work you’ve done has come from people

OK.

spotting you on the street?

Larry: OK?! Just OK?! (Larry laughs.) She’s the

Yeah. Right here.

first girl to be playing the buckets. I’m proud.

How does doing the stuff like commercials or

What does it mean to you guys specifically to play

music videos compare to doing this?

in the Subway?

I mean, it’s different of course. With the music

This is the greatest. This is what we love to do.

videos and stuff, you’re dealing and working with

Down here there’s a rich acoustic sound that you

other people who are the stars. But besides that, to

can’t get outside. In here, it sounds like it’s mic’d.

me it’s the same. Out here, on this platform, I get

It’s loud! That’s what brings the flavour out.

the same recognition. I have a lot of people watch-

When you were a kid did you want to be a drum-

ing me every day and I’m grateful for that.

mer and nothing else?

Do you see yourself as providing a service?

Oh yeah. All I ever wanted to do was be a drum-

Yeah. A lot of people come up to us and say we’ve

mer. I wanted to take it as far as I could.

made their day better. They look forward to seeing

And that’s still the goal - you still want to do that?

us everyday.

Oh yeah! I’m always looking for opportunities.

Is it quite competitive to get a spot to play? Yeah. Back when I started, it was easy. Now, there’re so many more people down here looking for a spot. So many more performances.You gotta get here early. It’s first come first served. From someone who used to busk a bit, what do you think the difference is between begging and street performance? There’s a way big difference. As a busker you’re doing something that’s creative. If you’re playing, you out there showin’ your talent. No one can compare that. Begging and showing talent are two totally different things. Sonia: That’s why we keep our bucket a little away from us, so people can just give something if they like what we’re doing. We’re not out here asking people for their money - it’s their choice whether they give it.

“This is everything to me. There’s nothing else I can really compare it to. After my family, It’s the love of my life.”

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Begging and showing talent are two totally different things....â&#x20AC;?

OUTRO 1.) Larry Wright NYC street bucket drummer 1990 Video looping, no audio 2.) The First Set Bucket, pair of sticks 3.) Article Posters Series of 3 posters 4.) Percussion Metro NYC www.dacapomusica.com Video looping, no audio

5.) Variety of Sounds Presentation (In line by height) 6.) Larry Wright Times Square Subway Drummer Video looping, no audio 7.) Larry Wright at Buddy Rich Memorial 1991 Video looping, no audio 8.) “BEAT” Larry Interactive Preseentation

Open Saturdays, 11am-6pm, Sundays, 1-6pm, September 11 - October 3 Sponsored by Museum of the City of New York 31

INDEX Articles Neumeister, Larry. “Drumming up Support for a Talent.” The Free Lance-Star [Fredericksberg] 16 Jan. 1991: 10. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. Neumeister, Larry. “Beat Goes on for Orphaned Drummer.” The Prescott Courier [New York] 11 Oct. 1990: 7. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. Neumeister, Larry. “Drummer Boy: Orphaned Teen Beats out Remarkable Rhythms.” Lawrence Journal-World [New York] 12 Oct. 1990: 18. Web. 23 Apr. 2014

Images 20, January. "Street Drummer Given a Hand, but Still Marches to Undisciplined Beat : New York: Larry Wright, 16, Grabbed Media Attention by Playing Buckets on Sidewalk. Fans Bought Him Drums and Gave Him Financial Aid, but His Troubles Aren't Over." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 1991. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. “Larry Wright.” Larry Wright. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.

“:: Recherche ::.” Larry Wright The Subway Drummer from New York. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014 “The Bucket Busters Story.” Music Motive -. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.