GOOD TIMES
Setting the
tempo Sean McCarthy
T
His drumming talents have earned him international recognition and his music future is certainly promising, but for New Bedford’s Joaquin Santos, being successful as a musician means being a success as a human being.
he 34-year-old has learned that skills behind the drum kit require skills away from the drum kit. Five years ago, Santos’ face was on display in music stores around the globe, selling products for the world’s premier cymbal manufacturer, Zildjian Cymbals. At the same time he was featured on social media as the model for the company’s fashion line. Zildjian was impressed enough with his playing and his good looks to make him the face of their marketing strategy. Yet while his image may be international, Santos’s most valued experiences often come
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locally. In addition to seeing steady benefits as a drummer in multiple music outfits, he relishes the personal rewards that come from educating young people in the art of drumming. While his skills have taken him to many stages and studios, his heart belongs to the classroom, shaping young lives through education in music and life. “I want to someday have my own music ministry where I can go all over the world and teach kids how to play music,” he says. “Music is healing to the soul, and every young kid should learn how to play an instrument.” Santos’s vision has already
S ou th C oast P r ime T imes
JULY/AUGUST 2022
taken root. He currently offers private lessons to aspiring youths in the South Coast, and his education resume includes three years of teaching at the Fall River Arts Academy. For the past two summers he has taught a seminar at Berklee College of Music’s “Groove School.” “The most gratifying feeling I get from anything I’ve ever been involved in is when you take a young person with little or no experience on an instrument and you see them blossom, hone in on their craft, and get better and better,” Santos says. But the lessons Santos imparts go beyond sticks and
skins. He puts an emphasis on character and discipline as well. “As a musician, you’ve got to always show good character. No matter how talented you are, if you’re not a nice person people won’t want to play with you. You need to treat people with respect and be responsible, show up on time. You need to be receptive to criticism with the goal of improving. Every gig is an audition for another gig.”
ROLL SNARE Santos knows about gigs. For 13 years he has been the drummer for Radiance, a 10-piece group that performs
