Photo by Paula Casentini

At 2 1/2 years old, Dan had 80 percent of his skin burned off of his body.  Numerous surgeries after, and he was left without hands.  Tasks such as tying his shoes would take him years to accomplish, but once he did (as they say), the sky was the limit.  Today, he is a renowned motivational speaker and drummer.

When and why did you start playing the drums?

I started at 12 years old. Growing up in New Orleans, I was exposed to some great music at a very early age. In addition, it was in my blood. My paternal grandparents were both musicians, as was my father and two older brothers. Except for my grandmother, who was a singer, all were brass players. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make a sound on a horn so my father, noticing that I was always curious about rhythm, suggested that I try the drums.

Tell me about those beginning stages of playing.  Describe what a practice session or a lesson was like in your beginning years. What were some of your struggles and emotions?

My greatest struggle was the fact that I don’t have hands. Simply figuring out how I was going to hold the sticks proved to be quite a challenge. But I didn’t let that get me down. I was always optimistic. After about one month of trial and error, we tried a tennis wristband and rubber bands for my right hand. On my left hand, I have a reconstructed thumb which I could barely grip with at the time. With that, I began my musical journey.

In the very beginning, most of my time “practicing”  was spent without a drum. I used to walk around holding anything that had weight trying to build muscle or squeezing Skittles candy to develop the strength I would need to play for long periods of time. It worked!

How did some of your very first teachers react to your “situation”?

I had an outstanding teacher who was full of encouragement. Glenn Diecedue was a professional drummer in New Orleans since the 60s. He informed me that sometimes I might be discriminated against because of pre-judgements and people’s ignorance regarding my lack of hands as a drummer. Knowing that this might frustrate me, we worked relentlessly on the fundamentals of music and drumming so that I might have a technical advantage over most drummers who were unable to read music or understand music theory. Glenn and I figured this might help out in my favor [with] getting the gig.

How many hours did you practice each day?

I know a lot of musicians say this, but I practiced between six to eight hours everyday from the start–12-years-old–until around age 18. I enjoyed what I was doing so much, I never wanted to stop. But I had to eat and sleep, right? Ha! I feel that the hours I put into learning the art of drumming has served me well as a professional musician as well as preparing for any challenges that I would later face in my adult life.

How has music, in particular, benefited you?

My ability to even hold a drumstick and strike the drum head for a period of three to four hours for a gig is remarkable. I have developed dexterity which was lacking before drumming. In addition, music has brought me great joy. Having the opportunity to play with some of the best musicians from New Orleans and other parts of the world has been a huge inspiration for me.

Aspirations—we all have them.  What are your three biggest tips for accomplishing them?

1) Quit making excuses!!! The only thing that can prevent you from manifesting your vision is you. There’s no one or no thing to blame for not reaching your goals except yourself.

2) Practice practice practice! This requires a ton of discipline and time, but you will discover things about yourself that you didn’t know before. I have realized that I don’t just have a second wind; it keeps on going. When necessary, I have been able draw and channel energy from unknown sources and my surroundings. What I find amazing is that if you just push yourself just a little more than you think you can go, that’s when the magic happens. But never go to the point of frustration.

3) Love what you do! If you are not in love with what you are trying to accomplish then I feel that you either need to re-evaluate your situation or pick something else to do. Loving music and playing the drums was my motivation to succeed. I didn’t really care about being a great drummer in the eyes of the public, rather I wanted just to be able to play music. I got much more than I bargained for and it has been a great journey.

We all hold the keys to our destiny and if I can become a professional drummer without hands, there’s no excuse for why someone else can’t live their dreams.

You had a great support network growing up.  What if one is lacking a support system?

The greatest attribute of my support system was that they allowed me to figure things out for myself. As a result I gained tremendous independence early on, learning the great lesson that if you are not going to do it, then it is not going to get done. We are responsible for carving our own path.

I feel that when you’re in the right energy or mindset regarding what your doing and how you’re living your life, the right people will show up at just the right time to become your support group. It’s all an attitude. If you feel that the world is against you, then it is out to get you. If you feel that the universe if here to support you, then that’s what happens. Karma. As you think, so shall you be.

Do you ever look at other people and think, “Why are they complaining?”  Do you see life like that—different intensity levels of adversity? One should not complain if they are on the level one stage of adversity because there’s always a level 10….

Actually, I see everyone on the same level, no matter what their adversity. Fortunately, I have had great teachers in my life show me that adversity is a state of mind. I often wonder why people complain all the time, but I have never walked in their shoes and therefore should not judge. In my experience, by a change of perspective regarding the adversity, you can go from miserable or diseased to happy and healthy in an instant. Once again, it’s a matter of attitude.

How do you get past the “why” phase, dispelling thoughts such as “why didn’t I start earlier,” “why do I have to be poor or injured,” “why did this happen to me”? Do those questions ever really go away?

I don’t think on those terms because the “what if’s” are not the reality I have created for myself. The fact is I started when I started, and I’m burned, and it did happen to me. To think otherwise is my definition of insanity. I was insane, by the way, but only for a brief time by my thinking like that for some of my high school years. Now I choose to be happy. I think it’s pretty much a waste of time living in the ‘what if” state of mind.

What are you currently working on? Tell me a little bit about it.

I just released my first book, The Gift of Fire: How I Made Adversity Work For Me. Since it’s release in March 2010, I’ve been traveling all over North America for book signings, media events and lectures. Throughout most of 2009, I was writing. As a result, my music has sort of been put on hold for a while to promote the book, but I’m working on putting together music workshops in addition to my speaking tour.

When one visits your website, a song starts playing?  What is the name of the song and where can I buy it?  (I play violin, so when I heard the strings….)

I’m currently in the process of a total redo for my site. The song was for a documentary video made by the Shriners. Unfortunately I don’t know the details about the song people hear when visiting my site. I wasn’t part of the production process for that video.

By the way, The Shriners(who created the video) own and operate 22 pediatric hospitals throughout North America. After being burned in 1982, I was treated at the Shriners hospital in Boston. I had 80 surgeries over a period of 18 years at the Shriners Hospitals for Children. As an Ambassador for the Shriners, I travel all over North America trying to raise awareness for this phenomenal organization. The Shriners provide medical care at no cost to children under the age of 18 suffering from one of the four following conditions: orthopedics, burns, spinal cord injury, cleft lip and palette. Since 1922, we have provided this service to nearly one million children.

What resources are out there for disabled or injured musicians? Did you utilize any of them growing up?

Unfortunately, I’m not sure, although I should know. I’ve always found my own way through adaptation and persistence so I’ve never taken advantage of these resources. For a few semesters while I attended Loyola University in New Orleans, however, I was a music therapy major. I’m sure there are services or resources in many communities, especially in larger cities, available to musicians with special needs.

Dan Caro

Besides music and book writing, what other activities are you involved in right now?

Last summer, I moved from New Orleans, L.A. to Steamboat Springs, C.O. to live in the mountains. I’ve always loved the mountains and have always wanted to ski. That’s what I do now. If I’m not on the road touring for my book or with a band, I’m on the mountain skiing, hiking, or biking and loving life.

Is there anything you would like to add?

If there’s anything else, it’s just to live your life with purpose and passion. Without purpose, there’s not much out there for you. Namaste.

Read Dan Caro’s story in detail.  Also visit his website and watch a video of him playing.

June 5, 2010in Interviews by admin 4 Comments »