Joe answers Connie's questions

Joe Gramley, a percussionist with the Silk Road Ensemble, responded to Connie's questions:

1. Why do you play instruments for a living? My first love has always been music, and I feel LUCKY to have the opportunity to make a living through music. Yo-Yo talks about a 'a life in music'. I think he means that even if you don't make their living from playing music, you can still have a musical presence in your life. I'm just lucky enough to have the opportunity to get make my living with my music. Since I began playing the drums at age 9, I've just not been able to live without music in my life.

2. Where or how did you learn to play? I'm from a small farm town in Oregon. I'm the youngest of 6 kids and my parents encouraged all of us to follow our interests. Since a very young age I played sports, acted in plays, worked on the farm, and took piano and percussion lessons.

3. What's your favorite instrument? As a percussionist, I really shouldn't choose! As percussionists, we have the opportunity to play many, many instruments. Percussionists play instruments that you shake, scrape or strike. My parents think my favorite is the marimba. I love the drums, but actually, my favorite instruments is the one I'm playing at the time you ask me!