GWR 2024 Look Inside - Flipbook - Page 12
YOUNG ACHIEVERS
PRITISH A R
rom the moment he first picked up a pair of drumsticks at
kindergarten, Pritish – from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia –
knew that percussion and music were set to play a big part in his life.
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Starting with a beginner electronic kit, he took weekly lessons and practised
every day, eventually moving on to an acoustic set. In Dec 2020, aged just 10,
he passed his Grade 8 drumming exam at Trinity College London.
It was Pritish’s mum who first mentioned the idea of combining his passion
with a record attempt: “My mother asked if I’d like to try to break a record,
and I liked the idea. I was always amazed watching fast drum rolls so I looked
up the options and decided most drumbeats in one minute would be ideal.”
Not surprisingly, becoming the world’s “fastest drummer” was no easy
feat. But on 16 Dec 2021, after many months of training and honing
his technique, Pritish smashed it: 2,370 beats. This was 261 more
than the previous record, held by an adult.
With his sights set on learning to play more instruments,
winning talent contests and even trying out “fire drumming”
(drumming with sticks ablaze!), nobody can accuse Pritish of
not marching to the beat of his own drum.
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When did you get into drumming?
I used to make sounds with my toys when
I was little. My mum realized my natural
attraction to music and signed me up to a
programme at kindergarten which had a bus
filled with musical instruments. The drum
kit was very inviting and I went straight to it.
That was the start of my journey with drums.
Any there other musicians in the family?
No. Music in my family history is limited to
listening to music.
Which musicians inspire you?
Drummer Sridhar, my teacher – based in
Chennai, India – and [composer] A R Rahman
are two of my biggest musical inspirations.
Generally, all my teachers are influencers
and drive me to do hard but cool things with
drums and other instruments.
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How did you train for this attempt?
I started working on the technique in
early 2021, and practised for almost seven
months. With assistance from my teachers,
I incorporated various methods that helped
to improve my speed and muscle strength.
I trained for one-minute intervals on a variety
of surfaces including my snare and tom drums
but also concrete and a cushion.
On the day of the attempt, did you think
you were on track for the record?
Seeing the set-up and taking my seat to start
the attempt, I had butterflies in my stomach.
But once I started, I felt I was in a good flow
and on track. When the minute was over, I was
super-excited to hear I’d reached 2,370 beats
– I had a huge smile on my face!
What did your friends say when they
learned you’d set a world record?
They were super-surprised and they
congratulated me. It was special when it was
announced by my principal in assembly and
published in the school newsletter.
1: The record attempt took place in a music
studio to avoid background noise. This
allowed all of the beats to be tracked with
pinpoint precision by a Drumometer device.
2: Pritish with mum Aarthi, dad Rajesh and
younger sister Shreya. Pritish said: “My
parents played a huge supporting role in the
preparation [for this record], by recording
the number of beats for almost every
practice attempt and doing analysis.”
3: When not drumming, Pritish enjoys many
other activities including cricket, martial
arts, swimming and indoor climbing.
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