Dorothea Taylor proves that preconceived notions are meant to be blastbeaten.
Being a female performer in rock music is already tough, given a lot of the hypermasculine bullshit present in the genre. But being a woman over the age of 40 is even tougher, and female drummers over 40 are generally unheard of. But that's what Dorothea Taylor's all about -- casting off stereotypes about who can slay on the drums and who can't. A grandmother and drum instructor, Dorothea is up to the task behind the kit -- as perfectly evidenced by her killer drum cover of Disturbed's Down With The Sickness.
Dorothea has a little bit of fun at the opening of the video, which shows various men making snap judgments -- the instrument store clerk who steers her towards the violins, the church band member who asks if he's being too loud, the whole nine yards. But when she gets behind the kit, Dorothea is fucking rad, playing Down With The Sickness with a solid steady beat and a determined look on her face. It's awesome to behold.
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"I've been drumming my whole life, and every one of these experiences have happened to me throughout my life," Dorothea says at the end of the video. "Drummers come in all ages, sizes, shapes, ethnicities...and regardless of how good you are, how old you are, we're all still part of a drumming family. So remember: don't judge a drummer, or anybody, by their looks, and always, always, always keep sharing your drumming passion with the world."
Watch Dorothea slay them skins below:
You only wish your Nana crushed this hard.
What really needs to happen is for Dorothea to play duel drums with Maren Alford, the 14-year-old girl whose tremendous drum cover of Slipknot's Unsainted went viral last year. The two of them drumming together would be the ultimate declaration of why preconceived notions about age and gender can all go to hell.
Check out Maren's cover here:
