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Have I said before that good things happen when you put yourself out there?
For Dr. Nadia Azar, it was all about a tweet and reaching out to one drummer about a research idea. That simple inspiration – that one simple act of courage – opened up a world of research that she never imagined she would be doing. She started the Drummer Lab at the University of Windsor in Windsor, Canada several years and has since been researching the mechanics of drumming and how drumming affects the human body.
Her research has led her to work with high profile drummers including Barry Kerch of Shinedown, Todd Sucherman of Styx, Danny Miles of July Talk, and many more.
Dream stuff for a life-long rock music fan.
Who says you can’t love what you do? And who says it can’t be what appears on the surface to be an unlikely blend of passions? Dr. Azar is the proof that you can follow a passion to a fulfilling career if you just let it flow. She’s also even more proof that good things happen when you put yourself out there.
One of the things I love about this episode is that Nadia agreed to do it after reading what I’m about on this website. She gets a lot of interview requests (because, seriously, what she’s doing is so cool), and she was reluctant to accept my request until she saw that I encourage people to take those chances and perform those small acts of courage. That’s what she did and it has utterly transformed her professional life.
And hey, me putting myself out there brought Nadia to the show, so the proof just keeps on piling up.
I wish everyone could enjoy their work as much as Nadia does. It’s the product of working from love. Not everyone lives that reality and I think we’d all be a lot happier if we could. But you know, sometimes it all hinges on one small thing – a tweet, an ad on Bandmix, a chance conversation in an airport lounge – and you’ve got to be able to recognize opportunity knocking.
I genuinely believe the opportunity is out there for everyone if their eyes are open and they’re willing to take the chance.
I hope you enjoy this conversation with Dr. Azar and are as inspired by her story as I am!
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