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William Goldsmith
(September 2005 Issue)
Sunny Days AheadFor
William
Goldsmith, twenty-seven-year-old drummer for Seattle's atmospheric rock
trio Sunny Day Real Estate, the
symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome
first manifested themselves as "really intense, sharp pains in my arms"
and "numbness
in my hands," especially upon waking from a night's
sleep. "I could still play," he says, "but it had gotten to the
point
where it was always really painful. It made playing music not much
fun."
Goldsmith was quickly diagnosed
with the repetitive stress
disorder (along with tendinitis and bursitis in the shoulders) via
acupuncture he was undergoing to
alleviate lower back problems.
Goldsmith was informed that, without treatment, his career as a drummer
would be over within
two years.
What Goldsmith is going through is, not surprisingly, showing up in
other young drummers. "I was
asking for it," he says, "because I'm
self-taught and never really learned any technique. I play more with my
arms, and
that's not good."
To counteract formerly destructive habits, Goldsmith says he's
concentrating on
becoming more restrained in his technique. "I find you
can play heavier the more relaxed you stay. I'm trying to let my
wrists
do the work and give my arms a break. When I was a kid, I wanted to be
exactly like Keith Moon, and that's how I
played for a long time, just
completely insane. Now I'm really starting to enjoy simplicity. I don't
like playing things
that are unnecessary. I want to leave room for all
the colors to really swirl around me."
Gail Worley
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