Hi, Mai here from the Philippines! One late afternoon in the year 2000, my Mom brought me to an arcade and caught me playing “Anarchy in the UK” on the DrumMania machine. She saw that I could hold down a beat but noticed I wasn’t holding the sticks well. She took me to have formal lessons, and a few decades later here I am — still drumming and finally with the courage to join HLAG (thanks Mom!).

I grew up playing for an orchestra up until college, and eventually got to gig with a few bands. My drumming is heavily influenced by Jun Regalado (also my teacher!), Vic Mercado of Bamboo, and Akira Jimbo of Casiopea. My first drum cover in 2016 was an ambitious take on Casiopea’s “Eyes of the Mind”, and I’ve been hooked on posting content when I get the chance.

Drumming is very holistic for me — it is very calculated and disciplined, but at the same time fluid and imaginative. It has become my preferred creative outlet; specifically, my personal way to cope with anxiety, especially during this pandemic.

My entry to HLAG this year is a cover of “Stay” by Justin Bieber and The KID Laroi. My dog “Panching” unexpectedly passed away in August 2021. It was a very traumatic span of events, and “Stay” was the song I had on repeat while trying to process everything. I realized too that the song was very fitting for the situation, with the theme of begging someone to stay while also trying to deal with one’s own issues, and promising but failing to get better while being helpless about it. What I especially liked about this track is it wasn’t as lengthy as other songs, but it had so much potential for build-ups and slow-downs, so all the emotions come in quick and strong. (I hope to have interpreted this well in the final cover!)

At the start of the video you’ll see me smile at Panching’s red leash. Do me a little favor and smile with me as you check out my cover. 🙂 Thanks HLAG for bringing this awesome community together!

More about me:
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/maiplaysdrums
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/maiplaysdrums
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmsingson/