Today we’d like to introduce you to Michele Dunlap.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story starts in the basement of the 1990’s where grunge meets the 70’s, meets punk, meets feminism. I’m behind a drum kit sitting on a portable cd player with headphones blasting Hole, blasting Babes in Toyland, blasting Janis Joplin. My drum instructor was a petit mother of 4 boys. She wore the double velcro high-top Reebox in red, in black, in white, yellow. I practiced my rudiments, I cried from bad haircuts. Not everybody’s cup of tea from a young age, and thankfully still not. After years of struggling to raise 3 children, authenticity is the only thing I have left to bring to the table. I do it for them, and I do it for the kids in the basements of today. It brings me pure joy to be able to work for myself and include my family in the mission.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I think about young motherhood, there are many financial struggles that came along with that for me. I didn’t give myself enough time to get my life together in that way, finish my degrees, stop playing in bands, “grow up”, etc. Instead, I listened to my heart and that can get you into a lot of trouble. I hustled for my heart. I held odd jobs so I could freelance, made career moves based on what education I had. I worked with at-risk youth, campaigned for nonprofits, and fed my entrepreneurial beast every day straight from the heart. People like to strike down your spirit when they see you working from that place of genuine destiny seeking. When I found myself in the right circles of like-minded people and community, the road started getting smoother.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
What inspires my work is music. I am a part=time Studio Coordinator for School of Rock South Hills and part=time nonprofit business owner. I’ve been a professional drummer for 35 years and have active projects like indie-surf punk band, Cancel the Prom. It’s insanely important for me to remain strong in my craft as a drummer and represent a voice. That passion to live a creative life bleeds into the bones for my nonprofit work. Our mission is to collect and distribute instruments and art supplies to creative individuals for the sake of creation, not competition. We support local musicians by holding events they actually get paid for performing, supporting students with music and art lessons, support artists by funding recording sessions and tours. Through Thump Note, I give free drum lessons / workshops and plan to grow the community of instructors to offer more instrument lessons.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I’ve listened to countless hours of lectures led by Alan Watts and have been inspired by books like, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, and Writing Down the Bones and Wild Mind, both by Natalie Goldberg.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.canva.com/design/DAHDdyOgh5M/i3Ytw022s1RIHftRSLvbbA/edit
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thump_note/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michele3333
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/cancel-the-prom
