Quadriplegic creates drum technology

Jason became a C6/C7 incomplete quadriplegic in 1994, after a car accident, when he was driving home.

"[The doctors] said 'you're probably never going to walk and probably never going to play the drums again. It was like a nuclear bomb was dropped on my life. I thought my career was over”, he recalled.

Over the years, Jason regained the use of his arms, and he never gave up on his passion about the drums.

For a while, he got by with a special setup that triggered a bass drum noise when he hit a certain pad with a drumstick. But this system was not good enough for Jason.

So he built a technology that allows him to trigger a bass drum sound while continuing to play the snares, cymbals, and the rest of the drum set, using a mouthpiece. The inventor rigged the mouthpiece to control tiny rubber sensors under each cymbal. Anytime he sucks on the mouthpiece while simultaneously hitting one of the cymbals, a bass drum noise is triggered from a small subwoofer situated directly inside the bass drum casing. 

He can move the sensors under any of part of the drum set. It took Jason ten years to develop this drum kit.

By 2004, Jason was playing the drums professionally, and now he has no desire to patent his innovation.

"If people want to know how to build their own triggers, then, by golly, they can just contact me. I'll give them the information for free. Encouragement shouldn't come at a price”.

Jason also started his own music production business, Jammin’ Grooves LLC.

Adapted from: http://cnn.it/2rhXY16

More info: http://www.wheelchairdrummer.com
https://youtu.be/GAL_z-gBSoQ