Meet Rebecca Sykes | Session Drummer & Singer/Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rebecca Sykes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rebecca, how do you think about risk?
I believe risk taking plays a huge roll in my life and the path i’ve chosen. As a musician/creative, it would be nearly impossible to have reached the point i’m at if I hadn’t decided to take risks. The first risk that I took was making the decision to prioritize music over everything. This was a scary choice because of how inconsistent and spontaneous this field is but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

In the past few years, one of the biggest risks I decided to take was to try something different – singing.

About 3 years ago, I started writing my own original music. I felt an instant connection and passion to songwriting, which is something I had only ever felt with drumming. Through songwriting I am able to express my emotions in a very honest way that I am not capable of doing in any other medium. Although I am mostly seen as a Session Drummer, the passion I have for singing/songwriting pushed me to record some demos and share them with friends and family.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
When it comes to drumming, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with over 50 different artists across the world. I have played many local gigs with various artists of different genres, ranging from funk to punk. I spent a lot of my time going to gigs and jam sessions to meet new musicians and network with artists of all kinds.

I have also just graduated from The Recording Arts Center at San Diego’s largest commercial recording studio, Studio West. This has given me the tools and techniques that allowed me to polish my recording skills and become a better audio engineer. Not only has this led to higher quality recordings from my home studio, but I have also been able to utilize these skills in all of the music projects I am currently involved in.

Now, when it comes to singing it is a whole different story. Because I am known as a session drummer, I believe this sets me apart from most other singer/songwriters. One of my goals is to start singing while I play drums so I can bring my songwriting into all of the different music projects I am currently involved in. I recently committed to recording 3 original songs with a friend of mine and am extremely excited (and anxious) to show the world a different piece of me.

All in all, I have spent a lot of time and energy to get to where I am today but the hard work always seems to pay off.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting San Diego and I was the tour guide, a perfect day to me would look like this:

We would start the day with some coffee and croissants at Izola Bakery (a MUST). Izola is a studio loft located in East Village with a super nice atmosphere and live music on the weekends. After fueling up at the bakery, we would head over to Balboa Park to enjoy some fresh air and explore the many gardens and museums it has to offer. Once we’ve had a relaxing morning at the park, we will pick up some lunch at the best Mexican food spot in San Diego, Las Cuatro Milpas, located in Logan Heights. Now that we’ve had a pretty calm afternoon, we need to make things a little more exciting so we will go to an escape room. Following the thrill of being trapped in a room with no windows or doors, we will get dinner at the best dumpling house there is – Din Tai Fung (there’s only 13 locations in the US!). And last but not least, we will wrap up the day by going to a concert at The Rady Shell (one of my favorite venues at the moment – sitting on the edge of San Diego Bay).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
If there is one person who deserves recognition for their role in my journey, it is my dad. He has provided an unbelievable amount of support and encouragement for my musical endeavors and I will never be able to thank him enough. I often have doubts about the path I have chosen because it is so inconsistent and scary but my dad always reminds me that I am capable of doing whatever I set my mind to. I am incredibly grateful for how much my parents care about my well being and trust in me and my journey.

A few other honorable mentions:

-My drum teacher/mentor, Rick Stojak, who has educated me about the music industry, inspired me to try new things, and ultimately encouraged me to do what I love.

-My friends Spencer and Izzy for providing a safe space to conquer my fears of singing and helping me take my songs to the next level.

-My band mates Michael & Zeke, Tristan Brooks, Samer Bakri, and Kahlil Nash for the constant inspiration and motivation

Website: https://www.beksdrums.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebecca._.sykes/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-sykes-76b8ab21b/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccasykesss

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RebeccaSykes

Other: Fiverr: https://www.fiverr.com/share/ZyNyel

Image Credits
@ginny_rotten @phin.eas.j