This week, Doc sits down for a fantastic conversation with Lou Santiago, Jr.
Lou is a professional drummer, physician associate, entrepreneur, and speaker.
Lou\tSantiago\tJr.\thas\talready\thad\ta\tremarkable\tmusical\tcareer\tthat\tis\tthe\tstuff urban\tlegends\tare\tmade\tof.\tBorn\tin\tNew\tYork City\tin\t1976,\tLou\tdid\tnot\tpurchase\this\tfirst drum\tset\tuntil\the\twas\teighteen.\tAfter\ttwo years\tof\teight\tto\ttwelve\thours\tof\tdaily\tpractice, he\tquit\tplaying\tand\tjoined\tthe\tNavy\t-\tintent\ton earning\ttuition\tmoney\tto\tattend\tthe Drummer's\tCollective\tin\tNew\tYork\tCity,\tnow known\tas\tThe\tCollective.\tFive\tyears\tlater, during\this\tlast\tyear\tof\tenlistment,\tLou\tfinally\tpicked\tup\this\tsticks\tagain\tand, incredibly,\tafter\teight\tmonths\tof\tpracticing,\twon\tthe\t2001\tGuitar\tCenter\tSouth East\tRegional\tDrum-Off,\tplacing\thim\t7th\tin\tthe\tnation.\tTwo\tyears\tlater,\tin 2003,\the\twon\tthe\tover\t18\tage\tdivision\tof\tModern\tDrummer's\tworld-\twide \"Undiscovered\tDrummer\"\tcontest\tand\tsoon\tafter\ttoured\twith\tlegendary trumpeter\tMaynard\tFerguson\tin\this\tBig\tBop\tNouveau\tBand.\t\"Louis\tis\twithout a\tdoubt\tone\tof\tthe\tmost\texciting\tnew\tyoung\tdrummers\ton\tthe\tscene.\tHe\tis dedicated\tto\this\tcraft\tand\tI\tlook\tforward\tto\twatching\tthe\tprogress\tof\this career!\"\t-\tMaynard\tFerguson. Since\tthen,\tLou\thas\tgone\ton\tto\twork\twith\tsome\tof\tthe\tindustry's\tfinest\tartists, such\tas\tJohn\tBenitez,\tAdam\tNitti,\tAlex\tAcuña,\tLuis\tConte\tand\tmore. Latin\tand English\tCCM\tartists\tsuch\tas\tMarco\tBarrientos,\tRaul\tSanchez,\tChristine D’clario,\tLamar\tBoschman,\tJeff\tDeyo,\tNatalie\tGrant,\tAnthony\tEvans,\tSeventh Day\tSlumber,\tand\tmany\tmore. In\taddition\tto\tperformance,\tLou\thas\ta\tpassion\tfor\tteaching.\tHe\thas\tbeen\ta successful\tmasterclass\tclinician,\tinspiring\tand\tinfluencing\tdrummers\tof\tall ages\tboth\tin\tEurope\tand\tthe\tUnited\tStates.\tHighlighted\tin\tModern\tDrummer Magazine,\tLou\tsays\this\tgoal\tis,\t\"To\tbecome\ta\tbetter\tperson\tand\tdrummer\tthan I\twas\tyesterday.\tI\tsincerely\tbelieve\tthat\tmusic\tboth\tinspires\tand\tspeaks\tto people.\tI\tpray\tthat\tmy\tdrumming\tdoes\tthe\tsame.” In\t2008,\tLou\tlaunched\t99centdrumlessons.com\twhich\twas\tthe\tfirst\tof\tits kind.\tThe\tsite\tconsisted\tof\tonline\tdrumming\tlessons\twhich\taveraged\tbetween 15-20\tminutes\tin\tlength\tbeing\tsold\tfor\t$0.99.\tDespite\tits\tinstantaneous success,\tLou\twould\tlater\ttake\tthe\tsite\tdown\tas\ta\tsacrifice\tin\thopes\tto reintroduce\tit\tupon\tcompletion\tof\ta\tlarger\tvision\tdespite\tknowing\the\twould lose\tprimary\tonline\t“real-estate”.\tThe\tbigger\tvision\twas\tto\tincorporate medicine\twith\tdrumming. Despite\tnot\tbeing\ttaken\tseriously,\tLou\tbelieved\tin his\tvision\tand\tbegan\tthe\tjourney\tto\tbecome\ta\thealth\tcare\tprovider. In\t2010,\tLou\tbegan\this\tundergraduate\tstudies\tin\tBiomedical\tSciences. He graduated\tSumma\tCum\tLaude\tin\t2013.\tWhile\tawaiting\tacceptance\tto\ta program\tin\tPhysician\tAssociate\tStudies,\tLou\twas\tcalled\tto\ta\tseven-month\ttour with\tSeventh\tDay\tSlumber. Lou\twas\taccepted\tand\tattended\tCUNY\tSchool\tof Medicine\tand\tgraduated\tMagna\tCum\tLaude\tin\tJanuary\t2019. 2 Present\tDay Currently,\tLou\tis\ta\tbusiness\towner,\teducator,\tand\tprovider\tin\tseveral\tareas with\tthe\tfoundations\tbeing\tin\tboth\tmusic\tand\tmedicine.\tThey\tare\tthe following: 1.) 99centdrumlessons.com\thas\treturned\tand is\testimated\tto\tmake\ta\tfull\tlaunch\tsummer\tof 2023.\t 2.) MusicianMed.com\tis\tanother\tbusiness\tentity\tLou\tcreated alongside his physician mentor\tand\tclinical\tanatomy professor\tto\thelp\tbring\tpreventive medicine\tefforts\tto\ta\tsignificantly uninsured\tpopulation,\this\tmusician brothers\tand\tsisters.\tLou\tlooks to\tprovide a\tweb-based\tplatform\tthat\twill\tprovide preventative\tmedical\teducation\tin\tlayperson\tterms\tby\tway\tof\tvideo\tstreaming lessons.\tLou\tlooks\tto\tprovide\taffiliation opportunities\twith\this\tendorsee\tfamily\tfirst\tbefore\toffering\taffiliation\tto surrounding\tcompanies. 3.) Up until very recently, Lou\tpracticed\trural\tmedicine\tin\tthe\tremote villages of\tAlaska\tproviding\tmedical\tcare\tto the\tNative\ttribes.\tPrior tothis\tLou\tpracticed Emergency\tand\tUrgent\tCare Medicine\tin\tNYC and\twas\ton the\tfrontlines\tduring\tthe COVID-19\tpandemic.