Daily Inspiration: Meet Megan Coleman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Coleman.

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?
It all started in Detroit, where I was born. I was an extremely shy child and often experienced extreme anxiety around people, but I was always happy when I was in the presence of live music. Having grown up in a Black church and being fortunate enough to have a mother who often took us to live concerts, I was able to experience some of the best music there was at a very early age.

I was also extremely passionate about Science and Medicine. Even as a child, my plan was always to pursue medicine. I started playing drums when I was in Jr. High, both in the concert band at school and when I was allowed to sit in at church. I didn’t have a drum kit at home to practice on, so I tried to compensate for that by watching videos of live performances over and over until I had memorized the movements. I continued this route throughout high school and began to thrive as a musician under some wonderful mentors.

At the end of high school, I was accepted to a pre-med program but at the very last minute, I decided instead to go to a Bible College in Texas to study Theology. While this was definitely a path I did not intend to take, I learned so much in the process-mostly about myself. After completing this program, I set my sights again towards medicine and went to two schools at the same time to do my nursing pre-requisites. Though I had always loved music and had grown so much as a drummer, I never had any real desire to pursue music as a career. In the midst of my nursing pursuits, I decided that I would at least give myself a chance to try doing music full time. I auditioned at a music school and didn’t get in, so instead, I moved to Nashville.

I was extremely fortunate to have met and played with some incredible people within my first year or so there. These connections would pave the way for so many open doors. After about a year and a half in Nashville, I moved to Palestine and then Jordan to study Arabic. I was also fortunate to play in several local bands that played a variety of jazz, rock, and traditional Arabic music. Living in the Middle East was one of the most transformative things that I’ve ever done and I am a better person for the lessons I learned there.

After three years, I moved back to Nashville due to the fact that I’d been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. There, I underwent chemotherapy for several months. Somehow I managed to muster up enough energy during this time to continue to play drums at church as well as the occasional show. I do believe that it was doing so that gave me the push to get through such an overwhelming time.

A couple of months after finishing chemo, I started working as a refugee case worker, where I was able to use the Arabic that I’d learned as well as help so many others from various countries. I’m really grateful to have seen the process that these brave people go through and I’m thankful for the lessons it taught me.

After leaving that job, I hit the ground running with doing full-time music again and the rest is history.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
If it were a smooth road there would be no stories to tell, would there? Definitely one of the biggest battles was dealing with the cancer diagnosis and the trauma surrounding that. I think often about the many friends that I’ve lost to cancer and they fuel me to keep going when I feel like I’ve run out of steam.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Drumming is definitely what I’m most known for. In the past few years, I also started DJING, which has been such a fun pursuit. I am proud of my ability to adapt to various situations and to excel in all of them. I think what sets me apart from others is my approach to music and playing. Since I didn’t study music in the traditional sense, I rely almost fully on instincts- I think this helps me to play from the heart instead of the cerebral.

What were you like growing up?
Like I mentioned before, I was an extremely shy child. I’m ever grateful for my mother who saw this and didn’t allow me to retreat inward. She often made me do things in front of people, like recite chapters of scripture, join choirs, participate in summer programs, etc. These things were the beginning of me learning to push myself to do things outside of my comfort zone.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: [email protected]

Image Credits
Nikki Campbell and Mya Burn Ray Jacildo.