Interview with musician Andrew Naranjo

By MARY ELLEN KALUZA

I first heard drums from Andrew’s house last year. I was able to follow his progress through the walls and am very impressed. It’s clear that he loves the drums! In the four years his family lived across the street, I got to know Andrew as a very cool and interesting person. I really appreciate the breadth of his interests.

How old are you? What class are you in?

I’m 11 and going to 6th grade.

Describe your art or interests.

Drum and football.

What prompted you to get into the drums? When did you start?

I’ve seen people do it on music videos and in church. It looked cool, so I’m trying it. I started a year ago. I love it. When I play the drums, it makes me happy and you can do whatever you want.

And football?

There is a football team at my school. I wanted to try it from kindergarten. I like playing it because I have a lot of friends who cheer me on when I play. It’s fun but it’s very hard work. Football is over now, but we’ll start again in the fall. We play at Peavey Park and at my house.

Do you have a favorite place where you like to practice the drums?

My drums are in the basement, so that’s where I play. We have a group with my cousin, my mother and my sister. We practice in the basement. We try to do it twice a week when it’s not too busy, like with school.

Is there a type of music that you like to play?

I like to play any type of music. Rock and pop. I like to listen to music with drums.

Do you have any favorite musicians?

Toby Mac and For King & Country.

And football?

I admire Javier Hernández with LA Galaxy, Lionel Messi with Paris Saint-Germain FC and Cristiano Ronaldo with the Portugal national football team. I watch a lot of football. I did a project at school on Javier Hernández.

Do you have a mentor or a teacher?

For the drums, I had a teacher, Mr. Smith, who came to my house to teach me. Now he is a drum teacher at my school. And my football coach is Coach Tim, the father of one of my best friends.

What other interests do you have?

Basketball. I really like geography and history. I like learning about them because I think they are interesting.

Do you have anything else to share with Alley readers?

I really like Legos. I want to be an architect. I love designing buildings with Legos. I also really like puzzles.

The drum is the oldest and most used musical instrument by humans. It seems natural that Andrew is also very fond of history, geography and architecture. Add to that a love of football and basketball, and you have a well-rounded person like Andrew!