Adam Gust joins Francesca Maximé for a conversation about trauma, healing, and how incorporating the tools of somatic experiencing can help pave a new path in life.
Adam Gust is a Los Angeles based drummer, producer, and educator. Head to his YouTube channel to learn more about Adam and check out his work as a drummer and a teacher.
Trauma and Healing
Francesca welcomes Adam to ReRooted, and they discuss the traumatic incident that changed the course of Adam’s life and career as a drummer. Adam takes us through the process of healing from his trauma, and how discovering somatic experiencing gave him hope and a new path in life.
“I went from feeling like my whole life was just about to happen, to being in bed with both my hands in casts for a few months.” – Adam Gust
Incorporating the Tools of Somatic Experiencing (16:04)
Francesca and Adam explore the work of Bell Hooks and Terry Real, and how they gave Adam a new perspective on patriarchy and hierarchy. Adam talks about how incorporating the tools of somatic experiencing into playing the drums allows him to perform better than ever before. Francesca plays the soundtrack Adam created to accompany her podcast with Dr. Shelly Harrell.
“I can’t believe drummers aren’t talking about embodiment and somatic experiencing, like, of all people!” – Adam Gust
Listen to the full conversation between Francesca Maximé and Dr. Shelly Harrell on ReRooted Ep. 11
Befriending Your Practice (32:20)
Francesca and Adam discuss what inspired him to create that soundtrack. They talk about having compassion for the person you were before your trauma, structural hierarchy in the music business, and Adam’s continuing work with bringing somatic experiencing into the drumming community. Adam shares an exercise from his teaching series, Befriending Your Practice.
“I’ve been really practicing to break these patterns, these tension and movement patterns, and ground the feet.” – Adam Gust
