If Tim Kirkland had entered the world before the advent of the written word, legend may have told of a baby boy born with tapered sticks in his hands and a pulsing rhythm in his feet. He feels more at home behind a drum set than he does virtually anywhere else. It was as if he was meant to play them.
“I didn’t choose the drums. The drums chose me,” Kirkland said. “The deep desire to play came from God. My mom tells me I had wooden spoons, and I was beating on the pots, the pans, the pillows, the couch, my legs, whatever. The Lord blessed me with the gift of drums. I started playing when I was about 4—in church, of course.”
One of two sons born to Veronica Hardy, Kirkland found himself surrounded by artistic relatives. From his brother, Victor Kirkland, and his aunt, Valerie Bentley, to his cousins, Ansley Bentley, Armahni Clark and Annah Clark, talented musicians and vocalists seemed to be everywhere he turned. Far from a one-man band, Kirkland fit right in. Now 28, he still attends services where he learned to embrace the Christian faith and got his start as a drummer: New Hope Baptist Church in Covington.
“Twice out of the month, I’m there,” Kirkland said. “It’s my home church. My family’s there. Two other Sundays out of the month, I tend to visit [other churches] just to see what other musical opportunities I can take part in while growing spiritually in my walk with Jesus.”
"The drums chose me." — Tim Kirkland
A Newton High School alum and graduate of the Atlanta Institute of Music, Kirkland shares his passion for percussion through lessons he provides at McKibben Music in Covington and Music & Arts in Conyers. His chance conversation with Mack McKibben—longtime owner of the aforementioned McKibben Music on The Square—opened the door to unforeseen possibilities.
“I would go in the store just for basic things,” Kirkland said, “and he asked me what I was doing one day, because he’d seen me play drums before. I told him, ‘I’m just playing at church and getting ready to go to music school.’ He said, ‘Well, you go to music school, [and] when you come back, come see me.’” McKibben’s advice struck a chord. “I went to music school, graduated and came back to see him, and he was like, ‘Hey, I’ve got a job opportunity for you,’” Kirkland said. “No interview. No application needed. Just boom, right there, and we started working.”
Word soon spread. Kirkland estimates he currently has 40-50 clients that range in age from PreK students to senior citizens in their 70s. Sessions start at 30 minutes but can extend well beyond an hour. The experience allows Kirkland to view music through a mentor’s lens.
“When they bring a song that they love and we’re able to work through the parts and it makes sense for them and that light bulb goes off, just to see the looks on their faces, see that they’re learning, it’s a great feeling for me, especially knowing that it’s not necessarily me,” he said. “It’s the Lord that gave me the gift, and now He’s working through me to give it to other people. That’s the most inspirational part for me.” Kirkland’s students adore him and rave about his approach. Sophie Mitchell, a junior at Social Circle High School and confessed grunge music aficionado, has taken lessons from him for almost three years. “He’s fun to be around,” she said. “He explains the fundamentals in a way I really understand. He also lets me bring my favorite songs to learn. I’ve really improved drum rudiments and my ability to do drum fills.”
Drums provide a welcomed outlet for Kirkland on a personal level, too.
“I’m at an age where it’s time to start moving on with things,” he said. “Sometimes, with the pressures of life and the outside noise and distractions, drums are almost like a refuge for me. If everything falls apart, I can still go back behind my instrument, and nothing else matters but serving the Lord. Nothing else matters but me practicing and putting my heart and my passion into the instrument, especially when I’m worshipping at church or the other times when I get to go out and play. That’s where I get to let it out. Drums have been a safe space for me my entire life, but now more than ever before.”
Kirkland believes God will use his talents elsewhere in the years to come, as he strives to one day drum professionally as a means to share both his abilities and his faith.
“Faith without works is dead,” he said. “As an aspiring musician, I have to put that faith into action. I’ve got to step out and be OK getting uncomfortable. God has blessed me. I’ve got friends and family—people in my corner who I can reach out to and ask questions. I’ve just got to get uncomfortable.” Pieces have already started to fall into place. “I’ve got to set some time aside to actually dive deep into it,” Kirkland said. “I’m in a season of growth and expectation, and standing and acting on faith will move me into the position I’m called to be in.”
