Skip to main content

Creativity Quote by Travis Barker

"But really, anytime, I play on a practice pad as much as I can"

About this Quote

There is something almost aggressively unglamorous about Travis Barker reducing virtuosity to a slab of rubber. In a culture that wants its musicians to be alchemists - genius struck by lightning, talent as personality - Barker points to the least cinematic tool in the drummer's world: the practice pad. No crowd, no kit, no pyrotechnics, just repetition. The line lands because it punctures rock-star mythology with workman reality, and it does it in Barker's plainspoken way, like he's talking about brushing his teeth.

The intent is practical, but the subtext is a worldview: staying sharp is not a phase, it's a habit. "Anytime" and "as much as I can" read like a lifestyle more than a tip. This is the discipline behind the spectacle, the quiet engine that keeps a player fast, clean, and inventive even when tours, injuries, or real life intervene. A practice pad is portable, low-stakes, and honest; it doesn't let you hide behind volume or adrenaline. If the hands aren't together, the pad tells on you.

Context matters because Barker's brand is hyper-visibility - punk energy, celebrity proximity, a career that lives in public. The quote subtly resists that narrative. It's also a nod to how drummers age in a scene that fetishizes youth: chops are maintained, not owned. Barker isn't selling mystique; he's modeling endurance. The flex isn't that he can play. It's that he keeps practicing when no one is watching.

Quote Details

TopicMusic
SourceHelp us find the source
More Quotes by Travis Add to List
Travis Barker: The Practice Pad and Everyday Discipline
Click to enlarge Portrait | Landscape

About the Author

USA Flag

Travis Barker (born November 14, 1975) is a Musician from USA.

31 more quotes available

View Profile

Similar Quotes

Jimmy Chamberlin, Musician
Jimmy Chamberlin
David Ortiz, Athlete
Herbie Hancock, Musician
Herbie Hancock