Drummer for Beneath The Current, Alex Sharrow gives us the inside scoop on his music, school, and how to make it. As a current Penn State University Park student and Behrend Alum, he went from a Behrend Lion to a Nittany Lion. I guess his dreams were just too big for our small campus!
Graduating Year: 2017
Major: Biological Engineering
So, you’re in a band! Tell me about that.Well, we are called Beneath The Current and we’re from Kittanning, Pennsylvania. We play Metalcore, as well as acoustic renditions of our original music. We have six members total. I play the drums, but we also have guitar, bass, and vocals.
We actually have a lot of cool shows coming up. On October 6th, we played with a band called I See Stars and in November we play with ICE NINE KILLS. We’ve also played with The Animal in Me, Affiance, and The Convalescence, which is cool because they are all famous touring groups. We have a CD called “Obstacles,” and a music video coming soon! We play primarily in Pittsburgh, but we are starting to spread to Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, and New York. Our goal is to start touring by next summer, and it’s a strong possibility!
That’s awesome! What made you interested in playing drums? How long have you been playing?I’ve been playing for about six years. My family has always been into music, my grandfather was a music teacher and a piano tuner, and my dad played in bands for most of his life and did some producing as well. He can play every instrument except drums, so I decided I would try them! I bought a kit, started to teach myself, and fell in love with it.
Did you ever take lessons?I took lessons for about two months when I first bought the kit, but then I decided to just go for it on my own.
Cool! Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? What’s your major?Well, I’m a Biological Engineering focusing in Natural Resource Engineering. I’ve interned with the United States Arm Corp of Engineers (USACE) as a natural resource manager.
What’s your dream job, then?My dream job would be to become a professional musician! But from a technical standpoint, I want a full-time engineering position with the USACE in either the Northwestern Division or the Europe Division.
What do your hobbies include, aside from music?Hmmm, my other hobbies… I love to study history. I’m actually picking up a history minor. I’m also really into fitness so I spend a lot of time lifting, riding bikes, and hiking.
Do you have any advice to aspiring musicians?Persistence. It takes time, dedication, and work. Bands don’t magically become great over night. It takes time to become a truly cohesive group. Also, be bold. If you like a band, try to contact them. Get to know people; a band is like a business. The music industry is just as much about networking and marketing as it is writing good music. You could write amazing music, but without putting yourself out there, nobody will ever hear it!
To find out more about Alex and his band, follow them on:
Instagram: @btcurrentofficial
Twitter: @BeneathCurrent
Facebook: Beneath the Current
Personal Instagram: @Alexsharrow