Brothers Isaiah, Joshua Tuckett-bond over music

Have you ever imagined what it’s like to live in a house with not one but two drummers?

Well, brothers Isaiah and Joshua Tuckett can confirm things may sometimes get loud.

At their Chaguanas home, the two drummers often spend their spare time battling in drum-offs.

The brothers, who are members of Sui Generis Sound Drumming Academy, in Longdenville, recently spoke with Newsday Kids.

“Sometimes we have drums-off, just for fun, to see who the better player is.

“But, at the end of the day, we are both good and it’s very nice to be able to do that,” said Isaiah, 12.

From as young as the age of two, their parents noticed Isaiah had a feel for drumming.

His first instinct will be to imitate drumming motions on any flat surface he found.

So, their father made a drumming set for Isaiah with different buckets.

“I like the sound of the drums and how there are different variations.

“Sometimes, you can switch up the drumming kit and tune it to your style,” said Isaiah.

Hip-hop, jazz, gospel and reggae are the music genres Isaiah enjoys playing the most on the drums.

Born just a year apart, Isaiah and Joshua have always been close.

So, it’s no surprise Joshua, 11, looked up to his older brother and was inspired to play the drums.

While they have been enrolled in drumming classes, Isaiah has helped Joshua a great deal with special one-on-one practice sessions at home.

But now, as Joshua’s skills continue to improve, the practice sessions have been replaced by drum-offs to determine who’s the better player.

“Sometimes he calls me to a music battle or sometimes I call him. He (Isaiah) wins most of the times, but I always continue to work to better than him,” said Joshua.

Asked how he felt, knowing he inspired Joshua to play the drums, Isaiah said, “I feel very happy that both of us play the same instruments although sometimes we disagree when it comes to who is better.”

While Joshua enjoys drumming, his love is for playing the bass guitar.

“Learning to play the guitar was both easy and hard.

“The easy part of learning the guitar was learning different songs but the hard part was learning the scales,” said Joshua.

On the bass guitar, Joshua likes playing soca and gospel music.

If you know the Tuckett family, you won’t be surprised that Joshua can play the drums and guitar.

In fact, he can also play the keyboard which is a skill Isaiah also shares.

The brothers come from a musical family as their father, Kwame Tuckett, plays the keyboard and guitar while their mother, Marsha, plays the guitar.

“Growing up with a father who’s a musician, we get extra inspiration.

“He always tells us to keep pushing and that playing music can be something life-changing for us in the future,” said Isaiah.

For Kwame, it’s a special feeling to see his sons take up music and bond over it.

Helping them practice, strengthens his relationship with them.

“As a father, it is my duty not only to bring them up spiritually, in the house of the Lord, but to actually give them a skill so that they can pass on to their children.

“I believe it (the music) is a pastime that will help them in the future to continue being disciplined as it helps them to be more productive,” said Kwame.

While they share a lot, the brothers have distinct interests outside of music.

Isaiah is passionate about video editing and is learning the skill online while Joshua likes to create crafts and fix things.

A form one student at Trinity College East, Isaiah isn’t sure what he wants to be when he grows up as yet.

But Joshua, who currently attends Montrose Government Primary School and is preparing to write this year’s SEA exam, wants to be a professional footballer like Argentine star Messi.