50 years old | Top drummer Sami Kuoppamäki graduated as a social worker – “People are touched in both, striving for the best”

Interview mid drummer Sami Kuoppamäki tastes his nickname for a while. Bump has succeeded him as a father ‘s legacy since childhood. Would that explain a little better about his choices and his current life situation? The nickname when you can also formulate it as a slogan “ku Oppis” as long as you learn.

“Yes, I have always felt the need to develop myself, even though the pace has been slow,” says Kuoppamäki in his newly renovated kitchen in Helsinki.

Behind him for thirty years as a respected and fully employed first-class professional drummer, many rhythmic music styles are easily folded on stages and records.

The latest “ku Oppis” may still surprise you. Kuoppamäki is now also a social worker in the city of Helsinki – more precisely “as an official with official responsibility”. He performs playing gigs selectively, the only regular bands in recent years have been the Von Hertzen Brothers and the Anssi Tikanmäki Orchestra.

“Music will always be a big part of me, even though my professional image is much different today,” says Kuoppamäki.

Suddenly one could assume that the change of full-time sector is somehow related to the corona epidemic and corona restrictions that have plagued the livelihoods of musicians for a year and a half.

Kuoppamäki, who worked as a self-employed freelancer all his adult life, would not be the first to have to develop something else or at least think of alternatives.

But no, it’s not a corona.

Kuoppamäki started studying for a new profession ten years ago and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Helsinki. The main subject was social work.

“The interest in marginal phenomena led to political science, although the purpose of the study was not clear at the beginning. I wanted to educate myself and at the same time missed a new snack from outside my comfort zone, ”explains Kuoppamäki. And so it happened: he is so excited about his new profession and social sciences that he plans to continue his studies.

Kuoppamäe what makes the choice exceptional is that he did not feel that he was routine, hard-working or underemployed as a drummer.

On the contrary, playing with more than thirty years of experience is still just as “joyful” and there has been no shortage of opportunities. Kuoppamäki estimates that there have been about five thousand playing gigs on stages, records, theaters and television studios.

Enthusiasm ignited in rock and especially progerock, but along the way he has played quite a bit more: pop and jazz, percussion and tango, children’s music and film music.

“After all, the world revolves around different rhythm realities. Researching and clarifying them has been an important area of ​​interest for me in a broader sense, in addition to musical rhythms. ”

Kuoppamäe the public career as a drummer began in 1990 straight from the top, at least in retrospect. His first real band was Kingston Wall, a three-musician specializing in psychedelic rock, who gained fame at wild gigs until after three albums tragically running out in 1994, paving the way for his future legend.

“It hit an important milestone in my life, and I’m always proud of the Kingston label,” says Kuoppamäki, who made his first professional recordings as a high school student before Kingston Wall. Ending up as a professional musician was also part of the family: the father had a long career as a double bassist at the National Opera, a mother as a musician and a music teacher.

“I didn’t really think about other possibilities, and I felt that my place was just the plot of a drummer, a set-up drummer.”

Kuoppamäki has never dreamed of his own band and does not particularly like the presence. Even drum solos are most often embarrassing.

“As a drummer, I am above all a composer whose ultimate task is to support others.”

Maybe his career choices, old and new, aren’t so far apart in the end?

“Yes, people are being touched in both: to perform for good, to strive for the best.”

Drummer Sami Kuoppamäki (left), bassist Jukka Jylli and guitarist Petri Walli were the rock band Kingston Wall. The trio released their second album in 1993, the songs of which were somewhat confused by the interpretation of the old disco hit I Feel Love sung by Donna Summer. Picture: Jouko Lehtola