Meet Forrest Raup | Freelance Studio & Live Drummer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Forrest Raup and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Forrest, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Being a freelance drummer is not a stable job that has consistent reliability or any sort of safety net. You may have weeks that are packed to the brim with work, and others where you might not get any calls at all. The way to get more work in this field is all about connections. The more you have, the more work you will get. Therefore you have to be aware that every gig or job you get has the potential to lead to other connections and opportunities, and you must treat all of them that way, whether it’s a lousy bar gig, or a large scale production with a notable act. If you do that, more opportunities will naturally unveil themselves. Putting your best effort into making every project sound as best as it can is a priority, but it’s the other values that go into any job that are maybe equally important, like showing up on time, being trustworthy, coming prepared, and being easy to work with and get along with. If you do all of those things, people will want to work with you. I think putting value in to those aspects is one of the most important factors that has led to the opportunities that have come my way.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I was lucky enough to get some real world experience in the industry from an early age. When I was 11 I joined a band with a couple other kids my age and we got picked up by a manager in Boulder who worked with some notable national acts. That supplied me with some musical opportunities that I otherwise would not have had at that early of an age, and I loved it. Since then, I’ve kind of had a one track mind in terms of being a professional drummer. My idea of what that looks like and means has obviously shifted and been reshaped and will probably continue to do so along the way. But as of now, I’m really thankful that I’ve been able to turn my passion into something I can do as a job, and I can only hope that it continues to be sustainable in the future.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well options are obviously a lot more limited in Covid times. Park hangs are essential these days. Cheeseman I suppose is my favorite in Denver so we’d have to have some gatherings there. If this friend loves ramen as much as I do I would take them to Uncle for sure. There’s a brand new spot in town called Number 38 that is bringing live music back in a great and safe way, so I’d take them to a show there. We’d obviously have to go on a hike to give them the full Colorado experience. I’d probably take them somewhere in Boulder for that.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m gonna shout out Billy Hoke at the Boulder Drum Shop! The Boulder Drum Shop is where I started taking lessons as a little kid, and the owner there, Billy, was extremely supportive and helpful to me from a very young age and continues to be to this day. I don’t think I would be where I am today if it weren’t for the support from him early on in my journey.

Website: forrestraup.com
Instagram: @forrest_raup
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forrest.raup/

Image Credits
in order of appearance on previous page: Drew Carlson, John Mourlas, Holden Kudla, John Mourlas, Holden Kudla