Big things come in small packages and that couldn’t be more truthful for six-year-old Avery Molek of Washington, PA – better known as Avery Drummer. After a Youtube video of his performance of “Hot for Teacher” caught the nation’s attention, little Avery has had a whirlwind of shows – including a recent performance on stage with country music superstar, Brad Paisley, this past weekend at First Niagara Pavilion.
“It was just really cool,” said Avery Molek. “I loved rockin’ with him. I liked how big the crowd was and how they were cheering for us.”
“His first words were ‘that was so cool mom!’ then he was trying to hurry me back to our seats because he didn’t want to miss the rest of the show,” said Liz Molek, Avery’s mother. “I don’t [think] he had time to think about the whole experience until we were driving home and then he talked my ear off about everything that went on that day.”
This wasn’t the first time Avery met Brad on the stage – on April 12 Brad invited Avery to perform with him on “Good Morning America.” The experience has led to a plethora of other performances and interviews as the world is captivated by the amazing talent contained in such a young child. Though, while most kids would be terrified of jumping on stage in front of thousands of screaming people, Avery took the stage Saturday night like he was jamming at home in his room.
“Honestly this is hard for even us to comprehend,” said Liz and Ed Molek. “One thing that may have some effect on his stage presence is the fact that we try not to show that we are nervous which is really difficult. We don’t make a big deal of the magnitude of things and we certainly don’t ever ask him if he is nervous.”
Despite the overwhelming success of their elementary school son, his parents – Liz and Ed – have tried to keep his life as normal as possible and have even turned down several opportunities so Avery didn’t get “burnt out” from the experiences. For Liz, it’s important to keep Avery’s balanced between his overnight success and normal kid activities.
“Balance is so important but not always easy,” said Liz and Ed Molek. “If we let Avery, he would be on the drums singing or listening to music constantly. A child needs development in all aspects of their lives including school and play. He is just like any other six-year-old in that he likes to play video games, watch TV and hang out with his friends; his favorite ‘toy’ just happens to be the drums.”
So many might wonder why Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” was his song of choice. According to his mother, like all musicians it’s all about the “feeling.”
“We let Avery pick what songs he wants to learn and do covers of,” said Liz and Ed Molek. “There are so many popular songs that we have played for him that he just doesn’t ‘feel.’ He can’t really put it into words what that feeling is but ‘Hot for Teacher’ is one of the many songs that he loves to play. At the age of 6, we think it’s important for him to truly like what he is playing.”
Though a rock n’ roll fan at heart, after the experience with Paisley, Avery has been slowly converting over to a love of country and even pop.
“Before meeting Brad, he really had no idea who Brad Paisley was now he loves so many of his songs,” said Liz and Ed Molek. “He says ‘Brad can really rock out.'”
After Saturday night’s performance, we haven’t seen the last of Avery Drummer. His star power is unstoppable, making him a great role model for kids everywhere. While his family has no idea where his success may lead him, he hopes to one day share the stage with one certain classic rock icon.
“Avery enjoys sharing the stage with all musicians, but his dream would be to share the stage with KISS someday,” said Liz and Ed Molek. “They were the first band that he was drawn to and he continues to admire them.”
Be sure to follow Avery Drummer on Facebook and his website to see all scheduled performances. With the summer just getting started, Avery has a full tour of solo performances and band performances including appearances with Mean Street and Ruff Creek at area festivals and events.