Highlights
- A. R. Pritish, an 11-year-old boy from Sydney, has broken the Guinness World Record for 'most drumbeats in a minute using drumsticks'
- His record of 2,370 drumbeats in a minute equates to 39.5 beats per second
- 'Practice will make you perfect': Pritish says he practiced for four hours every day for seven months to break the record
Pritish, who is of Tamil origin, says he is "happy and excited" to have beaten the record for "most drumbeats in a minute using drumsticks" previously held by Siddarth Nagarajan, another Tamil of Chennai, India.
The 11-year-old's record-breaking feat equates to 39.5 beats per second, and comes one year after he passed the highest level (Grade 8) drums exam at Trinity College London.
Pritish’s parents, Arti and Rajesh Kumar, tell SBS Tamil they did all they could to encourage their son musically from a tender age.
In fact, mother Arti reckons her son's interest in music goes back even further.
The qualified IT professional recalls that when she was pregnant with Pritish she would notice her unborn child responding to particular rhythms.
Pritish had his first experience playing on a real drum kit at the age of five and has been hooked ever since.
A.R. Pritish with his family after claiming the Guinness World Record. Source: Supplied
“You use both hands and feet to play the drums. Most other instruments don’t demand that,” Pritish says.
"I will walk into a room or see an instrument and suddenly feel the urge to play music."
'Practice will make you perfect'
The world record has been particularly well received by Pritish's fellow students and teachers at school in Sydney.
The keen student, who says mathematics is his favourite subject, attributes his success to dedication and hard work.
“My advice [to others] is to practice, practice, practice. Practice will make you perfect,” he says.
It took seven months of practicing four hours per day, before and after school, for Pritish to write his name in the record books. And even now that the record is his, he says he plans to keep up this routine.
'Butterflies'
Pritish officially broke the record on 16 December 2021.
The drumbeats were measured using a drumomoter and also recorded by sound engineers using a pressure-sensitive microphone to ensure accuracy.
On the day of the attempt, Pritish says he got "butterflies" in his stomach when he saw the set-up and all the people gathered around his drum set.
Pritish with his Guinness World Records certificate Source: Supplied, Arti Raj
However, he felt relief once the minute was up and there was applause to notify him that he had indeed broken the record.
The full spectrum of Pritish's talents with the drumsticks are on display on his YouTube channel which features more than a hundred videos.
Pritish, who receives guidance from a local drum instructor, is also learning how to play mridangam, a classical Tamil instrument.
Mridangam, unlike drums, is played with bare hands. Pritish says he does not find it difficult to switch between Eastern and Western instruments. The beat is in him irrespective of the style.
“My teachers are my inspirations. Both push me to exceed my own limits and to learn more complex drumming,” he says.
'Total support'
Pritish's younger sister, Shreya, is following her brother on a musical journey.
The six-year-old is learning to play Indian classical music on the keyboard.
When asked whether either of their children are eyeing off further world record attempts, both Arti and Rajish say nothing has been planned yet.
“However, if they want to attempt any, we will give them our total support,” Arti says.
A. R. Pritish first played the drums when he was just five years old. Source: Supplied, Arti Raj
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