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The Photo Issue 2023: Cory Sharp

principal architect, FEH Design

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Tell us a little about your hobby.

In my spare time I play drums in a local cover band named Plastic Apartment. We cover a wide range of genres but focus primarily on โ€™90s alternative and modern country music. Itโ€™s a great little change-of-pace hobby where I can relieve some stress, play some fun tunes, and hang out with good friends. Being a heavy-hitting drummer may be something that causes my bandmates grief (and potential hearing loss), but I consider it a key identifier of who I am and the energy in which I approach life.


Photos by Duane Tinkey


When did this hobby start for you?

Iโ€™ve always been a noisemaker, so when growing up it was natural that I wanted to become a drummer. After a few years of piano lessons, I began playing drums around 12 years old โ€“ so Iโ€™ve been making noise for about 23 years now. During my time at Iowa State University, some friends and I assembled a fun-having cover band named Plastic Apartment. Weโ€™ve been playing shows in Ames, Des Moines and all over Iowa for the last 15 years.

Whatโ€™s something this hobby provides you that applies to your job?

As an architect, it takes a team to make a project become a reality. Itโ€™s the same with drums. No one wants to hear someone just hammer away on a hi-hat or kick drum. It takes an entire set of individual sounds to create the effect of a well-formed drum pattern. The same could be said for an entire band. It takes a true taste of each instrument to create a beautiful piece of music. Itโ€™s the main reason I enjoy collaborating with teams in my professional career at FEH Design, but also that same teamwork produces the fun vibes we create as a band.

Tell us a tip or fun fact about your hobby.

The technical term for the seat that the drummer sits on is called a throne. That makes a drummer the king of the band, right?

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Nicole Grundmeier

Nicole Grundmeier is a staff writer and copy editor for Business Record. She covers womenโ€™s issues as well as other human interest stories.

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