This week, I’m joined by Thomas Waltrich — a drummer, Twitch streamer, educator, and content creator based in Naarm/Melbourne. With a background in jazz and contemporary music from Monash University, Thomas has played across a wide range of genres, from folk and post-rock to punk hardcore and free improvisation. His passion for drumming and creativity is at the heart of everything he does, whether it’s performing, recording, or sharing his journey online.
But Thomas’s story isn’t just about music—he’s also a full-time school teacher and has spent time living overseas, immersing himself in different cultures, learning languages, and taking part in skill exchanges that have shaped his perspective on music and life. We talk about how those experiences influenced his creative approach, as well as the challenges of moving to a new city and rebuilding connections from scratch.
We also dive into leading a music project, navigating social media as a musician (including his work in Instagram drumming and Twitch streaming), and balancing a full-time job with the pursuit of a music career. Thomas shares how his relationship with music has evolved over time—including stepping away and coming back—and what it means to create for passion rather than expectation.
There’s a lot of trying and a lot of challenges, but also plenty of insight, creativity, and inspiration in this conversation. If you're a musician figuring out how to balance multiple pursuits, this one is for you!
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.