Curt Gillins: Rhythm is Life!

When it comes to keeping the rhythm alive in Galveston, Curt Gillins is always on beat! The proud BOI has been bringing percussion to life all over — whether at private gigs or jamming out along the Seawall and The Strand. For Curt, drumming isn’t just music — it’s a way of life, and he loves sharing his passion with the community. We sat down with him for an interview with Humans of Galveston. Here’s what he had to say:

Humans of Galveston: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Curt: I was born in Galveston. I graduated from Ball High School. I started playing music, actually in middle school at Central High. Then they transferred us over to Ball High while graduating, and I played a couple of years at Texas Southern. I've been playing percussions ever since. I never started. Percussions is a part of my life. I lived in Los Angeles, California, for 40 years. I played out there, lived in New York for a year, played in New York, studied in New York and LA as a percussionist, and it's been with me. When. I got back to Galveston in 2006, and I retired in 2017, but I would never retire from music.

Humans of Galveston: What was your line of work?

Curt: I've done many different things. A jack of all trades, master of none. I worked as a pipefitter for Todd Shipyard for 10 years. I worked for the airlines for 10 years. That was one of the greatest jobs of my life. I got to travel pretty much around the world. And I worked as a plumber, as a plumber’s helper, and I did lots of trade jobs. I retired in 2020 and I'm still playing music ‘til the day I die.

Humans of Galveston: So what brings you back to the rhythm?

Curt: Oh, I never left the rhythm. Rhythm is universal. The drum is universal. The world evolves in rhythm. We walk in rhythm. So I never left the rhythm. Whether you know it or not, you walk in rhythm. Every day is rhythm. You live in rhythm. You get up, you go to sleep in rhythm. Rhythm is life.

Humans of Galveston: But you don't keep the rhythm to yourself.

Curt: You share it with kids who are walking by and they want to join you. I have to share it. It was given to me by the ancestors. And master drummers gave it to me, passed it on to me. So it's my duty to pass it on to other people.

Humans of Galveston: I understand that you arrange trips to South Africa.

Curt: Oh yes, I've traveled to South Africa many times. Out of the 14 trips I've gone, I've paid for 12 of them and two were sponsored by people who wanted a guided tour of the Motherland. I've also traveled to West Africa, but South Africa is my love.

Humans of Galveston: So if somebody wants to join your trip, what do they need to do?

Curt: Just hit me up. I'm on Facebook. Send me a message. Reach out to me. And I'll be more than glad to take you on a tour of South Africa or West Africa, wherever you’d like to go.

Humans of Galveston: Do you have any closing thoughts that you’d like to share?

Curt: My closing words to share with the world is you're never rich until you realize you’ve got something that money can't buy. You can have all the money in the world, but you're only rich when you’ve got life’s greatest rewards, like your kids and your family. That’s the measure of true wealth.