It's a Monday morning 10 a.m. A tired Paul Wandtke answers his phone after a grueling night behind his drum kit playing with his band, The Sammus Theory.
For Wandtke this day starts in Groveport, Ohio with a morning interview and ends playing a show in Columbus.
"I've always wanted to be able to make a living as a touring musician," says Wandtke, of Romeoville.
And now that he's performing across the country with his band, Wandtke is doing just that.
However, his path toward stardom was not clearly paved. The decision to attend JJC pursuing an associate in arts was one of spontaneity for Wandtke.
"Receiving an education in the arts wasn't always the plan, I just decided to go for it," he recounts.
Wandtke enrolled at Joliet Junior College (JJC) as a full-time student with a focus in percussion. He was taught to read music while also becoming acquainted with a variety of instruments ranging from the piano, guitar, and the marimba. It was that newfound education combined with a foundation in music theory that would start his journey into the world of music.
After receiving his associate in arts from JJC in 2006, Wandtke dove into a professional gig for Carnival Cruise Lines as a show band drummer performing six nights a week.
"I was reading 20 charts a night playing all different styles of music," Wandtke says.
After three months of countless ports and performances, Wandtke made the decision to continue his education by enrolling at the world-renowned Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts.
Wandtke credits JJC for his acceptance into Berklee.
"While at Berklee I was placed into advanced theory classes," he says. "[That's] amazing, considering I didn't even know how to read music prior to JJC."
Craving the performance life again, Wandtke spent hours networking with various management companies, recording companies and numerous bands-one of which was, The Sammus Theory. Wandtke and the band have now been touring since June 2009.
One city at a time, the once aspiring musician is finding his place in the music industry.
"JJC gave me the tools I needed to start off my career," Wandtke says.
Where that career takes him now only the road can tell, but for Wandtke nothing is better than living his dream.
Visit Wandtke's Web site at http://www.paulwandtke.com/.