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Personal Profile-Joachim Dölker

I have been told that I already showed a great fascination for rhythmic music when I was only two years old.
Apparently, I loved to follow the marching bands, and I was clapping and pounding enthusiastically when they played at the parades in my home town, so my parents say.

From my own recollection I remember that I used to grab buckets, pots and lids and basically everything from the household that I could use to make noise, and then I holed up in my room and beat the drums.
Back then I performed with The Sweets, Slade, T. Rex and Nazareth and many other musicians from that era. 
I was only a child and obviously the musicians I played with were only a sound from the radio but I took these performances seriously and performed with a great deal of passion. 

A passion that I could never really feel for the weekly piano lessons which I had to take. 

As it became obvious that I wanted to play the drums and nothing else, my parents got me my first real drum set. I was 13 at that point and I immediately wanted to be a big shot like Ian Paice from Deep Purple, John Bonham from Led Zeppelin and Keith Moon from The Who –Of course, I wanted too much too soon. But even if I could not keep up with them, they became my idols who piqued my curiosity and inspired me.So did Simon Phillips, Terry Bozzio and many other great drummers.They also made me realize how high the bar is set!My biggest idol was probably Frank Zappa who I soon considered my musical mentor. I admired his outstanding musical performance and creation,his unconventional sense of humor and creativityin verbal and physical expression. I had great idols and even greater goals. But I must admit that it took me some years to work up the courage to let out the authentic and cheeky (Zappa-like) musician in me.At the age of 22 I quit my law studies
and chose to become a drummer,whatever it takes.
That was a big step and sometimes it was a lot to take in,
personally and professionally. 
But somehow I made it work.

At the age of 30 I founded my first percussion group with two very talented music students. We were called the ‘Exhausted Groove Orchestra’ (EGO) but we were nothing even close to exhaustion, we had just got started.
CHECK OUT THE VIDEOS OF ‘EGO’ BELOW!!!

Long before there was ‘stomp’, we had discovered our passion to perform with percussion music. We gave explosive percussion shows all over Germany and Europe, with inappropriate costumes and unconventional choreographies – and it was much fun.
With this act we also got booked to perform on TV
and we won two international Kleinkunst (art) awards,
and most importantly we gained followers
and inspired our fans.

At that point of my career I knew that I had found the place where I belong. 

I feel at home in the world of music and rhythm. 

After EGO I started performing with bands like The SCORPIONS, Snowy White, Tommy Schneller and Transylvania Phoenix, and I gained a lot of experience. 

In 2007 I started working as a ‘Groove Trainer’ at a Music College and a few years later I founded a new percussion group with eight students. With this new ensemble called ‘Groove Onkels feat. Tante’ I was back into the mad and fantastic world of percussion performance. 

For me personally, it’s always been and still is the greatest joy and fulfillment to inspire people with my enthusiasm for music and rhythm, and it makes me happy to create and spread this musical energy.

And as long as I feel these positives vibes I know that I’m doing the right thing.
Be my guest and share this passion.

Joachim Dölker

Portrait in the Wittlager Kreisblatt, 21.12.13 from Sandra Heick

Exhausted Groove Orchestra 1995 - "Nuts!" Kammerspiele Ansbach

Exhausted Groove Orchestra 1995- "Und ich sach noch!" Kammerspiele Ansbach

Exhausted Groove Orchestra - World Drum Festival 1997, Fabrik Hamburg