Fulfills dream of becoming drummer

Published June 29th, 2008

By Nicol Jenkins
Special to the News
 
Mika Fineo was born with a musical gift, but he never imagined he’d be playing alongside his idols.
However, his dream of playing drums for the alternative band, Filter, came true.

"Never in a million years," says 26-year-old Fineo of his new found luck of getting a full-time gig rocking out with the well-known band. "I had all their albums and played their music all the time."

The South Florida musician still counts his blessings daily in between playing packed stadiums and beating drums for soldiers and fans.
His path to music fame had many bumps in the road. Born into a family of musicians, Fineo followed his father’s footsteps playing the piano. His father was the keyboardist for the 70s group, George McCrae.

"He had just stopped touring when I was born, but I'd still go to a lot of concerts and rehearsals. I kind of took off where he had left off," Fineo said.

At 9, Fineo changed his passion from the piano to drums after his neighbor got a new drum set. "From the first time I sat behind it, I got obsessed with it. It was my new addiction." He continued to play drums in school bands, and after a semester at Palm Beach Community College he decided college wasn’t for him. Then, he began to pursue music full time. He studied under Steve Rucker, who played for the Bee Gees and taught music at the University of Miami. "He taught me everything I needed to know to pave my way for the future of drumming." Fineo also found inspiration playing at Calvary Chapel in Fort Lauderdale.

A little later, he began playing steady gigs at South Florida bars, but at 24 he wasn't where he wanted to be.

"I had enough of the South Florida situation. I had played with all the best musicians and they were still struggling and I was struggling," he said.
Fineo made a decision that would change his musical career- he moved to LA. But with no secured job or connections in the music industry, Fineo hit many break walls. "I was working 12 to 14 hours a day doing construction and then promoting my music. I was burnt out."

Many times, Fineo felt like giving up, but his father and his faith kept him going. Months later, he caught a break. He joined the band, Red Skeleton, which had just landed a record deal with Geffen Records. However, two years in, the record company began dropping bands. Although not breaking the contract with his band, Fineo was wary and kept his options open.

Opportunity One day, an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity knocked. It was almost a year after Red Skeleton recorded the album at Pulse Studios that well-known engineer Ryan Williams and producer Josh Abraham, told him that Filter was looking for a new drummer. Fineo went to the auditions and was immediately asked to be the drummer for Filter. Although Fineo was ecstatic, the news was bittersweet. He was still with Red Skelton and about to release an album.

"I didn't sleep for one week trying to decide what to do. I had put all my sweat and tears into Red Skeleton, but then I also thought how could I walk away from this opportunity," he said. "I decided to go where my heart was."
Fineo chose Filter -- and luckily so since Red Skeleton was dropped from its record deal three days later because Geffen Records merged with another label.

30,000 Soldiers

For six months now, Fineo’s world has been turned upside down with touring and screaming fans. So far his most inspiring fans have been 30,000 soldiers. Filter was part of a concert called Operation MySpace along with Jessica Simpson, the Pussy Cat Dolls and Disturbed, among others.

"It was extremely emotional, but the most amazing thing I have ever done. We lived how they lived and they told us all their stories, about not being able to see their newborns, and watching their best friends die. They wanted to pour their hearts out to us, and we were here to listen," Fineo said.

The trip ties into the theme of the newest album, which is "anti-war, pro-soldier." The song, Soldiers of Misfortune, is about Justin Irely, a soldier who passed away in Iraq, and other soldiers and the war.

"Richard Patrick [Filter’s lead singer] wanted the record to be about something he believes in, not just another relationship album," Fineo said.
A month later while playing a concert in Washington D.C., the band visited a rehabilitation hospital and saw a soldier who was listening to the concert a month earlier in Kuwait. "He had lost his arms and legs and could not hear. But when he saw us he told us that he heard us in Kuwait and that when he got his hearing back he would buy our album. It was eye opening. A month earlier, he was fine and now he had no limbs."

Fineo says he'll never forget his roots and advises other aspiring musicians to give it their best but prepare for a long and bumpy road. "You have to search within yourself and be prepared to live like hell. You'll get beat up, rejected and doors will be shut on you, but keep going," he said.