In a new conversation with Scott Itter of Dr. Music, Testament’s former drummer Gene Hoglan explained why he decided to become a live streamer on Twitch.

The musician said that touring and making albums are what he knows best. He noticed that he needs to keep practicing to play well still. So, when the pandemic broke out, it was a difficult period for him, as he revealed:

“During the pandemic, when that thing hit, I was, like, ‘How am I gonna keep my chops up?’ So, I became a live streamer on Twitch. I essentially started that livestream in order to force myself to get down to the studio on a regular basis because I refer to myself as the legend of lethargy ’cause I’m a lazy dude, man. If I don’t have to do something, I ain’t gonna do it. So you make yourself have to go down and play drums every day.”

Hoglan Had A Streaming Routine

He went on to talk about how streaming on Twitch helped him to keep his chops up:

“So I was streaming for a month straight every single day, or I was streaming, like, four times, five times a week, playing three, four hours of drums. And I utilize drums as cardio, and I utilize weights with drums. I still wear the leg weights, and it’s pretty, pretty well-known concept. I wear leg weights when I play drums, and that’s a great way to keep your muscles going. And I go to the gym, I work out and try to keep my muscles ready to go because as you reach an advanced age, utilize everything you can to give yourself that edge.”

Mike Shinoda Also Entered The Twitch World

Hoglan was not the only musician who started doing live streams on Twitch during the pandemic. Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park also wanted to connect with his audience. In a 2021 chat with Rolling Stone, he explained why it was a good option for him:

“I saw a lot of artists doing live stream performances, and my reaction to that was, immediately, that’s not for me. Number one, I want the experience of watching a show to be very personal. … So what can I make that offers the fans something brand new and different and cool and fun every single day?”

Shinoda even made an album called ‘Dropped Frames, Vol. 1’ using 12 tracks made during these streams. Fans gave input on the songs and art he creates in the live chats.

You can watch Hoglan’s full interview below.