Joshua Foster decided to pursue a career in music after graduating from Fort Worth’s Southwest High School. His passion has taken him to perform with artists such as Snoop Dogg and Mariah Carey. (Courtesy photo | Joshua Foster)

For Joshua Foster, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

As the son of two musicians, Foster remembers feeling drawn to create music since he was a baby. Stories from his childhood involved Foster trying to make a beat, tapping away at things within arm’s reach. One memory he fondly recalls is his parents ordering extra straws for him to use as drumsticks when his family would go out to eat, the ketchup bottle often being the drum.

The now-28-year-old Fort Worth native has spent the last decade making a name for himself in the music industry. Since graduating from Southwest High School, Foster has gone on to perform on tours with artists like Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg and Tyler Perry.

Today, Foster reflects on his musical journey and seeks ways to help younger musicians through a drumming program.

“I didn’t choose music, music chose me,” Foster said.

In high school, he traded in his straws for drumsticks and began honing his craft. He signed up for classes such as music design, marching band and his personal favorite: jazz band.

Adam Kramer, director of Southwest High School’s jazz ensemble, said he remembers being impressed with Foster’s musical talents early on. Foster was able to participate in the all-state jazz band as a sophomore and moved on to enter a higher-level jazz camp based in California as a senior.

“He was one of, I want to say, maybe three or four drummers in the country that went to that (camp) before his senior year,” Kramer said. “That was a great accomplishment because not many kids get to do that.”

All of those classes deepened Foster’s passion for making a career in music. After graduating from Southwest High School in 2015, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston.

In college, Foster would spend four days out of the week playing at bars and clubs to get his name out there. His efforts eventually landed him his first big gig touring with Snoop Dogg in 2018, the same year he graduated from Berklee.

From there, Foster’s career took off. He would later tour with Tyler Perry in 2019 and 2020. Foster has also been a part of Mariah Carey’s Christmas Tour since 2022.

Foster remembers looking to his mentors, one of them being his dad, for guidance. He learned early on how much weight reputation carries within the music industry.

His attitude and mindset when playing with multiple artists over time is what he believes helped him create a reputation for being talented and reliable.

“Your reputation matters more than being able to play or whatever the job entails,” Foster said. “How people feel about you as a person, as a human being, is going to carry you further than being able to play the gig itself.”

Looking ahead, Foster said he plans to continue pursuing a career in music. But he also is looking for ways to give back.

One of Foster’s projects this year involves releasing a program for young students who aspire to become drummers. The program is set to release over the summer, he said.

“I’m proud that I’m from Fort Worth. I’m proud of our campus (at) Southwest,” Foster said. “And now on a professional level, I’m getting to put that to the forefront and I’m letting everyone know it.”

Daniel Davila and Mateo Perez are students at Southwest High School. This story was produced as part of Sandra Sadek and Marissa Greene’s Report for America service project.