All of my students today were incredible! Granted, some of them hadn’t had much practice time, but the lessons went great regardless. Everybody seemed very focused and willing to put in their best energy during their drum lesson. Each lesson was...
Read moreTuning Drums
I like my drums to sound good and I try to tune them after setting up at a gig. This means that I try to to get to a gig in plenty of time to not only set up, but to accomplish the tuning task as well. It’s not always possible for me to “make
Read moreMicrophones
Recently, I bought some new and used microphones for Gregory Tech Drum Center. I will be recording some examples of the different models — also known as a “shoot out.” I can’t wait to see how different the drums will sound with some new stuff. My...
Read moreStanton Moore!
I had the pleasure of seeing a Stanton Moore drum clinic today at The Boulder Drum Shop. This was big fun! Stanton has a great energy and seems to love talking and playing drums. His handout “Take It To The Shed!” will be something I’ll be going...
Read moreStaying Positive
I have found a great way to feel good and stay positive – practice and play my drums! This has rarely failed. I may be having a normal day or even a not so great day, but playing my drums always helps. The physicality of it and also the mental...
Read moreKeep Swinging!
I always get a thrill when one or more of my bandmates gives me “that look” while I’m playing. This usually happens when the rhythm section has locked into a nice swingin’ groove and it just feels good! I tend to like the approach of letting it...
Read moreWhat’s Cookin’
I have the privilege of playing drums for a 10-piece big band called Whats Cookin’. This is a high energy band performing original charts of jazz standards, blues and fusion featuring many of Denver’s finest musicians. Currently, we play the...
Read morePlaying Fast
Many students — beginners to the more advanced players — want to learn how to play fast around the drums. It has been my experience that I have to first have a certain amount of endurance before I can attempt a faster tempo. In order to play a...
Read moreMaster Drummer DVD
I have owned John Riley’s DVD “The Master Drummer — How to Practice, Play and Think Like a Pro” for some time now. I haven’t worked on this material in a while, but while teaching recently I wanted to share part of the “Groove” section with one...
Read moreTime to Rebrand
Hi all! Now that my studio has transformed from a really cool high-tech teaching studio to a full-blown recording studio, I am asking for help in renaming (rebranding) my studio. Gregory Tech Drum Center is the current name, but only really...
Read moreSetting Goals
I have found that it’s been a great thing for me to set goals. Last year, I set a goal to upgrade my studio in an effort to expand on what I can offer potential clients. My studio went from a really cool high-tech teaching studio to a full-blown...
Read moreLocking in the hi-hat
I have found recently that I am becoming more aware of the hi-hat and how it “should” sound. I think, in the past, that I’ve tended to not notice if it’s exactly with my “2 & 4” (with my snare drum, e.g.). It seems that the simpler I play...
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