I play and teach drums for a living. I am grateful for that. I get the opportunity to play music with great musicians. When teaching, I am blessed to be able to pass on my experiences and knowledge in an effort to help other drummers/musicians...
Read moreStriking a Balance
I have found that it’s not always easy for me to find a balance in life: between the day-to-day stuff; staying healthy (working out); having fun; practicing the drums; teaching; gigging; and whatever else may come along. I always say that...
Read moreTuning Drums
I moved two drum kits in my teaching studio yesterday and neither one of them sounded quite the same as they did before I swapped their positions. Granted, they are now in different places in the same room so the different acoustics account for...
Read moreRecording and Being Open
I was recording today – tracking bass and drums. For some reason, I swapped out snare drums. I took the drum that’s usually to my left (by my hi-hat) and set it up as my main snare drum. I didn’t dig it, but the bass player did!...
Read moreListening to “New” Music
I’m in a phase where I seem to buying a bunch of “new” music to listen to right now. Some of it is relatively new to the market, while most of it has been around for a while. Quite a bit of it is jazz trio stuff. The piano jazz...
Read moreKeep It Simple
I am sometimes amazed at how good something can sound when I keep my drumming simple and to the point. Even when I check out some of the greats, and I hear something that floors me – sometimes it’s so simple! But is it? From a...
Read moreElvin
Happy Birthday to Elvin Jones! I remember a moment upon hearing Elvin Jones on John Coltrane’s “Transition” when I was in college. My roommate had just put on the record (yes, the LP), and I started to listen, really listen...
Read moreNatural Talent
I started playing the drums when I was twelve years-old. I had very little “natural talent.” Basically, everything I can do today on the drum set is because I practiced – a lot. Starting off, I learned snare drum technique, some...
Read moreDeveloping Your Voice
One thing I enjoy is listening to recordings with which I am not familiar, and trying to guess who is on the recording. Many of the great players have developed their own “voice” on their instrument. E.g., when I hear a certain ride...
Read moreSeeing Is Believing
I love going out to hear music. Part of the fun for me is to watch the musicians and the way that they interact with each. One thing in particular that I enjoy, is watching the drummer! It can be so much fun – watching, listening and...
Read moreRunning on Empty
Sometimes, life gets busy between late night gigs, early rehearsals, family commitments, etc. I find that going and going for days on end can be draining and I can feel as if I’m running on empty. I don’t like this feeling, but I have...
Read moreFollow-up to The “Count Off” – Counting a Tune In
I seem to have made an assumption in my prior post when talking about how to count off a tune or how to count in a tune. My apologies. I described how to click your sticks together while counting so that the band can start together. I failed to...
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