Not quite the sense of menace I was hoping for, but that’ll have to do… One of the effects of this new Internet wonderland of information is that now everyone feels they are in competition […]
Category: professionalism
VOQOTD: the drummer’s job
I just try to play the compositions, not so much imposing any particular kind of rhythm on any particular tune or composition—but to try and interpret the composition as if I’m an accompanist, fundamentally. And […]
“When in doubt, groove.”
Branford Marsalis’s drummer Justin Faulkner gives a drum clinic at the Seattle, and says lots of great stuff: Part 2 is after the break: [h/t to S_Funk at Drummerworld]
VOQOTD: Elvin’s advice to young drummers
“PRACTICE, and play. Play any kind of music anywhere, weddings, carnivals, dances, circuses. Play and make sure that you give it your best. Be the best out there. I’ve played burlesque shows and recently I […]
“Amazing” vs. “hired”
Received this in my email without comment from Portland drummer Ron Steen. Ron is an accomplished jazz musician, and has been running jam sessions locally for decades now, and has been the first gatekeeper encountered […]
The club scene
Here’s a great piece on understanding the, well, near-dead state of live music in clubs (professionally, anyway), and what musicians can begin to do about the situation, by LA pianist Dave Goldberg. It opens: AS […]
Cruise ship pianist!
Here’s something from Timothy McSweeney’s Internet Tendency (usually dedicated to hyper-well-written humor): a straightforward interview with a cruise ship pianist. Good straight info for anyone considering that line of work.
You must hack
That imperative comes from Running Linux, a classic manual on the use of the Linux computer operating system. What it meant in context is that to take advantage of the full power of the OS, […]
Dispatches
Not that easy a life. Here’s a note I received from a British drummer currently working on a ship in the Mediterranean: “I’m presently doing a stint as a cruise drummer in the Med and […]
Survival tips for cruise ship drummers
My man Willie Blair, the only person I know who could get away with flouting most of the non-musical rules. I guess I had to actually write about drumming on cruise ships at some point, […]