Today’s episode features a conversation with John Newton.

John is always a joy to speak with, and that certainly carried over into the conversation you’re about to hear. He’s been so many places and done so much, and has such a rich wealth of experience and wisdom that he’s generously willing to share. It will take me a long time to sort through all the gems of wisdom John left for us here, and I hope that you reach a similar conclusion.

In this episode with Mr. Newton, we cover a lot of ground, including:

-rudimental drumming, different “dialects” of rudiments, the evolution of rudiments, and why the “canon” of rudiments is a language worth learning (or in some cases, crucial to learn)

-the daily realities of being in drum corps, the array of valuable techniques beyond drumming ones that are part of life in drum corps

-ways of managing stress in playing situations

-the sometimes “dog-work” nature of practice, his “triad” of effective practice

-the challenges of transitioning from drum corps to drum set

-what a meaningful life for someone interested in music could look like, the sometimes “backdoor” ways of finding a career in the business

-the intersections of drumming, running and yoga posture practice throughout his career

Show Notes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxBKI22YwYo (Ray Garraway)

https://www.scienceofself.com/ (Rameen Peyrow and SATTVA Yoga)

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5TOosZsVbwb5O1BOFdcLmw?autoplay=true (Yuval Gabe and Soul Coughing)