All My Friends Are Drummers

Today I’m speaking with Marty Chatrin. Marty is pretty much moving towards legendary status in the punk and metal scenes of Western Canada, as you’ll hear. He’s 59 years old, but still as peppy and motivated as ever. He’s contributed to the development and advancement of countless bands since the early 80s, and as a result, has some pretty amazing stories to tell.

Some topics we cover are:

-The immense influence of Canadian punk legends NOMEANSNO; the upcoming book anthology of their career

-Adapting to practicing on electronic drums

-His early bands in the 80s; influence of D.O.A., Dayglo Abortions

-Band houses and unofficial venues

-Touring and gigging in one’s 50s and 60s

-Local scenes in Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg

-Early days of FM radio

-The inception of his drumming career; what six years of air drumming produces

-Observing drummers at arena shows in the 80s

-The development of his own idiosyncratic style

-The importance of surrounding oneself with players that push skills/abilities forward

https://www.patreon.com/kevingaudet?fan_landing=true (Patreon Support)

https://www.instagram.com/sound.of.source/ (Instagram)

Marty's Bands (partial list):

https://redhotlovers.bandcamp.com/album/red-hot-lovers (Red Hot Lovers)

https://crystalmess.bandcamp.com/ (Crystal Mess)

https://www.facebook.com/Arsenal-Metal-318743988156066/ (Arsenal )

Today I’m speaking with Samantha Landa. Sam is the drummer in many diverse bands, but punk and metal are the dominant threads of her style. Some of her projects include death thrashers Dead Asylum, metalcore outfit Conquer Divide, and punk rockers the Anti-Queens. We get into how she is able to juggle so many different projects from so many different places, which was very interesting to hear about, but we also spend a of time talking about how to practice effectively, which is a real hobby-horse topic of mine. She had loads of great insights there.

Listening back to the conversation, one of the main takeaways I got from Sam was that she is truly a professional. It comes through in the way she talks about practicing, as mentioned, but also through her work ethic overall, her tenacity, how she has been able to leverage other skill sets she has, like writing, to fortify her music career, and how she relates to gear and technology, just to name a few things. It was inspiring conversation for these reasons and I’ll be very excited to hear about the insights listeners get from hearing this conversation. We crammed a lot into it!

Summary:

-Organizing festivals and events

-How she got into drums and metal; her evolution of practice

-Memories of NAMM conventions

-Developing technique for speed, flow, endurance, creativity

-How to use rudiments in practice in a way that is interesting

-Crafting an effective practice routine

-Linear drumming

-The Drumeo platform

-Feasibility of being in bands whose members don’t geographically coexist

-Remote work; using electronic drums to record demos

-The many dimensions of filming music videos

-Navigating endorsements

Kevin's https://www.facebook.com/kevin.gaudet.16 (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/sound.of.source/ (Instagram) and https://www.patreon.com/kevingaudet?fan_landing=true (Patreon)

Email Kevin Here

Sam's bands (partial list): https://conquerdivideofficial.com/ (Conquer Divide), https://antiqueens.com/ (Anti-Queens), https://deadasylum.bandcamp.com/music (Dead Asylum)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTEazxU88Pw (Motorhead clip)

https://www.namm.org/ (NAMM Convention), https://www.drumeo.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw-qeFBhAsEiwA2G7Nl1RkXVTk0YwvWQxlQmBDbokjbAtiqz49rgoGzEJkjfKinFL4XFEtwRoCnUEQAvD_BwE (DRUMEO), https://sabian.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw-qeFBhAsEiwA2G7Nl2jyItm5-oxquM7v1P_8suYfYokVvdW-3DdQJbOG35sdvYHwSiQl9hoCJ6UQAvD_BwE (Sabian Cymbals), http://mapexdrums.com/international/ (Mapex Drums), https://www.loscabosdrumsticks.com/ (Los Cabos Drumsticks)

This conversation today is with Andrew Scott, and it was so very enjoyable. Andrew is an incredible session musician based out of Toronto these days, where he lives with his wife Jenie and their brand-new baby daughter. It was a treat to talk to Andrew about all the baby stuff, as we were both blessed with the arrival of little girls at close to the same time, but of course it was great to hear him speak about how he learned and continuing to learn audio engineering and recording, how he developed a career as a session drummer, and how music school shaped his outlook. He is a wealth of experience, insight and good useful information and I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to meet and connect with him.

To send me a message, you can reach out on Facebook, where I am https://www.facebook.com/kevin.gaudet.16/ (Kevin Gaudet), or on https://www.instagram.com/soundofsourceyoga/ (Instagram), where my handle is @soundofsourceyoga. And, if you’re finding deep value in this work and you’d like to support me in my mission here, head to my https://www.patreon.com/join/kevingaudet (Patreon).

Episode Summary:

-Changing routines with baby arrivals

-A "typical" day in the life of Andrew Scott

-Possible ways to secure session work as a drummer

-The past and future of liner notes

-How to choose a digital audio workstation (DAW)

-Building a home studio

-The pros and cons of music school

-Supplementary skills a professional musician may need in 2021

-Possible differences between the “scenes” of different Canadian cities

-Models and approaches to professionalism

-Various interpretations of integrity as a musician; personal vs. collaborative projects

-How practicing might evolve as career changes occur

-Developing concentration

-Andrew’s roots and vision for the future

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UiX4dUUjWc (Stop This Train - John Mayer)

Today's episode is with Kevin Parkinson. Kevin is a drummer and percussionist, Grant MacEwan Music Program alumni and spiritual seeker, among a great many other things. This was a lovely chat, and it was quite amazing to hear about Kevin's profound and deep relationship to listening, music and sound.

They talk about:

the pros and cons of music schooling

the art of, and importance of improvisation; where it can be applied

flow states while playing

possible sources of creativity

possible relationships of transcendental experiences to music

the status of sound itself; sound as a primal force

possible relationships between drumming, poetry and comedy

what happens when music is shared in person

https://www.patreon.com/kevingaudet (All My Friends Are Drummers Patreon Page)

https://www.facebook.com/kevin.gaudet.16/ (Kevin Gaudet's Facebook)

Dhrupad Music

Bill Cosby on Dick Cavett

John Coltrane - Welcome

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJIDYeWJv40andlist=PLbv2-_ZTNHZNs0x3oWchjSrC8nQjxf1AH (Kevin Parkinson playing with The Parkers)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p7terK_udw (Brian Blade with his Fellowship Band)

My guest today is David Shoults; he was a wonderfully kind and gracious interlocuter, and is well-positioned to have his finger on the pulse of the frontiers of relaxation music, and how it is being consumed. One of the main focal points of his work these days is heading Little Symphony Records, an all-digital record label that leverages the massive platform Spotify, in large part, to bring the best in nature sounds and relaxation music to audiences worldwide. Their artists’ roster is also steadily growing and has representation from an expanding geographic diversity, which to me seems like it could only be helpful in producing relaxation music that really hits on the core of what homo sapiens finds compelling to elicit restfulness. As mentioned, David was lovely to chat with, and I loved hearing about what informs and guides his actions in the world and in his business, which as you’ll hear, owes a lot to the idea of essentialism. It was also very interesting to hear about the overall arc of his musical and creative life so far, what got him going, what keeps him going, and the moments where he’s had to gather his courage to journey onward into the relatively uncharted territory where he’s doing his great work today. So thank you David, for a delightful chat, and I hope everybody listening gets something of value from this episode. Here’s a brief summary of the topics we cover:

-Playing instruments other than the drums

-Growing up in a musical family

-Incentivizing kids and adults to practice and create habits around music

-Playing drums in a church/worship band setting

-Bowing cymbals and gongs

-His unique approach to drumming in his band Evergreen; getting maximum vocabulary from the drum set

-Collaboration and communication methods in his band to hone in on their sound

-The idea of essentialism in music and where it intersects with life and lifestyles themselves; how that can elicit joy

-The bands that influenced him in his high school years

-Ways to think of rhythm and tempo

-Understanding marketing music in today’s industry

-Intersections of instrumental music and nature sounds

-Long-form compositions

-The future of spa music

-And other topics

Show Notes:

https://www.instagram.com/littlesymphonyrecords/ (Little Symphony Records Instagram)

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4SCWiQbJCMTHK737aNUqBJ (Little Symphony on Spotify)

https://www.amazon.ca/Essentialism-Disciplined-Pursuit-Greg-McKeown/dp/0804137382 (Essentialism by Greg McKeown)

Today I am speaking to Mallory MacKay, who is just about the most crushing stoner/doom drummer you could ever hope to come across. We definitely share a deeply felt desire to access and produce an aesthetic of power, heaviness and intensity, and it was great to attempt to use words to describe a feeling that, done properly, should annihilate words.

Mallory was also kind enough to share her expertise in psychology, and in particular heuristics, a fascinating area of study that I think might have some application in drums and music as well as everyday life. We truly just scratched the surface, so you can listen and decide for yourself if and how a deeper look at how heuristics and drumming might be worthwhile. And if you do, please tell me about it! Here's how you can find me: on Facebook, just look up Kevin Gaudet or Sound of Source Yoga. On Instagram, my handle is @soundofsourceyoga.

And if you want to support this podcast, look for me on Patreon, again just under my name, Kevin Gaudet. Anyway, like I said Mallory was so great to talk to. She talks about drums like a mystic would, which I loved, and her perceptiveness, intelligence and vocabulary made for such a memorable conversation.

In this talk, we cover:

- what a good birthday present is for the doom/stoner metal enthusiast

-the “universal compulsion” that demanded she get on a drum kit

-playing slow tempos effectively; the concept of negative space in music

-Why live music is so fulfilling

-Former Striker drummer Adam Brown and their hilariously unique student teacher relationship

-Applying showmanship into playing

-Deep, collaborative, musical relationships and why some work so well

-The power and intelligence of gongs

-The relationship of academic psychology to music and creativity

-How heuristics might be at work when hearing and creating music

-Possible ways to optimize the mind for active listening and deep creativity

-And other topics

Show Notes:

Emil Amos https://pelagic-records.com/artist/emil-amos/ (https://pelagic-records.com/artist/emil-amos/)

Travis Owen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZS7z9_V2rU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZS7z9_V2rU)

Bison B.C. https://bison.bandcamp.com/ (https://bison.bandcamp.com/)

Highbernation https://highbernation.bandcamp.com/album/comatokes (https://highbernation.bandcamp.com/album/comatokes)

Adam Brown http://metalassault.com/Interviews/2015/04/22/in-conversation-with-striker-drummer-adam-brown/ (http://metalassault.com/Interviews/2015/04/22/in-conversation-with-striker-drummer-adam-brown/)

Black Death Cult https://blackdeathcult.bandcamp.com/releases (https://blackdeathcult.bandcamp.com/releases)

Thinking, Fast and Slow https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Thinking_Fast_and_Slow/TA7Q27RWlj0C?hl=enandgbpv=1andprintsec=frontcover (https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Thinking_Fast_and_Slow/TA7Q27RWlj0C?hl=enandgbpv=1andprintsec=frontcover)

Heuristics Intro https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-heuristic-2795235 (https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-heuristic-2795235)

On this episode I am speaking with Marek Tyler. Marek and I have known each other a few years, practiced yoga together, and played at least one festival together. One of his main projects is drum duties for the band nehiyawak, who were shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize in 2020, but as you’ll hear, he’s got a few other very interesting irons in the fire. Marek was an absolute honor to speak with, and listening back to our talk just drove that point home all the more. He’s got a beautiful way about him, a great giggly laugh, and great stories. I love that our conversation was not very interview-like, in spite of what my expectations were leading in. I owe it to Marek for setting the tone of intimate friendliness that you’ll hear, and the conversation flourished as a result of it. It’s not too much to say that I hope to make as many connections like this as possible in my life.

More specifically, in our conversation, we touch on:

-Playing behind the beat and on top of the beat

-The legendary festival in 1992 in High River, Alberta that stoked his musical fire in such a memorable way

-How his music consumption has changed over the years

-Beyonce and Solange Knowles, and their leadership and artistry

-Early musical experiences, formative years on the drums, and how getting caught in a lie was part of what instigated his drumming

-Drumming and music in Covid times; the upsides that have arisen from it

-The future of live music

-How to practice listening with open ears and minds; how to avoid artistic stagnation

-The fascinating drumming and dancing project he has initiated

-Why his mom is an incredible woman

I hope you enjoy this conversation, and that you get to see the world through Marek’s beautiful eyes for just a little while – it’s worth the look.

Show Notes:

High River Music Fest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSlMtfb2kPg (YouTube Footage) and https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1992/8/31/the-wicked-tunes-of-high-river (MacLean's Magazine)

Seth Cardinal Dodginghorse https://www.instagram.com/sadbirthdays/?hl=en (Instagram)

nehiyawak https://nehiyawak.bandcamp.com/ (bandcamp)

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)

Today’s episode features a conversation with Ryan Hook, most notably of Baby Boy and the Earthly Delights. Kevin knows Ryan from practicing with him at a yoga studio when they both lived in Edmonton. Ryan has since relocated to Victoria, on Vancouver Island, a perfect place for his silky smooth, reggae-infused jams to be born and make homes in the laid-back ears of island dwellers. In their conversation, they discuss:

-song writing from a drummer’s perspective

-crafting successful DIY recordings and releases

-crucial differences between collaborating and band-leading

-pivotal musical experiences and awakenings

-the intricacies of playing live versus in the studio

-different ways of approaching practice

-understanding and executing reggae and related styles

-and more!

Show Notes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azVyfWSxR7A (Emmet Michael – God Shaped Hole)

https://www.facebook.com/JamieCooperMusic/ (Jamie Cooper)

https://www.jacobcollier.com/ (Jacob Collier)

https://www.amazon.ca/New-Breed-Systems-Development-Creativity/dp/1423418123/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1andkeywords=new+breedandqid=1615487957andsr=8-1 (Gary Chester and the New Breed)

Kevin chats with longtime friend and collaborator Sebastien Bolessa. In their conversation, they cover:

-drumming as a tool of self-development, healing and understanding mental health

-awareness of the physical body in and through drumming

-application of ambidexterity

-ways of achieving a balanced body and balanced playing

-pivotal musical experiences

-how to communicate musically; how to sculpt "soundtracks" for an array of possible accompaniment settings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilbjoPlmpko (Tony Williams Zildjian Days)

https://www.instagram.com/sebastien.bolessa/?hl=en (Sebastien's Instagram)