Designated Drummer

Scott Brewer is an instructor at the famous Blackbird Academy, a School for Audio Engineering. A musician himself, he has been teaching at Blackbird for several years and turning out some of the best industry professionals in the world, both live sound and studio engineering. Join Scott and me as we discuss the academy's 6 month program and what makes it so successful.

Drummer and drum maker Paul Dickinson has been playing drums for over 30 years. He decided to turn his passion for drumming into building drum kits. His knowledge and philosophy about why a drum sounds like it does and how to perfect that science has driven him to make some of the finest sounding drums in the world. His Cherry Bomb snare drum has been a favorite for many drummers. Join us as we talk about his career and process for making drums.

Ever wondered why its so hard to record music or why it's hard to put a band together? My co-host and daughter, Amelie, and I answer some fun questions sent in by listeners and fellow students. What’s my favorite drum within the drum kit? Why is it easier to play 6/8 time as opposed to 4/4? Amelie and I have a blast talking about all this stuff including some funny stories about when I played trumpet (or whatever it was) in the school band. Join us and learn lots of crazy stuff.

Venezuelan drummer Isaac Velasquez was born into a very musical family. With his father Ivan, a big time session drummer in Caracas and his grandfather, a big time jazz trumpeter, you can say music was in his blood. Velasquez's story begins in Venezuela, side steps through Miami and has brought him to Nashville. Enjoy the journey in this week's Designated Drummer.

Lee Kelley has been drumming it up for the likes of Hank Williams Jr, Gary Allen, Little Texas (filling in for Del Gray) and many more. His work ethic and philosophy of serving the song and the artist has put him in front of millions of people. I was shocked to learn he has even played with Loverboy! Get know this Nashville Drummer in this week's episode.

Drummer David Northrup is a power house of talent. He has his own music out, does clinics and videos plus working with artists like Rick Derringer, Boz Scaggs, John Waite, John Mellencamp, and lots more. His mix of touring and session work is incredible. Let's do a dive into how he does it all in this week's Designated Drummer.

WSM on-air personality Bill Cody has been a Nashville and Grand Ole Opry legend for close to 3 decades and a country radio DJ for nearly 50 years. His personality and experience goes all the way back to his Kentucky days as a teenager when he was captured by the magic of radio. You can still hear the excitement he has for radio and country music in general as we talk about his amazing career.

Steel guitar player Bruce Bouton is one of the most recorded and respected steel players in Nashville. His fine work on such artists records like Garth Brooks, Ricky Skaggs, Reba McEntire, and Brooks and Dunn is partly responsible for the reintroduction of the steel guitar sound into country records we all love. Bruce was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame as part of Garth Brooks group of studio session players referred to as the G Men. He is a wealth of talent and experience and a super nice humble guy. Get to know Bruce and his career in today's podcast.

Playing drums is one of the most complicated things your body and brain can do. It’s even been scientifically proven! Learning to do something different with all four limbs plus possibly your voice added can be really challenging. In this episode I talk about drumming coordination and developing patterns that stay in your brain like programs on a computer. Even if you’re not a drummer, you can learn to play simple patterns as easy as walking.

Here’s the link to a YouTube reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAnNlVPu4NU

I get a lot of questions about things like ‘Being in a band’, 'Playing in the studio’, or ‘What kind of drums are best?’ In this episode I will answer some really interesting ones. My answers will help you if you’re thinking about being a professional musician or just curious about life as a designated drummer.