Designated Drummer

In this episode, I talk about my personal journey into drumming for a career and some things I’ve learned along the way. I’ve been playing for exactly 40 years and can sure tell you my share of lessons learned both good and bad. It all started for me back on that spring day in 1976. Tune in and learn what I’ve learned, it’s not always fun and awesomeness but somehow I’ve gotten here and am still playing drums as my career.

In this episode of Designated Drummer, I have a conversation with Keio Stroud. He’s from Athens, Georgia and made his way to Nashville in the early 2000’s. He’s been working with many artists from Nashville and has played on a ton of records. He just got off the road with Big and Rich and is now working on records and spending time with his daughter. Check it out.

Kim Mitchell, the Canadian rocker, has been making records and shredding guitar since the early 70’s. He had a big hit in the mid 80’s with “Go For Soda” and an even bigger hit in Canada with "Patio Lanterns”. He was the lead singer in the band Max Webster, that toured with Rush back in the day. Kim and I talk about his amazing career and shares some great stories about being on tour with some of the rock giants, including Van Halen, Rush and MC5. I caught up with him in his off time in Toronto before he goes back out on tour. Check it out.

On this episode I have a great conversation with percussionist Eric Darken. He is currently touring with Jimmy Buffet as well as many other artist. He’s most likely the percussionist you’ve heard on many many country records through the years. We talk about his career and how he chose percussion over drum kit. Also a little about tambourine and conga techniques. Check it out!

This weeks podcast features a special trip to Austin Texas and a very good friend of mine for more than 30 years, Mitch Ballard, Senior Creative Director for BMI Austin. We chat about his diverse experience in the country music industry; from tour managing to app development, song writing and more. Check it out!

This week it’s all about sticks, drumheads and cymbals! Let’s face it, you can’t make a sound without them. Over the years I have used many different kinds and brands of sticks heads and cymbals and I have learned a ton and have gone through about a ton of wood, plastic and brass to prove it. Join me on this episode and we will dive into what I’ve learned over the past 40 years about drumsticks drumheads and cymbals.

In this episode I talk with New Orleans Jazz drummer and composer Joe Dyson. He is currently on tour with Jazz artist Pat Metheny and preparing for a tour in Europe with his own group, The Joe Dyson Quintet. Considering his young age of 32, he has accomplished a lifetime of recorded music and touring dates. You can check out his debut album right here. https://www.joedyson.com

Tommy Harden is my special guest this week. He’s a very skilled and well-trained drummer. One of his first jobs in Nashville was to transcribe huge orchestra charts for big sessions. His work ethic definitely shows when you see that he has played with some of the most iconic country music artists in the business; Reba, Alabama, Ricky Scaggs, The Gatlin Brothers and many more. He also is a very busy session player in Nashville in between his touring dates. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation.

Hey everyone! I get a lot of questions about drumming and touring and one of the most asked questions lately has been, ‘what do I do to warm up before a show’? In This episode I talk about what I do to get warmed up before a big concert plus some stories of other great drummers and their warmup routines. Check it out.

Over the last (almost) 40 years that I’ve been a professional drummer, I’ve learned a ton! Some things are obvious like how to play for an hour and a half without getting tired, lol. Seriously though, I have learned some things that weren’t so obvious that have shaped who I am today and have helped me out through all these years. I break it down into 6 things I’d like to share with you in season 2 episode 3.

Check it out!