In this episode, we will hear about many of Paul's deep philosophies about performing on the drums, how the human element of imperfection brings out the real beauty in art, how we can become more confident and rooted in what we as artists connect with, and much more! If there are musicians out there that have a lot of knowledge and understanding of vocabulary but feel like they aren’t allowing their creativity to flow out of them, you will find this episode particularly helpful.

Have you ever thought about what it is like to be a YouTube celebrity? Would you expect it to be a simple matter of making a video, posting it, receiving tons of views, make tons of money, and repeat? What if I told you that Kristina spends most of her time on a computer sending emails, patrolling the comments section of her YouTube channel and editing her videos? This episode is an incredible way to understand and learn about what it takes to be a successful YouTuber.

This episode contains a great deal of simplified and pragmatic knowledge on how to live a good life. Ray has a strong sense of what matters in life because he almost lost it when he was a kid. He is also living proof that limitations are in the mind. Ray wanted to prove that regardless of what happened to him, he could become a highly capable musician - and he ended up doing that and becoming an inspiration for all of us in the process.

Jules is a very specialized artist that is taking his career in a very different direction than most. It is refreshing to hear the story of a drummer who went the route of programming shows, using Ableton at a very high level, and building this elaborate setup for his Mad MIDI projects. In the episode, Jules talks about this art exhibit where he is collaborating with a sculptor to place environmental sensors on the sculpture. What a way to branch out into the art world!

Joel Turcotte plays for the bands Writing in the Skies and his new band Peak Fiction. He is also involved in a new jazz fusion type trio, which is nameless so far. If you are familiar with Joel’s playing, you will know that he has an affinity for “shedding” sessions and odd subdivisions/time. Joe is one of those players who are heavily involved in their development process and have interesting stories you can learn a lot from and get inspired by.

To understand what second line drumming is you must listen to Johnny’s work. To understand what he values as an artist, this episode will lead you closer to that. He has a lifetime worth of experience with music, and to get an opportunity to hear what it means to him to be a musician is heartwarming. This is an interview that I felt that I needed to capture for the sake of history. I prepared a great deal for this one so that we can hear Johnny’s life story, which is fascinating, to say the least.

This episode is packed full of wise and pragmatic advice from a man who has been there and done that. Dre prides himself on telling it as it is. This episode will be helpful for drummers who feel that they need an endorsement to advance their career. This episode clarifies that hard work with direction and focus really is what gets things going in a forward motion. Overall, this episode is geared to inspire, educate, and motivate drummers into a state of progress and clarity.

To lay down drums for Bruce Springsteen has to be one of the greatest feelings a session player can experience in his/her lifetime. The tracking for Bruce’s album “Western Star” happened a few years ago. Gunnar wasn’t sure if the music was ever going to be released, but sure enough it happened. He finally had the chance to tell the world what he had participated in. And you are getting that story told for the first time publicly on this podcast. What a treat!

Since running this podcast I have always hoped that one day I would have an opportunity to interview Benny. Benny stands out to me as an exceptional communicator, teacher, and performer. So with all of these ingredients, you might imagine that an interview with Benny would be very eye-opening and an event I would be very excited to present to all of you. And you would be right, but unfortunately all was going well until, towards the end, I asked a question that would end on a word that would ruin it.

Keith is an incredibly nice guy, and we had an amazing conversation about being a touring musician, finding your own voice on the instrument and the learning process in an academic environment. What is nice is when you meet one of your heroes and they turn out to be a person that you really like. It was a very important and special time that I will be telling my kid about one day. So, I hope that you enjoy some good vibes and the thoughts of a truly great player in this episode. It was an absolute treat.