Drummer's Weekly Groovecast

Phil and Jon are back in a newly revamped studio B with a topic suggested by a member of our listening audience. This week we discuss the pros and cons of playing with recordings versus playing with live musicians. The request was sent to us in regard to the tribute band show that we did several weeks ago. Our listener, Tony, recently became involved with a Steely Dan tribute act. He’s spent copious amounts of time working with the original recordings however he’s discovering that he has to make numerous adjustments when playing the exact same songs with live musicians.

We discuss Tony’s situation and then debate some of the positives and negatives of playing with recordings. Some of the benefits we outline are: ear training, learning typical song forms, learning grooves, ‘playing’ with the professionals, de facto transcription, learning good time/feel, and the pleasure of playing with good music. We then discuss possible detriments such as: being led thus not stating assertive time, possibly learning bad feel/tempos, not listening to yourself, setting up your band mates to fail, and trying to measure up to studio fidelity perfection. We also give some tips to combat these issues along with some ideas for practicing with drummer-less tracks.

We finish out the show with a brand-new segment of the DWG Garage. Jon has not one, but two, great tips for dealing with problematic, vintage Ludwig drums.

Join us each week for brand new shows. We can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and anywhere you access your favorite music and shows. If you are an Apple subscriber, the next time you are in iTunes please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review. We’d greatly appreciate it. Lastly, go by our website at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to all of our shows, visit our social media, and contact us via email.

In the field of drumming we all have heroes. Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, John Bonham, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Gadd and the list goes on and on. However, we often overlook the unsung heroes of drumming, the teachers. In the past few years, I’ve realized just how important and influential great teachers can be. The ability to clearly and concisely articulate ideas, techniques, and concepts is not an easy task. When you factor in that this must be done in a classroom setting as well as in private lessons, where teaching styles must be customized from student to student, then you understand that great teachers should hold a high position on our hero list.

This week we welcome one of the great teachers in our discipline’s history, Dr. Michael Udow. Mike was head of percussion at the University of Michigan for thirty years as well as a respected clinician and author of the new book, Percussion Pedagogy (Oxford University Press). He was gracious enough to join us from his home in Colorado for a candid interview about his career, the art of education, and a description of, Percussion Pedagogy. We discuss his early interest in music, his personal path in higher education (culminating in the first DMA in percussion at the University of Illinois), his literature preferences, teaching techniques, state of the university, and much more. There’s something here for every teacher, student, and performer.

You can visit Michael at his website: www.michaeludow.com

You can explore Michael’s new book, Percussion Pedagogy, by clicking this link: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/percussion-pedagogy-9780190902940?lang=en&cc=us

Join us each week for brand new shows. We can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and anywhere you access your favorite music and shows. If you are an Apple subscriber, the next time you are in iTunes please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review. We’d greatly appreciate it. Lastly, go by our website at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to all of our shows, visit our social media, and contact us via email.

After a rather lengthy absence, we present to you the reemergence of the Drummer’s Weekly Groovecast Advisory Board. The board is back after skipping season three and we’re welcoming several new members to this season’s show. Our in-studio co-host is Justin Chesarek. Justin is an Atlanta based performer and educator who holds positions at three major metro Atlanta colleges: Emory University, Kennesaw State University, and Morehouse College. For the remote participants we welcome back long-time board members Joel Rosenblatt and Rod Morgenstein. New for season four we have added esteemed drummer/educators, Carter McLean, George Marsh, and Steve Smith.

The question that we will address is: “What mistake (or questionable choice) do you most commonly see and hear your students or other drummers commit?” We listen and comment on the various answers given by our board members.

When listening to the answers it’s worth noting that almost everything mentioned relates to basic techniques and thoughtful musicianship. In the current and popular social media world of practicing ear candy and chops it’s completely refreshing to hear some of the world’s best drummers teaching the basics of our craft. We discuss listening, dynamics, musical choices, phrasing, basic drumming technique, listening to recordings, and getting stuck in the routine of the ‘medium phenomenon’. Tune in for a great discussion!

Join us each week for brand new shows. We can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and anywhere you access your favorite music and shows. If you are an Apple subscriber, the next time you are in iTunes please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review. We’d greatly appreciate it. Lastly, go by our website at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to all of our shows, visit our social media, and contact us via email.

Tribute bands have been around for quite a long time. However, over the last several years they’ve become significantly more prevalent and a viable alternative to the original artist. In fact, some will even say that many tribute acts perform the music even better than the original artist. When you also consider that many classic bands are charging several hundred dollars per ticket while their corresponding tribute band may charge less than a typical parking fee, the choice becomes even clearer.

This week welcome to the show Wayne Viar. Wayne has been a friend of the podcast since its inception and has known the hosts for 20 years. In recent years Wayne has become the tribute band drummer of choice for several high-profile acts. Wayne regularly performs with Abba Mania, A1A (Jimmy Buffet tribute), Almost Elton John, and Piano Men (Billy Joel tribute).

In this show we discuss how he became involved with tribute acts and how that led him to work with others. Wayne tells us about preparing for the shows, the venues, travel, and the backline provided for each gig. He goes over the perks of the job as well as the challenges. Finally, Wayne talks about a typical day on the Abba Mania tour.

On our way out of the show please check out Wayne’s playing on the track: Hard Eight

Join us each week for brand new shows. We can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and anywhere you access your favorite music and shows. If you are an Apple subscriber, the next time you are in iTunes please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review. We’d greatly appreciate it. Lastly, go by our website at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to all of our shows, visit our social media, and contact us via email.

Just like that, we are halfway through the fourth season of the Drummer’s Weekly Groovecast. The midway point means it is due time for another edition of listener mail. Phil and Jon begin the show discussing the audience response to the new episodes. We also get caught up on the news of the early fall season and discuss how the gigging and teaching jobs are going.

This season’s mail bag was overflowing with a variety of questions, comments, and suggestions. We address a host of comments that relate all the way back to the Jim Gordon artist feature and as recent as the re-post from the Crash and Ride podcast featuring Phil. We then answer questions regarding snare drum repair, teaching, and Mel Lewis. We then discuss threads found on drumming forums that reference past shows and answer questions found there. We finish out this season’s mail with the feel-good email of the year!

Join us each week for brand new shows. We can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and anywhere you access your favorite music and shows. If you are an Apple subscriber, the next time you are in iTunes please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review. We’d greatly appreciate it. Lastly, go by our website at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to all of our shows, visit our social media, and contact us via email.

Since we started doing the artist feature segment approximately two years ago it has become one of the most popular formats for this podcast. Ultimately it has provided some of the best listener feedback. Last season we featured the great Sonny Payne and the response was tremendous. We discuss the reaction from the listeners and then talk about our Jim Gordon feature from two years ago. Back when we posted the show on YouTube the Gordon episode received a tremendous amount of attention (and continues to do so presently). Since then we’ve decided to pick players that are either under the radar or tracks that are not obvious representations of the featured player.

For this season we decided to feature southern California studio and live ace, Josh Freese. Since his initial gig at Disneyland Josh has performed with acts as diverse as: Devo, A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, Kelly Clarkson, Weezer, Nine Inch Nails, Evanescence, the Offspring, Guns and Roses, the Replacements, and his current gig with, Sting. We discuss his background and then listen to several of our favorite tracks.

Phil’s picks:

1. Down – Live performance with 311

2. Paranoid Android – In-studio performance with Weezer covering Radiohead

3. Pretty Young Soldier – Sting

4. It’s F*’ed Up – from Freese’s solo CD, “Since 1972”

Jon’s picks:

1. Judith – A Perfect Circle

2. Haven’t Met You Yet – Michael Buble

3. Can’t Change Me – Chris Cornell

4. You Get What You Give – Brand New Immortals

Join us each week for brand new shows. We can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and anywhere you access your favorite music and shows. If you are an Apple subscriber, the next time you are in iTunes please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review. We’d greatly appreciate it. Lastly, go by our website at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to all of our shows, visit our social media, and contact us via email.

We begin the show with a quick callback to our season four premiere and then talk about social media issues. Ultimately there has been a bit of confusion regarding listeners following the wrong account on Instagram. Phil and the podcast only have one Instagram account. You can follow the show by using the Instagram account name, Drummers Weekly Groovecast.

Dealing with money responsibly is difficult for many people but it seems endemic for the creatives found in the music business. It’s a story that’s been told over and over again. It’s either the tale of the starving artist or the musician that’s done well only to lose it all through bad decisions. In this episode we talk about being smart with your money. We cover topics such as: student loans, filing income taxes, learning deductions, keeping records, investing, planning for retirement, frivolous spending, and substance abuse.

We finish up the show with a segment on must-have gear. Jon starts by recommending the Tama version of lug locks called, Tama Tension Locks. This product completely eliminates issues with varying distances between different brands’ tension rod holes and the hoop itself. Phil’s pick is the DrumNBass Hoop Protect 180. This product protects the top and bottom sides of your bass drum hoop while allowing your pedal to comfortably grip the drum and eliminate slide.

Join us each week for brand new shows. We can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and anywhere you access your favorite music and shows. If you are an Apple subscriber, the next time you are in iTunes please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review. We’d greatly appreciate it. Lastly, go by our website at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to all of our shows, visit our social media, and contact us via email.

This week we welcome legendary drummer, Steve Smith, to the Groovecast for the first interview of the fourth season. Steve was gracious enough to speak with us just before a series of dates with Journey that culminates in a three-week residency at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. Steve will also be showing his artwork (at Carnavale Gallery at Caesar’s Palace) during this residency. If you are in Las Vegas and would like to see Steve’s art work and meet him in person please RSVP using the form found on Steve’s web site (link below).

During this show we discuss many things including: the differences between playing with Journey today vs. 40 years ago, the difference in touring with Journey vs. Vital Information, his legendary practice routine, his orthopedic hand issues leading to his development of matched grip and the creation of ‘Pathways of Motion’, his yoga practice and how it helps with touring and performing, his Berklee experience with Gary Chaffee and Alan Dawson, meeting Vinnie Colaiuta at Berklee and their long relationship, the abundance of talent at Berklee and enjoying the classroom experience, and finally the requisite sashay through the maze that is the Drummer’s Weekly Groovecast, Rorschach Test!

As mentioned during the show if you’d like to visit Steve online his personal website is: http://www.vitalinformation.com/

You can also visit Journey’s web site and view their tour itinerary to see Steve when he’s in your town: http://www.journeymusic.com/

Lastly, in the spirit of transparency, I would like to mention that this episode was fraught with technical audio issues. I discuss, in detail, what happened the day of the interview but if you’re reading this prior to listening, do yourself a favor and use headphones for this show. We pride ourselves on great audio quality but due to circumstances beyond our control our normal standards of fidelity are not up to par on this episode. That being said, I believe you’ll find the quality of the content to be very good.

Join us each week for brand new shows. We can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and anywhere you access your favorite music and shows. If you are an Apple subscriber, the next time you are in iTunes please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review. We’d greatly appreciate it. Lastly, go by our website at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to all of our shows, visit our social media, and contact us via email.

The boys are back from the summer hiatus with a new season of shows. We start this premiere episode by discussing summer gigs, travel, teaching, and vacations. We then break open the mail bag and address our correspondence with new and longtime listeners. We also discuss two new companies started by drummers who listen to our show. Please check out Ryan’s new product for wrist support and compression, Wrist Grips: https://wristgrips.myshopify.com/ There is also a drum-less play-along app created by Damani (from the Drum Coaches) entitled, Drum Trax. This free app is available on Android and Apple platforms so visit the online store of your choice to download it.

The main topic of discussion for this show is the growing amount of envy, anger, and depression we see emanating from direct comparison to others on social media. We talk about what happens when we see someone who posts about an abundance of gigs, gets a new piece of gear, or flaunts their new car or home. We then offer our own suggestions about how you get past this issue and subsequently avoid it in the future.

We finish up by revisiting our segment on great, underrated drummers. This time around Phil picks English session drummer, Henry Spinetti. Henry can be found on a host of major releases but is most known for his work with Eric Clapton and Gerry Rafferty. Jon picks New York session great, Alan Schwartzberg. During the 70s and 80s Alan was as busy as anyone on the scene including dates with: Kiss, Donna Summer, Tony Orlando and Dawn as well as hundreds of commercials and jingles.

Join us each week for brand new shows. We can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and anywhere you access your favorite music and shows. If you are an Apple subscriber, the next time you are in iTunes please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review. We’d greatly appreciate it. Lastly, go by our website at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to all of our shows, visit our social media, and contact us via email.

As we languish through the summer we temporarily break our hiatus by posting a pop show. Late last winter I appeared on a new podcast that deals with musicians who suffer from anxiety, depression, PTSD and other psychological issues, the Crash and Ride Podcast. The host and Groovecast power listener, Patrick Ferguson, has done a tremendous job highlighting an incredibly underrepresented topic that affects quite a large number of musicians. In this episode he and I discuss the different aspects of chronic, long-term anxiety and how it touches every part of your life. As musicians we elaborate on how anxiety can sometimes drive us toward music as well as how the disorder affects the music perform. We each talk about our personal battles and give ideas for real, lasting solutions to help mitigate the suffering.

Please visit Patrick and the Crash and Ride Podcast by visiting his site: http://crashandride.libsyn.com/

Patrick was recently awarded a $5,000 grant for his great work creating this show. Please support him!

The Drummer’s Weekly Groovecast is still in hibernation but we are presently working on new shows for the upcoming season. Please stay subscribed and keep and eye on our social media. We’ll slowly start powering up over the next few weeks with a formal announcement of season four’s start date. In the meantime…

Please visit our website at: www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to our shows, interact with social media, email us, view our videos and more. If you are an Apple platform user please take a moment to review us the next time you are in iTunes. A 5-star rating would be greatly appreciated. During our publishing season new shows are posted every Monday and can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and everywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts. Subscribe today!