Drummer's Weekly Groovecast

Oh the dreaded 'rut'. Anyone who says they never fall victim to this is being intellectually dishonest. In fact, the majority of students who I interact with are accomplished players who need help breaking through these plateaus. In this week's podcast we talk about the most common types of creative blocks: technical, creative/musical, and disinterest/boredom. There are many different way to break through and move forward however the universal cure for all types of ruts lies in the concept that you must push yourself out of your comfort zone in order to grow. We discuss a plethora of different techniques that will spark your creativity and interest in order to get you to new levels. At the end of the show we each pick a new piece of must-have gear. Join us every Monday for a brand new episode. We're available on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, and all of your favorite podcast apps. Subscribe today! If you are an Itunes subscriber please take a moment to go by our Itunes podcast home and leave us a short, written review. We'd greatly appreciate it!

With the great success of the 'Snare Drum Show" it was only logical that we'd address another great love of drummers, the ride cymbal. We humbly present our favorite rides for your perusal. We each talk about cymbals that work well in low volume situations, jazz groups, high volume situations, rock bands, and we discuss a few specialty rides too. We finish the show with each of us picking a great, underrated drummer. Join us every Monday for a brand new show. We're available on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, and all of your favorite podcast apps. Subscribe today!

Most successful drummers have leadership in their DNA. Becoming music director of a band or ensemble is a natural extension of our position if you are qualified. On top of that it can be a nice bump in your income and make your market value skyrocket. In this show we talk about all of the different duties that can be part of a music director's job. Plus we discuss the pros and cons that come with the badge. We answer some viewer mail and finish off the show with a segment where we both choose a great drum track. Join us every Monday for a brand new show. We're available on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, and all your favorite podcast apps. Subscribe today!

Sitting in is a time honored tradition in our business. I'm quite sure that at its inception the intention of sitting in was one of sharing and community. However it doesn't take long for a few bad apples to spoil the bunch. In this show we discuss some of our horror stories with drummers who've broken the unspoken code of honor. We then talk about tactics that can be used to discourage pushy drummers yet still remain friendly. We also speak about our own personal rules when we've been invited to sit in. In the final segment we each pick a piece of must-have gear. Don't forget to go by Itunes today and leave us a short written review to be entered into our first ever giveaway. The winner will have their choice of a Paiste Twenty Series 10" splash or a Gretsch drums tee shirt. A new show is published every Monday. Subscribe today on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, and all your favorite podcast apps.

In this week's show we start with the Gretsch factory tour postmortem before answering listener questions. We also pay tribute to Chuck Berry and Sib Hashian due to their recent passing. Then we tackle the topic of the week, 'Time' and the perception that all musicians have of it. We discuss dealing with instrumentalists and vocalists who depend on drummers to correct their tempo mistakes while disregarding their own time feel. Other topics include: subbing with other bands and learning their time tendencies on the fly, helping rhythm section cohesiveness with click track and sequence coaching, perfecting count-ins, dealing with out of time scratch tracks during recording sessions, and solo musicians' tendency to play songs significantly faster than original recordings. During the final segment we each pick and underrated drummer. Don't forget to enter our first contest giveaway. Simply go the show's page in Itunes and leave us a short, written review to enter. Join us every Monday for a brand new show. We're available on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, and all of your favorite podcast apps. Subscribe today!

We were fortunate to receive an invitation to tour the Gretsch Drum factory in Ridgeland, SC. Who are we to decline? After a lengthy tour of the step by step process of drum making we set up shop in operation manager, Paul Cooper's office, and asked him everything we always wanted to know about Gretsch drums. Rumors are debunked! Make sure you go by our Facebook page to get a look at the pictures that were taken during the tour. Also don't forget to enter the first ever Drummer's Weekly Groovecast contest! Simply go by the show's page inside of Itunes and leave us a short, written review. That's it! You'll automatically be entered to win. Prizes and details are outlined in the show. Join us every Monday for a brand new show. We're available on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, and all your favorite podcast apps. Subscribe today!

In every great rhythm section there is an outstanding drummer. However the rhythm section would not be great without an equally good bassist. In this show we welcome two of country's greatest bassists, Joe Reda and Ramon Pooser. We ask this duo pointed questions about what they like to hear emanating from the drum chair. If you've ever been curious to hear what 'the other side' thinks about us then this is your show. Niceties are forgone! Join us every week for a brand new show. Subscribe today! We're available on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, and all of your favorite podcast apps!

Mistakes are inevitable. Some are minor and others are critical. In this episode we discuss career mistakes, large and small, and how to correct or possibly avoid them. Topics covered are: bad musical and personal choices, fear, anxiety, denial, and procrastination through technology, gear obsession, and other devices. In our final segment we each pick a great underrated drum tracks. Also, the boys include a special 'Easter Egg' opinion nugget on the upcoming MLB season. Join us every Monday for a brand new episode. We're available on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, and all your favorite podcast apps. Subscribe today!

Somewhere down the line you'll either have to audition for a gig or audition another musician for a position in your current musical situation. In this episode we'll discuss finding, preparing, and performing at auditions. Other topics we'll cover include personal appearance, staying confident, mock auditioning, and being ready for the unexpected. Finally we'll talk about what to do if you get the gig and if you don't get the gig. In our last segment Phil and Jon each discuss a great, underrated drummer. Join us every Monday for a brand new episode. We're available on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, and all your favorite podcast apps.

When I first started playing drums there were basically two ways to learn the instrument: seek a teacher or teach yourself. However today there are more options for drumming education than ever before. With modern technology we can find a plethora of videos, mp3s, articles, and even teachers with the stroke of a computer keyboard. In fact it's arguable that we have too much information instantly available which many times leads to obfuscation of the truth! It's very important to research the information that you're receiving and making sure that it's coming from a reliable source. In this special edition of the Drummer's Weekly Groovecast we give you many tips and ideas when it comes to researching and finding the right teacher (in-person teachers and online teachers). We discuss past experiences, what we got from the great teachers, and what we learned from the not so great ones. If you're a serious student or teacher there'll be something in this episode that will pique your interest! Join us every week for a brand new episode! We're available on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, and all of your favorite podcast apps. Subscribe today!