Drummer's Weekly Groovecast

Mike Johnston (of mikeslessons.com) is a person of many talents. He's a tremendous communicator, a great player, a wonderful businessman, a superb teacher, and a heck of a nice guy. When you put all that together you have one of the most successful and busy music entrepreneurs of our time. He was kind enough to sit down with us for a chat about his web site, his teaching, and his business methods. We get deep into education with discussions about philosophies and techniques as well as concepts. We also talk about his new performance outlet entitled, "Man on the Moon". As usual, before we finish we run Mike through the gauntlet that is the Drummer's Weekly Groovecast Rorschach test! Finally, our good friend Chris Brady at Aquarian drum heads has provided a host of prizes for our latest contest! Go into Itunes today and leave a short written review on the DWG home page to be registered! Prizes include a set of drum heads of your choice and complete set of Drumkit Tools. Listen to the show for details. New episodes are available every Monday. We can be found on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, and everywhere you listen to your favorite shows. Subscribe today!

This week we move back into interview mode as we sit down with, Ra Kalam Bob Moses. Bob is known for his vast catalog of recorded music and his collaboration with some of the greatest musicians of our time. Bob has worked with: Larry Coryell, Pat Metheny, Gary Burton, Hal Galper, Dave Liebman, Steve Kuhn, Mike Gibbs, Steve Swallow, Jack DeJohnette, Harold Vick, Edgar Bateman, and guitarist/spiritual mentor Tisziji Munoz. We open up with discussion of his upbringing in New York City where in his building lived Elvin Jones, Art Blakey, Max Roach, Roland Kirk and Abbey Lincoln. He was naturally drawn to honest, soulful music and was a part of the first ever jazz/rock group, The Free Spirits. We then cover his long running associations with Burton, Metheny, Liebman, Swallow, Kuhn and Munoz. In the early 1980s Bob was offered a teaching position at the New England Conservatory of Music where he still teaches today. We also discuss his book, "Drum Wisdom" complete with Bob's explanations and examples. Bob also has his own record label and has produced many highly acclaimed recordings. You can find this music on Itunes and Emusic as well as at www.nativepulse.com. Lastly, we experienced significant technical audio issues on this show but with the wizardry of my friend Ryan Almario he made an unlistenable podcast very listenable. Please pardon the extant ground hum on Bob's channel. You can find the Drummer's Weekly Groovecast at Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean and everywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts. Subscribe today!

In a list of life's traumatic events being fired from your job is one of the biggest. Many psychologists say that it ranks up there with the death of a spouse, imprisonment, and divorce. In this episode Phil and Jon share their personal experiences along with other real life situations. We then cover what you can do afterward to get past this occurrence and ensure that if it were to ever happen again it wouldn't be due to something under your control. We finish the show with our segment on great underrated drummers. Join us every Monday for a brand new show. We're available on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean and everywhere you access your favorite podcasts. Subscribe today! If you like what you hear please stop by our homepage inside of Itunes and leave us a short written review. We'd greatly appreciate it!

This week we debut a new segment - The DWG Garage! In this part of the show we'll put your drums up on the lift, assemble, disassemble, and hot rod your favorite gear! Then our main topic puts a distinct musician's slant on the concept of balancing your personal life with your musical life. Being a professional drummer and the trappings of maintaining a successful career is very different than that of someone with an office job. Everything from our unusual hours to the hesitation of subbing out work is covered. We touch on using technology to your benefit as well highlighting the importance of clear, concise and truthful communication with your family, friends, and co-workers. In addition we talk about the benefit of work situations that allow family interaction. Finally we discuss the importance of keeping your private, personal time sacred by learning to say 'no' to situations that honestly don't serve you. Join us every Monday for a brand new episode. We're available on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean and everywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts. Subscribe today!

Join us as we continue to work our way around the drum set. This week we discuss our favorite hi hats! Picking out the perfect set of hats has its own unique challenges. First, you have to find two cymbals that work together well. Next, they have to feel right. Lastly, they should sound good when played heavy, light, open, closed, chick sound, etc. Those demands are more than we put on any other cymbal. Add to the fact that we generally play hi hats on every single song and you discover that finding the perfect set may be a long, frustrating journey. We'll tell you what we like for rock, jazz, and everything in between. We also discuss our favorite light, medium, and heavy duty stands to mount your favorite hats. We finish the show with a segment of gear recommendations where both picks combined are under $40! Join us every Monday for a brand new show! We're available on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, and everywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts. Subscribe today!

Tom Brechtlein is one of the premier drummers of our time. The list of names that he's performed with include: Chick Corea, Al Di Meola, Jean Luc Ponty, Wayne Shorter, Don Grusin, Kei Akagi, Allan Vizzuti, Robben Ford, and Natalie Cole. We were honored to be able to speak with Tom and he did not disappoint! In this episode not only does Tom talk about his association with the above artists he also tells us about growing up in Long Island, NY and how the music programs in public school shaped his career. We also discuss his experience with college music school and how taking lessons with a pianist led him to an audition with Chick Corea and subsequently a move to Los Angeles. Also keep your ears open for a special story about drumming great, Bob Moses! Recently Tom relocated to Austin, TX and in addition to his busy performance schedule he also has an active teaching practice. To inquire about lessons with Tom please email him at: [email protected] Tom offers lesson via Skype as well as in person if you are in the Austin area.

New shows are posted every Monday and are available at Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean and everywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts. Subscribe today!

Oooommmmm...breathe deeply and be amenable...Being an accommodating, thoughtful musician is a quality that all successful players have in common. In this show we talk about getting past the thought that you have to be uncompromising to be regarded as someone who is knowledgeable about their craft. In fact if you can get to the point of embracing flexibility with a thoughtful and respectful attitude you can more frequently enjoy situations of uncertainty and be regarded as an accommodating professional. We cover topics such as: bringing the right equipment, tuning, muffling, stick choices, mic choices, setting up with spatial respect, and times where being dogmatic is perfectly acceptable. New shows are available every Monday. We're available on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, and everywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts. Subscribe today!

This week we have the privilege of speaking with industry great, Chris Brady of Aquarian Drum Heads. We get to hear about his drumming career and how it led to his interest in the business side of the industry. He then discusses his initial contact with Aquarian and how he got the job. We then talk about their various product offerings, how they are researched and how they are manufactured. Then we spend some time discussing the business side of the industry. Chris covers: getting endorsements, personal relationships, technology, clinics, education, and more. Per usual we finish the show by donning the lab coats and administering the DWG Rorschach test. Join us every Monday for a brand new show! We're available on Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, and everywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts. Subscribe today!

I bet you think we're going to wax poetic on the greatest drummers of all time, right? WRONG! Instead we're going to discuss the influences and pressures that all of us face trying to learn their vocabulary and ultimately trying to perform like them. The show starts with us listing several different generations of icons and the 'babies' that were born from their influence. We talk about the importance of realizing your own goals and abilities and how those don't usually line up with generational greats. We also cover how instrument manufacturers subtlety add to the issue by making 'signature gear' that we 'must buy'. Likewise publishing companies flood the market with method books and media that help you in your quest to learn the current styles of the day. We finish up the show with a segment on underrated drummers. Please stop by Itunes and leave us a short, written review. We'd greatly appreciate it. You can find the show at Itunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, and everywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts. New shows are available every Monday. Subscribe today!

By nature most informational media is based on giving tips and ideas that help get past problems and negativity. In the past our show has spent entire episodes doing just that. This week we turn the tables and aim the thrusters in full positivity mode. In this episode Phil and Jon talk in detail about what they love about being professional musicians. Each give their musical and personal reasons for why they love their job and explain how those reasons outweigh any negative aspects. We finish our show with a gear recommendation segment. 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!