The Drum Shuffle

Troy Luccketta has spent the last 30-plus years manning the drum throne for Tesla. In that time, they have sold in excess of 15 million albums in the United States, toured the world countless times, and influenced scores of young musicians. On episode 102, Troy joins Jamie to discuss his early years and influences, what Tesla means to him, how dreams can come true, and how he approaches being a musical drummer. He also talks a bit about the "Troy Shows Up" program designed to reach kids in schools and offer a message of positivity and hope. Troy has always been one of the first musicians to offer his time and efforts for charitable causes and he continues giving back each and every day. Jamie grew up a huge fan of Troy, so this was a very special interview for him. Troy's story is inspirational and is sure to be a beacon for all musicians, everywhere.

On episode 101, we catch up with our old friend, David Parks, to hear about his exciting new band Resist and Bite, how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the touring industry, how things could change in the future, and how he's keeping busy during this downtime. David always has great perspective on things and always offers sound advice and a few laughs.

How did this happen? On this special 100th episode of The Drum Shuffle, Jamie interviews the four biggest musical influences in his life, his Funnel bandmates of nearly 30 years. Phil Weisenberger, Kevin Rexroat, Matt Weisenberger, and Allen Case all call in for a retrospective on their musical journey together. The guys share some early details of Jamie's drumming history, what it means to be in a band for 30 years, favorite memories of the past, and what a long, strange ride it has been. This is a special trip down memory lane for Jamie and it sheds some light on how The Drum Shuffle happened 100 episodes ago.

Patrick Muzingo grew up with a pedigree of hardcore Southern California skate culture. By his early teens he was drumming in countless punk bands, sometimes having to sit outside when he wasn't on stage because of his age. When we say punk bands, we mean bands like The Atoms, Americas Hardcore, and Decry. But his path in punk rock bands made an unlikely turn in 1986 when he joined Junkyard. Drawing comparisons to Guns N' Roses, Junkyard perfectly mixed heavy rock and blues with a hint of southern boogie music. Not exactly what you'd expect from a guy growing up on punk rock and skateboards. On episode 099, Pat joins Jamie to discuss his early years as a drummer, the formation of Junkyard, signing to Geffen Records, touring the world on a 3-piece kit, and he finally answers the question about his kit's "unique" set up. Pat and Jamie are also both Los Cabos Drumsticks artists, so there's some brotherly banter about gear as well. Pat is a fantastic drummer with loads of great stories and advice for everyone. This is one you don't want to miss.

Mark Damian is a very busy musician. He is in high demand as a drummer, producer, composer, and recording engineer. A Detroit native, he began playing the club scene at an early age making a name for himself as an outstanding drummer with tremendous work ethic. Since relocating to Los Angeles, he has expanded his portfolio to include production, television scoring, engineering, and music supervisor for national television productions. He has spent the last several years performing and producing Josie Pace as well as touring with Laith Al-Saadi. Mark is a perfect example of how drummers can expand their careers into areas other than touring and make music their full-time occupation. Mark has a ton of great insight and advice that will serve as inspiration for all musicians in every genre.

A special bonus episode of The Drum Shuffle from our brothers and sisters at Ludwig Drums discussing the current COVID-19 pandemic. Josh Touchton from Ludwig stopped by to discuss their message below:

Dear Drummers,

As we stand against the adversity of COVID-19, we want to take a moment to wish you all strength and wellness. The health and well-being of our global community continue to be our biggest priority. It is crucial now more than ever to come together as a community during these challenging times.We are forced to traverse a very unfamiliar path, but through compassion, strength, and support, we can all continue to make the impact of which we know music has the unique power to do.

We will do our best to keep production at our estimated rates, but the collective effort of the world to curb the spread of COVID-19 will subsequently cause delays. Be sure to check out our list of dealers currently offering delivery and curb-side pickup for your drumming needs. Hats off to all of them keeping the drum scene alive and vibrant. Also, massive thanks and respect to all of you keeping us safely entertained with your beats!

Our hearts go out to everyone indirectly and directly impacted by the virus. We are here to work and support as a united community to help build towards a better tomorrow.

Thank you for your continued business and support.

-Ludwig Drum Co.

David Northrup has a drumming resume that includes Boz Scaggs, Travis Tritt, Tanya Tucker, Joe Diffe, Rick Derringer, John Waite, Pam Tillis, and The Oak Ridge Boys. He has played with so many iconic artists in his career that it is hard to comprehend. Originally from just outside Syracuse, New York, David grew up on a steady dose of Rock and Roll in his formative years. He started drumming in his early teens and eventually moved to Central Florida to pursue a career in music. David made connections during this time that opened many doors for his career for years to come. David has also recently released a brilliant solo album, Shapes, that is stellar in every regard. On episode 097, David and Jamie discuss a wide-range of topics covering a large portion of David's career, including his new release that everyone should own...Make sure to check out this interview with one of Nashville's most successful drummers in recent times.

On episode 096, our good friend Mark Poiesz returns to talk about everything he's up to while touring with Tyler Farr is temporarily shut down due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Like many other touring drummers, Mark has been busy teaching and recording remote tracks for folks, but he has also found some unexpected educational opportunities to pursue while he has some time off. He has found some unique ways to expand his career offerings within the drumming world and he shares that announcement with us on this episode. Mark is a great resource of ideas, advice, and inspiration in our drumming community and it's always great to catch up and learn new things from him. He is also a tremendously talented drummer that brings his "A" game to every show, session, and lesson.

Stephen Taylor is the owner and founder of Stephen's Drum Shed, one of the premiere online drum schools in the United States. Prior to building a thriving drum education business, he played thousands of gigs on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, was a successful recording and touring artist with Lovers and Liars, and studied with the likes of Henrique De Almeida and Dr. John Wooten. On episode 095, Stephen and Jamie discuss his early years in Mississippi, his move to New Orleans and playing up to 10 hours each day, his touring life, and the decision to start Stephen's Drum Shed. Stephen is also very well-known for his excellent YouTube videos breaking down iconic songs and grooves. He is a world-class educator and shares many great ideas and advice in this interview.

On episode 094, Jamie is joined by Carlton Banks, founder and CEO of Collision Drumsticks. Carlton started playing at a very early age and was touring his native England by the age of 9 with SRS, a hugely popular young band. After many years with SRS, a chance jam session in a pub landed him a gig touring with super DJ, Rob Orton. The duo played some of the largest festivals in Europe over the next few years. While all this musical success was happening for Carlton, he was still attending university and eventually obtained his law degree. At this crossroad in his life, he made the decision to forego life on the road and launched Collision Drumsticks, which is now the largest drumstick brand in the UK. Carlton has a very specific vision for the brand and the drumming community as a whole. In this interview he shares his unique perspective and approach while giving tons of great advice for drummers of all ages and abilities.