The Up and Coming Drummer Podcast

What is up guys and gals!! Welcome into Episode #51 of The Up & Coming Drummer Podcast!! So glad to see you back this week to check out my chat with Drummer and Educator, Justin Mason.

Last week on the show I was joined by Drummer and Blogger DeHaven Carrington. We talked about how I did an interview on the blog, and that all ya'll drummers should be hitting up outlets like his blog, and this podcast. Why not! It's something you can use for your resume. Think about that. Someone asks you to give them a brief history of yourself. Boom! You have a podcast and a written interview! All of your accolades are in it!!

Justin Mason did just that! And he is my guest this week! This Drummer/Educator from Alabama stopped by to tell me about his life, and what's going on right now with his band, "Nevermind the Damage". I decided to ask anyway and find out about his career as a Drummer with several bands over the years. It's a great topic for listeners who have been wanting to get into the band scene. Justin talks about playing in several bands throughout the years. If the balance in work and life is something you struggle with, then check out this portion of our chat.

Justin leads us through how he built a career in Drum Education.  He currently teaches at The EA School of Music. His time mentoring Drumline, and work as a Session Drummer are also topics we cover. We hit gear, and how to make some extra money as a musician. Basically, the topics any Up and Coming Drummer wants to know about! Justin and I discuss the upcoming year's goals for both his band and himself. But before we give the whole show away, go hit play! If you're gonna hang, go check out Justin Mason and Nevermind the Damage's links below! Peace!

Justin Mason

http://www.instagram.com/drummerjm7

http://www.Facebook.com/justin.mason.543

Nevermind the Damage

http://www.facebook.com/nevermindthedamage

Chris's Free Drum Lesson Download!!!

http://www.chrislangandrummer.com/freelesson

For more info, or to follow the show...

www.upandcomingdrummer.com/podcasts

www.instagram.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.facebook.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.twitter.com/UCDrummerPod

www.chrislangandrummer.com

#Drummer T-Shirt and Hoodie

http://www.teespring.com/drummershirt

 

Welcome into Episode #50 of The Up and Coming Drummer Podcast. This week, I am chilling with my man DeHaven Carrington of "Talkin' Chop"!!

I'm so happy to be back this week with the 50th Episode of the Podcast! Thank you, everyone, who has listened to the show, followed us online, and continue to send such nice messages! It's been so much fun watching the show grow, and meeting so many new drummers! We wouldn't have a show if we didn't have an audience. So thank you, and thanks to all of the guests who have been a part of the podcast!

A couple of months ago, I was asked to do an interview for a blog that features up and coming drummers. Since I'm in the business of up and coming drummers, it felt like a no brainer! Besides, I wanted to be interviewed too!! The man doing the interview was Drummer, DeHaven Carrington. I was happy to get involved with his blog "Talkin' Chop" because it allowed me to tell a little bit about myself, but also see what his interview style was like. After completing the interview, I offered DeHaven a spot on the podcast to return the favor!

While doing my research, I got to find out all about DeHaven Carrington! He too is a hardworking Drummer from Orange County, California who has been playing for many years! Our chat gets very deep as he takes us through his childhood, and how he found the drums. It was cool to hear about his come up because it brought back alot of memories for me as well! DeHaven grew up playing in the Church which he did for over 30 years! He has played in his share of groups over the years but has a solid position as the backbone of his band "Olio".

DeHaven and I talk about how his band has managed to survive for over 20 years. We get alot of great insight into how the band works like a well-oiled machine. Besides the band, we get into gear, branding, achievements, session work, and so much more. I feel like there are alot of great nuggets of information sprinkled throughout the episode so don't be afraid to dive in!

If you're interested in being interviewed for "Talkin' Chop", or just want to read some interviews, head to http://www.talkinchop.com For more about Dehaven Carrington and his band Olio, head to the links below!!! Enjoy!

DeHaven Carrington

http://www.instagram.com/drummerdehaven

http://www.facebook.com/dirtyde

Talkin Chop

http://www.facebook.com/talkinchop

http://www.talkinchop.com

Olio

http://www.oliomusic.com

http://www.instagram.com/oliomusic

http://www.facebook.com/oliomusic

Chris's Free Drum Lesson Download!!!

http://www.chrislangandrummer.com/freelesson

For more info, or to follow the show...

www.upandcomingdrummer.com/podcasts

www.instagram.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.facebook.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.twitter.com/UCDrummerPod

www.chrislangandrummer.com

#Drummer T-Shirt and Hoodie

http://www.teespring.com/drummershirt

 

 

Welcome everyone into Episode #49 of The Up & Coming Drummer Podcast! This week I'm joined by Professor turned Full-time Drummer/Educator, Frank Ferraro!!

For those of you who don't know Frank Ferraro, he is seriously one of the most interesting guys to talk to. Especially when it comes to his career. Frank has his degree in Behavioral Neuroscience and was a Full-Time Professor for many years. Drumming was more of a hobby for him. He grew up playing drums and played in bands but as most people do, they put the drums aside to focus on their life and career. What's interesting is how the drums came back into his life and showed him what his true calling was.

Frank gave up the full-time College Professor gig to pursue Drumming. We talk about how the transition went and how he's been able to make it work for him and his family. He has just released his new Youtube Channel "Drum Psychology: The One Thing by Frank Ferraro" which applies his knowledge in Psychology to learning the drums. Check out and Subscribe to that channel here! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDlIvGnvkw_kAvdx-NWwfTw We also chat about his band "Propergander", his favorite gear, and Omaha's 311. For more info on Frank and his band, check out all of his links below!!

Frank Ferraro

https://fferraroiii75.wixsite.com/ffdrums

https://www.facebook.com/ffdrumlessons/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdI10IbY_xxStv9IOnQvVew

Propergander

https://www.facebook.com/ProperganderMusic/

For more info, or to follow the show...

www.upandcomingdrummer.com/podcasts

www.instagram.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.facebook.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.twitter.com/UCDrummerPod

www.chrislangandrummer.com

#Drummer T-Shirt and Hoodie

http://www.teespring.com/drummershirt

 

What is up, everybody! Welcome back from NAMM, and welcome into Episode #48 of The Up & Coming Drummer Podcast. I'm here today with my guest Drummer, Podcaster, and Music Producer, Brynner Agassi!

So what's up everybody? It looks like many of you made it out to #NAMM2019 this year! Alot of former guests from the show, and even today's guest, Brynner Agassi. I am so jealous of all of the images coming in. This pretty much solidifies my attendance next year. I don't think I can go through the heartache again! It's really cool to see everyone finally connect, break bread, and have some libations.

I know Brynner was there from my Instagram. It was like, "I just talked to him the other day!" So in my mind, it worked out perfect that he was the guest this week. I got to hang with him too! For those of you who don't know Brynner Agassi, hop on your Instagram like everyone else and go give him a follow! (All of his links are listed below.) We're about to ask him some questions about his life, career, and even find out what it's like for me to do an interview after your students Dad gets you buzzed up. lol.

It's great to meet all of you guys so if you want to be a part of the show, make sure you send an email to [email protected]. Without further ado, let's get into this week's Podcast! Brynner and I will be chatting about growing up in a musical family. We will get into his session work. Take a look at the gear he is using. Explore the world of podcasting and discuss what really goes into producing a show. To find out more about the podcast, and check out everything Brynner Agassi has going on, head to the links BELOW!~

Brynner Agassi

http://www.brynneragassi.com

https://twitter.com/brynneragassi

https://www.instagram.com/officialbrynneragassi/

https://www.youtube.com/user/BrynnerAgassi

https://soundcloud.com/displacedmusic

 

Welcome to Episode 47 guys! Jeeeez...Almost 50! That's nuts! So happy to be back this week with my guest Danny Patterson!

Guys, I know everyone is hyped up on NAMM! With that being said, I will not be there this year but, missing the shit out of every one of you! :( Please check in!! My guest Danny Patterson will be there enjoying the festivities! I hope any of you taking a road trip today will sit back, relax, and listen to my conversation with one of the hardest working drummers I've ever talked to! Danny represents alot of really cool companies and bands, so it's really cool to hear the story of how a guy like anyone of us, made drums his job!

It's all about dreaming big and being inspired this week! Danny will be around NAMM I'm sure, hanging with the different companies he plays like for instance, 7 Drums! Whoever takes a photo with Danny at NAMM and tags us in a photo on Instagram FIRST...you get a special prize! I'm thinking a cymbal? Let's do it! Cymbal for the first tagged picture with Danny Patterson at NAMM!!

If you're like me and aren't making it out to NAMM. You can still check out Danny Patterson and all of his bands by hitting up the links below!! Have a great week folks!

Danny Patterson

http://www.dannypattersonmusic.com

http://www.instagram.com/dannypattersonmusic

http://www.twitter.com/DPattersonMusic

http://www.facebook.com/DannyPattersonMusic

http://www.youtube.com/user/dannypattersonmusic

Mystery Loves Company

http://www.mysteryloves.com

Genevieve Allen

http://www.facebook.com/genevieveallenmusic

 

Hello everybody! Hope your New Year is off to an awesome start! This week we're chatting with our good buddy and Drummer, JR McNeely!

JR McNeely is not one of your ordinary names, so when you hear it, you tend to remember it. That was the case for me. I'm pretty deep into the drum community and have been for quite a few years now. I know for sure I've heard his name come up before, so when I hopped on the call with JR, one of my first questions was, "Where do I know you from?" It turns out JR is what we might call, "Facebook" famous. Rightfully so with all of the charity work he does within the drum community!

We start off the interview catching up and talking about how difficult it was to make this episode happen. We had to reschedule a few times, and I was getting worried our interview wasn't going to happen in time for this weeks release! But we made it happen! So onward we went with the interview with a clear mind, and much excitement!

Like most interviews, I like to find out how it all started with my guests. JR McNeely was born in West Virginia and goes on to tell us all about finding drums, and the first bands he played in! We talk about his most recent project, "Matt Hogan's Sonic Assault" which is currently working on an album and a music video. Jr and I talk about life as a touring musician. Especially one who has a family and a full-time job. We hit on the topic of gear where JR runs down his list of gear and endorsements.

One of the highlights of the interview was when we discussed his annual Drum-Off. JR is on his third year organizing the event which brings in drummers from all over to compete to win the grand prize. What's special about this event is that the money raised is used to provide drumsets to underprivileged children and schools. JR is just one of the nicest guys you could ever talk with. You can tell how big of a heart he has, and how much he cherishes the drums. He was kind enough to send over the track "Whiskey" for us to enjoy, so be sure to check it out at the end of our interview.

To check out JR McNeely, head to the links below! Enjoy everybody!

JR McNeely

https://www.facebook.com/JerryMcNeely

https://www.instagram.com/jrmcneely/

https://www.facebook.com/mcneelyshouseofmusic

https://twitter.com/mcneely_jr

DRUM-OFF

https:/

/www.facebook.com/MHOMDRUMOFF

For more info, or to follow the show...

www.upandcomingdrummer.com/podcasts

www.instagram.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.facebook.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.twitter.com/UCDrummerPod

www.chrislangandrummer.com

#Drummer T-Shirt and Hoodie

http://www.teespring.com/drummershirt

 

Welcome into Episode 45 of The Up & Coming Drummer Podcast! We are breaking records this week folks! Not only do we have our youngest drummer to date, but we also have the FIRST Northeast, Pennsylvania Drummer ever on the show. I'm thrilled to welcome Liam Fenton!!

Ok, so being that Liam Fenton is only 13 years old, you probably understand that particular portion of the "Record Breaking" on this show. But what's the big deal about him being from Northeast Pennsylvania? Well, Liam is the first guest that I've ever had on the podcast who is also from the same area as me! I know, crazy right! I honestly don't know what it is around here. Maybe the local guys don't take me, or this podcast seriously. And that's cool. Whatever... To be honest, I'm only looking for drummers that are really making serious moves in their career. So maybe being on this show isn't for everyone. That's cool. I think we can all respect the guy or gal that just plays drums for fun. But when it came to Liam...I knew he would be the perfect first "NEPA" guest.

Liam's father happens to be my good friend, Ryan Fenton. Ryan and I have both played drums in the local scene for a long time. (We're the old guys) We actually share the throne in some of the same local bands in the area. On top of that, I also teach Ryan's nephew Zane every week. So to say that Ryan and I have a huge "connection" is an understatement. But what is even more special about all of this, is the talent of his son, Liam. At only 13 years old, Liam is doing things that took me 10 or so years to achieve. And alot of guys around here are still trying to achieve the level that he's gotten to. That's not meant to make anyone feel bad, but hopefully, inspire you to take your career as seriously as Liam does.

I promised in 2019 that I wouldn't give too much away here in the show notes. The point is to listen right?  But just to set up the show, I'd like to briefly introduce you to Liam Fenton. Son of a drummer, who comes from a musical family. He develops his love for metal music, yet sees through the evilness associated with it. He tightens up his chops and quickly proves to everyone that this is not just a hobby. Through hard work and persistence, he made it clear that he wanted to take this a step further.

Liam walks us through his humble beginnings. Listening to the songs his Dad played around the house, to taking his first lesson, where Ryan would show him how to craft the basic beat. He would continue to perfect his craft,  eventually finding a band along the way. He goes on to join "Brotality" with a pair of brothers from New York, where they finally get to begin to write their own songs. Their riffs are mind-bending. You would never believe this was a band of teenagers writing, and singing their own songs. The lyrics deliver messages of positivity and rising above all of the stereotypes. With the immense support of their families, they are currently playing some of the best rooms the east coast has to offer.

You have no idea what you are in store for when you listen to these guys. I would seriously love to hear your reaction, so if you are reading this, please leave a comment. Especially if you are a fan of metal. Please check out Liam and the band below and also make sure to follow all of our links as well! We are so happy to support the up and comers here on the show, so please do the same! Without further ado, here is my interview with fellow Nepa Drummer, and Drummer for "Brotality"...Liam Fenton!

Liam Fenton

Welcome into Episode #44 of The Up & Coming Drummer Podcast. This week I'm chatting with Starkville, Mississippi's very own Blake Carroll.

It's great to be back with our first episode of 2019! What an unbelievable year 2018 was! We launched this podcast in April, and have grown a nice following since then! Blake Carroll kicks off the New Year as our 44th guest! It's crazy to think that this podcast has had one episode for 44 weeks straight! It's alot of work, I'm not gonna lie. But the friendships I've made have been amazing! I really hope to get out to some conventions this year and meet some of you in person!

There is, however, one thing I think I'm going to start doing this year to ease up on the workload a little bit. I tend to write these longwinded blog posts that go into detail about everything we talk about in the episode. It's like a play by play of every section of the conversation. I got to thinking that maybe I don't need to tell you guys everything, right? I mean it's a podcast that you listen to with your ears. Why read about it when you can just listen. And besides, who wants a spoiler?

Sure, I'll write something! We'll talk a bit about what's going on and of course about who we have on the show! I'll be sure to load up each post with the guest's name ( Blake Carroll ) for SEO purposes. But honestly, why ramble? With the New Year being here, I'd really like to get some feedback from you all. What did you like about the show so far? What about the show would you change? This podcast is for you guys! I want you to be vocal about what you want to hear and see! As a matter of fact, here...click this link and tell me what's on your mind! Seriously...Please!!!! https://upandcomingdrummer.com/contact/ Sign up for the email list as well. I can get some polls, bonus content, maybe even some giveaways going for subscribers only!

Anyway, here I go rambling. So this week we are kicking off 2019 with Drummer Blake Carroll. Blake is from Starkville, MS and a really cool fun fact is that he is a Triplet! No...Not like the subdivision, like he has a brother and sister that were born minutes apart from him! He's been playing drums for a long time, joining his first band with a group of friends when they were just kids. Turns out his brother is a killer bassist too! Blake went on to play in many bands over the years which we talk about in the show. His most recent and most focused on projects are with the bands "LoveOver" and "KillJay".

Blake and I chat about everything from his bartending side gig to becoming a graphic artist, to how he has learned to promote himself. Many tips are shared about what you can do to help gain attention to yourself. Especially drummers who don't necessarily always have a band to be a part of. We chat social media, and the very few drummers Blake actually follows. If gear is your thing, we make sure to talk about some of the brands Blake plays like Dark Horse Percussion! Aside from drums, Blake tells us some of the most useful apps for editing photos and posting on the go!

I hope you guys enjoy the show and have had a great Holiday! Again, please send in your feedback so we can make this show even better in 2019! As always, I will leave all the links you can find Blake Carroll, and show related content down below! Make sure you go check everything out! Until next week...Peace out!

Blake Carroll

http://www.instagram.com/blaketcarroll

https://www.facebook.com/ohmyblake

http://www.instagram.com/blakedesignsthings

https://twitter.com/blaketcarroll

Merry Christmas everyone, and welcome to Episode #43 of The Up & Coming Drummer Podcast. Joining me this week is Drummer, Educator, and fellow 311 Fan, Alex Lee!

Alex Lee and I first crossed paths when commenting on a post about our favorite band, 311. I saw the word "Drums" in his handle, and immediately knew I had to have a chat with this dude! 311 fans are super hardcore, so not only did I know we could connect on that, but he is also a drummer. After talking for a bit, I asked Alex if he would be interested in coming on the podcast. He obliged, and here we are today about a month later!

As you would have guessed, Alex and I kick things off talking about our favorite band! I'm sure some of you won't have any interest in this part, so I won't be upset if you skip ahead. But for those of you who love the band, or didn't even know they were still "Livin' and Rockin', then sit back and check out the opening of the show! I prepared a few questions for Alex in regards to his favorite album, shows he's attended, favorite member, and more! it was super fun to compare answers, and get to know a little about a fellow 311 lover! If you guys forgot all about this band, I highly recommend moving past "Down" or "All Mixed Up". There are so many killer grooves to be heard. Especially for Drummers!

Alright, anyway, on with the show! So after our little 311 Geek-Fest, it was time to learn about our guest this week! As always, I asked Alex to bring us back to his childhood. We talked about how Alex would take out the pots and pans, and how he eventually got his first drum kit! We discussed being brought up around music, and how it runs in the family. Alex tells us about the music scene in Glendale, AZ, and what it was like joining his first band. Did Alex take lessons, or was he self-taught? You can hear all about it in this first part of the interview!

Moving forward, I asked Alex to tell us about some of the bands he's played with in more recent years. We talked about his former band "Bad Lucy" and the successes he had with them. For a short period, Alex was playing with a band on a cruise ship! I found that incredibly interesting, so we talked about how he landed that job. Much like myself, Alex has been the hired gun kind of drummer more recently. Currently, he is involved with a company that lands him gigs playing with all kinds of artists. It reminded me of a sort of musicians union. I was eager to hear more about this and I immediately started wondering how we could implement something like that here in Pennsylvania!

Alex spent many years marching. In the next section, we talk a bit about how he took the knowledge he obtained in school and later went on to teach Drumline. He shifted his focus from performing with bands to arranging and designing shows for area drumlines! He and his students have had many achievements, winning awards for their performances. We learn all about his time marching, and his time spent teaching. We even manage to sneak in another quick story about 311 drummer, Chad Sexton.

Before wrapping things up, Alex and I talk about a few other things including gear and social media. Alex gives us the rundown on the gear he currently uses, and some of his favorite accessories on the kit. I also wanted him to tell us briefly about the podcast he has with his wife called "The Working Parents Podcast". It's always cool to talk with other podcasters to compare experience, gear, and just an overall sense of how they go about it! If you are a parent who is trying to be successful while raising children, you should definitely check this out! Lastly, we round out our chat talking about creating content for social media. Alex takes us through his process for creating videos and shares some tips on how he has built his following.

As always, you can find Alex Lee and all of our guests at the links below!

Hey Drummers and Drummettes! Glad to have you back this week for another episode of The Up & Coming Drummer Podcast. Joining me this week is the unbelievably talented, Nic Kubes.

When Nic Kubes first reached out to me about being on the show, I was shocked to see that he was only 18 years old. I figured I'd send over my questionnaire and see what he has going on in his career. There's not many drummers, even myself at that age, who have a lot of stuff going on. I worry even with drummers my age and older that we won't have much to talk about, so I always send over a form for them to list some of the bands, teaching gigs, and other achievements they've had just to get an idea of who they are. What Nic sent me back, had my jaw on the floor!

Nic is the reigning champ when it comes to youngest guest on the show. He may be the youngest, but don't let that fool you! Nic is unbelievably skilled on the drums and conducts himself better than most middle-aged people I know!  He graduated High School a year early, won several awards and scholarships, and already has his own teaching practice. This dude is no joke! He rubs shoulders with the biggest names in drumming. So as you can see, my worries quickly turned into excitement when I knew I would have the chance to chat drums with Nic!

I like to start off each show by asking my guests about growing up. Nic and I joked about wrapping up the show after his answer to this first question. I told Nic to try and focus on his actual childhood and how he became interested in the drums. Nic and I chatted about the bands that his family introduced him to. It's always nice to hear when a teenager in 2018 can talk to you about bands like The Who, Zeppelin, and Rush. In a time where we're lucky if millennials even know who the Beatles are, it was great to hear that what influenced Nic was the support and good taste in music of his parents.

Nic and I continue our conversation discussing the bands he's played in. He was very active in not only the school music programs but also jamming with friends and local musicians. Again, attributing the support of his parents, Nic was always able to play wherever, and whenever he could. Because of this, Nic developed a wide range of proficiency in different styles playing Big Band, Jazz, Rock, Punk, Fusion, and every other genre you could imagine. He goes on to tell me how important it's been for him to really dive into such a massive range of music. As I mentioned before, his hard work and instilled discipline allowed him to earn a few scholarships, and graduate High School a year early.

He was so determined, that he picked up and moved from Colorado to Los Angeles so he could study music, and be closer to the thriving music scene. Nic is currently going to school full-time and spending almost every other second studying with some of the best drummers in the world. He credits Dom Famularo as the most influential teacher he has worked with. If you look at Nic's website, you can see the laundry list of drummers he has studied with. But at the end of the day, Nic tells us that there is no one quite like Dom. Nic has also done his share of teaching. With being so busy with school right now, it's been a little slower than usual. However, he can be found around campus working with other drummers, passing on the knowledge he's learned from all the greats.

In the last portion of our chat, Nic and I discuss gear and social media. Starting with gear, Nic tells us a bit about the different kits he uses. If you haven't seen his Instagram page yet, I suggest you go check out what he's rocking! Nic has one of the most enormous kits I've seen in a while. Being ambidextrous, Nic tells us how he strategically sets up his kit so that he can play both the left and right side to his advantage. Not to mention the concert toms mounted above his head. Nic is endorsed by several brands including Map...