Working Drummer

In this episode we share stories and experiences of five accomplished drummers who maintain standard fitness practices as part of their daily and weekly routines. This roundtable includes Matt Iceman – (David Nail), Dave McAfee – (Toby Keith), Corbin Cagle – (indépendent), Mark Poiesz – (Tyler Farr), and helping to moderate the conversation is fitness expert and life coach Danny Elliott. Danny is a drummer and owner at Heart Body Soul. 

In this episode, the roundtable talks about: 

* What each of them is doing to stay healthy and their personal journey 

* Matt Iceman talks about losing over 110 pounds 

* The importance of nutrition in conjunction with exercise 

* “You can’t out-exercise a bad diet” – Matt Iceman

* Misconceptions about products that claim to be healthy

* How your exercise routine changes as you age 

* Back pain

* Warm up routines and staying hydrated

* The power of a healthy mental attitude 

* The benefits of a daily meditation practice 

* Substance abuse and it’s adverse effects 

* Self awareness

This episode is sponsored by Motion Pro Drum Thrones 

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To celebrate our 200th episode, we invited four of our favorite past guests – Seth Rausch, Travis McNabb, Hubert Payne, and Harry Miree – to participate in a roundtable discussion. We then did an extended interview with Chris McHugh. The show was recorded and filmed at The Drum Pad in Nashville at Drum Paradise.

Seth Rausch is a skillful drummer currently working as the touring drummer for Keith Urban. Other artists he’s worked for include Gary Allan, Joe Nichols, Phil Vassar, and Little Big Town. While he was with Little Big Town, he had the opportunity to record on two of their records and work with producer Jay Joyce. He continues to collaborate and record with some of Nashville’s top writers, musicians, and producers.

Travis McNabb is best known as a longtime member of the band Better Than Ezra, and brings his style and integrity to every situation. In mid-2007, He became the full-time touring and recording drummer with Grammy-award winning act Sugarland. He puts his years of recording and engineering experience to use in his own home studio and in recent years he’s been the drummer for country artist, Frankie Ballard.

Hubert Payne excelled at football in high school and college and won two State Championships. His athletic skills as well as superb drumming skills continue to inspire. He has worked with many nationally-touring country artists that include Love & Theft, David Nail, Casey James, and since early 2015, Little Big Town.

Harry Miree has built a successful YouTube channel where he covers many topics like “The True Life of a Side Musician, Open Handed Techniques, alternatives to playing a Cajon and many other useful videos. He has over 76,000 subscribers and is currently the touring drummer for LoCash.

In this podcast, the roundtable panel talks about:

* Goals and intentions for 2019

* Physical and psychological challenges

* What listening means to them

* Memorable mistakes and lessons learned from them

Chris McHugh is one of the most sought-after drummers in the Nashville recording scene. His playing can be heard on thousands of recordings dating back to the mid-1980s. He has worked with some of the biggest names in music, including Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Michael Bolton, Blake Shelton, Toby Keith, LeAnn Rimes, Brooks & Dunn, Reba McIntire, Faith Hill, Kenny Rogers, Jars of Clay, Trace Adkins, Jewel, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Lionel Richie, and countless others.

In this podcast, Chris talks about:

* How his playing has changed conceptually over the years

* What it means for your playing to have character

* Being mentored by Larry Londin, and the current state of mentorship in Nashville

* The homogenization of the recording industry (Nashville vs. L.A.)

*

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Dusty Simmons was born and raised in Richmond, VA, which he still calls home. He tours and records with The Cris Jacobs Band, and is part of multiple projects in Richmond. Dusty’s dad is a musician and had a garage full of instruments when Dusty was a kid. This is where and when Dusty began learning about music, and he was gigging by his sophomore year in high school. It has been non-stop gigging since then, be it in bands on the road and in the studio, in music stores, or as a drum tech and audio engineer. During his adult life, he has seen an explosion of art and music in Richmond, driven by locally grown creatives, locally owned and operated venues, labels, studios, and the prestigious art school at Virginia Commonwealth University.

In this podcast, Dusty talks about

* His main gig with the Cris Jacobs Band

* His three Richmond-based tribute projects

* Secretly practicing on his dad’s gear as a kid

* The vibrant music and arts scene in Richmond

* His Instagram Live show, “Diggin’ with Dusty”

* How he learned to conceptualize drumming and music as a self-taught

* The early experience that turned him off from formal music education

* Thinking of a groove to a dance

* Teching for Lamb of God’s Chris Adler

*

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Rod Morgenstein’s unique, dynamic and musical drumming style has led to Rod’s winning the Best Progressive Rock Drummer award in Modern Drummer Magazine’s Reader’s Poll 5 years in a row (1986-1990) and Best All-Around Drummer (1999), earning him a permanent position in the magazine’s prestigious Honor Roll. Rod was a founding member of the groundbreaking group the Dixie Dregs. Rod is also very well known as a member of the award winning rock group Winger. These two groups have reunited in recent years and continue to tour regularly.  

Other projects that Rod has been involved with are The Steve Morse band, The Rudess/Morgenstein Project, the jam band Jazz Is Dead, Platypus, whose two recordings feature John Myung (Dream Theater), Ty Tabor (King’s X) and Derek Sherinian (Planet X) as well as an offshoot of Platypus, The Jelly Jam, a power trio featuring Rod, Ty Tabor and John Myung.

In addition to his recording and touring credits, Rod is very active in drum education. He recently retired from the position of Professor of Percussion at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. Also, his highly recognized instructional materials include videos, audio cassettes and books. His most recent offering is Drum Set Warm-Ups, touted as the definitive text for developing and improving all aspects of drum set playing.

In this episode, Rod talks about: 

* Diversifying your workload

* How his teaching position came about at the Berklee College of Music

* The early years of the Dixie Dregs 

* The unique challenges the Dixie Dregs faced within the music business

* The Steve Morse band opening up for Rush in 1985 

* The awesome story of what lead to Rod playing on the Burning for Buddy project

* His audition for Winger

* His audition for Journey in 1986

* Taking chances on stage and the benefits of his book: “Drum Set Warm-Ups”

* Developing Berklee online courses https://online.berklee.edu/courses/rock-drums

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Kevin Leon has been on the Atlanta scene for nearly a decade and recently landed the touring gig with St. Paul & The Broken Bones. Kevin grew up in Birmingham, AL. He studied music at The University of Alabama at Birmingham and got a fast start playing all kinds of gigs on the Birmingham scene. After school, he moved to New York for a year and returned to Birmingham when it became clear he didn’t have the inclination (or the money) to live there long term. He then landed a gig with country artist Niko Moon, which brought him to Atlanta, where he has been active ever since with singer/songwriters, jazz artists, and corporate bands. He is also part owner of Music Lessons Decatur, a local teaching network.

In this podcast, Kevin talks about:

The somewhat emergency process by which he joined St. Paul

His relationships with Chris Fryar and Harry Miree

Exploring his non-musical outlet, fishing, on the road

Gearing up to be the primary breadwinner when his girlfriend went to grad school

Filling your schedule with “work” vs. keeping it open for creative projects

Lessons learned when the gig that brought him to Atlanta ended abruptly

The experience that made him realize making 2 & 4 feel good required as deep a dive as jazz

A snapshot of his hometown, Birmingham

Publishing videos (and an eventual album) of his original compositions, and his thoughts on managing his output

Kevin Leon endorses Vic Firth sticks

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Gregg Bissonette performing and recording credits include working with Ringo Starr, David Lee Roth, James Taylor, Santana (on his Grammy-award winning Supernatural), Don Henley, Joe Satriani, Andrea Bocelli, ELO, Maynard Ferguson, Spinal Tap, and countless others. 

He has recorded for many films—including The Bucket List, Finding Nemo, Best in Show, For Your Consideration, The Bourne Supremacy, The Mighty Wind, The Polar Express, The Devil Wears Prada, Waiting for Guffman, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The 40-Year-Old Virgin as well as TV shows, including the hit NBC series Friends.

Gregg exclusively uses Zildjian Cymbals, Dixon Drums, DW Drum Pedals, Remo Drum Heads, Vic Firth Drum Sticks, Samson Audio, Audix Mics, the Gregg Bissonette Signature Stick Bag by Kaces, XL Specialty road cases, Beato Drum Bags, LT Lug Locks, and LP Percussion products.

Kennan Wylie is in his 22nd year as the Director of Percussion Studies at Marcus High School in Flower Mound, TX. Kennan is a free-lance performer in the Dallas-Forth Worth area and a member of the Dallas based jazz group Fingerprints.

His previous publications include the book “Simple Steps to Successful Beginning Percussion”, through K. Wylie Publications (www.kwylie.com). With a Bachelors and Masters degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas, Kennan is active as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the Southwest, as well as serving as the President of the Texas PAS Chapter.

Kennan endorses Yamaha drums, Zildjian cymbals, Innovative Percussion, and Evans drumheads

In this episode, Gregg and Kennan talk about: 

* Gregg and Kennan’s presentation at PASIC 2018

* Describing the book – Hal Leonard Drumset Method book 1 and 2 & it’s many features 

* Unique challenges teachers have these days / private lessons vs YouTube

* The importance of performing with other people

* The “Flow Sticking System”

* The growing popularity of open handed technique

* Setting goals and a rough plan for teaching so students reach the goals you’ve set for them 

* Things that educators can offer that can go beyond just teaching drums? 

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Jeff Mellott has spent his entire life in Ohio and become a fixture on the Cincinnati scene. His trio, Us Today, recently release its fourth album, Computant. After starting at a community college, he transferred to Ohio Univeristy and went on to earn a master’s degree in Jazz Studies from the College Conservatory of Music at The University of Cincinnati. In addition to Us Today, Jeff performs with guitarist Brandon Coleman and many other Cincinnati-based jazz artists, and has diversified his working life between performing and being a Music Educators Rep for Willis Music.

In this podcast, Jeff talks about:

* The evolution of Us Today

* Getting featured on NPR

* The band’s composition process

* His upbringing and musical background in Ohio

* Starting out at a community college, transferring to Ohio University, and going on to grad school at University of Cincinnati

* His other job with Willis Music, outfitting music educators with everything they need from instruments to sheet music to tech

* His advice on endorsements

* What keeps him in Cincinnati, and the city’s musical legacy

* Appreciating the different pockets and regions of American music

* The possibility and feasibility of someday moving away from Cincinnati

Jeff Mellott endorses Canopus drums, Bosphorus cymbals, and Vic Firth drumsticks

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Growing up in Watertown, NY, Sean Paddock started playing the drums at the age of four, and within a year was sitting in, performing live with his musician parents, Don Paddock (bassist) and Claudia Paddock (singer, guitarist) at local nightclubs. By the time he was 9-years-old, Sean had begun formal drum lessons and participated in the school band program. At fourteen, Sean and his family moved to Arizona where he continued his involvement in variety of high school music groups, including marching band, orchestra and stage band. It was during his high school years that he started his music career as a semi-pro, playing paid gigs with his father. After high school, Sean was working as a full-time musician, playing the local music seen both in Phoenix and northern New York.

In 1996, Sean traveled to Nashville to check out the music scene, heard that Kenny Chesney needed a drummer, auditioned and landed the gig which he’s been playing ever since.

Besides Kenny Chesney, Sean has worked with such rock and country icons as Vince Gill, Sammy Hagar, John Mellencamp, Steve Miller, George Strait, and numerous others. His televised appearances with Chesney include The Grammy’s, Austin City Limits, Sound Stage, the ACM, CMA, AMA award shows, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Late Show with Letterman, Good Morning America, and Today Show. Sean can also be seen in many of Kenny Chesney’s music videos, as well as the Summer In 3D Movie.

When not on the road, Sean is back in Nashville — doing recording sessions with an A-list team of musicians or tracking drums at his home studio.

In this episode, Sean talks about:

* The importance of mic placement, creating phase coherence, kit placement, etc when recording at home 

* Tracking and producing full tracks with all instruments

* Touring with Kenny Chesney 

* The realities of touring with a major label act 

* How he got the gig with Kenny

* Being authentic on the gig

* Recounting the flood of 2010 and how it affected tour production

* Final words of advice in maintaining sanity on the road 

Sean endorses: Tama Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks, Evans Drumheads, Audio Technica, Puresound Snare Wires

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Bill Stewart has been one of the most unique voices in jazz drumming for decades. He is especially known for his work with jazz guitar greats Pat Metheny, Jim Hall, Peter Bernstein, and most consistently and profoundly, John Scofield. His resume is rounded out with other iconic artists such as Michael Brecker, Maceo Parker, Joe Lovano, and Nicholas Payton. He has released several recording as a leader including Think Before You Think, Snide Remarks, and his latest, Band Menu. Stewart grew up in Iowa but made the move to New York for college and never left, and has remained one of the most sought-after drummers in jazz.

In this podcast, Bill talks about:

* The dynamic of his new record, and playing and composing for a “chord-less” trio

* Growing up in Iowa and playing with family members and in Top 40 bands in high school

* His simultaneous development as a drummer and composer

* How other genres such as roots/blues and classical have influenced him

* His transition from Iowa to the East Coast, and from college to the New York scene

* Studying with Elliot Zigman

* The importance of playing with clarity – in rhythmic content, orchestration, and tone

* How he first hooked up with John Scofield, and the musical adventures they’ve had since

* His long-standing trio with Larry Goldings and Peter Bernstein, and his thoughts on playing with organ

The challenges and opportunities presented by trio drumming

Bill Stewart endorses Gretsch drums, Remo drumheads, and Zildjian cymbals and sticks.

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Bart Robley is a perfect example of a full time musician that stays busy by diversifying his work load through teaching, performing live, recording as well as publishing educational material.

Through his many projects, Bart learned the nuances of rock, country, jazz, fusion, hard rock and heavy metal. As his thirst for musical adventures grew, so did his need for larger projects. So he bid goodbye to his small town life in Colorado and in 1989, relocated to Southern California. Bart networked the L.A. music scene, replete with a host of metal, punk and industrial bands. Bart returned to studio work and live performances as a ‘hired gun’ in many diverse projects from country to hard rock. It was one of these situations that led to Bart being hired full time by Southern Rock mainstays The Sam Morrison Band.

To date the Sam Morrison Band has recorded 8 CD’s with legendary producer Michael Vail Blum whose credits include work with Madonna and Pink Floyd. The band has sold over 700,000 downloads on I-Tunes and have been streamed over 10 million times on Spotify.

Bart has been involved in music education, teaching private and semi-private drum lessons, as well as hosting master classes and drum clinics for 20 years. Bart’s extensive knowledge of drumming and rhythm has come together in three popular instructional books, as well as three instructional DVDs. Bart’s efforts were recognized in 2009, when he won a Telly Award for his instructional DVD, “The School Of Hard Rocks”.

In this episode, Bart talks about: 

* Bart’s teaching practice

* The importance of teaching students to read music 

* How to stay organized as a teacher

* How to start and maintain a successful teaching practice 

* “What you’re doing not How you’re doing”

* Teaching business side of the music business to students

* His full time band The Sam Morrison Band 

* Working with legendary producer Michael Vail Blum

* Being the best you you can be 

* Playing for the song

* Bart’s instructional books and DVD’s 

* The responsibility of drumming educators 

* 3 instructional books, & 3 instructional DVDs

Bart endorses: Gretsch Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks, Aquarian Drumheads, Symphonic Percussion, Trick Drums, Clamp-It, Kickport, Gorilla Snot, The Kelly Shu, Humes & Berg, Audix Microphones

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