Working Drummer

Peter Erskine is – well, you know who the hell Peter Erskine is. We were thrilled to have Matthew Crouse interview him for the first time on WDP in the summer of 2016, and even more thrilled when Peter graciously suggested doing a “volume 2” with co-host Zack Albetta. Peter’s latest endeavors include a new live record with The Dr. Um Band (releasing April 6th) and a new book, The Drummer’s Lifeline, a compilation of tips and tricks for the working drummer.

In this episode, Peter talks about:

Why the average level of his incoming students is higher than ever

The importance of interacting with people in daily life, not just staying in the bubble of screens and headphones

What it means to “read the air,” as they say in Japan

Adjusting to differences in touch from bassist to bassist

Raising your performance baseline

Acceptance and forgiveness in music

The recently departed and much beloved Ndugu Chancler

Peter Erskine endorses Tama drums, Remo heads, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks, Meinl percussion, Roland V-Drums, Shure microphones, and the Zoom Q2HD recorder.

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At the age of 7, Rob Mount started studying percussion at The Hochstein School of Music in his hometown of Rochester, NY. During his high school years Rob studied percussion at The Eastman School of Music, and continued his music education at Nazareth College. Through all of these years, Rob participated in various concert bands and percussion ensembles. While Rob is schooled in percussion, he is entirely self taught on the drumset.

Throughout the ‘90’s and 2000’s Rob was in high demand recording and performing live with various artists like Court Jester, Ramrod, Thick as Thieves and Metal Blade recording artist Lieglord.

Also during this time, Rob played 3 tracks on fellow Lou Gramm bandmate Michael Staertow’s CD, “Oxygen” – currently available on iTunes and Amazon.

Prior to joining Lou Gramm’s band officially, Rob had performed many drum duties for him, including recording drum tracks for several Foreigner songs to be used for promotional purposes, as well as filling for shows and practice when needed by Lou. These days Rob has been touring North America for some time now as Lou’s permanent drummer.

In this episode, Rob talks about:

How he got the gig with Lou Gramm

Replacing a drum machine on a recording

Creating drum parts in heavy rock

The fact that we never stop learning

New things from which to draw inspiration

Creating and maintaining a strong on-line presence

Playing for the song

Balancing your career and family

Maintaining chops during time off

Staying healthy

Rob endorses: KBrakes, Drumtacs, Regal Tip sticks, JH Audio

This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums

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Brian Stephens is a drummer, audio engineer, producer, and studio owner who has spent most of his career in Atlanta. He has had most of the jobs a person can have in the music business and recently added “product developer” to the list. He’s always looking for gaps in the market and in the musical conversations being had, and thinking of ways to constructively fill them. What began as a project to design a pair of good-sounding but affordable in-ear monitors for himself turned into his new business, Session Ace. Boasting two types of hybrid driver IEM’s and a variety of other tools and accessories for working musicians, Brian launched the Session Ace brand in early 2018.

In this podcast, Brian Talks about:

Quality over quantity in social media interactions

How being hired by someone is a continuation of previous interactions you’ve had

“The currency of trust” – making your social media presence reflect your musical values, judgement, and trustworthiness

Keeping your taste more elevated than your status

Developing his own line of in-ear monitors and the other products under the Session Ace brand

Creating intersections in your drumming community

What networking really is

Brian endorses Paiste cymbals, Promark drumsticks, Planet Waves cables, and Waves plug-ins.

This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums

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Terence Clark is a Memphis based drummer, producer and overall creative. Known for his impeccable and soulful performances, his professionalism and discipline of craft, Terence has traveled the world building relationships with and through music. As Terence finds inspiration in his travels and engaging other cultures, he always lends inspiration with his unique brand of performance, solid groove and musical knowledge and excellence. It’s always been more than “just about the music”, to Terence; it’s about creating the very best and discovering a community of artists with which to learn from and create with along the way.

Terence began to dream about making music at the age of two. His father, Marc Clark, an organist and pianist and grandfather Loyce F. Clark, a guitarist and legendary quartet vocalist, became his early mentors along with music producers, Kevin Paige and Niko Lyras. Terence developed the gritty elements of his style while playing with local bands on Beale Street. Those experiences stirred up his love for the city’s music legacy and heartbeat of all musical forms. His professional career has spanned from touring nationally and internationally as well as recording with an eclectic array of artists of many genres. He currently tours with the legendary, Robert Cray Band. A musical education and real-life experiences have refined his talents.

Terence is also a Producer and Co-Founder of The Undertone Collective, a production company that enables artists by providing a vast range of media and production services. He’s passionate about furthering the legendary music that Memphis has always heralded, while creating a support and resource system for new and experiences artists. Terence is currently mentored by David Porter, Tommy Sims, James Waddell, and Steve Jordan. His musical inspiration stems from the likes of Steve Jordan, Al Jackson Jr., Howard Grimes, Steve Gadd, Tony Williams, Dennis Chambers, William Kennedy, Dan Needham, Dave Weckl, Marvin McQuitty, and Austin Bradley.

Working with Terence means working with an artist whose creativity and versatility are only matched by his personal warmth and dedication to the project. His passion is not only for the art, but for the artist.

In this episode, Terence talks about:

Working with and creating music with Robert Cray

Playing with conviction

Playing for the purpose of the artist

Connecting with other players and the audience

Creating “sounds” like a foley artist

Having Steve Jordan as a mentor

Networking sincerely

Being selective about the work that you take

How he discovers music

The evolution of the drum set

Loving and being thankful for the “right now”

Terence endorses: Istanbul Agop CymbalsVic FirthMono CreatorsRoberts Drum CoShy Baffles

This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums

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Johnny Rabb became a household name in the drumming community as a product developer and clinician. For years, he worked the clinic and convention circuit to great success, but he missed actually being in a band and playing shows. In 2012, a chance meeting at NAMM with Collective Soul‘s Will Turpin led to Johnny becoming the band’s new drummer, and he still tours and records with them today.

In this podcast, Johnny talks about:

Being a hired gun vs. being “the new guy” in a band vs. being a full-fledged member

How commitment to a group and prioritization of it result in job security

Diversifying income streams, musical and otherwise

Why he lives in Indianapolis

How excitement can sometimes blind you to potential red flags

Maintaining perspective and gratitude

Johnny Rabb endorses ProLogix, Remo heads, Meinl Cymbals and Percussion, Cympad, Audix Microphones, and of course, Johnny Rabb drumsticks.

This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums.

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South Louisiana native Doug Belote grew up in Cajun country, immersed in the sounds of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, Cajun, zydeco, Dixieland, gospel, Latin and New Orleans second line rhythms. He began playing the drums at age 12 and worked in clubs and at recording sessions while still in high school. After just a semester at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, he sold everything he owned including his drums and hit the road for The Drummers Collective in New York City, where he studied with Ricky Sebastian and Kim Plainfield and broadened his musical palette.

In his early 20s, Belote began touring Europe, Japan and the Caribbean with a variety of New Orleans-based jazz, blues and funk artists. He has recorded on more than 100 albums and his resume includes work with Mike Gordon, Jeff Coffin, George Porter Jr., Willie Nelson, Sonny Landreth, Henry Butler, Delfeayo Marsalis, Anders Osborne, Cyril Neville, Ivan Neville, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Allen Toussaint, Fred Wesley, Steve Masakowski, Charlie Hunter, John Oats Shane Theriot, Derek Trucks, Susen Tedeschi as well as a 2010 performance with Eric Clapton at the Crossroads festival.

Doug currently lives in New Orleans and tours with 12-time Grammy winner Jerry Douglas.

In this episode, Doug talks about:

Recording in New Orleans for T.V. shows and commercials

Working with Jerry Douglas and the funny story of his “audition” for Jerry

His understanding of recording in Nashville

His documentary: Street Beat – Drumming Below Sea Level

Studying with Kim Plainfield at Drummers Collective

Playing with Sonny Landreth and Eric Clapton on the 2010 Crossroads concert

Living in flood prone New Orleans

Doug endorses: Yamaha drums,Zildjian cymbals, Shure in-ear monitors and Pro-Mark drumsticks

We’d like to recognize and thank listener James Osborne and his support of this podcast through Patreon. See and hear more about James at: jamesosborne.com.au

This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums

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Lemuel Hayes is the drummer for B52s founding member Cindy Wilson’s solo project. Originally from Gainesville, GA, he didn’t set his sights on a music career until age 22, after a few years as a mechanical engineering major at Georgia Tech. After playing and teaching around Gainesville, Atlanta, and Athens for a couple years, he decided to move to Nashville. But he then began to think LA would be a better fit and made plans to relocate. Weeks before he was supposed to move, a broken arm not only kept him in Nashville but put him on the sidelines of music for months. While working at Guitar Center and rehabbing his arm, Cindy Wilson’s project got going and he also caught on with some artists under Jack White’s Third Man Records.

In this podcast, Lemuel talks about:

Hosting a jazz radio show in college

What made him quit engineering school to focus on music

Flying out to LA to spend a day with Josh Freese

What first brought him to Nashville, and the freak accident that kept him there

The physical and psychological challenges of rehabbing his arm

Working at Guitar Center to stay afloat

The random gig in Athens, GA that connected him with Cindy Wilson

Teching for Sterling Campbell

How Cindy’s band is a band, not a solo artist with hired guns

This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums.

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In this episode, Nick Ruffini, host and creator of The Drummers Resource sit down with Zack Albetta and Matt Crouse, the hosts of Working Drummer to catch up from last year’s episode. The idea behind this round table came from the fact that all three of us were going through major life changes that effected our music careers in one way or another. We decided to check back in close to a year later and discuss some of the many things that have transpired over that time.

In this episode Nick, Zack, and Matt talk about:

* Catching up from last year’s roundtable

* Opportunities in the music business outside of performing

* The “Gig Triangle” – the money, the music, the hang

* Allowing other things outside music to be a part of your identity

* How and what we practice

* Handling failures

* Time management and finding ways to be productive throughout each day

* Ageism in the music business

* Upcoming guests for Drummers Resource and WDP

* This weeks episode is sponsored by Crush Drums 

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Rodd Bland was born and raised in Memphis, the son of Bobby “Blue” Bland and the godson of B.B. King. He began playing drums at age 3, and learning at the feet of legendary drummers like Tony Coleman, and Jabo Starks. The time soon came for Rodd to move into the drum chair for his dad’s band, and he remained for much of his career, until Bobby Bland’s death in 2013. Since then, Rodd has remained active with Memphis-based artists such as Rev. Shawn Amos, Brimstone Jones, and Otis Clay.

In this podcast, Rodd talks about:

Starting on percussion in his dad’s band as a high school student

The variety of sub-genres that culminated in his dad’s music and in the Memphis sound

Howard Grimes, Tony Coleman, and other Memphis drummers that have influenced him

His (and my) favorite Bobby Bland song

Jabo’s advice about cultivating your own sound

How to take different types of cues from singers and figure out what they need without asking

The history of Beale St.

Having to reintroduce himself to the Memphis scene as more than Bobby Bland’s son/drummer

His love of 90’s rock and grunge, and his relationships with Chad Smith and Matt Cameron

This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums.

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Elton Charles is a Guyanese drummer/engineer based in Nashville. Originally from New Jersey, he started playing drums at the early age of five. Elton worked on learning the instrument over the years and, combined with a natural tenacity for playing, was accepted to study at Berklee college of music. After moving to Nashville in 2012, Elton’s experience has been a blur of touring, recording, and building his musical relationships within the music community. When not supporting up and coming artists and writers in music city, Elton is building upon studio clientele offering his talents as a drummer and producer. Elton is currently on the road with multi-award winning country duo Thompson Square.

In this episode, Elton talks about:

The challenges of running a home studio

Studying at Berklee and creating a learning experience for himself

Great drum sounds coming from the player

Working with a click when performing live

Translating programed drum parts to acoustic when performing live

Snare tuning and playing style

A better understanding of drum sounds from recording experiences

Attracting new business in creative ways

Elton endorses: Anchor Drums, Evans Drumheads, Promark Sticks, Puresound, Drumtacs, Paiste Cymbals, Porter and Davies, Sensaphonics in-ear monitors and Smokin Ace Cymbal Shields

This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums

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