As I gain more and more experience working with young drummers, I notice different trends.  One major factor that influences everything is weather or not there is passion for the music.   It is the fuel that powers it all.  

If a student has true passion for the music, it is immediately apparent in all that they do:  their pursuit of the music, the passion and "go for it" attitude, having fun, not getting discouraged when things do not go their way.  

Here in NJ where I work with students, the atmosphere can be very competitive.  It's the most densely populated state in the country, therefore, the competition is thick and fierce.  Band directors put a lot on these kids and auditioning can be really stressful, it can become so much of an "end-all be-all" experience that the music itself gets lost.

I've seen kids get crushed by not getting into a certain band at school or not getting a fair shot at a position because a band director decides to change the rules of the band so that their star player gets all the attention, leaving the less experienced players to sit out.  I've also seen kids schedules be overwhelmed by a high demand of their time by band directors and what gets lost in the middle of it all?  THE MUSIC!

I've seen some of the older students in college get discouraged when they haven't become a wunderkind by a certain age and they feel like they'll never stack up against the prodigy type kids out there.  

So, I see all this and I think, If they could just keep the music front and center, all that other stuff would just fall away.  It really would.  

​It's gotta be about the music.  

Love of the music makes time stand still.  "Practice" is not a chore.  "Achievements" are really secondary to the actual music itself.  

I've seen some students absolutely obsess over the achievement part of music.  Then, others could care less and love music purely because... well, they LOVE music.  The ones who really love music seem to be the ones who have longevity and a healthy attitude.

I've had to tell students over and over... "Music does not live under the fluorescent lights of a school classroom.  It lives in you!"

For instance:  a student came to me about a year ago wanting to switch from piano to drums in their school jazz/concert band, yet had never held a pair of sticks!  And, they'd set some lofty goals: to be the #1 drummer in the jazz band and also to make the "regional" concert band (which consisted of a big audition on snare and a battery of percussion instruments.)

OK.  I love the ambition, but I warned them that there was a lot of work to be done on their basics and they may not get into those band with only a few months to prepare.  

We dug in.  Hour lessons.  Hard work.  And we made it happen.  They got into the regionals, they made the school jazz band.  Yay!

Something was missing though.  I kept asking questions like "What's your favorite song?"  No favorite songs.  "What do you love about jazz that makes you want to play it?"  No real answer there either.  "What's your favorite jazz song?"  No answer there.   

OK.

So then, the student goes to high school the next year and is totally overwhelmed by how good the drummers are.  Discouragement sets in.  They do not make the drum set chair in jazz band because the audition required skills that take YEARS to develop, not something you can just practice up in a few weeks.  

The wind goes out of this student's sails.  I spend most of a lesson trying to explain the situation.  Finally I ask:  "Well, are you going to quit loving music then?"

Oh!  Now we get to the crux.

Of course they're not going to quit.  They just got so enamored with the "achievement" that the music got lost, if, in fact, the love of the actual music was really there.  Time will tell. 

If you love the music, you're unstoppable.  If you don't, and you're just in it for the "achievement", then you're going to hit a wall and it won't be enjoyable.  

My advice to young musicians is simple:  "Drink from the well of the music and you can't go wrong."

Before I went full-bore into a music career I explored all kinds of other interests: baseball, BMX racing, soccer, wrestling, karate and boxing.  Of all of these, boxing left the biggest impression on me.  While, yes, taking a punch to the face will certainly leave a lasting mental impression, and hopefully not a physical one, the aspect of boxing that has stayed with me for life has been.... THE JUMP ROPE.

Jumping rope has a rhythm, feel and continuity that really inspires me.  One day, I was jumping rope and I thought about the African triplet rhythm and the shuffle.  I heard these rhythms in my head as I worked out with the rope and thought... how can I take this further?

So, I starting creating beats in Pro Tools that felt right for the jump rope rhythm.  Like a scientist, I went through draft after draft.  Each time, taking the tracks to the gym to test them out and then going back to the lab.

I started this process in 2006 in my small Manhattan apartment in New York City.

As I dialed in the tracks, I began composing various programs to enhance different attributes:  Endurance.  Warm-up, Speed, Power.  Interval training for weight loss.

Honestly, I was not thinking about enhancing my drumming with this, but I began to realize that the jump rope was working wonders for my playing.

First, it was a healthy and positive exercise.  The music biz is rough, especially for drummers, who have to haul a ton of gear, set it up, play it all night, tear it down, load it up and take it home.  If you add unhealthy life habits to that like drinking, getting high, sleeping in till noon... well, you're gonna hit a wall sooner than later.  

I mean, ever look at a guy like Kenny Aronoff?  That guy is a beast!!  He's got to be in his 60s by now and look at him, he looks amazing and plays his ass off!

So anyway, I began to feel much more connected with my core rhythm and it translated into my drumming which became much more effortless and fluid.  20 minutes with the jump rope on the day of a performance paid off huge.  When I sat at the drums, they seemed to play themselves.  

It doesn't matter what kind of music you play.  It works for any music.

Sometimes, things other than drumming can influence our playing, either good or bad.  I had tried weight lifting in my younger years and it always tightened me up, so I stopped.  I wanted to enhance my playing thru exercise and once I dropped the weights for the jump rope I've never looked back.  Sure, I still lift light weights, but no bulking up.  The rope can maintain muscle tone, too.  

So, drummers, maybe you'd like to try my idea.  Check out my "Progressive Jump Rope Beats" album at......

Wishing you all the best in music, health and drumming..

​Matt


​

"It's called show business.... so show up and take care of your business."


     We often think of "show business" as some unruly, willy-nilly, free-for-all.  We think of entertainers as these untouchable and elevated people who have nothing to think of except their performances and they live in some kind of fantasy world where, if you "make it" then you're excused from overall responsibility.


     Today, more than any other time, "show business", the word "business" is just as important, if not more, than the word "show".


     Why?  Because if the business doesn't get handled, then the show ain't happening.  Period.


     So what is business?  It's everything, even the playing:  returning correspondence via email, phone, texts.  Being on time.  Being absolutely prepared.  Dressing correctly.  Supporting and serving the music.  Doing your job.  Doing what you say you are going to do.  And further...  maintaining a vibrant social media presence, keeping up with the trends, etc....


     I am reminded of all of this as I observe musicians in various states of preparedness for performances.  I am amazed at some of them, how astute and ready they are.  Others, it's the total opposite, they behave as if some magical force is going to tie up all the loose ends they haven't bothered to take care of.  


     When I'm a bandleader, I am acutely aware of the musicians I hire and their business standard.  If I hire a player, and I've sent them music in advance, it's natural to expect them the have it prepared. And if they haven't prepared, I will never call them again.  If they are prepared, then their number is on my list when it comes time to make calls.


     It's so simple, yet so easy to slack off.  Most of the things that a musician can do to make their playing experience better, to give themselves and the band a better chance of making some actual music, are not difficult but just require caring enough to do them.  In my mind and in my experience, this is what separates great musicians from so-so musicians.  The ones who know that if they want to sound good, then they have to know the music well in order to have a chance at making some good music, and also to show the leader some respect.


     Do yourself a big favor.  Handle your business, leave no stone unturned and you'll see a big difference in your life.  

Today I was thinking about all the great drummers I've enjoyed so much over the years and how some of them transcend the idiom, some of them transcend the drums themselves. 

Ever hear Roy Haynes play funk?  Or Mel Lewis play a funky backbeat?  Or hear Tony Williams play a rock feeling?  It's still totally them, still has their fingerprint all over it, it's improvised and loose, but it's not "stock" by a long shot.  It's their personality, their sound, their ideas, transcending the idiom.  

You transcend the idiom by learning the vocabulary and the devices, the nuts and bolts, etc... then you're getting started.  

On the flip side, check how the drummer on Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On" plays a jazzy three feel.  Or check the loose feel that Stevie Wonder plays drums on a song like "Seems So Long"
​
Or check how Paul McCartney plays drums on his first two solo albums and also on "Chaos and Creation", the way they both orchestrate for the music when they play drums is so perfect, so natural and easy sounding.

They transcend the drums, by not thinking like drummers.  How can they?  They play all the instruments and the drums are just one part of it all.

How can drummers do this?  To free themselves of the patternistic trappings of the trap set?

They are not thinking about what they are playing.  They are thinking about what they are doing.  And that function doesn't change all that much from idiom to idiom.  I mean, in be-bop a drummer may be employing a conversational and melodic approach as opposed to in rock or funk a more beat oriented, repetitive approach.  But essentially, they're doing the same thing.  Serving the music.  And hey, a rock song can have conversational/melodic drums in it, too, if the music asks, answer.

Always play for the music.  The Melody.  The Form.  The changes.  The dynamics.  The statement being made. The musical vision, the composers intent. The energy.

Remember, it's not about what you're playing, it's about what you're doing. 

What is practice?

That's a good question.  There are more kinds of practice than one may think.  As a noun, a practice is an ongoing carrying out of a profession.  Like a law practice.  As a verb, practice can mean to perform a particular skill in order to improve or become proficient. 

Going with the latter and applied to the practicing of a musical instrument, there are different kinds of practice within that definition.

Practice to learn a skill. 
Practice to become proficient at the skill.
Practice to master the skill.
Practice to maintain the skill. 
Practice to integrate the skill into musical action.

Wow, that's a lot of practice!

The drums are a very physical instrument. The drum set has been referred to by the great Max Roach as a "four limbed monster" and indeed he's right.  The manipulation of the sticks and pedals to get the multiple instruments to all speak as one rhythm, one sound, takes a lot of work.  It takes a certain amount of conditioning of the muscles and mind.

So, you have a "conditioning" kind of practice that you must deal with in order to train your muscles.  Olympic athletes know this well.  Have you ever watched the Olympics and marveled at the precision, the timing, the confidence, the clutch performance of the athletes?  That certainly doesn't happen by accident, or even with mere "practice".  It happens with an intelligent and analytical approach to training, conditioning, muscle memory, mental toughness, self discipline, motivation and probably some qualities there aren't even names for.  Let's call that inspiration.

Let's break it down further.

Practice to learn a skill:  slow, concentrated practice of the skill to teach the muscles and mind how to respond.  Paying close attention to form, feel and sound production, we are literally teaching our neurological system and brain how to fire together.  We are wiring the action into our brain.

Practice to proficiency:  to be able to perform/execute the skill upon command with good form and control.

Practice to mastery:  to be able to execute the skill at any tempo, any dynamic level, under any circumstances, at any time. 

Practice to maintain:  as they say, use it or lose it.  This kind of practice is usually a daily ritualistic practice of going over what we have mastered in order to keep what we have worked so hard to master.  What we have mastered is like a jumping off point where we move onto to the next plateau.

Practice to integrate the skill:  for musicians, this would mean utilizing the skill within a musical performance context, usually playing with other musicians (but not always) and to be able to maintains ones ease, concentration and form in the "heat of battle".  For athletes, this would be in an actual competition.

A lot of practice indeed, but if you break it down into different types of practice, one can begin to put it into perspective and begin to understand how a master musician attains that level of play.  Obviously, there are intangibles; talent, culture, opportunity, environment, tenacity, goals, vision.  However, if we understand what we are doing when we practice; learning, polishing, mastering, maintaing, integrating, then it doesn't seem quite so daunting, dry or academic.  It makes total sense. 

Thanks for reading, let's go hit the practice room!

What is practice?

That's a good question.  There are more kinds of practice than one may think.  As a noun, a practice is an ongoing carrying out of a profession.  Like a law practice.  As a verb, practice can mean to perform a particular skill in order to improve or become proficient. 

Going with the latter and applied to the practicing of a musical instrument, there are different kinds of practice within that definition.

Practice to learn a skill. 
Practice to become proficient at the skill.
Practice to master the skill.
Practice to maintain the skill. 
Practice to integrate the skill into musical action.

Wow, that's a lot of practice!

The drums are a very physical instrument. The drum set has been referred to by the great Max Roach as a "four limbed monster" and indeed he's right.  The manipulation of the sticks and pedals to get the multiple instruments to all speak as one rhythm, one sound, takes a lot of work.  It takes a certain amount of conditioning of the muscles and mind.

So, you have a "conditioning" kind of practice that you must deal with in order to train your muscles.  Olympic athletes know this well.  Have you ever watched the Olympics and marveled at the precision, the timing, the confidence, the clutch performance of the athletes?  That certainly doesn't happen by accident, or even with mere "practice".  It happens with an intelligent and analytical approach to training, conditioning, muscle memory, mental toughness, self discipline, motivation and probably some qualities there aren't even names for.  Let's call that inspiration.

Let's break it down further.

Practice to learn a skill:  slow, concentrated practice of the skill to teach the muscles and mind how to respond.  Paying close attention to form, feel and sound production, we are literally teaching our neurological system and brain how to fire together.  We are wiring the action into our brain.

Practice to proficiency:  to be able to perform/execute the skill upon command with good form and control.

Practice to mastery:  to be able to execute the skill at any tempo, any dynamic level, under any circumstances, at any time. 

Practice to maintain:  as they say, use it or lose it.  This kind of practice is usually a daily ritualistic practice of going over what we have mastered in order to keep what we have worked so hard to master.  What we have mastered is like a jumping off point where we move onto to the next plateau.

Practice to integrate the skill:  for musicians, this would mean utilizing the skill within a musical performance context, usually playing with other musicians (but not always) and to be able to maintains ones ease, concentration and form in the "heat of battle".  For athletes, this would be in an actual competition.

A lot of practice indeed, but if you break it down into different types of practice, one can begin to put it into perspective and begin to understand how a master musician attains that level of play.  Obviously, there are intangibles; talent, culture, opportunity, environment, tenacity, goals, vision.  However, if we understand what we are doing when we practice; learning, polishing, mastering, maintaing, integrating, then it doesn't seem quite so daunting, dry or academic.  It makes total sense. 

Thanks for reading, let's go hit the practice room!

What lies at the root of our actions?  What is our "Why"?

In regards to music, playing, practicing and improving; motivation is key.

Recently a parent of a student came to me and said his son was practicing 15 minutes a day, like I suggested in the beginning, but that his practice routine hadn't grown… in 2 years.  And as a result, his playing hasn't really grown as much as he'd like.  

It got me thinking about what drives us.  What motivates us.  What's within us.  

A wise man once told me "There are no officials in life who are going to blow a whistle on us if we don't practice.  It's something that you either do, or you don't do."

Further, yes, you can practice regularly and maybe not really improve.  If that's the case, then you have to ask yourself WHY you're practicing, what your goals are and most of all, is it enjoyable for you or is it a drag and a chore?

A teacher can shine a light on the path, but the student must walk the path themselves.

I can't tell you what to like about music and playing.

What motivates you to play will motivate you to practice.  And what motivates you to practice is your desire to attain, to understand, to master, to move to the next thing, to build on what you've gained already.  

When a student comes to me with a desire, a goal, then my duty is done for me, almost. 

On the flip side, when I have to practically beg a student to bring in a song they love and really want to be able to play, or beg them to go out to a jam session and sit in, or practically plead with them to get the Charles Wilcoxon book, then the chore is mine.

Some young aspiring players, you can't keep the instrument away from them, as soon as they come home from school they head straight for their horn, the piano, the drums, the guitar.  And they play it out of sheer joy.  They've made a connection to it, to music, and they are drawn to it.

Some musicians practice out of love for the music, so they can honor the music that they hold in high regard, to be able to play it right.  They practice to be able to enhance the music and the musicians they are playing with.  They practice because they want to improve, constantly.  The best musicians practice constantly in their minds, they are always thinking about music, art, expression.  They are literally obsessed with music, not just their instrument, but music as a whole.

Some musicians practice out of fear of not being good.  Their motivation is suspect, are they really in it for the right reasons?  They may thrive on competition, not necessarily musical expression or understanding.  And to be very honest here, if you have to be begged to practice, or if you feel it's a drag, then maybe you need to try something else.

Playing music is something that maybe good in theory, might sound like a good idea, but have you defined your "Why"?  Do you know why you're doing it?  Most say, because it's fun, because I enjoy it.  If that's the case, then use that for motivation.  

Some players truly enjoy improving.  They live to wake up and play and to experience improvement every week.  In fact, they expect to get better and they do whatever they have to do to make improvements.  Some go to quite extreme lengths, moving to another city, practicing for many hours a day.  

Some watch the clock as they practice, some sit down with something in mind and will not stop until they attain it.  

If you have hit a wall in your practice, in your musical life.  Here are some keys to working through the wall and getting to the other side:

Find what motivates you.  This could be a tough question, but it is absolutely necessary.
Define your "Why"
Tap your curiosity.
Ask what it is you love about music.
Ask what your goals are.  Short term and long term.  
Go beyond what your teacher asks you to do.  And remember your teacher is only pointing you in the right direction, you must walk the path.
Find something you absolutely want to learn to do and pursue it relentlessly until you get it.  Not because your teacher asks you to do it.
Never stop, even the best players have periods in which they have to ask these questions and re-define what their goals are.  

I also think it's important to identify what practice is.  That's what we'll deal with in the next post.

Thanks for reading, now let's define that "Why"

I first heard of musicians doing "clinics" when I was in high school.  My dad read in the St. Louis paper that an amazing drummer, Dave Weckl, was doing a doing a drum clinic for Drum Headquarters Drum Shop.  I was curious, so my dad took me down to St. Louis, a 2 hr trip from Hannibal, Mo, to check out Weckl's clinic.  

It was hosted in a high school auditorium, which was pretty full.  There were a lot of guys wearing their Zildjian shirts and hats, I was one of them, and there was an expectancy in the air.  Something big was going to happen.

Dave put on a fantastic show, his kit was hooked up to the latest in drum processors and he played with some pre-recorded tracks that showed his orchestration and groove skills.  The audience was truly blown away, I know I was. After Dave played a couple tracks he spoke in depth about his approach to the drums; his concept of snare drum technique, his kit, orchestrating musically, tuning, and the New York music scene.  Weckl spoke at length about New York and that there was room for everybody and that if a musician was very serious, they should think about going to New York.  That was maybe the first time I thought seriously about it.

Over the years I went to a few more clinics and they all had their own vibe.  Ed Soph was very matter of fact and no-nonsense.  Gregg Bissonette was high energy and entertaining, while also very grounded and conversational.  Louis Bellson.  Dennis Chambers.  Simon Phillips.  Tony Williams.  Kenwood Dennard.  Victor Lewis. Every clinic I ever went to I can remember something interesting about each one of them, I came away with something to think about.

I also dug the clinics by pianists and horn players:  Bob Brookmeyer, Clark Terry, Lew Soloff, Clare Fischer, Gerald Wilson, Phil Woods, Kenny Werner.  They all came to UMKC where I was studying and spent some time with us.  All amazing musicians with a lot to share.  Just being in the same room with them, listening to their ideas, elevated those who came to listen.

So, now I'm doing my own clinics, sponsored by Canopus Drum Company.  In 2015 we had a great day at Explorer's Percussion with Wes Falcouner and his wonderful family.  Wes and Lorainne have been friends since the 80s.  They have one of the absolute best and most successful drum shops in the world.  

In my clinics, I like to tell stories.  Musically and otherwise.  Melodically or rhythmically and of course, both.  I talk little about mechanics and more about the "Why" behind our playing.  I talk about health and fitness, jumping rope to tune your body's rhythm..  Audience members ask questions, I try to answer them by relating my own experiences.  

I will be returning to Explorers to perform an clinic I'll cover topics that relate to all drummers, regardless of the music you play:  warming up, rudiments, mastering the snare drum, rudiments to the kit, defining your 'why', fitness for drummers.

Well, that's my post on clinics.  Hope you enjoyed it and if you live in KC come check out the clinic at Explorer's Percussion, October 24th, 2018!!