Working Drummer

Latest Episodes:

167 – Dafnis Prieto: Rhythmic Synchronicity, Musical Vocabulary, Composing and Recording a Big Band Album, May 10, 2018

Show notes

From Santa Clara, Cuba, Dafnis Prieto’s revolutionary drumming techniques and compositions have had a powerful impact on the Latin and Jazz music scene, nationally and internationally. He is the leader of several groups including the Dafnis Prieto Sextet, The Proverb Trio, Si O Si Quartet, and the Dafnis Prieto Big Band, which just released an album of Prieto’s compositions entitled Back to the Sunset. He is also the author of the book A World of Rhythmic Possibilities.

Various awards include a 2011 MacArthur Fellowship, Up & Coming Musician of the Year from the Jazz Journalists Association in 2006, a GRAMMY nomination for Absolute Quintet as Best Latin Jazz Album, and a Latin GRAMMY nomination for Best New Artist in 2007. Also a gifted educator, Prieto has conducted master classes, clinics, and workshops throughout the world. He was a faculty member of Jazz Studies at NYU from 2005 to 2014, and in 2015 became a faculty member at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

In this podcast, Dafnis talks about:

The courses he teaches at The University of Miami Frost School of Music

Letting rhyhmic content and interpretation dictate pulse, not the other way around like we usually do

Fully exploring and exploiting your existing skills and knowledge to develop musical vocabulary

His upbringing and early musical education in Cuba

His experience working his way into the New York scene as a 25-year-old in the 1999

The gradual switch from gigs he had to play to gigs he wanted to play

Figuring out your “why”

Dafnis Prieto endorses Yamaha Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Latin Percussion, Evans Drumheads, and Vic Firth Sticks.

This episode is sponsored by Session Ace.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

166 – Christian Paschall: Drummer & MD for Maren Morris, Taking Calculated Risks, Mixing & Producing May 03, 2018

Show notes

Christian Paschall is a drummer, producer, engineer and mixer originally from Atlanta, GA, now based in Nashville, TN. With over 14 years of professional experience Christian has shared the stage and studio with such artists as Maren Morris, Kristian Bush (of Sugarland), Kelsea Ballerini, Alicia Keys, Amos Lee and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Chris Tomlin, and David Crowder among many others. Today Christian tours full time with Maren Morris as her drummer and musical director in addition to playing on sessions both locally and remotely.

Be it on stage in front of thousands of people, television, or an intimate recording session, Christian strives to bring fresh creativity and feel into everything he does.

In this episode, Christian talks about:

His shared studio

Playing what fits the song and not just doing what’s trendy

Moving from Crowder to Maren Morris

Honoring the original tracks of the artist your working for

Playing a one off with Amos Lee

Following your own path

Christian’s history with drums

Breaking down the wall between your creativity and your hands

Christian’s other skill of mixing

Taking calculated risks

Christian endorses Tama Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, and Vater Drumsticks

This episode is sponsored by Session Ace

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

165 – Bob Knight: The London Scene, Musical Awareness, Being a “Fixer” Apr 26, 2018

Show notes

Bob Knight lives in London where he commands somewhat of a dual career, both as an in-demand drummer and a music agent or “fixer,” matching musicians with bands or artists who need backing. He graduated from the jazz program at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London and has gone on to work with some of the biggest names in pop music including Sting, Cee-Lo Green, Charlotte Church, and Jennifer Hudson. His company, BEK Music, has provided musicians for a huge variety of acts from Andrea Bocelli to Eminem.

In this podcast, Bob talks about:

How to tailor your sound to different types of performance spaces using instrumentation and amplification.

The difference between a beat and a groove

What he’s practicing, now that he has the time and space

His experience at the Royal Academy of Music, and its unique audition process

What jazz training taught him that translates to any other genre, and the one skill it all comes down to

How his early ambition was based on simply being able to support himself

Why he started his own booking agency

What he values in musicians as a fixer

Bob Knight endorses Yamaha drums, Vic Firth sticks, Remo heads, Zildjian cymbals, Protection Racket cases, and Porter & Davies thrones.

This episode is sponsored by Session Ace.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

164 – Tracy Broussard: Drumming For Blake Shelton, Road Dawg Online, Family/Work Balance Apr 18, 2018

Show notes

Born in South Louisiana, Tracy was influenced by a musical “jambalaya” of Cajun, Zydeco, Blues, Jazz, R&B, Funk and Country. His whole family played music and at an early age, Tracy was sneaking into his brothers’ rehearsals and gigs. At the age of ten, he was sitting in with local bands.

Tracy was a member of the marching, symphonic and concert bands at Acadiana High School in Scott, Louisiana, and was also a District Honor Band member. In his sophomore year at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, he joined a local band, City Limits. He earned his Liberal Arts degree in Public Relations and began touring regionally. The band was a national finalist in the True Value/Jimmy Dean Country Showdown in 1994. The finals took place at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and that’s when Tracy realized Nashville was the place to be. After a European tour with Grammy-nominated band Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys and a brief tour with the late Amie Comeaux, he took the next step in his career and moved to Nashville in August 1996. He was a member of the R&B Funk Dance band, The Groove Addiction, which was the house band for the Nashville Predators’ inaugural season in 1998-99.

Since then, Tracy has toured with Mila Mason, Shane Minor (opening for Shania Twain), Craig Morgan, Rebecca Lynn Howard and Doug Stone. His first Tonight Show appearance was with Cyndi Thomson in October 2001, and within four months, appeared again with Grammy-nominated artist, Jamie O’Neal. Tracy toured the rest of 2002 with Jamie O’Neal. That year also included a USO tour of Europe and the Mediterranean. Another highlight was a CMT appearance with Jamie O’Neal and Michael McDonald, performing a song from the Mel Gibson movie, “We Were Soldiers”.

Since 2003, Tracy has been touring with reigning CMA and ACM Male Vocalist of the year, Blake Shelton. Tracy’s television appearances with Blake include the CMA Awards, ACM Awards, “Blake Shelton Live: It’s All About Tonight” DVD and GAC Special, Dancing with The Stars, CMT’s Invitation Only Special, DirecTV’s The 101 Concert Special, CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock, Good Morning America, The Early Show, Fox and Friends, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Grand Ole Opry Live.

One of Tracy’s side-projects is Trypta-Phunk, a funk/fusion group that blends odd-time signatures with funky grooves. When not backing up Shelton, he is performing and recording with the group.

Tracy manages RoadDawg Online, a website all about touring drummers. RoadDawg Online is your all-access pass with interviews, roundtable discussions, product reviews, set-ups and columns from the pros.

In 2009, Tracy placed fifth in Modern Drummers’ Readers Poll in the Country category.

In his episode, Tracy talks about:

His website “Road Dawg Online”

How his role and responsibilities as drummer for Blake Shelton evolved or changed over time

Revelations in striking the family/work balance

Learning to keep a cool head on the road

Making yourself indispensable

How Tracy builds tracks for Blake’s show

Reading the artist

Being consistent from night to night

Not allowing one mistake to ruin your whole gig

Tracy’s original projet “Trypta-Funk”

Experiences performing on TV compared to a normal live shows

Tracy endorses: Aquarian drumheads, Pearl drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Promark sticks, Sennheiser,

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

163 – Kevin Winard: Playing with Steve Tyrell, Singers and Singing, The Intent and Spirit of Playing Apr 12, 2018

Show notes

Kevin Winard has toured and recorded with singer Steve Tyrell for 12 years. Over his career, he’s gained a wealth of experience with a wide variety of gigs including Debbie Boone, Paul Anka, and Doc Severinsen. When he was just twenty years old he began backing up one of the most successful pop duos in musical history—The Captain & Tennille, touring and recording with them for over ten years. In the summer of 1988, Kevin traveled the United States with the pop group Times Two opening for Debbie Gibson on her Out Of The Blue tour. In 1991 Kevin was requested by French rock star David Hallyday for his European tour and live album. That same year he traveled the world playing with pop icon Paul Anka.

His latest endeavor is a project that features him singing jazz standards and is aptly named Kevin Winard Sings, produced by pianist, composer and arranger Peter Clark.

In this podcast, Kevin talks about:

Playing a “pop jazz” gig vs. hard-core bop

Playing drumset with a symphony orchestra

Lyman Medeiros, the bassist in the Tyrell band

His thoughts on singing and singers

Simplicity in big band drumming

What Steve Gadd had to say after seeing Kevin perform

How intent and joy on the bandstand translate to the audience

How to physically and mentally relax while playing

Why being in the music business is like being in a marriage

Kevin Winard endorses products by DW, LP, Zildjian, Remo, and Innovative Percussion.

This episode is sponsored by Session Ace.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

162 – Richard Scott: Drumming for CCM Artist Matt Maher, From Industrial Design to Drums, Starting Drums Later in Life Apr 05, 2018

Show notes

Richard Scott approaches drumming with intentionality; always conscious of how his sound fits into the big picture and filling space in ways that help make every song the fullest realization of itself. He has spent over a decade on the Nashville scene touring and recording with Matt Maher, Francesca Battistelli, Brandon Heath, Mac Powell, and many others. Richard has recorded in many of Nashville’s most well known rooms, and has more recently been tracking in his own home studio. For countless happy clients, Richard has used his unique curation of gear and techniques to build out the character of a song, add sometimes unexpected but always interesting components to the musical design, and help bring songwriters’ visions to life.

Richard graduated in 2008 from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee with bachelor in commercial music percussion with emphasis in music technology. While at Belmont, Richard Studied with Chester Thompson.

In this episode, Richard talks about:

Starting drums later in life and the lessons he’s learned

Working with CCM artist Matt Maher

The evolution of his set up – gong drums to samplers

From industrial design to drums

Working in the CCM industry

Chester Thompson teaching him to use your ear and your heart instead of your brain

What to play and what not to play

The importance of great communication when tracking drums online

Tracking at home and building up your set up over time

Creative ways to learn new grooves and parts with other players

Richard endorses: A&F Drums and Aquarian Drumheads

This episode is sponsored by Session Ace

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

161 – Peter Erskine Vol. 2: Educating in the Digital Age, Preserving Human Interaction, “Reading The Air” Mar 29, 2018

Show notes

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

160 – Rob Mount: Drumming For Lou Gramm, Creating & Maintaining a Strong On-line Presence, Creating Drum Parts in Heavy Rock Mar 22, 2018

Show notes

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

159 – Brian Stephens: Product Development, Social Media Concepts, Musical Entrepreneurship Mar 14, 2018

Show notes

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

158 – Terence Clark: Drumming For Robert Cray, Steve Jordan as a Mentor, Networking Sincerely Mar 08, 2018

Show notes

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”