The Origin
On my 11th birthday I recieved my first drum kit, a second hand "CB Drums" kit. This was the first instrument I'd ever been put infront of up to this point, and as you can imagine I was very excited!
Paired with this drum kit was also lessons with a teacher. As you can imagine, my parents knew they were going to be having a racket in the house, so it may as well be a groovy racket. My teacher, John Hicks, taught me from the ground up in styles such as pop, rock and jazz. From there I did grades in drums obtaining grade 8 which taught me a lot about the different rudiments that can go into patterns when playing.
Bands
During the years, I played with many school and friend bands ranging from rock to jazz, but the band that was the most fun and gave me the best experience was the Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra where I played under the leadership of Dave Little and occasionally Ian Darrington. Here I honed my jazz playing skills and also the skill of following a conductor which isn't as easy as it seems. While in the band we played loads of gigs in lots of places, but the most notable events would be either the numerous Wigan Jazz Festivals where we shared the stage with professional musicians from around the world, or the Bavarian and Czech Republic tour we went on performing in numerous places along the way through the two countries.
During my time playing in the Wigan band, I also played in a concert band that gave me experience in a different aspect of band playing. While playing jazz is great for making grooves, concert bands play music that involve style and temp changes in one piece of music. This kind of music makes you pay attention to the conductor a lot more and the music that you are reading. It is important to form a good relationship with the conductor so you can communicate efficiently without actually talking
Currently, I play in bands that require me to cover for their drummer who is absent. I usually get recommended by people I have played for/with in the past because I can fit in easily with a band. Also, my ability to sight read music comes in handy as this does not require practice before I play a gig.
Recording and Youtube
Once in a while, I make drum covers of songs that I like for Youtube. The process usually involves me listening to a song and thinking how I can riff over the top of it adding my own style to the song. I'll practice for a few days/weeks before I am happy with what I have for the song before I start recording.
The equipment I use for recording has changed slightly over the years. At the start I used my electric kit for recording, then moved on to microphones for my acoustic kits. Likewise, the technology has changed to match my needs starting with an analog stereo mixer and moving to a digital interface.
Current Gear
Drums
- 1968 Premier Royal Ace Snare Drum 14" x 5.5"
- Gretsch Catalina Maple: 14", (10"), 12", (14"), 16", 22"
- Ludwig Breakbeats by Questlove: 14", 10", 13", 16"
Cymbals
- Hi Hats: Zildjian ZXT 14"
- Crashs: Meinl Classic Custom 17" Medium, Meinl Classic Custom 16" Trash
- Ride: Zildjian ZXT 20"
Sticks
- Pro Mark American Hickory TX5AW (Wood Tips)
Recording Equipment
- M-Track Eight Audio Interface (Multitrack)
- Samson 7 Piece Drum Mics
- Audio Technica AT2020 (Vocal)