Robonzo.com

So you’ve posted an ad in search of a drum gig. In your ad, you stated that you’d trade demos. These days, it’s common that other bands and artists will have a demo, as home recording has become accessible to just about everyone. There are two simple points to consider with audition demos. Quality is secondary to performance. In fact, don’t sweat the quality, unless of course you’re looking for a high-end gig with a serious pro act of national recording artist status or potential. The other point is that you should always listen to demos prior to commiting to a rehearsal. You’ll want to know what type of music you’re auditioning for and if the musicians in question are worth your time. If you’re not in to the music, you may not want to spend the time auditioning. It’s that simple. Next is the audition.

~r

I’ve played on a “semi-pro” level for several years, and have always been struck by the fact that many of my musician friends don’t know how to find a gig. This has never been a problem for me, and by no means is it due any big difference in talent level on my part. It’s more about knowing how to go about it. This topic lends itself to a series of posts on finding gigs. Obvious vehicles (obvious to me anyway), are print and online ads. Online ads are so much easier and plenty effective, so don’t sweat it if you’re too busy to mess with print ads. There are a number of musician oriented websites, but I’ve always gone for more mainstream sites like CraigsList. Local arts and entertainment print publications also work well (e.g. The Dallas Observer, Silicon Valley Metro. Simple and to-the-point ads that use phrases like, “experienced drummer” and “professional gear” work just as well and in many cases better than wordy ads. Specify whether you wish to play fulltime, part-time, local, original, etc. A well written ad will definitely generate interest. Everyone’s looking for a good drummer!

~r

Check this out.

8,000 drummers to beat for a world record

~r

The words Tao and Tre Cool do not necessarily flow off of one’s tongue; rather the word Tao and the name Tre Cool might invoke a bit of laughter from within. Upon closer look, however, Tre doesn’t appear to seperate himself from the drums or any of his surroundings. When playing, he does appear necessarily connected to everything, including the space between his sticks, drumheads and his fans. This post is really about the day that my wife fell totally and unconditionally in love with the music of Green Day. My ensuing jealousy was soon followed by the realization that life and work had, once upon a time, driven her to a mild state of depression. Green Day provided a beautiful escape for her. Following her attendance of the ‘05 San Francisco and Sacramento shows, she approached me with a request that I teach her to play drums. She wanted to learn “Are We the Waiting“. Turns out it was Tre she’d latched on to. I’m now convined that the real attraction was Tre’s complete loss of separation from everything around himself. His technical prowess may be somewhat limited, but to watch and/or listen to him play, one gets the sense that Tre Cool is completely lost in the moment of his craft. He appears to be necessarily connected with everything around himself…connected to everything that is everything. That is the Tao of Tre Cool.

roberto

CBGB’s, birthplace for the likes of The Ramones, Blondie and The Talking Heads has announced that it will close. As a kid I viewed the musicianship in punk bands as horrible, and quite frankly it was marginal. I played drums as well as most of those guys within my first few weeks of ever having held a pair of sticks. I didn’t think much of the guitar work either. Years after the original punk movement, I can see past all of that marginal musicianship and hear greatness. Bands like The Ramones and The Sex Pistols brought about true change in Rock, ushering in the new wave movement of the 80’s…marginal drumming and all.

Roberto

When I initially put some thought to creating a drum blog, I naturally searched for existing blogs. There was one that caught my attention, Jeff Consi, Drummer Blog. At first glance I thought, this is a cool site. After starting Robonzo, I went back to Consi’s blog. My second impression was much different. This is great content for drummers! Topics originally dedicated to funk drumming have graduated to topics on gear, performance, recording technique, and much more. My hope is that Robonzo will grow to be known for equally rich content.

Roberto

If you’ve ever seen or listened to Dennis Chambers play drums, you’ll be blown away by his claim that he had no formal education. Incredible! We all know and love guitar players and other great musicians who were self-taught, but what’s so amazing here, is how schooled Dennis sounds. His education undoubtedly came from playing with pros at age 7, and emulating all of his inspirations. It certainly gives one reason to pursue one’s passion for music, despite the minor obstacle of no formal training.

~r