Studio Drummer – Tricks For Tendonitis

We musicians and studio players are all prown to have repetitive motion issues!  Guitar players have it bad as well.  I had an issue with my shoulder for a couple of years.  It was very painful to play anything above shoulder height.  Since then I’ve had very deep tendonitis in my right forearm.  It’s been a constant bother.

I did find an answer though.  It was not a medical centre, pills or anti-inflam’s.  For me it was topical extra strength Voltarin anti-inflamatory cream that my doc recommended I try.  There is a light version and an extra strength version.  It made a remarkable difference right away!  And by using it on an ongoing basis it helped my body get ahead of the inflamation and eventually correct itself.   I highly recommend it.  It’s not expensive and it’s not perscription.

Another trick to try if you’re in a bind and you have to play but the pain is taking over.  WD40!  Yup sounds crazy.  A great guitar player friend of mine told me about it.  Spray some of it on the affected area an hour or so before you play.  I don’t recommend using it ongoing being a petroleum product but it might help you through a one time emergency…

Cheers and good health!

 

 

 

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Studio Drummer – Livin for the City

It’s a crazy world for people in the arts!  Not surprising that all throughout history musicians and artists have been subsidized either by the wealthy or by government.  Why?  Because cultures that had any intelligence knew that a strong arts community was good for their civilization and their country and for their countries’ intellect and IQ.

Yes!  It’s generally a hard life for arts related people in this era, more so than perhaps even in the past.  The devaluing of the arts in general is almost hard to believe.  I can look back 25 years to a different time, a literally different time and experience when I would say the arts were much more revered than they appear to be now.

But here is the upside.

You and I have to remember this…You are doing exactly what you want and exactly what you were put on this earth to do.   So take heart!  Any stories welcome..  What’s it like living in your community as an artist?

More on this to come…

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Studio Drummer – Tracking with Bob Rock and Dave Pierce

Did a great session with arranger/producer Dave Pierce and engineer/producer Bob Rock at the Warehouse in Vancouver last week.  Working at the Warehouse which is Bryan Adams studio is a beautiful complex and always a treat.  It’s been a few years since I worked with these guys but they are truly talented and consummate high end heavyweights.  We were working on a Sony world release for a Sinatra type singer (can’t say his name!)  and also for the boy band Human Nature from Australia who have been tearing it up in Las Vegas.  Some great tunes and great productions with full orchestra.  Hope to do more in the very near future!

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Studio Drummer – Samples for Stylus RMX and Kontakt

I”m excited about the samples of my kits being released by Sampleholics for Stylus RMX and soon to be released on Kontakt!  I did this work about 4 years back.  It was a fairly exhaustive process of individual hits at different velocities and placements.  One of the things I feel good about is that the processing such as EQ’s, compression, verbs etc are my own and they wanted to capture my sound, the sound they’d been impressed with represented in performances and grooves in my website audio.

Stylus RMX is an amazing loop program firstly but it is also a great sample platform.  By using RMX one has access to their list of effects which are extremely cool, high quality (as is everything that Spectrasonics does!) and varied.  And with the release that is coming on Kontakt the library will see a much larger audience since Kontakt is the premier platform in the world for many varied sample libraries including melodic instruments whereas RMX is only a percussion/loop platform.

Another great tool in the arsenal on either platform!  If you’re interested in seeing or purchasing the sample library it’s available on my site at the bottom of the home page or go directly to the purchase page with this link…

http://www.sampleholics.com/page1.html

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Studio Drummer – Know When Not To Be Overruled By A Producer

I’m going to be short and sweet about this but let me say this.  You have to know when to stand your ground as a player.  This is especially relevent if you’re in a band.  Don’t get me wrong, producers are a necessary and vital element in a music production.  There is a constant issue that arises though.  The issue is that producers often like to change things, change ideas for the sake of change and also to be able to lay claim to those changes.  A producer may usually have the final say and it’s important to respect that.  However you may have times when you feel strongly about a musical issue, or a concept that you’ve worked out that you want to contend for.  Times happen when you have to stand for those ideas, as uncomfortable as they may be.
I’ve been in band situations where parts and musical ideas have been very worked out.  They also hold a certain band dynamic, an energy if you will, that embodies the song or at least the version of the song that you’ve collectively created.  I’ve seen situations and been a part of them where a ‘producer’ will come in and run roughshod over everything you’ve worked on.  The problem that also arises is that there’s times when these producers have been brought in at good expense.

There does come a time when you have to contend for your ideas, your vision and concepts.  That can be like running into a brick wall at time when you’re trying to bring your most harmonious performance without and blockage and bad energy..

There lies the rub as they say..  It’s a balance of maintaining creativity against the machine in a sense.  The ‘machine’ can be the producer, the ego, the overbearing domination at times but .. that’s what I leave you to think about.

How much do you trust your concepts, your ideas and also equally important, how much are you willing to be a student, to have open ears and be willing to accept change and adapt and incorporate others ideas?

It’s a challenge isn’t it?  I’ve experienced it and it’s still a challenge to this day.  However there are times that I strongly contend for my position when I feel it’s in the best interest of the song and the artist, even if it is uncomfortable.  The song and the integrity of the project have to override not only the players views but also the producer’s at times as well.  A great producer will accept a contending viewpoint, at least as an alternative if it is presented properly and respectfully by you as the musician.

 

 

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Studio Drummer – Drumming Your Way To Good Health

I’ve said for years that drumming has been great for my health.  Not only can it be a great overall cardio workout over the course of a show night but if you sit properly with good balance and good posture, drumming is a fabulous continuous workout most notably for the lower back.  I play heal up with my kick foot as many do.  I’m pretty much heal down though with my hi hat foot.  But the effect of balancing on the stool is nothing but great for the lower back, at least in my experience.  It seems so many people have back issues and I feel that years of playing often long gigs or long sessions leaves me with a tired lower back.  That’s the key though!   A tired back as opposed to a sore back!   What I’ve effectively done is a 4-5 hour or a 6-8 hour balanced back workout.  Next day I’m good to go!

That brings me to a key piece of gear in the drum kit arsenal.  The drum throne!  Funny how folks will spend a ton of money on the kit and then sit on a piece of garbage where the seat of the drum stool is wobbling around or is too small, the feet are not sturdy etc etc!  This is a fundamental piece of gear!  Having an effective and strong connection to the ground in a balanced secure way is essential to playing well when you’re talking about milliseconds in execution and timing which of course great drumming entails.  And of course, like I was saying earlier the effect on the lower back especially can either be enhanced by a good throne or diminished by a bad one!  So make sure that you test and shop effectively for a sturdy and robust drum throne that suits your body, body weight and your movements.  Many people today go with light weight hardware for stands etc.  I would argue that this is the one piece of gear where you should lean in the other direction and go robust.   Think about your posture when you play and the balance of your body.  Don’t allow your balance to detract from your execution as well as overwork muscle groups… Cheers

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