The Practical Pro Musician

The recent excitement and controversy over the Gamestop stock reminded me of an old adage that applies to both the stock market and the music business: a product (like your drumming) is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.So if that's the case- how can YOU as a drummer take back that control, and charge whatever you like as a drummer? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

No one told me when I became a full-time drummer that my job would be anything more than just playing awesome music all the time. But the reality is: the second you become a pro drummer- or even the minute you decide to pursue it- your job stops being just playing the drums. Your job actually becomes: finding and keeping gigs. Drumming is a part of that, but you can't drum for a living if you aren't successful at finding and keeping gigs. Let's talk about it today... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

So many drummers complain about a lack of opportunity- and yet they aren't prepared for a potential gig. If you aren't ready for an opportunity right now, then you don't deserve the opportunity yet! But that can change! Start today by preparing for the gig you WANT as if the gig is already yours! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Since we're starting a new season of this show, I think it's a good time to make sure you're in the right place... And the honest truth is that this is NOT the right place for everyone. If you've listened to the show for a while, you probably already know that this is the right place for you. So I made sure to include some brand new advice for you too! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're going to talk about something today that many of us are reluctant to address: our health as drummers. Particularly our hearing health and protecting our hands, feet, and joints. The only thing less exciting than warming up/stretching before playing, is the thought of being injured and unable to drum at all! So while this may not seem like a super-exciting topic, let's spend 10 minutes today on something that can save you years of heartache down the road. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I went on a YouTube bender recently, and rediscovered one of my biggest pet peeves about amateur drummers. So today I thought I'd offer some advice on how to fix this issue, if you suffer from it too- AND how to figure out if you have it! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

So let's say you get that first paying drumming gig. What can you do during, before and after that gig to turn that one opportunity into more opportunities? In today's show I'm going to share several things I either do myself on every gig, or things I've directly seen other pro musicians do on gigs- that help turn one gig into many more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I take this approach in nearly every recording session I play on- so I thought today we could put it in to practice, and you can follow along in realtime. So let's do an experiment today!We're going to play an over-simplified drum part, with the VISION that we can make it feel/groove harder by complementing the drum tracks with additional loops after the fact.Want to get drastically better at drumming with a click track in just 14 days and 20 minutes per day? Check out http://BoomClick.net to find out how. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I was thrown into a musical situation where I really couldn't use notes or charts- and I had basically one day to prepare and memorize 4 songs that I had never heard. Thankfully, this isn't too uncommon in the music world, so I've done this before. Today I'm going to share with you my preparation routine that ensures I show up to every gig 100% ready... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I got a call last week for a gig, based 100% on an Instagram video I posted that same day. The style of the video and the style of the gig couldn't be more opposite- it didn't matter to the artist and it won't matter to most artists that are thinking about hiring you. Today, we'll talk about why. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Many drummers think that becoming well-rounded stylistically is the path to scoring gigs. This is actually wrong- and today I'll talk about why... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

APOLOGIES FOR THE RANDOM AUDIO ISSUES ON THIS EPISODE. This episode is a bit of a follow-up to my last episode. I always teach that if you want to be a professional musician- you have to do what professional musicians are doing. But that's not entirely true. Let me explain... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's often said in the business world that if you only have one customer that pays your bills, you don't own a business- you have a boss... AKA just another kind of job. The same is true of us drummers... If you plan to someday get hired by famous artist and then ride their coattails for the rest of your life then A) That's going to require you to get EXTREMELY lucky and B) This episode is not for you.But- if you're interested in building a real, lasting career, AKA a business as a drummer- this episode is for you! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mark writes: What are the strategies you use to keep yourself motivated to progress in your playing and approach to practice? Do you have any tips to help get through a rut in your playing? Let's talk about it! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I've always preached that if you want to be a professional drummer- you have to do the things that other professional drummers are doing. And this one trick that I'll share today is a simple and easy way to not only do exactly what other pro drummers are doing, but also make your playing have a TON more feel and groove. I'm excited to share this with you today! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I suffer from the same affliction that you might have: I often find myself binging on videos of drum tutorials and performances. I'm starting to realize that this may not be such a good thing- and that we all can get so caught up in learning things on the drums, that we take away from the most valuable use of our time: playing the drums! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I hate playing behind those glass drum shields as much as you! So here's what I do to convince the sound guy that the shield isn't necessary. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

You may not be able to hang out with other musicians right now, or build relationships like you usually could. But there's still plenty you can do right now to build your career. And what's even better is that this strategy works even when things get back to "normal". See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In part two of our snare drum sound series, we'll talk about how I tune every snare drum that I play. My approach isn't incredibly unique, but it is 100% ingrained in me and certainly contributes to my drum sound more than essentially any other aspect under my control. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I get a lot of questions about my snare sound and how I achieve it. So today's episode is part one of two that covers most of the details about how I do just that. In part 1, we'll talk about head selection, and my number 1 tip for selecting the right head for getting the sound YOU hear in your head! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I've made lots of clever (if I do say so myself) changes and adjustment to my practice setup over the years. My goal is to make it as easy and quick as possible for me to get into practicing and make the most of every moment playing drums. So let's talk about how you can make similar changes in your own drumming setup- and get MORE from your practice! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A huge controversy in the drumming world popped up this week... And it brought up an even bigger question I think many of us have asked before: "How can I get advice on my drumming career and trust that it's the RIGHT advice?" So today I'm going to give you a few steps in the right direction to make sure your pro drumming career is headed in the right direction. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There have been SO many times that I've heard a recording of my drumming- and something just felt off. It really wasn't until a producer friend of mine started hiring me to edit my own drum tracks that I figured out why. And what's crazy is that this exact reason for drumming not "feeling" right is extremely common in drummers... In fact, in a lot of cases, the more experience you have drumming- the more likely you are to have this problem, and the worse it will be.So today we're going to talk about this issue and my favorite exercise on the drums that has helped ME and many others fix it! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When I got fired from my first big gig, I was told it was because they thought of me as more of a "rock drummer" and the artist was going in a different direction. What's weird is that I knew that I could play way more than just rock- but somehow was never given an opportunity to show that to the artist. Years later, a producer friend of mine originally called me for some "rock" sessions- but then started calling me in for all kinds of different styles of music. So what was the difference between those two situations? In both cases, they originally only gave me an opportunity to play rock music. But in the case of the producer- he saw that I could play more than just rock, while that first artist only saw me as a rock drummer.Today we'll discuss the difference-maker in those two situations. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you have a Big Fat Snare Drum (and even if you don't) - you need to listen to this episode. So many drummers get caught in this trap with their playing, and doing this with a Big Fat Snare Drum on your snare really draws attention to it. In fact, this bad habit is so bad, that it is the first thing I work on with drummers who I do 1-on-1 lessons with. Find out what this habit is, and how to fix in today's episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Have you ever really wanted something- and it didn't work out? And then later you find out something about that thing you really wanted, that makes you realize you would have been miserable if you had gotten that thing? That happened with me one time- with a drumming gig. I'll tell you all about on today's episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Think being a "better" drummer than everyone else will get you the gig? Wrong. Being the best drummer in your scene is rarely, if ever, the path to success. Today, we're going to talk about what really matters to the people looking to hire drummers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What's the number one sign that you aren't growing enough as a drummer? It's if you aren't REGULARLY making mistakes in what you're choosing to play. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Many of us have heard the advice that we should operate our drumming careers like a business. Based on what I've seen, many drummers have taken this advice to heart, but in the wrong ways. So today, I'm going to share with you the RIGHT way to operate your drumming-business... even if you never want to make a dollar from drumming. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Let's talk about something that can seem kind of geeky- phase. Now, if you don't know what phase is, or why you should care about it- we're going to break it down in today's episode. AND- I'm going to tell you exactly how to make sure your recordings are always in phase (or as close as you can get)!Trust me- once you start paying attention to phase in your drum recordings- it will immediately become so much easier to get a fantastic drum sound- no matter how many mics you're using, or where you plan on posting your recording! Today's episode is an essential listen for any drummer that cares at all about recording their drums! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you aren't approaching your drumming like a business (whether you want to make money from it or not)- you're missing out on TONS of opportunities that could be within your grasp. Today, we're going to talk about why you need to stop putting so much effort into developing your drumming- and start doing something else instead. What's that something else? Listen to find out! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I've noticed one key difference between the players that "make it" as drummers and those that don't... And it all can be figured out by looking at how each drummer approaches rudiments... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I bet you've been forced to work from home this week... So why not take advantage of this OPPORTUNITY to improve your drumming- and maybe even make some progress in your music career? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I know it can be tough if you live in an area where there might be a huge market for paid professional drummers. So, what can you do in those situations to find new opportunities? You CREATE the market! We'll talk about how that's possible in today's episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There are tons of online drum lesson sites- full of amazing drummers doing things I could only dream of doing... They're all very entertaining to watch, but is there really any way to get something useful out of them? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Let's dive into the somewhat-controversial subject of time-aligning or quantizing our recorded drum tracks- aka making our timing sound perfect. Should we do it in order to make the best possible recordings- or should we avoid it so that we don't use it as a crutch and to keep the recordings sounding as natural as possible? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Literally nothing should stop you from the musical success you're seeking- whether that's being a pro drummer, or just being the best musician you possibly can be. Today, we're talking about common hurdles to our music careers and the choices we have to make as a result. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I've come to a crossroads with this show, and we're going to go back to focusing on all you drummers out there! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We finally moved into our new house! Since moving, I've been constantly noticing little things that are broken- or at least not is as good shape as I would expect them to be- considering it's a brand-new house. Along the way, I've rediscovered an old concept in my music career that I think everyone can benefit from... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I recently heard an interview with Harry Styles where he talked for a bit about the practice of songwriting, and how that relates to being prepared for inspiration. It was a perfect description of how I feel about the practice of being someone that calls themself a musician. Let's talk about it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It can be so so tempting to want that really cool, shiny new music toy... And if you're anything like me, the shinier the better. But sometimes, the best next piece of gear is something a little less sexy and a little more impactful on our music careers. Let's talk about it today... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is there something you wish you could change about the music scene you're trying to "make it" in? For many of us, it might be that our music scene doesn't value musicians the way we'd like to be valued... So we're being underpaid. If this sounds anything like a thought you've had, today's episode of the show is for you... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I talk about this topic a lot because I get the most questions about it from other musicians. Is there a right way and a wrong way to network? Is there a secret to networking so that it is actually effective, but also not extremely awkward and dishonest? You bet... Let's talk about it on today's episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's almost a guarantee that there will be someone in your life that either:Won't understand why you're trying to be a pro musician,Won't be supportive of your pursuit of a music career,Or both!So today, let's talk about the inevitable... What can you do to deal with an unsupportive friend or family member? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

No joke: if you can master what we're talking about this week, you'll have the single greatest weapon in your arsenal that any pro musician could dream of having! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There are times when warming up, running through some scales or rudiments, and mentally preparing for a practice session before beginning that session is called for... But what about when you've got 30 minutes of practice time and you've got 4 new songs to learn? Let's talk about it... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A couple of practical tips (and maybe one not-so-practical tip) for finding time in life to do things you enjoy, simply because you enjoy them! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The fastest way to torpedo your music career before it even starts is by having a plan that is too detailed. Let's talk about why, and what you should do instead of over-planning. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Let's talk about money. Specifically, a fun concept that I've used to afford (or at least justify purchasing) tons of awesome gear for many years! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tales and tips of what not to do from your local name-dropping musician. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today, let's take a fun look at some of the ways that touring can change aspects of our personalities, and the real-world consequences that can have. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.