The Gig Log: Sam Payne and Savoy

It was a pleasure to play with Sam Payne a few weeks ago, and I was lucky enough to get the call this week to pinch hit for his band Savoy, playing alongside guitar great Joshua Payne (also Sam's brother) and bassist Ryan Tilby. The performance was in downtown Salt Lake City, as part of the summer Temple Square Performances.

The set was mostly jazz - some standards as well as Sam's originals - with a couple of his folk tunes thrown in. It's always amazing to me that I can play the same tune hundreds of times, but it always sounds different, especially with different musicians. Not only did Sam's vocals make each tune sound as if it was written specifically for him, the solos and ensemble playing of Ryan and Joshua gave our little quartet a very unique sound.

The venue was a beautiful park in the very heart of the city. It was a sweltering evening, but by the time things kicked off, we at least had some shade on the stage, surrounded by trees on three sides. The heat notwithstanding (not to mention there was another large concert going on a few blocks away), we had an audience of several hundred, and they were very friendly and supportive.

All in all, it was a lot of fun.



Things I learned: I need to practice A LOT MORE. My endurance, especially in the ride hand and hi-hat foot, was not up to where it needs to be for a high-energy jazz combo. My solos were barely adequate, and I struggled to stay on the form of the tunes in terms of phrasing and melody in my solos. And, finally (for this gig, anyway), I just need to know more jazz, mo' bettuh. In terms of head tunes and forms, my knowledge is definitely lacking.

So, here's to more practice, and a better gig next time.

Happy drumming!

Lokalgrown's New Promo Video

The new Lokalgrown promo video is finally done. Please check it out!

Visit http://www.lokalgrown.com for more.

The Gig Log - Lokalgrown: Brigham City Fine Arts Center

On Friday, October 21, Lokalgrown played at the Brigham City Fine Arts Center as part of the "Music in the City" Concert Series. Special thanks to Austin Weyand for inviting us out. We had a great time - and talk about a friendly audience!

I apologize for the bad photos. This was another time that I felt like I just had to shoot a few quick photos. So...here they are!


From about 1/3 back in the audience.

It's a really small stage, and it's apparent that this building was used for something else before it was converted into a performance venue.

Right: A little closer up.













Below: Views from the right and left of the kit. The first kit shows my monitor, a Mackie SRM 350. Love those little dudes. Extremely hard working and great sounding.

Music is a language: learn it like one

I've always found it interesting that when we are trying to learn the language of music, we often limit ourselves to one particular dialect. When I moved to the midwest (USA) for a few years, it took me forever to figure out what a 'bubbler' was, and people looked at me funny when I asked for a drinking fountain. But I'm from the mountain west. It's not a bubbler (or is it?), it's a drinking fountain.

So it is with learning a style of music. Many of my students are learning jazz, and most of them play jazz at school, but they don't actually know how to speak the language. And the biggest reason we don't speak jazz is that we rarely hear it being spoken.

What do you hear on the radio at the mall, doctor's office, or grocery store? Usually it is a pop station or what we lovingly refer to as "elevator music." Not a good example of jazz. Again, in mainstream culture, you won't hear jazz.

You have to seek it out.

In the Salt Lake City area (and most of Utah, southern Idaho and western Wyoming) you can catch jazz here, on KUER 90.1 FM from 8 PM to 12 AM. There are also great online resources, such as Pandora, Jango and Grooveshark.

When I was in college, a roommate of mine attempted to teach me Spanish. He had some great books and CDs, but also told me that I had to watch daytime television.....in Spanish. Every day. I know it sounds odd, but it didn't take too long before I started to hear the words and phrases I was studying in the TV shows, and my accent improved tremendously.

The same is true with jazz - or any other style or genre you want to master. And just like a small child learning to talk, you start by imitating, then you speak with your own voice.

Good luck, and happy drumming!

The Art of Performance

Occasionally I have the opportunity to serve as a judge or adjudicator at festivals and competitions. It's a great learning experience for me, as well, as I'm often looking for indicators of a musician's preparation beyond the music.

Here's what I mean.

Many times a musician is playing very well, but not performing well at all. The music may be really great, but performing means going beyond the music and presenting yourself well in all areas.

In a formal or school-type setting, like a recital, here are a few factors to consider:

1. Appropriate dress. You wouldn't show up to a rock concert in a tux, so why would you show up to a recital in a t-shirt? If there are any questions as to what is appropriate dress, ask the teacher or conductor - or your bandmates - or go online for some pictures or guidelines for the type of event you're playing at.

2. Speak clearly. Many a good performance has been ruined by sloppy language before the music starts. Again, ask your teacher for help or find some information online. A good place is to simply tell the audience clearly who you are and what you will be performing. If you don't know what to say, just  smile and play your piece. Let your music speak for you.

3. Stay in 'character.' Keep your composure! Keep a pleasant expression on your face, don't react to mistakes, and - unless it's part of your performance - don't let the audience affect you. Things are bound to happen - someone will sneeze, a baby will cry, you'll drop a stick, or whatever. Don't get frustrated, just keep playing.  If you have to stop (to pick up the stick!), just start back where you stopped and move forward as if nothing happened. If you don't make a big deal of it, chances are, neither will your audience.

4. Don't apologize. Before, during and after the performance, keep your game face on. Don't say things like, "I really didn't practice that much," or, "I'm not ready yet, so this isn't going to be that good," or anything before you play. Even if you know it's going to be terrible, refer to number 2 above.

During the performance, no matter how many mistakes you make, keep playing. Do not say, "Sorry," or, "Let me start over." Just keep going. Don't acknowledge your mistakes. If the absolute worst happens and you just can't finish, simply smile at your audience, bow or say, "Thank you," then walk off the stage. When the applause happens, acknowledge it with a nod, or bow and smile.

5. Accept compliments. Even when you feel like you've had the worst performance of your life, someone is bound to tell you how great you did. You'll want to say something like, "What?! Didn't you hear that? I was horrible!" But don't! Just say, "Thank you," and leave it at that.

6. Be prepared. Maybe the best way to build confidence is to be very well prepared. If you've practiced and polished your music until it shines, and you know you can play it very well, you'll have no trouble feeling good about the performance, and you'll have no reason to be awkward or ungracious.

7. Stay engaged. If you're not playing solo, make sure to support the other performer(s). Never give any impression that you're bored, tired or distracted in any way - even if you have to rest for 168 measures. If there is a solo going on, watch the soloist. If someone is singing, look in their direction. Try to let the audience and your fellow performers know that you are supporting them in any way that you can, even if you're not playing.

8. Don't distract. Even if it's a rock concert, there's a time to play and a time to keep quiet. Especially in between songs, don't practice or "noodle" on your instrument. Start together as a group, and end together as a group. Let all of the sounds you make be part of the music, and on purpose. You may think that everybody knows that you're making sure your snare drum is working, but all the audience hears is unnecessary noise.

Next time you go to a live concert, pay attention to what the performers do aside from playing music. You'll start to notice pretty quickly that some things make the performance better, and other things make it much worse.

With a little effort, you can not only play great music, but have a great performance, as well.

Happy drumming!

Getting drums that fit

As I mentioned in another post, I have a hard time with "standard" size drum kits.* In my world you choose drum sizes based on functionality and sound, not for style or image, and certainly not because a drum maker said they'd be "perfect for any player."

So-called standard sizes (diameters) for a five piece kit are as follows:

• Bass Drum: 22"
• Snare Drum: 14"
• Rack Toms: 12" and 13"
• Floor Tom: 16"

For more information on a what a complete drum kit is, check this great post at www.start-drumming.com.

Here's my big issue: not every player is the same size, but there are some physical and ergonomic rules that need to be followed - not only to ensure proper technique and comfort, but also to prevent injury. 

Consider this - When sitting at the kit with both feet on pedals, the thigh should slope slightly toward the floor from the hip to the knee. The knee should be slightly behind the ankle, but directly over the heel (not to one side or the other). This sitting position puts the shoulders (and thus the elbows, wrists and hands) at a certain height. 

When you put standard sized toms in a correct playing position on top of a standard sized kick (bass drum), the average person simply isn't tall enough to play them without seriously altering their technique, sitting position or playing motion.

To deal with this issue, most young players will either play with incorrect technique or form, or put the drums into an incorrect awkward position, or both. 

Imagine a kid on a bike that's obviously way too big or too small. This is an oversimplification of the problem, but you get the idea.



Bottom line - When considering a set of drums, first set them up so that they're ergonomically correct, then sit at the drums at the height you'd have to be at to play them with good technique. If your thighs are more than a little sloped, they're probably too big.

*As a disclaimer, I actually own and use all of the above sizes, but never in this configuration. I have no problem with 14" snare drums, although I use 13" hats (standard is 14") about 99% of the time.

The Gig Log - Lokalgrown: USU Party at Hamilton's

This is probably the most common type of gig for us, a private party or "casual" gig. We played for USU's Alumni Association during homecoming week.*

Pics aren't great because the sun was bright and we were in the shadows, but I played my Yamaha Manu Katche Jr. Kit on this gig. I haven't posted any pics of that one yet, so I thought I'd put it up. Please note that the snare is a Pearl 3 x 13 steel shell, not the stock 4 x 12 that comes with the kit.

Seriously love this kit. With good heads and some time finding the sweet spot, the drums sound good. The kick has taken some work, but it sounds good for a 16", especially with a microphone. The most beautiful thing about this kit is that you can load in with only two trips. 

This one is the view that I had during the gig. It was a low-key, nice party, and the sound was pretty good. Honestly, it's like getting paid to hang out with friends and practice. LOVE IT.

I took this video walking into the gazebo, and Matt, the bass player, is sitting at the kit playing the kick and hat while playing the bass. It's not much, but gives you a little better shot of the kit and the setup of the gig.

Click here to see the video.

*USUs football team is KILLING me this year! Talk about heart-breaking losses....   Can't we win just one of the close ones? Please?! Do I have to wait until basketball season to wear my Aggie gear AGAIN?!

The Gig Log - Lokalgrown: The Gateway for KSL Studio 5

Most of you are probably in school or at work at 11 AM, but there is a great tv show on Salt Lake City's KSL (channel 5) called Studio 5. You can check it out here. Lokalgrown wrote their theme song, which airs daily. You can check that out here.

On Tuesday, September 6th, Lokalgrown played at their Season Premier live show which was held at the Gateway in downtown SLC. We did some pre-show tunes, played a little bit live, and then played a short concert on the Plaza afterwards. The rain notwithstanding, it was AWESOME.

As always, you'll get some different views of the kit, the stage, and then an extra surprise today....

I always try to take a shot of the kit before it gets cymbals and microphones so that I remember which drums I used and in what configuration. This specific setup is starting to be a favorite. 10" tom up top, and the 14 and 16 off to my right.

The next shot is from the audience. It's a little bit of cool to have the KSL van off to the side behind the stage. At first we were talking about taking the tent down because it was really hard to see the people (us) under it, but when the rain came down we were grateful for the cover!

This was my view. There were a few more people out - and some dancers - when the show started. It was also cool to have people who work and shop the Gateway just stop and listen for a while.

The kit all wired up. Thanks to Trevor, the sound guru, who made us sound great both live an on TV.

And the view from the front of the stage. It's still not terribly clear, but this is what it looked like.

Now for the surprise. Check out the live TV footage from the gig.

The Gig Log, Volume 2

Phew! It's been a busy couple of weeks - gigs, airplanes and the like. But I'm finally sitting down to give you the next installment.

I play a lot of different events with Lokalgrown, from concerts to corporate events. This one was for the opening of a brand new apartment complex in Logan. We played by the pool for about five hours (including soundcheck), in the sun the entire time. I should have taken a picture of my sunburned face, but here you get a couple of pre-show looks of the kit and the "stage," as it were.

This shot is from the audience point of view, essentially from the pool. We had a few people lounging in the water while we played, but most were in the chairs and at the tables under an umbrella.

Complete with raffles and hot dogs, this was a typical summertime party.

Lots of fun.

This is just an up close of my kit. It's a little simplified, just the 10 and 14 inch toms. And you can't see it too well, but I used my 4 X 14 natural wood (maple) DW snare instead of the stock one.

It gives a little warmer, more open sound because of the satin wood finish rather than the wrap.

I've also started using the DW Dog Bones a little more (under the crash to the drummer left), and they are saving a little space and my back when I haul around my hardware bag.


Anyway, I hope you're all enjoying your summer as much as I am.

Happy drumming!

The Gig Log, Volume 1

Hi All!

I've been asked by some of my students about some of the gigs I play, so I thought it might be fun to post a pic or two from some of them.

This gig was last Saturday, August 6, 2011 at Delta High School for the Millard County Fair. This is one of the bands I play with, Lokalgrown. You can check them out here. These shots are just prior to soundcheck, so the stage isn't looking exactly like it did during the actual performance.

So, courtesy of iPhone, here you go:

And, from where I sit:

Please feel free to comment, and ask any questions you'd like to.