The Gig Log: Salt Lake Chamber's 125th Gala

I've always wondered what it would be like to play in a house band for Letterman or Leno, and the other night I got a taste of it. One of the bands I play with, Lokalgrown, was hired to sit in as the house band for a talk show themed gala for the Salt Lake Chamber's 125th Anniversary celebration.

As the drummer, I literally became a cast member. I was asked to "kick" jokes and generally respond appropriately to the conversation and banter between the host (Curt Doussett) and his guests.

As a band, we were about as well-choreographed as you can get. Tunes were started and stopped on a dime, commercial "bumps" and "fades" were timed exactly, and every song clip was specifically chosen for its mood, tempo, tonality and overall effect.

It was a lot of work, but it was very rewarding. I say this to my students all the time, but the harder you work for it, the better it feels when you perform it well.

And for all you drummers playing live TV, you have my respect.

Happy drumming!

Beyond the Kit: Why music matters.

Last week I posed the question, "Why music?" Why does it exist? What's its purpose? Why does it matter?

Music is one of the defining aspects of humanity. It separates us from the other living things on the planet (I know there are some arguments that other animals make music, but we can discuss that another time). Our society is reflected in our music, and music surrounds us.

Imagine walking into a store with no music playing. TV and movies with no music. Video games with no music. No concerts. No music videos. No iPod. For that matter, probably no YouTube.

Music is part of who we are as human beings.

This is not an attempt at a complete discussion on the topic, but here are a few of my reasons for making music a central part of my life:

• Music makes me feel. Quite simply, nothing else touches my emotions in the same way.
• Music makes me think. It takes me to places in my mind and heart that I don't get to without it. 
• Music allows me to communicate far better than I can in any other way. 
• Music makes me better. I'm a more sensitive, thoughtful, passionate and effective human being.
• Like sports, music is fun. I tell people all the time that some guys bowl or play poker, but I get to play jazz and rock and roll gigs. Awesome!

What are your reasons?