Hey steve ..

[Lee Collins]

Question for you:

How come you work for activision and aren't pursuing a fulltime career as a drummer in the sense of studio work, tours, shows, etc? Or are you? Activision just a short term thing? I mean, it's not like you're lacking in the skill department or anything. [img]tongue.gif[/img] You of all people could make an amazing living from drums. Did you decide that it's better to have a secure job and keep drumming as a hobby?

[Steve Holmes]

You know, I did for a while. Then the rug got pulled out of a gig that was providing blood money, so I was left scrambling for large expenses and needed to find a quick way to pay my rent.
I landed a gig on the bottom rung of testing at Activision and ended up getting swiftly promoted several times. Games are my second passion and working in the industry (now on the Production side of things) is extremely gratifying in a number of ways.

The cost of living in LA is insanely expensive so I decided to hold on the the steady income while filtering out gigs that may not be, shall we say the most musically gratifying. Now I can focus on musical projects that I am passionate about with my musical energy. I share a lockout studio with my friend (drumdawg on the forums, Sammy Watson) so I can shed pretty much whenever I want. My scheduling at work is very flexible so if I need to take off for a bit they are pretty supportive. It works out pretty well.

Part of me would like to be the guy making a living playing music, but honestly more important to me above all is if I'm progressing as a player. I am very much still on the musical journey of expanding my vocabulary as well as basic fundamentals of time, groove, and feel. I'm always meditating and working on these things on my own as well as the gigs I'm on and in the shed. I try to do a variety of music in the gigs I pick to keep me working on different things (mostly rock and jazz oriented).

I consider myself pretty lucky really.

[Lee Collins]

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, sounds good to me, nice balance. That way you don't have to play crap just to pay your way. And you never know, at some point you might just be in the right place at the right time, and someone is gonna offer you that big break. [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

[matricks]

Nice hearing from you Steve,
Question: Therefore what would be some advice that you would give to someone looking to break into the biz and be a drummer full time. What insight would you offer from your experience?

[Pocketime]

Thanks for that insightful feedback Steve. That really helped me to pull some thoughts together and put into perspective concerning my own playing and approach to this instrument that I love so much. PT.

[Frank Sanchez]

Steve/Drumdawg -

Just curious: Is Sammy the same Sammy that plays with Kate Miner? I know it is Sammy something or other who plays with Kate. He came and played in Redlands, but lived in LA. When I met Him, we had a great talk. I got and then subsequently lost his card and would love to reconnect.

Take Care. F.S.

[matricks]

Apex Theory

[Steve Holmes]

Sammy plays in The Apex Theory, I think you have the wrong one.

Advice about the music industry? <strike> Who am I to give it</strike> It depends on what you want to do. The industry itself is in sad shape as a result of the internet (ironically the net has done nothing but help me but I don't depend on record sales so touche I guess)... anyway it is obviously possible to make a living in the ideal sense of doing sessions and touring, but that seems to be left to a small elite group of guys since there's not as much need for it. The 80's are over and putting together a band, getting signed and getting rich is just not how it is anymore. Record labels are barren and the few bands we do see on SNL are for the most part crap (generally speaking, there are exceptions obviously). So, it is more difficult to do that than ever before. Bottom line is it is possible however harder than ever and as I said it's very expensive to live in LA to start with.

This is why I like having my playing be the most important part because how successfull I am at being a good player is up to ME and not at the mercy of a starving business. I had a great year too. Altered put out a CD, I got a Zildjian endorsement, and my video got picked up by a major distributor. I play music I like with people I like. I get to see my heros play a lot (much less hang out or take lessons with) so things are cool with the drumming side of things. Could they improve? You bet. Will they?

You bet.

[Drumdawg]

NO, I'm a different Sammy J., and I play with the apex theory. If I may Steve, on advice, I'd encourage moving to a city that offers what your looking for.( Matricks or who ever listens) , I grew up in the Seattle area and even lived in the city for about a year. I was struggling to find what I wanted musically. I flipped on the TV and saw the chick I used to play with on SNL and realized that I had to move back down to LA. You need to live in an area where the most opportunity is. Granted, LA has a lot of competition but it has a lot of mediocre players as well. If your shit is together, it can be noticed. I tell drummers who ask me the same questions to move to major cities. If your a strait ahead jazz head, then move to N.Y. If your looking for a record deal, move to L.A. or a city that has labels. (not that a major is the best decision any more) But theres something to be said for playing a show and 5 or 6 labels can come out and check you out if there is a buzz. In smaller cities or cities less known for music, you don't have the opportunity to get noticed. You send a demo to a label and it sits in a bin of 100's of others, or becomes a coaster. It has been quite a sacrifice on my end living in LA. My heart and soul is in the N.W. but musically, it was the best move ever... I have been able to meet, live and study with Masters such as Steve Holmes. Hope this "sheds some light" or at least gives a perspective on the matter.
Peace, Sammy J.

[Lee Collins]

In reply to matricks :
I would also add that there's another way to be a fulltime drummer apart from trying to get record deals or play jazz. I don't know if's it's exactly the same in the states as in the UK.

The staple diet over here of doing corporate functions with function bands, depping in shows, doing summer seasons, cruise ship work and stuff like that provide enough income to make a decent living from if you're prepared to basically 'whore' yourself to the music business, play music that isn't always ideal, and you don't mind going away from time to time. The biggest and most important thing any drummer can do to give himself an advantage and open more doors, is to make sure he can read, and read pretty well. This goes hand in hand with good timekeeping.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ December 05, 2004 07:23 PM: Message edited by: Rudy_Ment ]</font>