Life as a pro drummer

[tnsoltw]

Can someone give me the real scoop about life as a pro musician

[gluelegg]

Hey dude,it's a very big question you are asking here.
Is there any particular area of the business you want to know about.
I'll tell you a bit about my situation.
I have played and recorded with a few different platinum and multi platinum artist's in Canada.
A big difference than USA platinum numbers (divide by 10)
I have also signed 1 major label deal and 1 indie both disasters by the way.
I have recently (2 years now)taken over the drum chair for progressive rock band SAGA.
Don't know how old you are and if you would have heard of them but they have sold around 9 million records internationally.
The band still has a big following in Europe and we tour there regularily.
When not on the road I do sessions, teach, etc.
I am a Yamaha, Sabian, Vater stick endorsee.
I guess i'm what you call a professional musician.
I am seriously not blowing my own horn i'm just trying to let you know my background because even though I get to tour, record etc I still have a really hard time scraping rent together some months.
If anything the hardest part is keeping your calendar filled.
There's lot's of good players out there and gig's can be scarce at times.
I'll give you probably the best advice I know and that is be a good person.
All the guy's I know that get most of the work up here are pretty easy to work with.
It's not about having Vinnie chops but being able to get along and work with people.
It's very much a job like any other.
Touring is great but there is a down side as well.
Lot's of late nights and early mornings.
Rarely do you get much sleep and hotels can be a real drag after a while.
I'm fortunate with SAGA because we have a tour bus but I have done many Canadian coast to coast tours in a van with 8 guy's.
That said there is nothing I would rather do because that 90 minutes on stage is heaven on earth my friend.
Anyway just a few thoughts.

[FuseU1]

Great to have you here.

Cool that you are with Saga...I really enjoyed them "back in the day" [img]wink.gif[/img] , & I'm sure they are still a fine band...thay had several big rock radio hits in the 80s, 2 of the biggest being Wind Him Up & On The Loose [which was the hugest in the US, Wind being about "2nd"]...I really dug "OTL" - that catchy & memorable 16th note HH groove & band synchopations...I was a huge Rush fan, so any band or singer[s] that came out of CAN I lent an ear to [img]wink.gif[/img] [Triumph, Saga, etc]

but I have done many...coast to coast tours in a van with 8 guy's

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Been there, done that, got the T, wore it out, re-washed it, tore it up, you get the pic...but at least i was in a van w only 3 or 4 other guys [depending on whether or not "the king" [frontguy & Chief ButtKissEE] flew on his corp-freq-flyer miles ;c/]...

It can be like a roller coaster ride...the highs & the lows/down-time...expect them...AWA it can become an "evened-out" & mundane life in the down time AW...hotels never seemed to bother me, except when the event hosting us didn't provide the rooms, & the frontguy did...Motel 6, which is a fine, less-exp hotel, but the only prob w that is, every now & then, esp on wkends, your neighborhood low-life crack-heroin-meth-dealers / pimps / prostitutes know this AW [img]graemlins/thumbs_down.gif[/img] ...when the events handled it,. it was usually very nice hotels...but if youre doing 1 nighters, youre not in them very long...maybe lomng enough to get a little rest & a shower...handle your business properly AW...good advice from glue...

I rem those 7:30a / 8a soundchecks occasionally, too [img]eek.gif[/img] ...

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ September 18, 2004 04:02 PM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>

[CLWarunki]

This is insightful and good to see, but are there only TWO professional drummers here at HOD!? I could have swore there were more, and I'd like to read their takes on the subject if they'd care to share.

I consider myself semi-pro. I've done many shows, studio session, some travell as well but do not make 100% living from it... yet.

P.S. Glue, I am moving to Toronto to relocate my band in November (they are there already waiting), any advice would be much appreciated!

[erskoman]

Most "professional" (full-time/working) drummers are exactly the same as non-professionals in that we would be playing whether we got paid for it or not. Everyone here at the HOD loves what they do; and so, the "best" professionals are quite similar to all of the other drummers whose posts I read here at the site ... one difference, perhaps, between some pro drummers and some enthusiasts is that professional musicians (drummers) usually encounter challenges that aren't easily answered by such things as one-handed rolls or blazingly fast chops, etc. So, with most of my colleagues, stuff like that is an interesting oddity, but not something that's pursued too seriously ... (though I'll admit to being impressed by seeing Johnny Rabb's one handed technique; brilliant ... the stick-twirling kind of puts in into another realm, however; good show-biz, I guess ...).

Most "pro" work environments demand good, simple and solid timekeeping, with a positive attitude and a high level of concentration. Musicality doesn't hurt, either.

I take a lot of pride in being able to walk into a work situation, and leaving it with everyone smiling by the end of the day; at least, that's what I strive for. Not a bad philosophy for just about anything in life ...

All things considered, it is a real stroke of good fortune (pun intended) to be able to make a living doing what we love to do.

Oh yeah ... real pros can (usually) read, and they (usually) show up on time!

Have fun,
PE

[erskoman]

One more thing: the "best" pros know that there's always something new to learn ... it's a life-long process, and the joy is in the journey.

(Not THAT Journey ...!)

:-)

[ashio nz]

Can't disagree with a single thing Mr E!

Great advice and....so simple really.

Please come to New Zealand! It's nice here, sunny today in fact as I type

Fantastic jazz & music culture throughout - I'm sure you'd love it (in case you haven't visited).

Phil

[FlamTriplet]

Originally posted by gluelegg:
[QB]

I have recently (2 years now)taken over the drum chair for progressive rock band SAGA.
Don't know how old you are and if you would have heard of them but they have sold around 9 million records internationally.
The band still has a big following in Europe and we tour there regularily. QB]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The melody lines the guitar and keys played were fantastic. I honestly think Chick Corea listened to them, cause a lot of his lines sounded similar in the CCEB. Chick's been Framed! Again!

[drumaddix]

couldn't agree more with mr E.
a real pro's point of view.
man,so simply said and so true.
almost makes me wanna cry [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img] .

i'm very impressed too by johnny rabb's "free hand technique".
amazing stuff though it's not get you in the business...at least not the one we're talking about i think. [img]wink.gif[/img]

[Tom Hipskind]

Originally posted by erskoman:
one difference, perhaps, between some pro drummers and some enthusiasts is that professional musicians (drummers) usually encounter challenges that aren't easily answered by such things as one-handed rolls or blazingly fast chops, etc. So, with most of my colleagues, stuff like that is an interesting oddity, but not something that's pursued too seriously

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Very true. It's such an easy thing for all of us (myself VERY included) to fall into the trap of wanting to play things that will quickly draw attention to us, but what we must remember is that musicality is NUMERO UNO! What is musicality? Well, maybe we should let Peter most aptly define it for us, but I know it's pretty much all about making music and listening intently to the folks you're playing with. Moreover, in this context it also has something to do with being a team player and resisting the urge to do (or not do?) something that may DISRUPT the flow of the music.

In this month's MD, Thomas Lang describes his pursuit of his "superchops" as more or less a hobby, and not the main focus of his playing. He's a band member and "song drummer" first, and the clinic playing is just icing on the cake.

-Tom