MasterMind Drummer
August 5th, 2024
Newsletter #33
Do you. Do it well. And do it with FULL intention
I hope you have had an amazing week since we last spoke.
All is well at this end. Lots on, as always. Very much just keeping my head down and staying on the tasks at hand.
One thing at a time. 🙂
What I thought I’d kick things off with this week, is a little gear appreciation. So, sharing with you a new product that I came across recently.
I don’t know about you, but for me personally, I am still very much such a big ol’ nerd when it comes to rad gear. I always have been.
I think it comes from being an engineer’s son, and growing up in my dad’s workshop. Those early years, being out in the shed and tinkering away, gave me a massive appreciation (and curiosity) for how things work, but also, great design, too. The function and aesthetic of a product really interests me.
I remember when I was 14 years old, I use to pull apart and clean my kit, each and every week! So completely dismantle and unscrew every single nut and bolt, polish everything, and then reassemble it all. Hahaha. I just loved mucking around with gear.
So anyway, recently I got my hands on a new product I came across, called the Tandem Drums ‘Drops‘.
They are essentially a drum dampening system. But what separates these from all the other drum dampening systems on the market, e.g. gels, snare weights etc, is that the ‘Drops’ actually work like a natural gate.
So, what I mean by that is, when you strike the drum, they vibrate with the head. This lets the natural tone of the drum still come through, but shortens the length of that note.
Hence why I say, ‘a natural gate’.
The way in which they do this, is that they attach to the tension rod, and just slightly rest on the drum head. This gives them the ability to actually breathe with the drum, once you strike it.
What determines the length of the note, (or the strength of the gate), is they come in a range of weights. So 40g, all the way up to 200g. The heavier they are, the shorter the note.
VERY DAM COOL!
As I say, I’m a nerd (I’ve found most drummers are). So definitely worth sharing with you here. They have been on my kit from the moment that I got them – Live and studio, and won’t be coming off anytime soon.
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So, as I mentioned at the top here, there has been a lot going on.
The Black Comet tour has been going really well, with nearly every show sold out, and my MasterMind Drummer Clinics have been fantastic too.
I had mentioned in last weeks newsletter that I had my 5th MasterMind Drummer Clinic coming up in Taranaki, but something I didn’t mention, is why I was heading to that area in the first place…
I need to backtrack a little…
So, during last years Black Comet winter tour, we played in Wellington. We had an amazing night, and a bunch of really great people came out to support the show.
It was that night that I met a phenomenal guitarist named Nick Granville.
Nick can do it all, in fact, he has! But he also rolls a lot in the Jazz scene there. He is a true heavy weight. In fact, in my opinion, he is one of the most accomplished guitarists this country has produced. He is truly world-class.
So we got talking at the gig, and he mentioned that one of the many projects he spearheads is a ‘duo drum jam’.
So the concept is this – there is himself, a keys player, and two drummers on stage, and they basically just go for it. They play through funkified and jazzified reinterpretations of classic tunes – some old, some new, and they’re all very much built on the idea of free-form jazz.
It is spontaneous, its in the moment, and there are no rehearsals.
He asked if I’d be keen to do it sometime, to which I said, ‘absolutely’, and so he said he’d reach out, and we left the evening there.
Over the next year, Nick did reach out a couple of times, asking if I’d like to come down for certain drum duo gigs, but for whatever reason – new baby, MasterMind courses, gigs etc etc, I just couldn’t get down to Wellington.
Then, about a month ago, he messaged and said he had been offered a drum-duo gig in Taranaki, by the local Jazz society of New Plymouth, and would I be keen to do it?
Taranaki is a much more approachable trip for me, as opposed to Wellington, so I said to Nick, let me see if I can also book in a MasterMind Drummer Clinic the night after the gig, so that I can really maximize my time there.
Taranaki has a strong music scene, and a lot of great drummers in the area, so it was definitely worth holding a clinic there, too.
In short, we booked it all in, and I was on my way!
So who was I drumming with? Who was I going to be sharing the stage and rhythmic responsibilities with for this drum duo?
Well, none other than one of my personal favourites, and a guy that has had a massive influence on me over the years, Mr. Darren Mathiassen.
I won’t bleed on too much about Darren here, but I recommend doing a deep dive on him. He is incredibly accomplished and has played for many of NZs top artists over the years.
He’s also what I refer to as a ‘real drummer’, as he’s so proficient. Darren is schooled, and has a finesse, touch and control in his playing that is second-to-none. He has world-class facility, too, and its facility that makes me think of drummers like Vinnie.
Its bizzare how the world works though, as I have been a fan of his since I was 17. He played on an EP back then, that came out by an NZ group called ‘Trinity Roots’, and when I heard it, it blew my mind.
He was deep in jungle and DnB at the time, and what he tracked on that EP was killer, and a massive influence on me, so to now be sharing the stage with him as an equal? Nuts, to say the least.
Check out the track ‘Little Things’, HERE.
I say all this to say that this situation was actually incredibly intimidating to be walking into.
We had Nick on guitar, Leo Coghini on keys (weapon), and Darren on drums, all of whom are world-class players, and that came up through the Wellington jazz scene. All heavy ‘cats’, you might say.
These guys have played together MANY times, and although this gig was not rehearsed, the reality is, they still knew the tunes, the vibe, and the flow of it all, as they had done it before.
So I’ll be honest, when Nick first asked me, my initial gut response was fear, and a clear understanding that this was going to be incredibly hard, and very much outside my comfort zone.
And guess what? It’s those exact reasons that I said yes. I had to.
Look, as we get older, we tend to challenge ourselves less, and control our environment more. I suppose you could argue it’s one of the ‘perks’ of becoming an adult – curating a nice and safe little world around you, that’s completely comfortable and under our control.
But what I’ve found is that the more I walk into the fire, and the more I put myself in situations that are foreign, uncomfortable, and very much out of that safe and controlled world I’ve created, the more I grow, evolve, and level-up.
It’s hard, it’s painful, it’s scary, yes, it’s ALL those things. But this process is undeniable for growth.
I use the hashtag #resultsguaranteed a lot, but that is because I know this stratergy works, and only good can come of it.
I mentioned at my clinic last night, that you only truly need about 70-80% of the skills required for any opportunity that you’ve been presented. The other 20%? You’ll make it up in the moment.
You have to say yes, suck it up, walk on stage, stay present, rise to the occasion, and then just let the chips fall where they may.
So how did it go? Well, to be honest, it went great! We did two full sets to a packed house, and it was a total blast.
We jammed, we listened, we communicated, and we complimented each other. But most importantly, we had a lot of fun.
So what now? What came of this experience?
Well, firstly, it highlighted for me some areas in my playing that I now want to develop further. Some more gaps I’ve found. Great! More goals to set and start working towards. FANTASTIC.
And secondly? Nick has now asked me if I want to come and do the same line-up for the Wellington Jazz Festival, in October. HUGE!
I’ve mentioned before, the importance of walking towards fear, but another take away from this experience is understanding that at the end of the day, all we can ever do, is just simply do what we do. Thats it. Whatever that is. And just owning it.
It’s about knowing you have something to offer, and offering it in full sincerity, and not letting your head get in the way. Being present, being open, staying in the moment, and taking it all in.
We’ll leave it there for now, as I have to hit the road and get back to my beautiful family, who I can’t wait to see. But, just remember…
Do you. Do it well. And do it with FULL intention.
Don’t forget… Stay hungry (and stay healthy!)
See you next week.
Stan