I’ve now written 73 of these weekly newsletters – so that makes this number 74! Phew! That’s a lot of mind dumps!
Over the past 18 months there has been one type of reply I’ve received many times, from many different drummers, that always lands deeply with me.
It usually reads something like this:
“Hey man, I really appreciate these weekly words of encouragement. I’m in my 50s now, and I’ve started wondering if it’s too late for me… etc.”
My response is always the same…
Firstly, gratitude.
It means the world that something I’ve written is helping someone reconnect with their instrument, their purpose, and their curiosity again. Very cool.
And secondly, I reiterate once more – no! It’s not too late. Not even close.
So, let me say this again, very clearly. It’s never too late.
Not to improve.
Not to grow.
Not to become the player you want to be.
The only thing age really changes is how we practice, not if we should practice. Life gets busy and we need to adapt.
When I get a reply like this, I know what they’re really asking.
They’re not looking for permission. Of course not. They’re asking whether their dream still holds weight. Whether it’s still worth chasing their growth, even if ‘time’ has somewhat moved on faster than they planned when they first started out.
And my answer, always, is yes. But it’s not a soft yes.
It’s not “yes, sure, if you feel like it.”
It’s “yes, 100%. But only if you’re ready to do the work.”
Because the work is what never changes. Regardless of the ‘when’.
I’ll say this too. If you’re not currently working on something that’s developing your playing, in my opinion, you’ve essentially tapped out. You’ve given up.
You’ve chosen to plateau. And no amount of performance, experience, previous progress, or reputation, exempts you from that.
You’re either building or you’re decaying.
You’re either going forward, or going backwards.
There is NO inbetween.
There’s no ‘maintaining’ in music. So don’t fall for that very common illusion. You’re either progressing, or you’re falling behind.
And if that sounds harsh, good. Wear it.
Because the alternative is far worse… Coasting, floating, living off what you learned ten years ago, pretending you’re still in it when deep down you know you haven’t challenged yourself in a long time. How does that sound?
And don’t worry, I’ve had periods like this too, which is why I am talking about it so passionately. I know this all too well.
But I also know what it feels like to snap out of it, and what’s waiting on the other side when you do. Freedom.
Last week, I posted about five drummers I’ve taken one-off lessons with over the years…
Each one of these killers had something specific I admired, so I reached out to them, organised some time, and BOOM! – learned directly from the source!
We live in a time when you can literally message and of your favourite drummers and book a call. It’s quite unreal.
If you’re serious about true growth, you’d be mad not to take advantage of that access. For a few of your dollars, the value is actually quite priceless. Invest!
So with all that in mind, last week, I actually walked my own talk… (even more than usual).
I took two drum lessons, both from drummers I respect deeply, and both bringing something completely different to the table.
First up: Mr. Travis Orbin.
If you haven’t heard of Travis, look him up and do some research. But suffice to say, he’s a monster.
I went to Travis because I’ve always been fascinated by his combination of power and speed – two traits that don’t usually coexist naturally on the kit.
I’ve got power. That’s not an issue for me. But speed? Not so much.
So, I asked him what he does, how he trains for it, the mechanics he uses, and what his daily routines are etc. Everything that I had been pondering over the years.
And guess what??? He laid it all out. No ego, just clarity and direction.
He enlightened me to a couple of things I was not aware of, which is exactly why I went to him. No guesswork for me now. Perfect.
Then, later in the week, I had my first jazz lesson!
Yep. Jazz.
I’ve actually wanted to explore the language of jazz, and the level of control that comes with it, for some years now, but to be honest, the timing has never quite aligned.
At the moment, I have some space mentally and physically, so finally, it did!
I hit up my good friend, and local jazz educator, Mr. Steve Mills.
Steve lives and breaths jazz, so was always going to be my first port of call.
We had a two-hour intensive which started off with some deep listening (Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, and more), moved into a conversation around comping, the importance of your swing, and then ‘feel’. Then, we wrapped it all up with some solid stick work to keep me busy.
(I’ll add – I chewed those up so we’ve already had our follow-up, haha.)
The whole thing has been ace and just what I needed, but also very humbling, which is always a good thing.
Jazz is not my world, but I will say, I’ve always believed that if you want to become a deep, intentional player, then you need to study it. That’s always been obvious to me. And as someone who deeply appreciates Tony and Buddy, it really was just a matter of time.
At this point, with regard to these two lessons, let me make something very clear…
Firstly, I do not want to be a speed drummer. But I do want to be able to play fast when it matters, when I hear something in my head.
Secondly, I do not want to be a jazz drummer. But I do want the depth that comes from studying jazz stickings, phrasing, and dynamic control. I want to see how it influences my voice and ideas on the kit.
See the difference? It’s not about becoming a certain style, sound, or genre, it’s about incorporating elements of these key areas into my own sound and style, developing my voice even further. That’s what excites me.
As a side note, this makes me think of another post I did a couple of weeks ago. A ‘spicy’ one, yes, but I stand behind it. Lol.
Now look, I’m partly trolling here, but I kind of mean it too.
Because from what I’ve seen over the years, the players who chase jazz out of genuine curiosity and hunger end up developing such a beautiful touch, feel, and sound.
Whereas, ironically, the ones who chase it for the certificate, (and then won’t stop talking about said certificate), often don’t.
This isn’t about school versus no school, although I do have my thoughts on that, it’s about drive.
If you’ve got the hunger, and access to the right information, you’ll get where you want to go. It’s as simple as that.
Not because someone handed you a certificate, but because you chased it with intent. Well, that’s what I think, anyway.
These lessons came at the perfect time for me.
Soon I’ll be heading off to the UK and Europe for a 7-week tour with Natasha Bedingfield, and I’ve been prepping what I can work on while traveling. There is a ton of downtime with these things, so I want to make sure I go with plenty to do.
That’s the beauty of remaining a student too. It’s not something you graduate from. It’s actually the exact thing that keeps you sharp, engaged, and inspired.
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again for those in the back…
The best teachers are students first. Period.
Teaching should be a byproduct of your own personal growth.
If you want to stay excited and motivated as an educator, then prioritise your own growth, on and off the kit. That’s what keeps the ideas fresh, and your development in motion.
It means you don’t get complacent, because you’re still open. Open to new concepts, new challenges, and even the possibility that some of your old beliefs might need shifting.
And that’s exactly what your students need from you.
At the end of the day, you’re a scientist, and being a scientist means you stay open, curious, adaptable, and always testing.
No dogma. No rigid thinking. Just the ongoing pursuit of something deeper.
To close this out, I want to refine what we talked about last week:
The structure of a great practice session – Foundation, Application, Exploration.
This was the macro view, which is great, but how do we use that to actually practice more efficiently? Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Here’s the micro view…
If you’ve got 45 minutes and say, 6 ideas to work on, simple… Just divide your time evenly.
So that would be about 7 and a half minutes per idea.
But! If two of those ideas are tough – so awkward, new, or exposing, then the rule of thumb is to double your time on them. So you shave some time off the easier ones.
Front-load and double up the work-load where it counts. That’s how you grow. Not with random reps, but with focused and dedicated time on the difficult things, with everything getting the attention it needs.
Remember, the biggest asset you’ll ever have here, is your ability to focus, so work on that in a strategic way, as that will truly be the make or break.
So, to summarize here, no, it’s not too late. It never was.
But possibility without action? Well, unfortunately, that’s just disillusion.
So find yourself a mentor, chase the hard thing that needs attention – the thing that’s a part of your ‘big picture’, build your plan and, as always, just do the work.
You’re not done. You never were. In fact… I’d argue you’re only just getting warmed up. 😉
Let’s leave it here this week. I am about to get a haircut, get some practice in, and then teach for the afternoon.
Thanks for taking the time, and as always, thanks for letting me know your thoughts on these. I appreciate it.
Stay hungry, (and healthy),
Stan