Welcome back!
Man, I tell you, writing ‘Newsletter #28’, at the start of this is quite a trip.
I made a promise to myself at the start of the year, when I launched MasterMind Drummer on January 1st, that I would write a weekly newsletter sharing tips, tricks, ideas, stories, anything that I think will help drummers (and creatives in general) level-up, on and off the kit.
And here we are now, at #28? Madness!
But I will say, I am really enjoying this process of writing.
I find it cathartic, and it helps me flesh out and dial in my thoughts and ideas a little more when it comes to drums, the creative journey in general, and the mindset required to become the best version of yourself.
I know. I know. This really sounds like some Tony Robbins horseshit. I get that, and I’ll wear it too. That’s egg on my face. It’s sort of path-of-the-course with this stuff.
But to be honest, I am happy to wear that.
When you’re talking about any form of progress or personal development, it’s actually really hard not to sound like that. Haha.
Oh well. I’m here for it, and I hope you are too!
And look, I’m not claiming to be a guru here. Of course not.
How could I be? I’m a (very) simple 40-year-old dude, living in little ol’ New Zealand, at the bottom of the world, sharing my drum journey with anyone interested in hearing about it. Thats it.
And look, that seems to be YOU! Yay!
So, straight up front here, and as always, I thank you for your time and attention.
I fully understand the value of those two things – time and attention. They truly are two of the most valuable things we have. So it’s certainly not lost on me how fortunate I am to have your time and attention for a few minutes, at the start of each week.
This is why I do my best to bring you as much value as possible here.
Look. We are all searching here.
We are searching for ways to get better on the drums, to get better off the drums, be a little more consistent than what we were yesterday, and to take our careers (whatever that means), to the next level. All of it.
And the truth is, we can. It is ALL doable. And not only that, it is all doable at ANY point in your journey too.
There are no rules here when it comes to personal progress.
There are no age restrictions, and there is certainly no minimum skill level requirement.
It’s just going to come down to one thing. You.
You are the ONLY determining factor when it comes to leveling up, moving forward, taking your playing to new heights, or taking your career to the next level.
You. Thats it.
Accept it. Wear it. And now own it.
In the 27 years that I have been playing and the 22 years I’ve been teaching, I have collected a reasonable amount of data at this point.
Something that keeps coming up in my teachings, in the discourse I have with students, is simply the disconnect between the work required for the desired outcome.
Really think about that sentence…
A disconnect between the work required for the desired outcome.
Every student that comes through my door wants to level-up in some area of their playing, or their life, too.
They’ve come to me because there is something about what I am doing, something that they resonate with, that they too are interested in developing within themselves.
Now, do I have the ALL answers?
Fuck yes, you’re dam right I do!!!
Lol. Come on now. Relax… relax… Its a joke. Of course I don’t. 😉
To be honest, I actually have quite a narrow area of focus when it comes to my drum curriculum specifically.
I only teach the ideas and concepts that I am personally invested or interested in myself.
And as you’ve seen, as I roll out my courses, those areas are very much an extension of what I’ve shared online over the years.
I just teach what I know, and what I love. And I am ALL-IN on those areas.
I focus on mechanics, dynamics, facility, creativity… Single kick development, flow, fluidity, and the idea of exploring YOUR voice etc. As well as showing a clear path for how to level-up off the kit too, as I truly believe its what we are doing off the kit, that is obstructing us, just as much as on the kit.
These are the areas that I’m invested in.
As a side note, I turn down students most weeks, purely because I am not the right teacher for them.
I’ve mentioned this in previous newsletters, but when it comes to teaching – and for it to be sustainable at any level, its super important that I myself actually care about the area the student wants to develop, otherwise I won’t do it.
I am not here to just take anyone’s money that is willing to fork it over, (teachers often get this point VERY wrong), and I am certainly not here to waste anyone’s time.
But more importantly, I am not here to waste MY time, as it truly is my most valuable commodity.
A great example. Recently, I had someone come to me asking for lessons on reading.
Can I read? Yes. Do I want to teach it? Simply put, no.
This does not interest me in the slightest, and will VERY quickly deplete the extremely valuable and finite resource, that is ‘the drum energy’, I am gifted each week by the drum gods.
I do not take that energy for granted… And neither should you.
As another side note: If you don’t dig it, don’t do it. Trust me.
The ONLY talent any of us have is simply the desire to play the drums. Thats it. So don’t waste it.
So anyway, I passed them on to a friend, someone who IS interested in teaching reading, and everyone was happy.
Now, back to what I was saying.
The disconnect between the work required for the desired outcome.
Look, I’m going to call a spade a spade here, and make it very clear that there is nothing in your life preventing you from
A. Becoming the player you want to be
B. Becoming the person you want to be
C. Having the career and lifestyle you want to have
Nothing.
It’s simply a decision, and then moving towards it.
Moving towards it with a hunger and ferocity that is not like anyone around you, or like anything you’ve seen. Tunnelvision.
You need to then set your life up in a way that facilitates the necessary work that’s required, to go to the level you see, and simply start showing up and doing the reps.
(pro-tip: get up earlier)
Nothing good on this instrument comes without hard work. Nothing.
When it comes to ‘world-class’ playing, it requires a level of commitment that most people just aren’t willing to do.
They want the results – sure we all do, but they aren’t willing to make the required payment to acquire them.
That payment is made with your time and attention.
Look. Understand this…
Your current situation on the kit and off the kit, is simple the outcome of the work you’ve put in so far.
So any area you aren’t happy with, it just requires more time. Its a simple formula. Connect with this concept and start taking FULL accountability for EVERYTHING going on with you playing, and in your life. Own it.
You want world-class Double Stoke? Great. Do the work.
You want world-class Single Kick? Great. Do the work.
You want world-class Chops? Great. Do the work.
You want to level-up off the kit? Great. Do the work.
Your situation may not be your fault, but SUCK IT UP, as it is certainly your responsibility.
To remove yourself from the herd will require a level of commitment that the herd just isn’t willing to pay. But guess what…
That’s ALL it requires.
Its all about how you look at it.
As mentioned earlier, I am a simple person, but early on, in my ‘psychedelic-induced formative teenage years’, I connected with the simple notion that my ability on the drums is purely a result of the work I put in.
So I started putting in as much work as I could possibly muster, even within what some would call ‘limitations’, due to my circumstances.
Don’t forget these facts…
I am self-taught. I started drumming at 13. I left school & home at and started working full-time at 15 years old .I had a kid at 19. I became a business owner in a completely different industry at 23.
ALL this only made me better, hungrier, more driven, and more focused, and do you know why?
1. I am absolutely obsessed with the instrument and love the journey… So will do everything in my damdest to explore it to its fullest, while my body and mind let me.
2. And my life is my responsibility. No one elses.
I’ll leave it there this week, as I’m sure you’ve had enough of this bollocking… haha
Just don’t forget, if you aren’t happy with your situation on and off the kit, take responsibility, and remember…
You’re Not Working Hard Enough…
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Thanks again for your time and attention, I truly value it, and remember, I pre-released my next course –
I will be taking you through everything I did to build my facility and my voice on the kit. Released July 22nd.
Stay hungry! See you next week.
Stan