I do my best to keep these newsletters honest, open, to the point, and thorough. Today is no exception… What I want to talk about today, is what it really takes to be a professional. Not the Instagram version. Not the highlight reel. Not the “lucky break” fairytale that people cling to. I mean the real work. The balance between labor and
So… I’ll be honest. Last week was a bit of a stitch-up. Last week’s newsletter was titled “I am f*ckin bored.”* (What a hook!) So many of you resonated with this premise—thanks for all the thoughtful replies! I said it for good reason… because I am! But specifically—professionally. That’s the key point here. I’ve always said
I’m just going to be straight with you—as the title suggests, I’m f*ckin bored. Since returning from Melbourne four years ago, I’ve had a solid taste of what NZ has to offer as a high-level working drummer—live gigs, studio work, sessions, drum clinics, teaching… you name it, I’ve done it. And honestly? Right now? I’m not feeling much.
This week is not going to be a long newsletter, basically, because the point of it doesn’t really need to be fleshed out too much. But first, let’s start here… Well, I’m back in NZ after a whirlwind week in LA auditioning for Primus, and I’m feeling absolutely fantastic. Yesterday was my first proper day back, which included:
MasterMind Drummer Look Up… Or You Will Miss It Well, as you probably know now, I am in L.A, and it’s exactly 2 hours before my Uber picks me up for my Primus audition. (And yes, it still feels strange to write that). My phone is going a little mental right now, so I’ve turned off all
Jan 19th, 2025 MasterMind Drummer Letter Oh Sh*t!!! Its Primus Time! Guess what? For the first time ever, I forgot to send out my newsletter this week! Since starting them on Jan 1st last year, I’ve never missed a single newsletter. But this week? I completely forgot! Last night, I was sitting on the couch thinking
MasterMind Drummer Newsletter #55 (1st of 25′!) Jan 6th, 2025 The Rest Is Still Unwritten… I hope you’ve had a solid start to 2025. We’re a few days in now, and it’s crazy to think how fast things seem to already be moving! I just got back from a whirlwind 2-weeks of shows all over New Zealand,
MasterMind Drummer Dec 31st, 2024 Newsletter #54 It’s Monday, December 30th, and I’m sitting on a plane somewhere between Melbourne and Christchurch, listening to Primus, and on my way to wrap up the year with the incredible Natasha Bedingfield. (By the way—Australia WENT OFF!!!) Let’s start here… what a year. Easily one of my absolute favourites to date.
MasterMind Drummer Emergency Newsletter Dec 25th, 2024 Merry Christmas! It’s 5:35 AM here in New Zealand on Christmas morning, and I thought it was the perfect time to share this amazing news with you… I’m beyond stoked to let you know that, yes—I GOT AN AUDITION WITH PRIMUS! I’ll be heading to L.A. in late January to
MasterMind Drummer Newsletter #53 Dec 23rd, 2024 They Say Never Meet Your Heroes, Unless… Hey, I hope all’s well at your end. Can you believe it—just two more days until Christmas? Madness! As cliché as it sounds, this year has absolutely flown by. And with December and January ramping up even more for me—between shows and
