It's that time of year again! Winding down 2012! What a great year this has been. Teaching out of my new studio at my new house has been amazing. I'm so grateful to have so many wonderful students. You guys constantly inspire me. I'm very blessed to be able to do what I do for a living and I never take it for granted.
I'm teaching three weeks this month then taking my usual two weeks off for the holidays. I'm very much looking forward to spending time with my family. I have been busy playing holiday parties and have a few more to go before the season ends.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and that 2013 brings us much happiness and health!
Monday, December 3, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
November Update!
What an incredible year this has been at my new studio! I can't believe how fast this year has flown by! Things are still going incredibly well (knock on wood!) I consider myself so blessed to be able to teach and play drums for a living.
The subject of this month's blog post has to do with playing the drums rather than teaching them. I know the focus of my blog is usually about teaching but I was inspired to post about playing/performing this month.
I play in a cover band that plays most weekends. I've been playing in this band for almost 9 years. It has gone through many personnel changes. We play for a variety of clients from small clubs to large corporate parties. With the current economy, we've not had quite the amount of corporate work we used to enjoy, but we are still getting enough. The band is pretty much a dream situation. No rehearsals. All the guys in the band are A level players that can bring it. The band turns down work if the money isn't right. So there should be no reason to complain, right?
Wrong. Just because I get paid to play my drums in a band doesn't mean it's all roses and sunshine. There are the usual issues of egos, differences of opinion, etc... but the thing most of my family, friends and others don't realize is that week after week I'm playing songs I don't like. How do I motivate myself to play these songs that I normally wouldn't even listen to for enjoyment purposes?
My normal way of dealing with this is to resort to the old bumper sticker philosophy of: "The worst day of fishing is better than the best day at my day job." For years I changed it to "The worst day of gigging is better than the best day of ALL those old day jobs I used to suffer through." This attitude has gotten me through many a gig. It reminds me that although I'm not playing anything that feeds my soul, I'm very blessed to be able to play and earn remuneration for it!
But is that how it should be? Suffering through gigs with that attitude and a forced smile? The past few weeks have shown me another way! I was fortunate enough to be able to do some field research at a couple of gigs and the discovery I made was the antithesis of what had been drilled into me by all my good drum teachers and my own type A personality demands!
I was taught that in order to get work and get asked back, I needed to play "for the song," be versatile, use dynamics, play for the room, be prepared, be on time, and be professional. All of these tips have helped me throughout my career but what I learned over the past few weeks has to do with "playing for the room." What does that mean exactly? I thought it meant not playing too loud for the venue. While that's true, I discovered there is more to it than that.
I learned that playing for the room also means I need to consider the crowd as well as the venue. Case in point: For the last 9 years, I've tried my best to play the cover songs as accurately as I can. I have many songs transcribed note for note as well as charts in my book. I would sight-read down my charts placing every beat, fill and note right where it should be. Going through the motions. Mechanical. Emotionless. What I discovered over the course of the last three weeks is that if I'm playing a bar or a club, the people I'm playing for don't care if I catch the 6 Stroke Roll Motown fill every time in "My Girl." They want to drink and dance. Period. They want to be entertained!
So... I'm drawing on one of my earliest drum influences (Stewart Copeland) for inspiration. Stewart is known for playing with abandon and playing busy. His energy is undeniable. His flourish and swagger are predominant. From this point on, when I'm playing the songs I hate at a club full of revelers, I'm going to do my best to focus on being an entertainer. I'm going to go against my nature and play with more abandon. My field research has shown that's what the people want. Who am I to disappoint? Of course if I'm using brushes during a jazzy dinner set at a swanky hotel in Vegas, I'll immediately go back to using my biggest drumming influence (Steve Gadd)!
The subject of this month's blog post has to do with playing the drums rather than teaching them. I know the focus of my blog is usually about teaching but I was inspired to post about playing/performing this month.
I play in a cover band that plays most weekends. I've been playing in this band for almost 9 years. It has gone through many personnel changes. We play for a variety of clients from small clubs to large corporate parties. With the current economy, we've not had quite the amount of corporate work we used to enjoy, but we are still getting enough. The band is pretty much a dream situation. No rehearsals. All the guys in the band are A level players that can bring it. The band turns down work if the money isn't right. So there should be no reason to complain, right?
Wrong. Just because I get paid to play my drums in a band doesn't mean it's all roses and sunshine. There are the usual issues of egos, differences of opinion, etc... but the thing most of my family, friends and others don't realize is that week after week I'm playing songs I don't like. How do I motivate myself to play these songs that I normally wouldn't even listen to for enjoyment purposes?
My normal way of dealing with this is to resort to the old bumper sticker philosophy of: "The worst day of fishing is better than the best day at my day job." For years I changed it to "The worst day of gigging is better than the best day of ALL those old day jobs I used to suffer through." This attitude has gotten me through many a gig. It reminds me that although I'm not playing anything that feeds my soul, I'm very blessed to be able to play and earn remuneration for it!
But is that how it should be? Suffering through gigs with that attitude and a forced smile? The past few weeks have shown me another way! I was fortunate enough to be able to do some field research at a couple of gigs and the discovery I made was the antithesis of what had been drilled into me by all my good drum teachers and my own type A personality demands!
I was taught that in order to get work and get asked back, I needed to play "for the song," be versatile, use dynamics, play for the room, be prepared, be on time, and be professional. All of these tips have helped me throughout my career but what I learned over the past few weeks has to do with "playing for the room." What does that mean exactly? I thought it meant not playing too loud for the venue. While that's true, I discovered there is more to it than that.
I learned that playing for the room also means I need to consider the crowd as well as the venue. Case in point: For the last 9 years, I've tried my best to play the cover songs as accurately as I can. I have many songs transcribed note for note as well as charts in my book. I would sight-read down my charts placing every beat, fill and note right where it should be. Going through the motions. Mechanical. Emotionless. What I discovered over the course of the last three weeks is that if I'm playing a bar or a club, the people I'm playing for don't care if I catch the 6 Stroke Roll Motown fill every time in "My Girl." They want to drink and dance. Period. They want to be entertained!
So... I'm drawing on one of my earliest drum influences (Stewart Copeland) for inspiration. Stewart is known for playing with abandon and playing busy. His energy is undeniable. His flourish and swagger are predominant. From this point on, when I'm playing the songs I hate at a club full of revelers, I'm going to do my best to focus on being an entertainer. I'm going to go against my nature and play with more abandon. My field research has shown that's what the people want. Who am I to disappoint? Of course if I'm using brushes during a jazzy dinner set at a swanky hotel in Vegas, I'll immediately go back to using my biggest drumming influence (Steve Gadd)!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
October Update!
October is my favorite month of the year and Fall is my favorite season! That being said, in Mission Viejo where I live, the temperatures have just now dropped to the 80s! It still feels like summer here! The new air conditioning system I installed in the teaching studio has gotten quite the workout but the consensus from myself and all my students is that it feels great!
This month I wanted to talk about practicing. As all my students know, my teaching style is more of a mentor/coach than the stereotypical "Russian piano teacher." Many of my students either don't have enough time to practice or they simply don't prioritize practicing enough. I never come down hard on them for not practicing but rather try to find solutions to fit practicing into their busy schedules. Here is my philosophy regarding practicing.
As a full-time educator and performer, I have more time (and a greater need) to practice than the majority of my students. Couple this fact with the fact that drumming has never come easy for me and you can see why I spend so much time with sticks in hand! That being said, most of my students aren't taking lessons with the goal of becoming professional drummers. They are taking lessons for the fun of it. They must balance drumming with all the other requirements life expects of them. Schoolwork, extracurricular activities, family obligations and the list goes on.
Because drumming is such a physical instrument, the development of proper muscle memory is crucial. I tell my students I would rather have them practice for shorter spans multiple times per week rather than one or two larger "cram" sessions. The reinforcing aspect of practicing the movements repetitively over the course of a week will produce far greater results than a once a week jam session.
I also do quite a bit of mental practicing. During down time or before falling asleep at night, I envision myself at the drums working on material I need improvement on. While listening to a song, I sometimes will try and envision the transcription of a beat in my head or try to put odd phrases against a simple 4/4 tune. There are many ways to improve our drumming skills without the need to have sticks in hand a set of drums to play on.
I think the key to it all is like so many other things in life... BALANCE. Each of us must find how to fit our practicing into our schedules without too much disruption to our lives AND make sure we are maximizing our practice time. How do maximize our practice time? Here are twelve tips from legendary jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis that have helped me!
1. Seek instruction
2. Make a schedule
3. Set and track your goals
4. Concentrate while practicing
5. Relax and practice slowly
6. Practice what you can’t play
7. Always play with maximum expression
8. Don’t be too hard on yourself
9. Don’t be a showoff
10. Think for yourself
11. Be optimistic
12. Look for connections between music and other things
Hope you all have a great Fall!
This month I wanted to talk about practicing. As all my students know, my teaching style is more of a mentor/coach than the stereotypical "Russian piano teacher." Many of my students either don't have enough time to practice or they simply don't prioritize practicing enough. I never come down hard on them for not practicing but rather try to find solutions to fit practicing into their busy schedules. Here is my philosophy regarding practicing.
As a full-time educator and performer, I have more time (and a greater need) to practice than the majority of my students. Couple this fact with the fact that drumming has never come easy for me and you can see why I spend so much time with sticks in hand! That being said, most of my students aren't taking lessons with the goal of becoming professional drummers. They are taking lessons for the fun of it. They must balance drumming with all the other requirements life expects of them. Schoolwork, extracurricular activities, family obligations and the list goes on.
Because drumming is such a physical instrument, the development of proper muscle memory is crucial. I tell my students I would rather have them practice for shorter spans multiple times per week rather than one or two larger "cram" sessions. The reinforcing aspect of practicing the movements repetitively over the course of a week will produce far greater results than a once a week jam session.
I also do quite a bit of mental practicing. During down time or before falling asleep at night, I envision myself at the drums working on material I need improvement on. While listening to a song, I sometimes will try and envision the transcription of a beat in my head or try to put odd phrases against a simple 4/4 tune. There are many ways to improve our drumming skills without the need to have sticks in hand a set of drums to play on.
I think the key to it all is like so many other things in life... BALANCE. Each of us must find how to fit our practicing into our schedules without too much disruption to our lives AND make sure we are maximizing our practice time. How do maximize our practice time? Here are twelve tips from legendary jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis that have helped me!
1. Seek instruction
2. Make a schedule
3. Set and track your goals
4. Concentrate while practicing
5. Relax and practice slowly
6. Practice what you can’t play
7. Always play with maximum expression
8. Don’t be too hard on yourself
9. Don’t be a showoff
10. Think for yourself
11. Be optimistic
12. Look for connections between music and other things
Hope you all have a great Fall!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
September Update!
Wow! It's been two months since my last update! Where did the time go? This past summer was definitely the fastest summer I've ever experienced. I didn't get the opportunity to go on any vacations so it went by even faster!
The studio has had some minor changes since the last update. My rep at Remo was nice enough to give me a big Remo banner so I can represent the best drumheads in my teaching studio! I also got a portable air conditioner for those days when it's 90+ degrees outside. It's been working well and keeping the studio at 77 degrees when needed!
As I said in my June update, I've cut back quite a bit on my live playing and increased my teaching hours. My schedule is thankfully very full and I'm loving it. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to do something I love for a living. My students are a wonderful source of inspiration to me and I cherish each one and their families.
Here's to a successful Fall!
The studio has had some minor changes since the last update. My rep at Remo was nice enough to give me a big Remo banner so I can represent the best drumheads in my teaching studio! I also got a portable air conditioner for those days when it's 90+ degrees outside. It's been working well and keeping the studio at 77 degrees when needed!
As I said in my June update, I've cut back quite a bit on my live playing and increased my teaching hours. My schedule is thankfully very full and I'm loving it. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to do something I love for a living. My students are a wonderful source of inspiration to me and I cherish each one and their families.
Here's to a successful Fall!
Friday, July 13, 2012
July Update
My July update is a little late but better late than never! Rob Ferrell Drum Studio is slamming along this summer! It's so nice to be in my new studio which is far more comfortable than my old studio at my other house. As the temperature rises, being able to teach in a comfortable studio is a real blessing!
My student load is up to 66 students per week. I've increased my teaching hours on Saturday and am so thankful for all the wonderful students I have. When things settle down a bit, I hope to post more mini lessons on my YouTube channel. I've also been posting videos of my students on my Student Spotlight page on my website.
I hope everyone's summer is going well. Please check my transcriptions page regularly as I update it every time I do a transcription for my students!
My student load is up to 66 students per week. I've increased my teaching hours on Saturday and am so thankful for all the wonderful students I have. When things settle down a bit, I hope to post more mini lessons on my YouTube channel. I've also been posting videos of my students on my Student Spotlight page on my website.
I hope everyone's summer is going well. Please check my transcriptions page regularly as I update it every time I do a transcription for my students!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
June Update
Teaching drums has been my passion and main source of income for many years now. The satisfaction I receive from teaching the drums to students of all ages has given me more joy than any live performance or recording session I've ever done. The families that I've met and the relationships I've developed over all the years of teaching cannot be measured monetarily. Granted I've never backed a major label act or award winning artist but I have played in another country, played all over the U.S. and played on some pretty big stages. I've had the honor to play with famous musicians (and still do!) As much as I treasure these wonderful opportunities, they still for me pale in comparison to seeing the self-confidence of a special needs child grow or seeing a middle-aged man play his favorite song note-for-note for the first time.
Due to an increase in inquiries regarding lessons, I've expanded my teaching hours on Saturday to allow for more students. I've also cut back on some of the club performances I have been doing regularly for the last 8 or 9 years. This will allow me to greater focus my energies and resources on my expanded teaching hours and still have time for my wife and son. I'm not hanging up my live performance altogether but simply cutting back on the rigorous schedule I had previously (basically every Friday and Saturday night.)
Due to an increase in inquiries regarding lessons, I've expanded my teaching hours on Saturday to allow for more students. I've also cut back on some of the club performances I have been doing regularly for the last 8 or 9 years. This will allow me to greater focus my energies and resources on my expanded teaching hours and still have time for my wife and son. I'm not hanging up my live performance altogether but simply cutting back on the rigorous schedule I had previously (basically every Friday and Saturday night.)
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
777-9311
A student last week asked me about learning the drum groove from The Time's song "777-9311." Although I was very familiar with the song, I had never taken the time to learn the groove. I know it was originally programmed on a Linn drum machine. On YouTube there are many videos of different drummers (both known and unknown) sharing their personal takes on the groove. As drum machines can do things human drummers are incapable of, it was interesting to me to see so many different variations both in videos and in actual notation.
As is my habit, I prefer doing things my own way so I first slowed down the original track and notated it. Then I began scouring YouTube for different live versions. Gregg Bissonette does his take on it on his last instructional DVD. John Blackwell does a killer versions. There are many non-famous drummers that also do excellent variations on the classic beat. I found a live performance by the time on American Bandstand and was able to slow that version down as well. Granted it was most likely lip synced as was the practice for most of the performances on that show but Jellybean Johnson had to fake like he was playing it and he KILLED the track on that performance. That was the track I decided to actually transcribe. Below are the links to the video I used as well as my transcription of that live drum track. Enjoy!
777-9311 Live on American Bandstand
777-9311 Grooves Transcription
As is my habit, I prefer doing things my own way so I first slowed down the original track and notated it. Then I began scouring YouTube for different live versions. Gregg Bissonette does his take on it on his last instructional DVD. John Blackwell does a killer versions. There are many non-famous drummers that also do excellent variations on the classic beat. I found a live performance by the time on American Bandstand and was able to slow that version down as well. Granted it was most likely lip synced as was the practice for most of the performances on that show but Jellybean Johnson had to fake like he was playing it and he KILLED the track on that performance. That was the track I decided to actually transcribe. Below are the links to the video I used as well as my transcription of that live drum track. Enjoy!
777-9311 Live on American Bandstand
777-9311 Grooves Transcription
Monday, May 21, 2012
Summer Update!
It's been a while since my last blog posting! Let me catch everyone up on what has been happening since my last post.
I've cut back a bit on my performance schedule in order to spend more time with my family. My teaching has always been my main focus (and always will be!) but live performance has been a great way to supplement my teaching income and keep my live playing chops up. The older I get, the more I realize what's important to me. As much as I enjoy playing live, I enjoy spending time at home with my wife and son even more. As a result, I'm no longer playing as many club dates as I formerly did. I'm more interested in the corporate/casual gigs I've been blessed to play over the years. I've decided to focus my energies and resources on securing more of those gigs and cutting back on the club dates. I've already felt a tremendous amount of relief since making this decision and know that in the future, I'll feel even better as more cuts are made!
The teaching studio is really coming along nicely! I was able to add a table/desk to hold my laptop, speakers, drum machine and future printer/scanner. With this latest addition, my studio is basically complete. I have everything I need right at my fingertips so no time is wasted during lessons! Here is the most recent picture of Rob Ferrell Drum Studio:
I've cut back a bit on my performance schedule in order to spend more time with my family. My teaching has always been my main focus (and always will be!) but live performance has been a great way to supplement my teaching income and keep my live playing chops up. The older I get, the more I realize what's important to me. As much as I enjoy playing live, I enjoy spending time at home with my wife and son even more. As a result, I'm no longer playing as many club dates as I formerly did. I'm more interested in the corporate/casual gigs I've been blessed to play over the years. I've decided to focus my energies and resources on securing more of those gigs and cutting back on the club dates. I've already felt a tremendous amount of relief since making this decision and know that in the future, I'll feel even better as more cuts are made!
The teaching studio is really coming along nicely! I was able to add a table/desk to hold my laptop, speakers, drum machine and future printer/scanner. With this latest addition, my studio is basically complete. I have everything I need right at my fingertips so no time is wasted during lessons! Here is the most recent picture of Rob Ferrell Drum Studio:
Friday, March 2, 2012
March Update!
I'm very excited to report that my updated profile is now visible on Pro-Mark's new website! You can check it out here:
D'Addario acquired Pro-Mark last year. Under the D'Addario umbrella, many great products I use every day are found! In addition to Pro-Mark sticks, brushes and mallets, I also use RealFeel practice pads, SoundOff drum mutes and Pure Sound snare wires! How awesome that all these great products are now under one roof! I'm very grateful and honored to use these products both in my live performance and in my teaching studio.
Speaking of teaching studio, my roster remains very full (knock on wood!) As most of my peers know, the business of teaching drums can be feast or famine. Since relocating my studio to our new house last January, my roster has been packed and a waiting list was created. I'm so lucky to have such awesome students who continue to inspire me every week. I'm proud to say that I've developed some awesome relationships with all my students and their parents! So thankful to be able to do what I do!
Be sure to check out my site frequently as I'm continually uploading new transcriptions I've made for my students. Feel free to download them!
Hope everyone has a great March!
Monday, February 13, 2012
February Update | Time Signatures/Note Subdivision Analogy
While waiting for my second Sorber Panel from Clearsonic, I thought I'd blog about my take on the language of drumming. If the panel ever arrives, I'll finally be able to post pictures of my new teaching studio in its full glory!
While teaching a student last week about time signatures and note subdivisions, the student was having a tough time understanding the bottom number of the time signature. The basic definition of the time signature is that the top number tells the musician how many beats are in each measure and the bottom number tells the musician what kind of notes receive said beats. The student had a tough time understanding the concept of the bottom number and was getting mad at himself. I had him take a deep breath and then had him listen to a 50s tune in 12/8, an Afro-Cuban 6/8 groove, a rock tune in 6/8, and Pink Floyd's "Money" in 7/4. Without telling him the time signatures of each song, I had him tap out the pulse of each song. This method gave him the basic pulse of each tune. Then I had him LISTEN to the repetitive phrasing of each song to get the framework. By using this method he was able to find the best time signature to build his drum part to!
To cement this concept for him, I used the analogy that the time signature is like the painter's canvas. It has dimensions and the painter can only paint within the dimensions of the canvas. The rhythmic subdivisions (specifically the Table of Time) are much like the painter's palette. Drummers use different combinations of rhythmic subdivisions to creatively subdivide the pulses within each measure of a song.
This analogy really helped my student understand the importance of the fundamentals of note values and their corresponding rests. The likening of the painter's canvas to time signatures and the song structure further solidified his understanding. I hope this can help others as well!
Happy Valentine's Day!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
January Update | 2012
Wow! It has been a very long time since my last blog. So much has been going on and it's been a little tough to find time to get to the "big" blog. I've been microblogging via Twitter, Facebook and Linked In, but have been remiss in blogging here. Let's get caught up!
First of all, the holidays were amazing. It was our first Christmas in our new house and I couldn't have asked for a better time. Since we had all the unexpected issues during the remodel last year, I didn't get a vacation. The two weeks I took off was just what the doctor ordered! I came into 2012 refreshed, revitalized and ready to take on all my new goals.
Over the holidays, my son Michael helped me move my teaching studio over to the new location. The first week of January was my first official week of teaching in the new place. It's absolutely wonderful having the studio at my house again. Even though the old house was only a minute and a half's drive away, I LOVE being able to just walk inside my house when the teaching day is done. The climate is so much nicer as are the aesthetics. I'll be posting pics shortly!
This month also has me attending NAMM. I'm looking forward to seeing all my company contacts and meeting new ones. I'm so grateful to have the support of all the great companies whose products I've used over the years to teach, perform and record. Your support is a dream come true.
Party Jones is still going strong and we are filling up dates for 2012. Remember to check the calendar on my web page to see where we're playing and come drop by for a fun time!
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