The story about the kid with cancer that Mike Dolbear coached in order to play drums at a major sporting event is worth the listen alone. That story is incredibly inspirational and heartwarming. The other reason to listen is that Mike is rarely a guest on podcasts. I suppose I am lucky in that he trusted me enough to host him. In any case, to hear his thoughts about luck, confidence, anxiety, teaching, and broadcasting media is very interesting and it is coming from a very good source.

Yeah, I started practicing bass guitar. I suck and that is okay. Here are some things I have taken note of. Also, I discuss my thoughts on Dorothea Taylor's account getting hacked and the spirit of Christmas.

Brody is a highly specialized recording engineer. Considering how many people are now getting into home recordings, Brody is a wealth of information. There are many tips and ideas being presented here that will be incredibly useful for drummers that are making their own recordings and don’t have access to a knowledgeable engineer. It won’t answer all of your questions by any means but the bulk of the conversation relates to drummers who are diving into more studio work and/or are making...

“If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything, it is open to everything. In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind, there are few.” - Shunryu Suzuki Do I know a lot about this subject? No. However, I have some tangible thoughts about it and I wanted to explore some ideas that involve this beginner's mind concept.

Patch and I are buddies within the community. He hit me up to hang out virtually and I recommended that we record it. So this episode is basically a chill chat between two friends. Of course, for the sake of the episode, I prepared some stuff. We ended up talking about his personal and professional background, the “fake it until you make it” concept, social media management, and the always challenging balance between perfectionism and productivity in any artistic endeavor.

Musicians often say, "the music tells me what to play", and I agree with that one hundred percent. But what if music told us what to practice? I have often heard how confusing it is out there with the many lessons online. There is just so much to potentially learn! But if our music tastes dictated to us what we need to improve upon in order to play the music we love, maybe it would cut down the confusion. That is what today's episode is all about.

This episode is heavy and will make you feel a lot of different things. Jack's story is one that we can all learn from and it puts things into perspective. If Jack can do what he does, what is our excuse? I cannot begin to imagine what life must be like for an amputee - and to watch his drumming is so inspiring. This is a good one.

I have been in many scary situations. The podcast really comes to mind when taking a plunge into something where it boils down to "sink or swim". Listen to the last two VIP's if you haven't already where I explain preparation and risk-taking. Those episodes really set the stage for this final part. In my experience, these tips and thoughts are what got me through successfully to the other side.

This episode is something you want to hear. The way New Orleans is described during Stanton’s early years as a musician and the religious experience he had hearing Russell Batiste and what it all means to him is heartwarming and awesome listening. The playing examples throughout are a massive treat and educational. The advice from Stanton to help us become groovier drummers is amazing. This episode just rocks!

Taking risks and confronting fears of failure is important to look at closely. In the last VIP, I talked about preparation and this episode is somewhat of a continuation on that topic. I think that we can sometimes tell ourselves that we aren't ready enough or talk ourselves out of doing something for other reasons when, in fact, we ARE capable with enough preparation and courage to face our fears.

Due to Domino's rise to prominence as a female musician on social media, I was curious to learn more about her demographic. This led us to the subject of female drummer objectification and women who use their sexuality to gain views online. This is a reality of the connected world we live in and something that can easily undermine the work and passion, gifted players like Domino put into their craft. This topic is not talked about much but led to an interesting and transparent conversation in...

Today's episode is regarding preparation. I go over a handful of points as to why preparation is important.

Matt is a key example of why I choose to interview up-and-coming drummers. The successes and failures that we all experience at some point in our lives are also a realistic reminder of what we can expect when carving out our own paths. So, while it is fantastic to hear from artists who have created a legacy already, it is also nice to hear from those who are trying to do that currently and still have mileage left to get there.

I feel that these five tips for social media make for an experience that is more enjoyable long-term and better for my mental health.

I wanted Greg on the show because he works in the school system, and with all of the changes that teachers face, I thought it would be very interesting to hear his perspective on how he and his colleagues have adapted to this new way of doing things. We also get an in-depth look as to how his love for drumming took shape and a few people in his life that pushed him to become who he is today.

Today we are discussing the idea of whether the drum heads are mostly responsible for the output of sound from a drum.

Times are changing, and with musicians essentially being pulled from touring, Tony has begun pivoting in his career. Private lessons, YouTube, and so on have been on his mind as things continue to change. To hear Tony’s perspective on the questions raised in this interview is really interesting. This situation has forced him to look at different ways of maintaining a career. For a drummer who has been blowing minds all of these years, it is kind of unreal to hear him speak on how to keep it...

Today's episode deals with the importance of experiencing joy playing the drums, why I love drumming, and to encourage you to just play.

First and foremost, this is just a fun and hilarious hang. Taggart & Torrens is a very casual and comical podcast, which I strongly recommend! I did want to capture the spirit of their program on this episode. A dash of interview among a random conversation. There is by no means anything essential in this episode except for some good laughs.

Today's episode is the second half of me covering my favorite modern drummers over the last fifteen years.

In this episode, Aric and I tackle a lot of stuff that touches on the quarantine and creativity. The whole situation of the lockdown and how that affects creative output is a big topic and it is interesting to think about and have discussion. How does social media change our perspectives on what we create? This is the kind of territory we explore.

Today's episode is covering my favorite modern drummers over the last fifteen years. This is the first five.

This episode is relatable to anyone who is working hard on their craft and has experienced a slow burn, maybe not being noticed or feeling like you have had some missed opportunities. These events and experiences can be a hard thing to deal with, but Chris’s point of view with this is hopeful. It is encouraging to hear such a great musician have a tone of voice that indicates that he believes in himself and that by working hard at his drumming and making moves in the world will bring what he...

Today's episode is an extension from Solosode 2.

I get a lot of emails and messages from listeners who are a bit uncertain about what they want. Sometimes they realize they love drumming but aren’t sure it is meant for them as a professional career. This is one of the biggest takeaways from this episode. It allows you, the viewer, to reflect on your own choices and thoughts about what your life could become. This is a common dilemma with some of the drummers I have spoken with who listen to this podcast.