About seven years ago, I found myself at a crossroads. Although I had been playing drums since I was a teenager and had accomplished a lot as a professional drummer, I had diverted from the musician’s life in order to make money when I was nearing an age where one is supposed to “grow-up.” I […]

I went to a drum lesson on Monday. It had been six months since my last one, which felt like a long time to me, especially since I’ve been spending almost all of my practice time on a single skill: my jazz ride cymbal technique. My first lesson with my teacher–the great John Riley–was in […]

RIDE CYMBAL TECHNIQUE: MY OBSESSION Since I’ve been obsessed with jazz ride cymbal technique for the better part of a year, I thought I should write and talk about the little journey I’ve been taking. This year alone I spent several hundred hours working on this technique (at least 400). I’m embarrassed to mention how […]