To be honest, I don’t know how or even remember a time when we decided to do this. I have always been keen at doing any gig that has come my way, but I don’t think that we ever purposely wanted to end up doing this full time.

The band Wild has been together in this configuration for just over eleven years with me joining in 2000. Before I joined, Wild were a three piece Rock & Roll outfit comprising of a double bass player, singer guitarist and drummer. The band started just the same as any other, a bunch of guys wanting to play their style of music to anybody who would listen.

We are all mad about the art of Rock & Roll and listen to it during our time away from each other and I think that’s the main key to our success. Style and having a purpose seem to keep us going. We don’t pick songs that we think our audience will like, we pick songs as a way of educating people and reminding people what the music past was like.

During early years together we played just average pub gigs with the odd corporate gig thrown in for good luck. It was a great time, but we really wanted to get noticed more for what we did. After a few auditions we found ourselves playing holidays camps around the country during the summer season. Although it was not intense as when the Beatles played Hamburg, it certainly helped the band gel to the standard we are today.

As with anything in life, it was not to last forever. Soon the holiday camps were cutting budgets, which meant bands like us could no longer afford to play such events. Soon after this, with the help of a few agents, we found ourselves playing corporate events and weddings. This is where we are today and very happy we are too.

Weddings are our main source of income, but have I just said the right thing? Income? Should the fact that the average wedding gig pays well be the reason a band should want to do them?

Over the past year I have had many other musicians ask how do we get wedding gigs? My first question is why do you want to play weddings? They would usually answer, because the money is good. Hang on a second here. It is true that weddings do pay well, and as a full time musician I have to consider this, but didn’t you start playing because you enjoyed playing an instrument? Of course everybody I speak to says yes, but because of the decline of the pub gig (especially in our area) people seem to think it’s a easy way to progress. It is true for Wild, we settled into this quite easy and I’m glad we did, but it isn’t as easy as some musicians would think. Through my twitter account and on a personal level I have been asked the question so much, how do you get the gigs that you do?

My answer usually covers the following. All my answers are from experience with Wild and have worked for us. If you have any different advice please leave a comment! I’m trying to help bands with this blog; after all, I think there is enough work out there for all of us.

1) The band has to be in agreement about how often it wants to work and the kind of work it wants.

This might be obvious, but it can be soul destroying when a band is excited about getting a gig and the guitarist turns around and says “I can’t do it because I’m going out with my Mrs. that night” I know what you are thinking, it sounds cruel, but it isn’t. If you are putting yourself out there, when an enquiry comes in, you need one person in charge to say whether the band can do it. There would be nothing worse for the client to hear ” I’ll just ring everybody to see if they are free. By the time that has happened, you’ve lost the gig. In Wild, Paul looks after the bookings, the only time we say no, is when we have another show booked in. Our holidays are usually booked well in advance or at a particularly quiet time, January or February for example. There are times when it’s not suitable for us to do a gig, but the band has to be in agreement that you are not working on that date.

2) How much will it cost us to do corporate and wedding gigs?

Yep, that’s right, it’s going to cost you. This is a shock to most bands, but it has to be treated like a business. If you are not prepared to lay out money for expenses and just think you can turn up with the rest of the guys, do the gig and then go home, you’ve got it all wrong.

Firstly, if you are intending to travel any distant, then you’ll need a van. Not only for the equipment, but also for the members of the band. This can reduce the travel costs immensely for each show. Travelling any kind of distant is also a factor to consider. If you intend this to work, be prepared to take a gig anywhere. As far as prices are concerned, pick a central point where you all are, and increase the price the further away the show is, for example an extra £50 per hundred miles. If you have this agreed, when a quote comes in, you are ready to give a price instantly to avoid the client waiting and having the chance to look elsewhere.

Not only the van expenses, but also one thing overlooked can be PAT testing. This is surprisingly cheap, but a must for any band that wants to play in different venues. A typical wedding venue can be a barn conversion, having been renovated at some point they can be very protective over their electrics. Who can blame them, but you’ll often be asked for a certificate proving that your equipment is safe.

Liability insurance is a must, and again, you’re likely to be asked for proof. I’m not an insurance salesman, so it’s well worth you having a look on the Internet for the best deals. Our insurance is through the musicians union, which seems to work best for us.

3) How do I get the gig?

This is the important one. You’ve paid out all things above, now you need the gig. Firstly I’m surprised at how many bands don’t have a website. Gone are the days of looking in the yellow pages. It seems obvious to me, but we now we have the opportunity to play potential clients music and videos so they know what they are getting. It’s a fantastic way of marketing yourself and can seal the deal quickly. As with anything, this also can cost more than expected. Also you need to be found. I’m not an Internet expert, but with the right web design you can be found quite easily if somebody is looking for a band like you. I think most of us know about Google Adwords. We do use this service and it can be very expensive, but if it brings in the work, it’s totally worth it. Remember you are a business, look at the figures you’re paying out against what you are bringing in; this decision should be made as a band.

Using agents is great way of expanding your work, but don’t expect an agent to take you in just like that. You’ll have to earn your strips. Although I think there is enough work for all of us, these days competition is tough, remember you’re not the only band out there.
Having a press pack ready at all times is a must. Although the Internet is king, there are still agents who prefer a hard copy. This usually consists of a Demo CD, recent photographs and a biography about each member. Again this costs money, but a must for any band. From personal experience I wouldn’t sign up to just one agent. Agencies can talk the talk just as good as us musicians. Don’t be fooled into thinking you’ll work every week, keep your options open.

Although I have already mentioned the advantages of agents, be very careful. We once got offered a deal that involved sole management with one company. All of us got excited and thought our lives were sorted. The work didn’t come and thankfully there was no commitment made, but it was a lesson learnt. To this day we have a great working relationship with this company and have no intention of leaving, but don’t get sucked in by over ambitious promises of stardom.

I’ve left the best question until last

4) How good do we have to be?

The short answer? Very good. As far as weddings are concerned, this is a one off event for the client. Lets face it, they are not planning on remarrying and they will remember this night forever. If you’re not a great band, you’re going to be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Firstly think about your people skills. This might seem obvious, but almost every wedding will run late, but this is no excuse to arrive late. You may find it very frustrating, but its just something we have to except. Set up quickly and efficiently without complaining. It’s not very often we walk into a venue and there is a big stage welcoming us, it is usually a small corner built for a solo act. Remember, people skills.

Secondly, the bride and groom will be nervous at this time of day. You’d think with the ceremony out of the way everything would be fine, but no, the first dance is looming and this can cause unnecessary stress if you are not able to relax the bride a groom with all that they need.
Often we get asked to perform the song live. Usually this doesn’t happen as we persuade the client to dance to a recorded version of their special song. Now don’t get me wrong here. I think it’s a great idea, but I’m in a fifties rock and roll band. Being asked to perform Angels as a three-piece rockabilly band won’t do it justice. You have to be honest with yourself, can you perform this successfully. Its fine if you can, but it has to sound just like the original song as much as possible. That’s the version they have grown to love and it needs to be as good. If you don’t feel that you can cut it, it’s worth being honest with the client, usually the bride and groom will understand.

As far as your band performance, none other than as best as you can will be acceptable.

That just about covers everything that I consider to be important apart from one thing. Enjoy your work. If you don’t, it will always show in your performance.

This only leaves me to wish you good luck. The music world is hard, but it’s there for the taking if you want.

Thanks for reading.

This month has seen me secure five schools throughout Northamptonshire, something that I would have never believed possible. As with other counties, each area usually has the local government providing music lessons throughout schools and it is impossible to offer any kind of service from other areas. To say this has made me happy would be understatement.

As far as Wild is concerned, it just keeps getting better. From the beginning of May we have been travelling from one end of the country to the next. Starting in Norfolk, we have found ourselves in London, North Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Southampton and Devon.

With all this travelling it got me thinking, how did I get into all of this? From a young child I always wanted to play the drum kit. Watching Top Of The Pops on the television with my Mum in the early seventies was definitely an influence, but was I ever going to be like the people I watched? I guess not, but I have had a lot of fun trying.

One of the advantages of the bands I watched on the TV was that they had all recorded a single. That’s the reason they were there, but at that early age I didn’t realize this. Although I have played in bands for many years, I don’t seem to have joined bands that wanted to record. Things have changed for me today, obviously home recording and the internet have given everybody the chance to make their mark, but back then, it didn’t happen.

One of the proudest moments for me as a drummer was when I finally had the chance to record a fourteen-track album with the band I was playing with at the time. I’ve already mentioned the talent of Pete Turland in previous blogs, but for a short period in 1998 we had a band together with Chris Willis playing blues rockabilly. We chose to record fourteen of our best tracks in Corby over a two-day period. Unfortunately it was never released- that was until now. As I mentioned before, the Internet has given us more opportunities to share music, so here it is. I am so pleased with this album, even listening to it years later I still get excited. As a player, I’ve moved on a lot, but it certainly proves I was capable. If you like the album, please pay what you like or just have a listen online. You can access the album by clicking on the link below. There is nothing like music to rekindle memories of the past and for me this is what this does.

So, how did I get into all of this? I could write many pages about what has happened over the years, but the main reason has to be my parents playing music to me as a kid. Music made me happy, it made me want to play an instrument and made me feel good. Thanks Mum and Dad.

Rocking My Life Away by PT & The Shakers

The Norfolk show was to be in Fakenham, it was a charity event for Help The Heroes. This was purely the effort of some local people who believed in this charity. Some of the stories that they were telling us certainly made me think and I was very happy to have been invited to play. From the moment we started the dance floor was full of lots of energetic Rock ‘n’ Roll dancing. The gig was fantastic and what made it even better was that they raised over £1500 for a great cause. I headed home that night feeling very tired, but happy about my playing and what I had achieved.

Sunday was spent relaxing before another day of teaching on the Monday. Organising any kind of tour requires a lot of planning, but this time everything dropped into place. We were due to catch a ferry from Liverpool on the Wednesday to Belfast, but first we had to play a show in Bury near Manchester. Everybody had dressed themselves in 50s style clothing because the bride a groom were Rock ‘n’ Roll fans. The show started on time and once we started blasting out “Shake, Rattle & Roll”, I knew it was going to be a great night. By now the jet lag was certainly hitting me, but I still couldn’t help getting excited about what the next few days would bring.
Next stop, Northern Ireland.

After spending the day exploring Manchester, it was time to head to the ferry port in Liverpool. We arrived about 8.00pm and luckily they boarded us early, even though the ferry wasn’t due to leave until 10.00pm. As with past years, this became the annual meet up with other musicians playing at the same festival. After a few beers and many conversations about the music world, it was time to get some sleep.

6.00am arrived very quickly and after some breakfast, we were soon on our way to Derry. The drive takes about two hours from Belfast, taking in some of the most gorgeous countryside you’ll ever see. Northern Ireland is so beautiful, if you have never visited this part of the world, I can highly recommend it. Around half eight we arrived at the Tower Hotel in need of some rest, but as with all Derry Jazz festivals we have done in the past, it was not to be. Firstly our rooms weren’t ready, so the lovely people of The Tower Hotel arranged for a second breakfast. No sooner had we sat down for food, Paul’s phone immediately started to ring. It was BBC Radio Foyle asking us if we could play live on the radio in a few hours.

Of course we could, so discussions quickly started as to what songs we would do. The phone then rang again, this time it was to inform us that the live radio session has now turned into a TV broadcast for the BBC lunchtime and evening news. I had a feeling this was going to be a busy day. Our plans of relaxing before that evenings show were soon shattered. Shouldn’t complain though, that’s what we were over there to do. After a few conversations, we were told that we were to perform the introduction to a news story promoting the Jazz festival with The Jive Aces. The Jive Aces have always been a major part of the festival and are a brilliant act playing early 40s and 50s swing. Although we don’t share some of their views on life, I was quite honored to be involved.

So just to put things straight, we were told to arrive at the Guildhall Square for 11am to meet the film crew. The live performance on the radio was still happening, but it wouldn’t be until 2pm in the afternoon. At this stage, we hadn’t even got a room, so I shot off to reception to see if they could allocate us a room for getting changed and ready for the TV Shoot. Bearing in mind, we hadn’t had much sleep, too much beer the night before and we had been travelling for a few hours already. Did we ever need to make ourselves look good?

An hour later we arrived in the square and were told what to do. As agreed earlier, we played the introduction whilst they interviewed the organizer of the festival and then the Jive Aces would play their new single after that. It wasn’t the biggest exposure in the world, but we were there. The whole thing was well organized and soon was complete. It was great working with the Jives Aces and they are a great bunch of guys.

After the TV shoot it was time to get a coffee, then straight to BBC Radio Foyle for the radio show. We had decided to play two songs, “Oh Boy” and “Sheena is a punk Rocker”. The sound equipment was all set up, but we had to organize a different setup considering it was an acoustic session. No amps at all and just me playing a snare drum with brushes. We came out of the studio wondering what it sounded like and thankfully having heard it a few times after; we were all pleased with the result.

By this time it was around three in the afternoon, could we at least go and relax for the rest of the day? Apparently not, we just sat down and the phone rang again. Could we be in the square again for a photo shoot for the evening paper? Being the kind of band that likes to say yes, off we went again. That evening we found ourselves on the evening news and in the paper, could we have ever asked for a better start to the Derry Jazz festival?

In the following days we played five shows for the festival and I can honestly say each one was brilliant. Over the past seven years we have experienced a wonderful time in Northern Ireland, but I think this was the best one so far.

The following Tuesday morning we arrived back in the UK. I shot off to one of my schools where I teach and completed the rest of the week with more lessons. There was just one more show to complete this run of eleven gigs. That Saturday we played at Kings Langley. To say I was underwhelmed would be an exaggeration; it was an average wedding with not much excitement. Maybe I just expected more having been in the limelight for over a month and having so much fun during my travels. I arrived home for some much needed rest and feeling I must be the luckiest guy in the world.

Thanks for reading, see you again soon.

You never know where you are likely to be playing and the first show was in Oxford with Wild in a reception of a Fitness Centre. Not the venue I expected, but yet a very organised event for some of its members. It was decided by the owners to invite its guests to a Rock n Roll party night as a way of a thank you for joining their gym. The night was very enjoyable, albeit there were only about twenty guests that paid the £15 cover charge. Everybody was up dancing by the first couple of songs and it turned out to be a great night. I have always said I would rather play to twenty people that like us, than two hundred that don’t.

The next day was a rest day before teaching again on the Monday. In the middle of a tour it is easy not to bother about teaching, but where possible, I always like to honour my lessons. Most of my students look forward to their lesson each week and so do I, so there was no way I was going to let them down.

Tuesday morning arrived with a smile. Today was the day I head out to Canada to see my long friend Pete Turland and play some shows with his band. Although my flight wasn’t due to leave until 3.15pm, I was ready and packed for Heathrow airport by mid morning. Over the last few months I had been working on a list of songs for these shows. These tracks consisted of some rare rockabilly tracks including artists such as Bobby Loller, Sonny Fisher and Rick Carty. I also had the opportunity to play some T-Bone Walker tracks. T-Bone Walker blows me away every time I hear his music. I don’t often get the chance to play this style of music back home, so to finally get to play some of his tunes with great musicians was very exciting.

I landed around 5.15pm Alberta time and Pete was ready and waiting for me at the airport. It had been a few years since we have had the chance to catch up and hang out, so inevitably it was only right to grab a few beers. Not only was I there for the shows, but also to keep my friendship alive, as we have known each other for many years. Since the last time we had got together, Pete and Danielle have had twin daughters and this was my chance to meet up with his wonderful girls. We spent that evening and the next day catching up on recent events and what we had been up to over the last few years. We may be a few thousand miles apart, but that’s no excuse for letting our friendship fall by the wayside. I enjoyed these few days as much as the shows we performed.

Thursday soon came around and before I knew it, it was time to put on my drumming head. We were due to play at Rusty Reeds Blues bar for the next three nights. Rusty Reeds is a reasonable size venue with a dance floor area and a great stage including a full PA system. The drum kit was the house kit, but luckily it sounded just the way I liked it. The first show was more of a relaxed affair with not many people showing up, but then again, it was a blessing considering this was the first time we’d played together as a band. Chris Brzezicki was to be the bass player. Chris is a major force in Edmonton with most touring musicians giving him the call as they pass through Alberta. Considering the history of these two musicians, I was certainly in the presence of giants.

The gig was very enjoyable, but I knew I had some work to do the following day to make sure things would go better. Although I had listened to the songs relentlessly, I’d failed to concentrate on the endings. The biggest thing I learnt was the standard blues ending. Like I said, I love this style of music and listen to it a lot, but I’d concentrated on the groove more than the endings. I woke up early the following day and corrected this by lying in bed with my iPod and a pair of drums sticks in my hands. Not a conventional way of rehearsing, but it must have worked, Friday and Saturdays gigs were killer. Each gig got busier and by Saturday we had almost a full house. This was a different experience for me; most of my gigs over in the UK are corporate events, which always have a captive audience. These people spent $10 to see The Pete Turland Band, for this reason I was completely honoured.

I was disappointed that the shows came to an end very quickly, but my drumming skills were still required further. We were due to go into the studio on the Sunday, hopefully to record an albums worth of material. We arrived about 12pm and got straight to it. Pete had got the track list sorted and we played all the tracks live one after another. After performing three nights previously, the recording session went really well. We managed to record eleven tracks and although there is more editing to be done, I am really pleased with the results. I should have a final copy of this album by August and have it released over here not long after.

That evening all three of us retired back at Pete’s place to enjoy a great curry and a few more beers. Obviously we also spent the night listening to the days recording, but I had a more important date with Presley, Pete’s older daughter. I had promised her I would play the Nintendo Wii with her. The game was already primed and ready to go when we arrived. Bowling was the choice and I actually thought I was in with a chance. No likely, the experience of the young was certainly Presley’s advantage. I think the phrase she used was “ I Just kick your Butt” She certainly did that, but the best thing was being called uncle Glenn so I’ll let her off.

This was my last night in Canada and I was flying back home on the Monday evening, but I still had one more drumming job to do. Carla Rugg is a music educator and music therapist working in Edmonton. She also performs around the world with her fantastic voice and country style acoustic guitar. Her work is invaluable and when she asked me to record a few tracks for her forth-coming album, I jumped at the chance. We hit the studio about 10am and managed to record five tracks and I didn’t even play with a pair of sticks. Brushes were the order of the day and what a great sound the studio engineer produced.

This had been a whirlwind trip, not only for the music, but also for finally getting the chance to hang out with old and new friends. Thanks to Kevin Lesmister for lending me his cymbals, Carla Rugg for inviting me to play on her new album and Rusty Reed for having us play for three nights. The biggest Thank you goes to Pete Turland and Danielle Turland for inviting me into their home. You are the best and I love you more than I could ever tell you.

After saying my goodbyes in Edmonton I was soon back in the UK. No rest for me though, I was due to leave for the Derry Jazz festival in a few days time, but more on that in part two.

Thank you for reading.

For over seven years I have been working at Intersales Music as a drum teacher. Three years ago I was asked to help manage the teaching school. This involved acting on ideas to bring new students into the school and also creating other opportunities for them to perform. During this period we have produced many student shows, Rockschool courses for those who wish to be in a band and even a theatre production. (See my previous Blog). On the 4th January this year my part in this plan came to abrupt end. I am still currently teaching at Intersales and have no intention of changing this situation, but my responsibilities as Intersales teaching manager are now over.

Of course I went through many thoughts, but I finally came to the decision that drums would still play a major part in my life. I believe the saying goes “As one door closes, another one opens”

Although January is always very quiet with regards to playing, my phone didn’t stop ringing with enquiries for Wild. Paul does a fantastic job of advertising Wild as a band and is very keen to have us performing on a regular basis. Without this passion, I certainly wouldn’t be as busy as I am. Currently I have been booked for most months of the year and Wild is going as strong as ever. My lessons with Intersales have also been consistent and I’m still as passionate about education and the students I teach. I now offer lessons at home and thankfully this has taken off really well. I have also been asked to teach in various educational establishments on a regular basis. The door seems to have definitely opened.

Three months on I have a full diary of teaching and I am also looking forward to playing in Canada next week. I have been recruited by The Pete Turland Band and will be performing at Rusty Reeds House of Blues in Edmonton. Pete has been a long-term friend of mine since the age of sixteen. During the nineties we played in a Rock n Roll band called PT & The Shakers and although we didn’t really play any major events, it certainly helped me progress as a musician. Pete went onto playing with Ray Condo and his Ricochet’s. He has also performed at pretty much every major Folk and Blues festival in Canada as well as the Hemsby Rock & Roll Weekender (England), Viva Las Vegas (USA), the Lincoln Center (New York), the Hollywood Palladium, and on the CBS Good Morning show. With such an impressive back catalogue of major venues, I was really honored that he should have me play drums for him.I will of course keep you up to date with events in Canada through this blog page.

On my return from Canada I shall be back with my usual band Wild, performing five shows for the Derry Jazz Festival. I always look forward to this event because the Northern Irish audiences never disappoint. The whole city is taken over by music fans looking for a good time and great music. I am expecting this year’s event to be extra special because the Festival is celebrating its 10th birthday. As has been the case for the last few years, we shall be releasing our new live album at the festival. I will keep you informed when this will be released on iTunes as soon as I know.

That has just about covered everything, should I have been nervous at the beginning of the year? Was the 4th January a significant part to how the year has turned out so far? Who knows, but I now have only myself to look after and I’m still playing. Advice? Go with what you feel is right and look after your friends.

Thank you for reading, see you in Canada and Northern Ireland.

For me to get my blog world up to date, we’ll have go back as far as December. I’m sure most of you will remember December quite clearly. Not just because it’s the run up to Christmas, but because of the large amount of snow we received.
This caused my band more problems than I can ever remember. On the 18th December we were due to play in Billericay in Essex. The snow fell that heavy for three days we were not able to make the gig. I can’t recall ever having to cancel a gig due to bad weather and it was incredibly frustrating to say the least. The client understood, but I can’t help thinking how disappointed they were.

Our next performance was to be on the following Wednesday. Fortunately it was only an hour away in Daventry, surely nothing could go wrong with this show? Although the snow was still on the ground, most of the roads were completely clear, but unfortunately for us, the Caravan Park where the van is stored wasn’t. You have to bear in mind that caravans are not used during the winter. It’s pretty obvious, but because of our gig schedule, we need access fifty-two weeks of the year. The snow had come down that heavy we couldn’t get the van out of the park. Lucky for us the client was very understanding and had a back up plan just in case the problems over the last few days were to repeat themselves. Thankfully it wasn’t needed, the AA helped us to get the van out and albeit a few hours late, we performed a storming show.

The next day it was time to celebrate Christmas properly. As many of you will know, my future in-laws are from the Czech Republic. We were due to fly out first thing on the Thursday morning, but we couldn’t help thinking the snow might be a problem once again. Happily Stansted Airport hadn’t encountered the same problems as Heathrow. We flew out on time ready for a wonderful Christmas.

After flying back from Europe, it was time for another show with Wild. New Years Eve in the Cotswolds doesn’t get any better. We played there last year at the same venue and it didn’t disappoint. The Old Stocks Hotel in Stow-on-the-Wold always puts on a great night. Their guests sit down for a quiet relaxing meal and then spend the rest of the evening enjoying Rock and Roll performed by us. Everybody had a great night including the band, what a great way to start the New Year.

Like every New Year, you always make plans for the future. Little did I know that my world was about to change in a huge way, more on this in my next blog.

Thank you for reading and although it’s late, Happy New Year!

The students of Intersales Music attend a lesson on their chosen Instrument each week, but unbeknown to us, many attend dancing, acting and other different performance related classes when not with us. This was all the excuse I needed, could I write a play that involved the talents that they all had?

Below is a video account of what we achieved that night. I am proud to say that we pulled it off. None of us had ever done this before as a whole, but with determination and lots of effort, it was a success.

My heart felt thanks go to everybody who made this possible, I hope you enjoy the show.

Many a day I would rush from work to do a gig, thinking no more that it was a great night out and also a chance to show off my drumming skills. The words skills is loosely used, as I never really gave it the time I do now- obviously because of the job.

What job did I do? Time to come clean I guess, and clean certainly was a factor. I spent fifteen years clearing rubbish from people’s home. Yep, I was a dustman or Trash man if you are reading this in American. This paid my mortgage and other bills whilst learning to play. It never really entered my mind that I would eventually land up playing for a day job. Drumming was a fun thing and a chance to hang out with my friends. Money was never an issue for me either. I would often play for nothing and that really has not changed, although I have to be careful which dates I commit to.

Another important part of my progress involved my teaching. This time it was a money thing. Even though my bills were being paid, like everybody, I was finding it hard raising extra cash. I enquired at a local music teaching school and was told they were thinking of starting drum lessons. A few months later I started teaching once a week.

Many people talk of hard work paying off. Hard work is exactly what it was. Getting up at 5am to drive the truck, making my way to the teaching school for 3.30pm and finally home at 9pm. One day a week was fine, but after a few months I soon found myself teaching three nights a week alongside my driving.

At this time I was still the drummer of Wild. This band has been my life for the last ten years and although at the time we would play possibly twice a month, I feel it is a contributing fact to me being the musician I am today.

Wild started over seventeen years ago, but with another drummer. They had the same intention as many of us, to play Rock n Roll music for fun with no money driven ambitions. I joined in 2000 which set off our quest to conquer the holiday camp world. This we did with over four years of successful gigs and still with no ambition of massive earnings until we realised we had something real to offer.

It got to the point where we were paying for poor accommodation and making a loss whilst the camps were using us as their main attraction. Don’t get me wrong, it did the band nothing but good. We now played so tightly together it is unreal, clearly the benefit from playing so regular- something had to change. We signed with an agent who has looked after us ever since and although we are constantly playing for the corporate world, we feel it is what we are worth.

So now I was gigging every week, teaching three nights and driving a truck collecting rubbish during the day. Could it get any busier? Surprised and very flattered, my teaching skills hadn’t gone unnoticed. Intersales Music was to offer me a full time position helping the teaching school grow. This has given me the chance to teach more, but also to get more involved in encouraging all different types of students. It has also been know for me to play a few notes on a guitar (not very well I must add)

What has all this got to do with having a break? I hear so many times “I’m a professional musician!” Maybe you are, but I like to think I’m a ‘working musician’. We always need a break from work and that’s exactly what I’m doing now. As I write, I sit in the sunshine in Gran Canaria. This break has not only been a relaxing break, but has thoroughly inspired me to work even harder as a working drummer when I get home.

Give yourself a treat, take a break from music, it won’t make you any less of a musician. If you have a day job? It doesn’t matter, you’re still a musician.

On that note it’s time to head back to the hotel room and get ready for tonight. You never know, I might see someone working as a musician.

Catch you back in the UK when I return.

When I found out that Paul Hose at MLC Academy was holding a weekend of drum clinics and master classes in Nottingham, I knew I had to be involved. The classes featured two of New York’s finest drum teachers, Mike Sorrentino and John Favicchia. Unfortunately due to a gig in Stratford Upon Avon, I was unable to attend the drum clinic on the Friday night, but that didn’t damp my enthusiasm for the early start the next day.

The class started at 11am, joining me for the day was a student of mine- Phil Harris, who has recently started teaching. Phil has only ever had me as a teacher and I thought it would be a great experience for him to join me and get involved in the same session.

As with most drum classes, immediately the joking and happy introductions start. Drummers often have this camaraderie between each other and just to prove the point, the first question of the class was, what’s the difference between us all? Of course the answer is nothing, we’re all players that wish to progress in our instrument.

We all introduced ourselves to the tutors explaining, why we were there and what our goals were. This soon starts a conversation about practising and technique. I’m a great lover of technique and feel it’s a big part of what I’m able to play on the kit. I think most people agreed and we were soon looking at 16th Note Elements from John Favicchia’s new book. This really opened my eyes. It’s not a new concept, but it had me excited when I actually heard it adapted to the kit. The rest of lesson was based around questions that the students had and unfortunately it came to very quick end.

After an hour or so for lunch we headed over to the teaching studios for an individual lesson with one of the tutors. I was rather happy that Mike Sorrentino had chosen me. I’d watched him earlier and noticed his incredible technique, whist holding the stick in a traditional style. I have always been interested in other people views about this stick technique, as I have played like this for most of my life. I wasn’t disappointed, he has given me plenty of exercises that will keep me busy for sometime.

This was a fantastic day of education that I am pleased I did not miss. MLC Academy is at the forefront of educating drummers and I’m so glad I have the chance to go there. If you need any further details about MLC Academy by all means drop me a line. Better still, you can check out the website at the bottom of this blog.

Thanks to everybody involved, especially to Paul Hose for making these events happen.

See you next time.

MLC Academy

Each year at Intersales music we hold a performance music show, which involves the students performing anything they choose. This could be just as simple as an exercise that they have been working on, or even performing a song solo. Past events have entailed students collaborating together to form bands also. Performance is always an important part of the leaning process, but this year I wanted to take it a stage further.

Years of playing drums and meeting different people have inspired my way of thinking.  Since an early age I have always wanted to be involved in a theatre production. I guess it comes from my father taking me to shows as a young boy, sitting there watching the production whilst he blasted out a tremendous sound on the trombone from the orchestral pit.

It was decided I should start writing a musical play. I began writing ‘The Perfect Lesson’ some month’s back and I hoped it would give an insight to where music began. It is based around six characters travelling through time on a discovery trip learning different genres of music through the decades. I feel that incorporating music and dance within a performance can only add experience to a musician.

The story starts with all the students being magically transported from their lessons within Intersales to a place called “Change Over”. The students have been chosen due to their refusal to learn any other style other than their favorite. In charge of lessons within “Change Over” is the all-knowing character Mr. Intersales. He has been given the responsibility of teaching the Perfect Lesson and soon has them on a magical journey that will change everybody’s opinion of music.

The three characters are strong-minded students who refuse to learn any thing new. Metal Lisa is a guitar student, who loves heavy Metal music. She can be arrogant and insulting, but deep down, cares for her friends. AKA Bilk is a Jazz clarinetist who believes that Jazz is the answer to everybody’s taste. This strong character influences the others easily, but soon finds out that music is not just about him.  Cozy Towel is a real life tribute to rock. Cozy believes he is the real Cozy and shows off his talent of drumming through the story, but with his “Rock Star ways” you soon see what makes the average Rock Star tick- or maybe not?

Two real stars join the story in the shape of Texas Whitney and Elton Gong. They will learn from a different perspective, as their real Rock Star status is soon put under question.

The students of Intersales Music have been working very hard on this production over the last few weeks. The music has been carefully chosen for this show and with students as young as ten performing, it will be truly inspirational.

This has been a fantastic project to be involved in. At times it has been very hard, but to see all the children “perform their hearts out” has been an experience I will never forget. If you are interested in coming to the show, please drop me an email via my website and I will gladly point you in the right direction. The show will be happening on the 28^th August 2010 at the Masque Theatre in Barton Seagrave.

Will you receive the Perfect lesson? That I will leave to you to decide, but I know I have.

Thank you for reading