< PreviousModern Drummer June 2021 18 How did you first meet Randy and then decide to collaborate? We met at the ProgStock Festival in 2018. We were playing together with Dave Kerzner from In Continuum. I really enjoyed Randy’s playing and singing, and we hit it off immediately. We started playing on each other’s albums, and we enjoyed it so much that we decided to put this duo together. Musically, we each know what the other one likes, and we both enjoy pushing boundaries. Now, our music blends so well that you can’t tell who wrote which song. Has the McStine & Minnemann project become your primary musical focus now? This is not just another side project. The McStine & Minnemann band is the real me. I can share my musical ideas with Randy, and he translates them beautifully. He’s also a skilled singer, so when I bring my vocal ideas to him, I know he will make them sound great. We both play all the instruments and write the material together. It’s a perfect musical marriage. Musically, what has evolved between your first album and II? The first release was more of a commercial rock album, and I really liked it. We wanted to create a pop-rock record with short, memorable songs. We intentionally made it a vinyl-length album—like the old days of LPs—with no more than 10 songs. I believe we created 35 minutes of catchy material, and we left everybody wanting more. But on II, we were really daring and going in all directions and just having fun with the music. That said, we did not intend to make this music to showcase our primary instruments, but to make the songwriting the primary focus. There is obviously some serious drumming going on, but that was not the intent nor the basis for this music. It was completely about the songwriting. I really feel that this second release is one of the best albums I’ve ever been involved with. Randy says the same thing, and the reviews have been very positive. How would you classify the duo’s music? A lot of people will connect us with the prog world, but there are a lot of rock and metal influences, as well as some classic new wave from the 1980s. This sets us apart from many prog bands, because we bring influences that prog fans wouldn’t expect. This music has been more well received than any other project I’ve done, and I believe Randy’s excellent vocals have a lot to do with it. On II,“The Horse is Dead” has a cool tribal feel with subtle double bass throughout the entire song, which is a difficult groove to perform consistently and keep it feeling good. That’s one of my tunes, and I wrote it with a cinematic soundtrack in mind. It has a spaghetti-western vibe, but with synth lines reminiscent of a 1980s Gary Numan track. I’m very proud of this track, because the groove sounds fairly simplistic, but it’s not. Keeping the controlled double-bass pattern the whole time while adding toms in patterns of constant motion takes a lot of control. I also overdubbed some Rototoms to enrich the tribal vibe. Can you talk about the unique rhythmic changes on “Quarantine Sex Slave”? That song has an interesting story that’s based on my experience last year during lockdown. The lyrics and the rhythms tell the story of a personal relationship from beginning to end. It’s quite emotional in how the relationship came together, how it evolved, and how it eventually fell apart— all triggered by circumstances due to the lockdown. The song started with the guitar riff, and while tapping my foot between rhythms, I thought it would be cool to take a shuffle feel to a slower tempo that shifts throughout the song. Because of these rhythmic changes, the song seems like an epic prog piece, but it’s just over five minutes long. It moves through rock, Minneman’s Minions “I’m playing the amazing-sounding DW Purpleheart kit,” says Minneman. I’m now using a 16x24ch kick with the Randall May Turbo Kick woofer in front, and I have a 6x14 snare made of the same Purpleheart wood. The toms, from left to right, are 10", 12", 8", and 16" and 18" floor toms. On my left side is a 22" Gong Drum. “My current cymbal set up includes a Zildjian 14" Vintage top hi-hat with a Zildjian Constantinople bottom hi-hat. I also have hi- hats on the right, which are 12” custom Zildjian Dry Ks. The crash on my far left is a Zildjian Constantinople 20" Medium Thin. Next to that is an 18" K Dark Crash Thin. In the middle is a Zildjian platinum-alloy custom-made 10" splash. Moving to the right is a Zildjian 19" A Medium Thin crash. My ride is a Zildjian 20" K Custom Dry Ride. I have two 8" special-made bells upside-down on top of my left and right crashes. “I use Evans UV2 coated heads on the toms with Evans Clear G1 bottoms. The top snare head is an Evans ST Coated along with a Hazy Thin bottom head. I use a coated Evans G1 on the Gong Drum. For the bass drum, I use an EMAD. “My pedals are DW 5000 single chains. My left-side hi-hat stand is a DW 5000 Series, and on the right is a DW 9000 Series Remote Cable hi-hat stand. Finally, I use my ProMark Signature Series drumsticks, and I am currently testing the FireGrain model, which I really like.” Victor PetersJune 2021 Modern Drummer 19 jazz, and prog grooves, and then ends with drumming over spoken word. It’s quite a musical journey. What about the complex rhythms of “I Don’t Feel,” which has a funky, jazzy vibe that moves into a rock groove? I composed the intro guitar riff first, and I was soloing over it. Then, as the drum solo had some very musical rhythmic ideas, I composed new music over that, and I also decided to use that same theme for the outro. So, what started as a drum solo, became a very complex musical composition. “Distant Bodies” has some spectacular double-bass work. That’s a heavy triplet feel with a metal vibe. The music allows the drums to shine in places, but the focus is on the music. The melody and vocals add a beautiful melodic contrast over the heavy rhythms. What was one of the most difficult drum tracks to perform on II? “Old Sparky.” Randy had programmed a double-bass pattern that was very fast, very composed, and very challenging to play. What other tracks on the new album would be interesting for drummers? I wrote “Tired” on acoustic guitar, and I put a lot of thought into the drum groove to make it flow. The verse is 16th-note patterns with tom accents, and a straight 4/4, quarter- note groove. It’s closed 16th-note hi-hat with accents, an open hi-hat groove, back to a closed hat groove, and into the chorus with a full-on crash-ride grudge vibe. Overall, it’s smooth and easy to listen to. On a song like this, my ability to play other instruments teaches me to focus on what will make the drum part work well with everything else. I also wanted to create a contradiction in feel. The music is happy and uplifting, but the lyrics are dark and talk about all the things that make you tired. The fans love this track. There’s a unique odd-meter twist on “The Flame.” Yes. I actually played the song at PASIC last year. This one is very difficult to play. There is a 17/16 section where the bass-drum pattern repeats, so I composed a guitar part over that. The pattern is played with drum fills between the lyrics. The verse has a 4/4 “The goal is to make odd rhythms feel natural and flowing—not stiff and mathematical.” Victor PetersModern Drummer June 2021 20 plus 17/16 repeating pattern that I wanted to sound flowing and accessible. This is definitely a tricky one to learn for drummers. My concept was to create a song that was a marriage between Queen’s “Stone Cold Crazy” and Black Sabbath’s “Supernaut.” How has odd-meter playing become a natural part of the way you think musically? I have extensively studied the Western culture of musical mathematics, and I figured out how to make things sound very fluent and natural. When I started playing with some great musicians from India, we exchanged ideas on how rhythms are counted and patterns dissected. I learned a lot about how Indian odd rhythms are counted a bit differently, which opened up new musical ideas for me. The goal is to always make odd rhythms feel natural and flowing—not stiff and mathematical. What is the next phase of McStine & Minnemann? We’ve already written so many pieces of music together that we have enough material for a third album. I hope the fans will continue to enjoy our journey as we explore new musical ideas. Have you two discussed touring the project? We are discussing putting a band together to tour with possibly a third or fourth member. I’m excited to see where we can take this music. McStine & Minnemann is a quite a contrast from the instrumental fusion of The Artistocrats. I’ve always been a vocal and lyric fanatic. Growing up, I hardly ever listened to instrumental albums. The Aristocrats have done very well for more than a decade, but I sometimes feel restricted performing as an instrumental trio. At times, it does become a bit of a shred fest. On the other hand, the duo with Randy brings out the melodic side of my songwriting. Do you plan to continue recording new material with The Aristocrats? Yes. In fact, we have a new studio recording coming out with an amazing orchestra from Poland. A fan of the band, who also plays in the orchestra, created the arrangements and they’re fantastic. This may not be released until 2022, so more details to come! We also recorded several shows from the European leg of last year’s world tour before the pandemic hit, and we recently released those tracks as Freeze! Live in Europe 2020. Would McStine & Minnemann ever tour with The Aristocrats? No. It would be too much information for the audience. Also, when The Aristocrats tour, we want to keep the focus on our music. It may sound selfish, but we have such a strong bond with our fans that we really want them to share a special and intimate moment with us. Since lockdown, have you been focusing on promoting your music more online? I’ve been posting more lately because of being at home and having all of this new music to discuss. I constantly post new things on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook where I go deeper into the music I record and write. It’s a great way to keep in touch with fans and exchange ideas. The interpretation of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s solo-piano piece “Tong Poo” that you posted on YouTube—”Best Wishes for Ryuichi Sakamoto”—is spectacular. Ryuichi is a fantastic pianist and composer. He has been battling cancer for several years, and I wanted to do something for him—just for encouragement, hoping he might see it. Playing to a piano solo is tricky, because you want to compliment the arrangement, be Victor PetersJune 2021 Modern Drummer 21 gentle, and make it sound dynamic and beautiful. But with a tune as well written as this, it’s easy to create a part that fits. I only hope he enjoyed it. You also posted the excellent “Thank You Chick Corea for the Inspiration. May You Rest in Peace.” I created a solo incorporating a couple of popular Elektric Band tunes, “Got a Match” and “Rumble.” I basically played the melodies around the kit and then soloed in between. It has been well received, and I hope it was inspiring for Chick fans. He was an amazing composer that challenged and inspired his drummers to push their talents. From a career standpoint, it must have been an incredible advantage to have a home studio to work in during the lockdown. Two of the most beneficial things I’ve done since moving to Southern California are buying a house 12 years ago and building a recording studio in it. During the pandemic, I never stopped working. I have been fine tuning my recording rig and doing lots of recording and songwriting. I’ve gotten to be a pretty good engineer, and I can get really nice sounds from my acoustic kit here at home. The room sounds great, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Also, it has been refreshing to be able to work from home the past year. How do you typically record your drum tracks at home? I use Audix D2s on the rack toms, an Audix D4 on the 16” floor tom, an Audix D6 on the 18” floor tom and the Gong Drum. Inside the bass drum is a Shure Beta 91A, and I position a Shure Beta 52A on the outside near the hole in the front head. Overheads are Audix SCX25As. The hi-hat and ride-cymbal mics are Audix ADX51s, and the snare drum has an Audix i5 on the top and bottom. I use the Audix CX111 as a room mic. My computer is a Mac running Cubase with Steinberg Audio and Universal Audio interfaces. You recently recorded samples of your 19-piece DW Purpleheart drum kit for the Fame Hybrid Pro Sound Module along with Simon Phillips. I’ve known Fame’s Chris Marr for many years, and I did samples of my kit for him several years ago for his earlier company, 2Box. Chris asked Simon and I to record our drum sounds for a signature sound module, and it turned out really well. Now, I have an electronic kit at home loaded with my own acoustic drum sounds. But honestly, I was more of a guest on this project. The samples were recorded at Brotheryn Studios in Ojai, California, with Simon and Chris doing all the production work. They decided to invite me into the project, and I just showed up and played for a couple of days. The Fame module features Simon’s kit, my kit, and several electronic sounds. We also recorded some play-along grooves. It was a fun session, and the sounds are amazing. What’s the current status of your prolific solo career? What I’m doing with Randy now is actually my solo material, but with a more versatile musical direction because of his contributions. My vocals have always been a weak link in my solo material. Randy completes that part of my music, and he adds his unique style to the sound. It’s really a perfect marriage of both of our solo efforts combined to create something even more powerful than doing each project alone. I can honestly say that my music would not have been as good without Randy. “ I’ve always been a vocal and lyric fanatic. ” Victor PetersModern Drummer June 2021 22 Evelyn Glennie The Rhythm of Resonance and Feel By Dana Parker Philipp RathmerJune 2021 Modern Drummer 23 D ame Evelyn Glennie is a world-class musician, a master listener, and an extraordinary human who is perhaps the first person to make a life-long career strictly as a solo percussionist. You cannot categorize her sound creation into one musical style. What she does is not classical, folk, orchestral, rock, Latin, blues, or world music. She is simply a solo percussionist—a profession so new that there aren’t any classifications for the practice. She also happens to be profoundly deaf. Glennie grew up on a farm in Methlick, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. At age eight, she started losing her hearing, and by 12, she was profoundly deaf. Glennie started wearing hearing aids, but found she could feel sounds without them, and she started using her body to listen. “I assumed that sound came through the ears,” she said during an interview on the Norwegian/Swedish talk show, Skavlan. “But I learned the initial impact came through the ears, but the resonance was felt through the body.” She recalls listening to the sounds of the countryside, livestock, and machinery—paying attention to every sound in her environment. Her first musical interest was sparked by the frequencies of a piano, which led to her playing themes on the keys, and, ultimately, piano lessons. The piano became a companion and friend, and a way of expressing herself. “Deafness is poorly understood,” wrote Glennie in her web article, “Hearing Essay.” “There is a common misconception that deaf people live in a world of silence. Hearing is basically a specialized form of touch. Sound is simply vibrating air which the ear picks up and converts to electrical signals, which are then interpreted by the brain. The sense of hearing is not the only sense that can do this, touch can do this, too. Deafness does not mean that you can’t hear—only that there is something wrong with the ears. Even someone who is totally deaf can still hear and feel sounds.” Glennie attended Ellon Academy in Aberdeenshire for her secondary schooling, where she and her teacher, Ron Forbes, worked together to address her hearing loss, as well as find creative ways to keep her up to speed in percussion classes. Later, she attended the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she studied with Nicholas Cole. However, it was the two-days-per-term visits by the grandfather of percussion, James Blades, that had the biggest impact on her future. That impact has not only been measured by Glennie’s personal ascension as a virtuoso solo- percussionist, but also by her long list of awards and achievements. She has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from 15 universities in England. In 1993, Glennie received the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, then Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2007, and, in 2017, was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honor by Queen Elizabeth. Glennie was inducted into the Percussive Arts International Hall of Fame, and is the president of Help Musicians—the first woman to hold the post. She has logged numerous Grammy nominations and three wins (Best Classical Instrumental Solo 2013, Classical Crossover Album 2002, and Best Chamber Music Performance 1988). In 2003, she presented a TED Talk on “How to Truly Listen,” and she was the subject of the 2004 documentary film, Touch the Sound. She won the international Polar Music Prize in 2015. Her collaborations with other musicians include Bjork, Bela Fleck, Steve Hackett, Mark Knopfler, Fred Firth, Bobby Mc Ferrin, Kodo Drummers, and many more. Recently, she was appointed Chancellor of Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland. In performance, Glennie is extremely attentive and expressive. She performs barefoot, running in between instruments swiftly and quietly, her flowing garments trailing behind. She plays with purpose, gracefully pulling the sound out of each instrument, but also executing the music with precision. In playing a decrescendo on marimba, for example, she rolls far past the point where most of us can hear the vibrations, almost into pure silence. Although, she will argue that silence does not exist. In 2001, I saw Glennie perform as a guest soloist with the San Francisco Symphony. After her performance, my class of percussion majors—along with our professor, S.F. Symphony percussionist Tony Cirone—joined Glennie onstage for a clinic. Watching her perform forced us to look and listen differently to the music, making her performance a once- in-a-lifetime, mind-altering experience. Modern Drummer June 2021 24 In Touch the Sound, there is a scene at a monastery where a man is slowly raking pebbles while you observe him. What did you experience in that scene, and how did it relate to achieving more sensitivity for listening? I very distinctly remember sitting at the temple on the crisp, clear and freezing day. The temperature was minus something. I thought I was going to freeze to death! There was this wonderful young gentleman who was raking the Japanese garden. He had no gloves or socks on, and his hands were literally blue because they were so cold. But that didn’t make him rush his experience in raking the garden. For me, it wasn’t about the sound. It was about observing the whole experience that gave you the dynamic of peacefulness and utter control. We were observing and accepting the freezing weather, accepting the need for this gravel to be raked so incredibly precisely, and because nothing was done in a rush, we weren’t pushing anything away. It meant that it didn’t feel as cold as it could have been if we were fighting with the cold or trying to rush something and get it done because we didn’t want to freeze. All the natural forces and ingredients of the “now” seemed to be magnified and take their own natural course. Nothing or no one was going against the grain. As a player, I relate it to bringing a technique to your own natural body, rather than forcing your body to a technique. That is really what listening is all about. It’s about accepting a particular situation—not as good or bad, or “I like,” or “I don’t like.” It’s simply about giving time for a person to speak, and to speak doesn’t mean using one’s voice. To speak means observing facial expressions, observing how the body is moving, how the eyes and mouth are, and so on. Sound isn’t just about listening—it’s about bringing all our senses together and creating a mysterious sixth sense. I really believe that sixth sense is all about observation and giving time to things. How can we best observe and allow ourselves to deeply experience different sounds and music? It really helps to open our listening experiences and not compartmentalize. I see myself as a sound creator first and foremost, then a musician, and finally a percussionist who happens to collaborate with many different types of people, but with the spine being solo percussion—which does not have its own classification yet. It’s not classical, Latin, jazz, or folk. It’s an open landscape, and that’s what’s interesting. You’re not putting yourself in a category, and therefore you are not listening to a particular category. You are actually opening your whole being to sound, and I think that plays a big part in our sensitivity in listening. There is a difference between hinging an identity to a category. My identity is simply me and my relationship with sound. How do you approach rhythm? I don’t see rhythm as a metronomic thing at all, because we have rhythm circulating throughout our body that’s never metronomic. It’s regular, but not metronomic. Something that’s regular still has life to it. It has its little bumps, peaks, troughs, dynamics, resonances, and rhythm within rhythms. And that sheer, natural imperfection that human beings have—no two hands will come down at exactly the same dynamic, even if you think they will—all plays a part in how rhythm evolved. For me, it’s really important to understand what kind of rhythmic independence speaks for me. “I don’t see rhythm as a metronomic thing at all.” Jim CallaghanJamey Crow I’ve always got to find melody in everything I do. It can be a rhythmic melody, pitch melody, sustained melody. I like that movable feel. What about tuning? I always tune in relation to the audience, rather than myself. I also strike the drum and tune to many different dynamics, because the frequencies speak quite differently. When I’m tuning, I have my head and body up and everything playing at performance level so that the drum speaks how I’m actually going to play. Then, I’ll turn the drum upside down, see how it’s speaking, and really listen to the resonance of the room—almost as though I’m being a member of the audience. The room is the most important instrument of all. I actually step a couple of feet back and let the sound have some space in relation to myself, rather than being right on top of it. This works for me, because I need to feel the whole scenario, rather than a segment of it. What is the situation? Who am I playing with? What sort of repertoire are we playing? That’s my starting point. One of the things I’ve learned as a percussion player is not to be hostage to anything. I think it’s important to see every scenario as a blank sheet of paper. Since 9/11, I haven’t travelled with my own instruments, so I’ve been using various instruments that are provided for me. We’re always specific in our riders, but some promoters may say they have a 15" tom instead of a 16", which could have a bearing on your tuning. But, for me, tuning is a moveable thing. I suppose I see toms a bit like timpani—you can play three or four pieces in a concert program, and the tuning will probably not be the same for each piece. I rather like that. How might a creator avoid becoming a hostage to circumstances? Just expose yourself to many different scenarios. It could be as simple as observing somebody speak [claps out ob-serv-ing some- body speak], and build and improvise on that. Who cares what kind of rhythm it is, as long as it’s interesting. I need to have the opportunity to observe and travel around. Then, I can sort of pick and choose elements— as if I were in a sweet shop selecting candies. “I’ll take that, and that one, and that, too.” This is how I can expand my repertoire for solo percussion. Your career is a very powerful story about embracing and overcoming limitations. If a young person is feeling like they can’t do something because of certain constraints, how might they find a path forward? It’s very much down to a good support system, and then the desire from the individuals themselves. In my case, I was very lucky to have a normal family, and I went to schools that were extremely supportive of all children. From age 12 through 16, my secondary school was totally inclusive. That meant, within reason, they catered to all students—no matter their circumstances. If a child was in a wheelchair, the school built ramps. If there were sight-impaired kids, the color schemes in the classrooms catered to that scenario. If there were hearing-impaired kids like myself, there were rooms designed to give us moments to get away from the clatter of the classroom. Inclusivity and accessibility are key. Every child who belongs to a situation—sight or hearing impaired, or other physical limitations—should have access to music participation. No one “Don’t put yourself in a category, or listen to a particular category. Open your whole being to sound.” Philipp RathmerModern Drummer June 2021 26 can say “No, you don’t.” It is absolutely permissible for that student to play music. Then, you expose the youngsters to different sound worlds. Allow them to see the San Francisco Symphony, bring them to a jazz club, have them experience folk music, street music, workshops and master classes—you name it! Get the kids there who are curious enough, and just see what seeds can be planted. That’s exactly what I experienced. Basically, it was a school that believed every child has a story. A lot of it is down to that individual’s desire. It has nothing to do with whether you have one thing happening or another. That’s just life. We have to roll our sleeves up and say, “This is what I want to do!” You just try to find what’s inside of yourself, and get that out externally, rather than always feeding external things into yourself, because that’s where self-doubt comes in. What is the focus of your 2019 book, Listen World!? Listen World! is a collection of speeches, writings, and experiences I’ve had over the years in connection with my relationship to sound. It’s particularly geared towards teenagers. It’s simply bits and pieces of this and that to make us aware of listening rather than a biographical book. But, specifically, how can we all listen better? What does listening mean to you? What does listening mean to me? And how has my listening changed over the years from being a hearing child to being a child dependent on hearing aids, to taking off the hearing aids and using my body as a hearing mechanism? It’s about discovering that we can all listen. It has nothing to do with how much we hear in a medical sense. It has nothing to do with whether you are musical, or not musical, or whether you like music or not. It’s the fact that sound is all around us. Movement is all around us. The whole world is all around us, and we are notes within that world—very much like musical notes you see on a page. We are the music! But how much are we actually listening? Listen World! tries to give people the opportunity to really think about “No one can say ‘No, you don’t.’” Jim Callaghan Jim CallaghanJune 2021 Modern Drummer their relationship with listening—to think about their sound world. What is their sound world walking to school or heading to work? How might that impact what they do, or the choices they make for the rest of the day? When we get up in the morning and get out of bed we might think, “Shall I have a shower first and then breakfast?” If you decide to have breakfast first, then there’s the opportunity to look at your phone or laptop or switch on the television, and that leads to other things which might delay the shower. Then you might say, “Oh, now I’ve got to rush my shower!” Whereas, if you had your shower first, you know that you’re set up for the day, and you can enjoy your breakfast without thinking about having to go backwards and take that shower. It’s these little things that are all internal chatter, but it’s also a form of listening that leads to a decision and action. Even when we’re playing our pieces of music and negotiate a particular stroke or a rudiment or phrase, we listen to it in our chatter, and that determines how we play the next phrase or the next note or passage. We’re all guilty of feeding ourselves internal “junk food” chatter which has a bearing on our actions, but the aim is to feed as much healthy chatter as we can, so that we can at least give ourselves a chance of positive actions, or actions we can feel more aligned with. Can you provide any words of wisdom to those who are just starting out as percussionists? Keep your antennae completely alive, and keep yourself open in all directions of creativity. We are a creative species. No matter which instrument you play—whether it’s percussion, a paper and comb, a saxophone, voice, or whatever—your job is to create sound. It’s to create a sound story or sound meal that is meaningful for the people who want to be part of it. Listen to that, and, most of all, don’t be afraid to listen to yourself. Eric Richmond Caroline PurdayNext >