< PreviousModern Drummer July 2022 58 . . . . zzzzzzzz Œ œœœ 5 œœœœ 5 1e+a2e+a3e+a4 SD BD Cym 3. ‘‘‘ >> . . . . zzzzzzzz œ Œ 5 œœœœ . 5 œ SD BD Cym 4. ‘‘‘ >> . . . . zzzzzzzz œœ Œ œœ Œ . 5 Œ 5 œ SD BD Cym 5. zzzzzzzz Œ œœœœœ . 5 Œ 5 œ ´ 2 >>>> . . . . zzzzzzzz œœ Œ . 5 œ ≈ 5 œ . 5 œ SD BD Cym 6. ‘‘‘ >>> . . . . zzzzzzzz 5 œ 5 œ 5 œ 5 œ SD BD Cym 7. ‘‘‘ . . . . zzzzzzzz ++++ œœœœ aa ≈ 5 œ ≈ 5 œ 1e2ea3e4ea SD BD Cym 8. ‘‘‘ >> . . . . zzzzzzzz ŒŒ 5 œœ 55 œ 5 SD BD Cym 9. ‘‘‘ >> . . . . zzzzzzzz Œ 5 œ ‰ 5 œ ‰ 5 œœ 5 SD BD Cym 10. ‘‘‘ >>July 2022 Modern Drummer 59 . . . . zzzzzzzz œœ ŒŒ Œ 55 œœ 5 SD BD Cym 11. ‘‘‘ >> . . . . zzzzzzzz œœœœ Œ . 5 Œ 5 œœ SD BD Cym 12. ‘‘‘ >> . . . . zzzzzzzz . œœ . œœ Œ . 5 œ Œ 5 œœ SD BD Cym 13. ‘‘‘ >> . . . . zzzzzzzz œœœ Œ œœœ Œ 5 Œ 5 œœ SD BD Cym 14. ‘‘‘ >> . . . . zzzzzzzz . œœ Œ 1a2 Œ≈ 5 œ ≈≈ 5 œœ 5 e+a3e+a4 SD BD Cym 15. ‘‘‘ > . . . . zzzzzzzz Œ 5 œœ ≈ 5 œ ≈ 5 œœ 5 SD BD Cym 16. ‘‘‘ > Twelve-Bar Exercises - Sixteenth Notes This exercise should be played slowly at first . . zzzzzzzz œœ ŒŒ Œ . 5 œœœ 5 Cym SD BD zzzzzzzz Œ œœœ 5 œœœœ 5 > >>>Modern Drummer July 2022 60 Check out Carmine’s Modern Drummer profile page and his book collection at moderndrummer.com DIGITAL DOWNLOAD CODE INSIDE Celebrating The 50th Anniversary Of Ultimate Realistic Rock zzzzzzzz œœ Œ œœ Œ . 5 Œ 5 œ zzzzzzzz œ Œ 5 œœœœ 5 œ >>>> zzzzzzzz œœ Œ . 5 œ . 5 œ . 5 œ zzzzzzzz + 5 œœ 5 œœ 5 œœ 5 œœ 1ea zzzzzzzz ≈ œ 5 œœ ≈ œ 5 œœ zzzzzzzz ŒŒ œœ . 5 œœ . 5 >>>> zzzzzzzz Œ 5 œ ‰ 5 œ ‰ 5 œœ 5 zzzzzzzz + œœœ Œ œœœ Œ 1ea Œ 5 Œ 5 >>> . . zzzzzzzz . œœ Œ Œ≈ 5 œ ≈ œœœ 5 2e+a zzzzzzzz œœ Œ 5 œ ‰ . r 55 Œ > ≈ 3 5555DIGITAL DOWNLOAD CODE INSIDE Buy from your favorite retailer check out more at moderndrummer.com The Carmine Appice Library Collection Presents: DIGITAL DOWNLOAD CODE INSIDE Everything you ever wanted to know about Hi Hat Rhythms. Infinate patterns to play all styles of music. DIGITAL DOWNLOAD CODE INSIDE DIGITAL DOWNLOAD CODE INSIDEModern Drummer July 2022 62 In The Moment, the Art of Active Listening by Dom Famularo Steve Gadd Clyde Stubblefield & Jabo Starks Vinnie Colaiuta Gregg Bissonette Abe Laboriel Sr. Joe Porcaro Kenny AronoffAnika NillesClaus HesslerHal Blaine I n The Moment! This is where the magic is. One very important quality every musician requires to really be totally involved in musical expression...is the art of listening. This is a developed skill needed to be inside any song. To be in the moment...This means to be involved in communication and not only hear everything that is being said...but to feel everything that is being said! Active listening is different than just hearing. When someone is hearing music they are semi-involved. You are aware there are sounds entering your brain but you may not remember specific parts. It is like just hearing a lecture. You are in the room, you hear the person speaking, but you do not totally receive the message. And you may only retain segments of what was shared. That is only hearing. You did not capture the complete moment. Active Listening is at an entirely different level. This is where your involvement is very intense! Let’s define intensity. People use this word often but rarely know what it means. Intensity is defined as...full commitment... The giving of 100% all the time! When Steve Gadd, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Weckl, Steve Smith, Billy Cobham, Stewart Copeland, Steve Jordan, Jim Keltner, Russ Miller, Kenny Aronoff, Mark Schulman, Simon Phillips, Carmine Appice, Pete Lockett, Bobby Morris, Joe Porcaro, Hal Blaine, Liberty DeVitto, Ed Shaughnessy, JR Robinson, Danny Seraphine, Charles Connor, Ndugu Chancler, Anika Nilles, Claus Hessler, Manu Katche, Andres Forero, Gregg Bissonette, Roy Burns, Peter Erskine, Alex Acuna, Jabo Starks and Clyde Stubblefield perform it is intense. Every note is played with full conviction. They are always in the moment! But, this is how they are as people! They even speak this way! Recently I have had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with these legendary artists and interview them. If there are names you are not familiar with, listen and learn about who these great players are. I know each interview will amaze you, inform you, and inspire you! I have sat with each of these great people and had the chance to step into their soul for information not before asked. On my mind are all the musicians I meet in my global travels. You are on my mind to ask questions to bring out the depth of knowledge to assist you in your career. I want you to hear their story and start the path for your story. Watch these interviews at www. thesessions.org. You will witness incredible communication skills. You will see and hear one huge aspect that makes them great musicians. They are all Active Listeners. They are in the moment for every word spoken. This is exactly how they are as musicians. This is an ability that can be improved every day. You have to want to improve it. My mother always said, “you have two Live in the moment and in the now, by enhancing your Active Listening skills. You will become more intense as a person and musician. July 2022 Modern Drummer 63 John JR RobinsonBilly Cobham & Paul QuinSteve Smith Roy Burns Russ Miller Jim Keltner Steve Jordan Simon Phillips Manu Katche ears and one mouth, listen twice as much as you speak!” For me this has been very valuable advice! When you listen and see these interviews step into the moment with me. Listen to what these experienced dedicated artists say and feel each word spoken! You will experience true Active Listening. This is communication at its best. You will hear Gadd talk about his inspirations, Vinnie talk about the current music industry, Dave talk about every home he moved to his first concern was where he would set up his drums, Stewart showing enthusiasm in his quest to compose, Kenny sharing ideas of self- motivation, Steve Smith expanding on his desire to always learn, Cobham going back to his early drum corps days, Carmine in his early recording sessions, Hal taking us into the early days of playing on so many hits, Bobby Morris reminiscing about Las Vegas in the 1950’s with Elvis, Russ in his early days of moving out to California and living in a rehearsal room and still practicing to be ready for any gig, Gregg talks about Ringo, Manu about his classical music training and Jabo and Clyde’s last interview together talking about playing with James Brown. A week later Clyde passed away. Priceless, passion filled and powerful stories! You can be the fly on the wall to hear about drumming history from the masters that create it! The Sessions is a non-profit organization that invests in you...the future musician. The purpose is to capture the story of the greatest musicians performing and inspiring us today! This dedicated organization visits music universities globally sharing business skills to give you more tools for success. Keep an eye out for it. This was a vision of a photographer Jules Follett who put together a book called Sticks and Skins. This book showcases over 500 drummers and tells their story. Check out the book. Now, with The Sessions’ video interviews we are sharing these artists in a different medium for you to absorb their life experiences. You will understand each artist’s story of how they started, what drives them, how their career developed, how they maintain their motivation and mostly you will feel their passion. These interviews are for you to use as a stepping- stone for your success. To assist in mapping out your plan for your musical journey! I ask a question to them, and then I get out of the way and Listen Actively! I interview not only drummers, but also all instrumentalists. A drummer listening to a top bass player will be very valuable for your passion to be fuelled. Check them out... Live in the moment and in the now, by enhancing your Active Listening skills. You will become more intense as a person and musician. Enjoy each artist’s story and step into their world to stand on their shoulders so you can see further! And remember, you have two ears!!! Enjoy the interviews. Thanks! This article has previously appeared in DrumScene. Dom Famularo Drumming Global Ambassador www.DomFamularo.com My mother always said, “you have two ears and one mouth, listen twice as much as you speak!” Check out Dom’s Modern Drummer profile page at moderndrummer.comModern Drummer July 2022 64 Maysun, Everything is Everything. By Tony Verderosa I view “creative percussion controllers” as three separate categories. Category 1 is a completely self-contained set of electronic drums that are designed by instrument manufacturers that create all the drum and cymbal samples. We simply plug in great headphones and start playing drums. This is the most popular category because it offers instant gratification. Category 2 is for the “Hybrid Drummer.” These are professional drummers that need to trigger a few custom samples and 808 hand claps live on stage by incorporating extra pads into their acoustic drum set up. In more advanced hybrid set ups, the drummer may also trigger backing tracks on each song using stems via Ableton Live and a multi-pad device. I call Category 3 “Radical Hybrid Drumming”. These drummers are deeply engaged in the world of sound design, music composition, and sonic exploration. There are no rules and no road map to follow. This category is about freedom of expression and musical experimentation. During the pandemic, a growing number of drummers were forced into isolation at home and decided to begin exploring this path. However, there were many drummers already pursuing this concept prior to lockdowns. It can be an intimidating journey because you must design your own electronic percussion system. You need to develop your own techniques and find a workflow that feels comfortable. Part of my mission in this column is to shine a light on new artists from this growing community of “Radical Hybrid Drummers.” To that end, I am excited to introduce you to Maysun (Etienne Mason,) an electronic artist and Radical Hybrid Drummer from Canada. He is a drummer at his core, but his true passion is expanding the potential of the drums by incorporating modular synthesis into his kit. He has created hundreds of videos over the past few years, and he is very meticulous about explaining his set up and workflow on each video. He uses ‘randomizing’ features in his modular system to bring an element of surprise to his compositions. The results are complex, improvised, richly layered musical soundscapes. I had the good fortune to interview Maysun recently, he was excited to share his background, creative process, and many video examples that were filmed in his Montreal studio, with Modern Drummer. MD : When did you first develop an interest in music? Maysun: My father was a musician of the 70s, the house I grew up in had funk music playing constantly. There were a few basses and guitars available to me because my dad is a bassist, although I never really had an interest in them. Instead, I liked to do to tap on them, and at the age of two, I knocked over his Rickenbacker and snapped the neck. We also had a little electric organ and I remember challenging myself to press as many chord keys as possible, creating huge clusters of sound that terrified me. What I really wanted to do was play the drums. I started asking for a drum set around six or seven years old. I remember a college big band had played a show at the school I was attending. I could feel the bass frequencies of the kick drum pushing into my body. I thought it was a special feeling and that it was calling me. In my young mind July 2022 Modern Drummer 65 that was some sort of proof that the drums were my instruments, that they had chosen me. I received a set of Rototoms for my ninth birthday. The year after that, I was gifted a snare, hi-hat and a bass drum pedal. I hooked the bass drum pedal up to a cardboard box. I immediately started playing on that. The cardboard box sounded good to me. That was my kit for a while until the box was replaced with a single headed bass drum and we added 2 concert toms. A few years later we were able to purchase a Pearl Export which was my first “real” drum set. MD: Did you play other instruments besides drums? Maysun : I think I started everything at once. There was a little organ, and I also had a Yamaha PSS 480 that my grandmother had given me. On the Yamaha it was possible to record and layer sounds. I would try to replicate different parts of music I heard and play it back with those synth sounds. I would do a bit of that, then go to the drums to play, then move on to Legos… Music was simply part of playtime for me. I was doing normal things as a child, without any goals besides just having fun. However, drums were definitely my favorite, the piano and keyboard was more of an extension of my love for music. MD: Did you have any memorable teachers or musical mentors? Maysun: My father was my first teacher. He took the time to show me the beats he knew. I would ask for a new one, he’d play it a few times, and then let me learn it. That’s really how I got started. I would say that the next biggest influence for learning, even today, is the internet. Back then, drummerworld.com was a big help in learning about different drummers, styles, educational content, setup ideas, biographies, everything. MD: Did you have any formal conservatory training? Maysun : In elementary school I had a regular music class, but I was able to get special permission to have access to the music room at lunch time. That allowed me to play drums every day or so. At that time I had the cardboard box drum set at home, so it was exciting for me to have access to a kit with resonant heads, cymbals, and accessories. In high school, I was accepted in a music- intensive program. That is where I learned to read music notation and play classical percussion instruments like the marimba, vibraphone, timpani, glockenspiel, tubular bells, snare, and more. In the band, there were often too many percussion parts for the number of players in the percussion section, so I had fun was taking all the remaining parts and playing them all at once. It was also a good time for my ear training development. I would listen carefully when the instruments were tuning, trying to hear when someone was sharp or flat. Since many percussion parts were mostly composed of counting empty bars, I would learn all the other instrument’s parts by heart, so I wouldn’t have to count all the measures. When I got home, I would also transcribe and record those orchestral parts by ear on my Yamaha PSS 480 and play them back with synth sounds. In my last two years of high school, I started weekly drum lessons with a private teacher. That’s where I learned about rudiments, explored different styles, and learned about technique, because my high school did not have a drum/ percussion teacher. In college, I was admitted to a pop music program. It was beneficial for playing in different band settings; big Modern Drummer July 2022 66 band, live theatre, and studio session simulations. It also helped me gain the confidence to trust myself musically and learn songs quickly. We had a class that was a sort of a gig simulation. Instead of learning the songs throughout the week, I forced myself to only look at the charts right before class and sight-read them. Throughout school I tried to put myself in situations where I could fail as much as possible. My thinking was that it was best to make every musical mistake once in a school setting, then I would be fully prepared for “real life.” After completing college, I was accepted to a university in a jazz performance program, but I didn’t stay long. I decided to put a stop to my studies after only a year. However, I did remain in various combo classes for an extra year after that, without being an official student. But I never finished my jazz degree. MD : When you were in school did you formally study music technology? Maysun: I did not. What I did do is record myself all the time. When I was 14-15 years old, I was very active on the drummerworld. com forum, I started posting audio of my drumming to get feedback from more experienced forum members. They would comment with advice, and I went back and forth like that for a few years. MD : How were you recording yourself? Maysun: I had nailed a computer microphone to the basement ceiling and had used several 1/8th extension cables to link it back to the computer that was in the next room. I would record into a program called Audacity. That was my first experience with music technology. MD : In school did you study music composition? Maysun: I didn’t have anything other than basic music theory classes in school. But they were not composition oriented. I did compose a lot on the electric keyboard. I used the computer mic nailed to the ceiling to record drums into audacity and would place the mic by the keyboard’s speaker to record on top of the drums. I’d then upload those songs to MySpace. When I was about 16 or 17, my family got a MacBook with Garage Band. I started recording and composing using midi, an m-audio interface, and MXL microphones. I made recordings for trio settings with piano, upright bass, and drums. I did not know anyone who really played those instruments until I got to university. By the time I was in university, I felt creatively drained. That is one of the reasons I stopped. I put aside all those compositions. MD: At university did you study music synthesis, sound design, or recording engineering? Maysun : Those interests came later, after I left university. I was living in an apartment where I could not play drums and I did not have access to a studio space. I started using virtual synths in Logic to satisfy my musical needs. I would create ambient tracks on the computer, and I would record drums with iTouch on breaks when I had rehearsals with bands. I’d then bring the audio back into logic and try to create something with it. After playing with bands for a while, I started getting interested in augmenting my drum sound live. This started out with an extra sm57 on my floor tom that went into a delay. I was using an A/B pedal as an on/off for the mic. With this simple setup, I could create big swells and ambient effects. That got me into using synths and samplers in various bands, and finally led to me to start my solo project around 2015. The creation of my solo project is when I really got into exploring new gear, recording, and sound design. I had been unable to feel good about my compositions since university, and electronic music helped me focus on texture rather than thinking about the complexity of my music, chords, and melodies. My focus became the research of sound and emotion. The more I’d do things on the computer, the more I wanted to be able to create it live. I’d imagine setup possibilities that would allow me to play everything. The problem was that all the sound research and electronic concepts I had were only theoretical. I could not actually rehearse them because I did not have a practice space. I would actually test out my setup once I was on stage, which led to having a different setup at each of my solo shows. Drummers asked me why it had never been my priority to have a space where I can practice my ideas. For some reason, I had never thought of it that way. I think some part of me had this idea that it all had to be a struggle. In 2017, I had the chance to play at a drum festival. It was very intimidating to play in front of a room of drummers. Talking with the other performers, I realized I was the only one that had not prepared a solo. I was simply going to improvise as I always did. Again, I was putting myself in a situation where I could fail. When I came back from that festival, I decided that no matter what, I’d find a rehearsal space where I could record. I was able to find one where I could go in at night when there was less bands rehearsing and more silence. Unfortunately, I could not leave my drums, synths, or mics set up, but I finally had a space. I would skateboard each night with my gear on my back and go there from midnight till 6 a.m. Each night I would have to set up my mics, synths, cameras, and visual projections. That’s how I started making my daily videos. July 2022 Modern Drummer 67 After a few months of this, it was becoming too difficult on my body and mind. I was not sleeping much, and the setup, tear down and travel was really time consuming. I had planned to go through with this daily video project for one full year, so I decided to move back home, away from the city, and fully concentrate on this project. I was able to have a permanent recording and camera setup which made it easier for me to concentrate on the music and technical side. I continued making my daily videos for about 450 days non-stop. Then I moved back to the city and made it a priority to always have a space where I could create. I have made about 700 videos in total, although they are not daily anymore. These videos really helped me develop my ears for the recording and mixing process. I used them to practice concepts, learn new techniques, experiment, and train my ears. A YouTube channel about recording that I enjoy is Creative Sound Lab by Ryan Earnhardt. MD : What was your first experience playing in a band? Maysun: My friends in high school liked prog rock. I wasn’t really into it, but I did like odd meters and complex rhythms. I played with them for fun, but it wasn’t anything serious. My first professional gigging years were exclusively cocktail type of gigs. The pop school I was attending was oriented towards preparing us for corporate events like weddings, cocktails, cruise ships, top 40, those sorts of gigs. It was not oriented towards creative music, experimenting, or composing. In university I became more involved in creative jazz projects. Then I merged into original singer-song writer, folk, and rock projects. MD : After school, did you begin to focus on classical, jazz, or mainly experimental electronic music? Maysun: I started out simply having fun on drums. I didn’t find a style of music that really touched me until YouTube was invented and I came across The Bad Plus. Their music is a mix of everything: soft playing, dense playing, energy, rock, odd meters, ballads, textures, and creativity. From there I started checking out every video with David King. YouTube started recommending more jazz videos and I’d find out about other bands. That is when I became aware of Brian Blade. He is most likely the most influential drummer in my life. Brian Blade is powerful and fluid in so many genres. He has always had his sound, and he’s humble, minimalist and complex, all at the same time. Everything he touches seems to have impact and meaning. At that point, it became my goal to find “my” sound, and it should be recognizable regardless of musical style. In college, I listened to a lot of Philip Glass, and I would practice on top of that. I would integrate the exercises I had to learn for school into a musical context right away. I always practiced to music, always! My favorite work to practice to was “Einstein on The Beach.” I would also play to an online jazz radio station, which played a lot of modern artists like Brad Mehldau, Tigran Hamasyan, E.S.T., Shai Maestro, Avishai Cohen, and Gilad Hekselman. I liked to improvise to songs I had never heard and try and figure them out quickly. I would also research the bios and albums made by the members of those projects which led me to the Smalls Jazz Club archives where I could listen to hundreds of performances from great players in live settings. I would often practice to that as well. MD : How did you get started with electronic music, modular synths, FX, and percussion MIDI controllers? Maysun : I would say it officially started out after university, around age 21. I was often blamed for being “too jazz” and was also trying to undo the “drummer who plays too soft” label I had. Basically, I was trying to fit in the local singer song writer scene: Folk, rock, electronic, and more. I started playing music with backbeats, trying to play heavier, tuning my drums lower. I tried to unlearn everything school had taught me and even would hide the fact that I was a trained musician. Musical schooling was frowned upon in this group of people I was trying to blend in with. After a few years with those types of bands, a pattern started to occur. Whenever one of them would sign with a label or be booked to open for a popular artist, the band would be forced to reduce the number of members to a maximum of two people, or even a solo performance. I would always get cut from the band. I started practicing playing bass parts with my left hand while I was playing drums. I thought that I would survive the cut if I could do more. This gradually got me into launching chords with a Roland SPDsx. I would also link my drums to guitar pedals so that I could take care of the effects. I alone could play chords, ambience, bass, and drums. To be honest, that became really complicated, stressful, and not very fun. Playing songs became less intuitive, I’d have less freedom to express myself on the drums since I could only use one hand. The whole thing felt like choreography. It was a lot of work to play in conditions where there were not enough funds for a full band. On top of that, there was a lot more gear to lug around which made it more difficult to set up quickly when we were sharing the stage with other artists. And as many of us have experienced, this was often done without any soundchecks. I did not do that for long. I started making solo videos that I’d release every few months where I could have full control of my visibility, effort, and work conditions. I had hopes that I would get discovered by someone that was like minded, and we could collaborate and create a serious project. From there I got deeper in my Radical Hybrid Drumming and electronics quest. I was changing setups all the time (I have a video on that on my YouTube channel), using MIDI foot controllers, SPDs, SPDsx, FX pedals, loopers, triggers, Next >