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Does your drum or cymbal set-up differ based on whether you're playing live or in the studio? It totally depends on the session. If it's for my own thing, where I know I'll be doing a lot of soloing, multi-voiced grooves and stretching, then yes, my guys will load the entire thing into the studio and force the engineer to figure out how to mic it all up and create enough channels for it! I'll also have my tech, Newly, outfit the kit with the same head and cymbal set-up that I use live, with no additional muffling on anything except the kick drum. Most of the engineers I work with like a really tight kick drum sound, so we'll place a couple of extra towels or a small pillow in them and go from there. If I'm working on someone else's session, then I'll bring only what I feel is absolutely essential. The main reason for this is that no one wants to use more channels on basic tracks day than they have to, so we try and use as few as possible on the drums. Also, in the studio, time is money, and for every added piece of gear that I really can live without, that's another microphone, another cord, another channel to dial up, etc, and all of these things had valuable time to the process. Likewise, if I'm performing live in someone else's trip, then the massive kit generally isn't appropriate. Not only would I likely have little use for many of the "extra goodies," but it also becomes a logistical problem trying to fit my very obtrusive set on certain stages and risers, or even in getting on and off the stage as an opening act or in multi-band bills. I can deal with it when it's my band and the kit is an integral part of the scene, but when I'm working for somebody else in more of a supporting role, I have to think about the big picture.
What kind of drum heads do you use on top and bottom? I love a very ambient, resonant drum sound, so I'm a fan of thinner heads. For toms and bass drums, I generally use the Aquarian Classic Clears, which are a single ply head. Otherwise, if I'm doing a really hard-hitting tour, I'll go with the Aquarian Double-Thins, which is a two-ply head that's about 50% thicker than the Classics. I do this so they'll last a bit longer and I can get an extra show out of them. On the kick drum, by the way, we always reinforce the head with some sort of "kick pad." I use the Aquarian version of this, although there are others that will work, including the good ol' Dr. Scholl's foot pads, which can readily be tailored for this function. For the snare, it's the Aquarian Satin Finish, which is a coated head. I use the thinner, Classic Clears on the bottom of everything for maximum resonance.
Is it important to be able to read music? There are far, far more benefits to being able to read music, than to not. I would say the top three advantages are: 1) You can learn from a variety of valuable sources such as books, video booklets, magazines and private instructors. 2) Some gigs, particularly studio-based ones, actually require that you read. And while that might not be your ultimate objective in the business, wouldn't it be nice to be able to go in and do some of these kind of sessions, make a few bucks and work with some different musicians, engineers and producers? 3) Even if folks aren't handing you charts to learn for a particular gig, it is immensely helpful to be able to create your own at times, particularly if you have to learn a lot of material in a short period of time. In fact, while reading music generally isn't a critical factor in getting most gigs, I simply don't know how I would've dealt with many of the recording and live situations I've encountered throughout the years without being able to read. On many of these occasions where I had to learn a lot of material in a very short amount of time, I would write out these makeshift "charts" that detailed the form, key grooves, important accents and even certain fills. Then, I would show up to the gig, rehearsal or session like I had been playing the tunes on the road for six weeks. Without my music-reading skills, this would not have been possible.
What kind of mental preparation do you recommend before a show? The key to mental preparation for me is to simply clear the mind as much as possible. I used to be into this pre-fight, pre-football game kind of mental hype-up thing, but I found it to be too draining. What I find happens in the creative and intense arena of performing is that there's a "flow," an almost spiritual kind of thing that comes through you - if it's allowed to. Our job is to remove all obstructions to this flow, the primary ones being stress, fear, and a mind cluttered with the day's events and concerns. I say, let it all go. Take a few moments before you hit the stage to sit quietly, breathe deeply and consciously release all of the activity from your mind. It's essentially like meditation, but you don't necessarily have to do it for an extended period of time. You're basically just centering yourself, "zeroing" everything out. And don't worry that you're irresponsibly neglecting your concerns. They'll all still be there after the show for you to think about. In the meantime, your audience doesn't care about your troubles. In fact, they're likely at the show to forget about theirs. So leave all problems, concerns and worries at the stage door and deliver the goods. More specifically, I always go through a quick process I call "Zenning." About 10 minutes before every show, I'll sit quietly in a dark room, in front of a candle or two, and just take a few minutes to get focused, doing the above-mentioned breathing and meditation-like techniques. Even if I'm doing a show with a band, I'll get the fellas to do it with me. It's a good way of getting everyone on the same page, so to speak, allowing each of the members to have their own pre-show experience while creating a "tribal" environment of unity and camaraderie. I know it might sound a bit unusual, but it works.
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