And the journey begins…

The Traffic School Song is is one of the first songs i was messing around with on the SPD-30 (Octapad), and i decided to record it. This was filmed/recorded back in November.

A little drumming to The Clash’s ‘Janie Jones’… It’s not perfect, but a journey is not about perfection. As i work on getting an actual set (because that is how i will get better), the Octapad is helping me to get my muscle memory back.

And finally… one of my favorite drumming challenges of all time! D.R.I. is one of my favorite hardcore/thrash bands of all time, and even though i’ve drummed (and played guitar) in punk bands i was never a metal/thrash/hardcore/’traditional’ punk drummer. In fact, i’ve always been a pretty basic drummer (especially since i’ve never had drums of my own). My main inspirations for playing were a lot of the post punk players like Hugo Burnham (Gang Of Four), Robert Grey (Wire) and Valerie Scroggins (ESG); as well as folks like David Lovering (Pixies). So getting back into this, i really wanted to challenge myself.

Will i ever get to a point where i’m as advanced as a Mike Portnoy, Neil Peart, John Blackwell, Sheila Escovedo, Tony Royster Jr., Tony Williams, Dave Lombardo, Billy Cobham or Art Blakey? Maybe. Maybe not. What matters is that the journey is worthwhile, no matter where i end up.

i am DEFINITELY not on the level of a Felix Griffin, but ‘Mad Man’, despite the challenging workout it is, is incredibly fun to play!