Music - Life doesn't get any better

(most of the time...)

My first (and still a fave) drum hero. Ringo was OK, but Gene Krupa was the drummer that really shook me.
(And ya gotta love a guy who plays so much that he sweats through his jacket!)

Ah, Music - a gift from the Gods. But where to start with this all-encompassing, all-devouring, all-enthralling Art form/profession/spiritual vibe?

The instruments I use most often as my vehicle of expression are the drums. I do play some keyboards, know my way around certain woodwinds, and write and arrange music (and even sing on occasion), but the drums are where it all started long ago. It seems that I've been bonking on various objects to see what they sound like since I was a toddler, and I got my first drumset when I was 6. It was from a department store, and had a bass drum, a small snare drum attached to the left side, and a small tom to the right. On top was a cymbal, cowbell and woodblock. This was a high-quality collection of instruments - the drums had real cardboard heads! I broke through one on the first day, and as my Dad taped it up he was probably thinking "this could become an expensive hobby...". And apparently, when I was all of 18 months old, I'd plop down beside the cheap, plastic portable record player my parents had bought for us kids (remember the kind, with the speaker built into the lid?), and I would sit there and listen to the tunes. So I guess the emotional responses I got from music were pretty immediate.

In listening to music I discovered the above-pictured Mr. Krupa at the tender age of 6, and then Duke Ellington a few years later. I decided that being a drummer was the thing for me, but was also wondering if I had the temperament for this sort of life. To someone who once asked, I once described drumming thusly: On a good day, drumming can stir your soul, move your feet, and transport you to other realms. On a bad day, well, it's just hitting things with sticks... So it's usually a wonderful thing, but making a living at it? Well, this business called music certainly has been a challenging career (and it makes a wonderful hobby for everyone else!). There are, however, those most wonderful moments, both on- and off-stage, that transcend all the hassles and indignities. In addition, I've met so many wonderful folks, including some Famous People. I'll begin my other music pages by offering you to read more about these and other memories under People/Moments.

I've been a member of the Jivewires since 1994, and with that I also play in the other groups run by Jives' leader Steve Berndt, including The Custums, which is a wedding / corporate party band, and the Steve Berndt Quartet (jazz). I hold down the drum chair for Adrian Cho's Impressions In Jazz Orchestra (IJO), and also play with two local swing bands - Grey Jazz, run by Bob Cleall, and the Bill Jupp Band. I also have a regular gig as an accompanist for a DanceAbility class run by my friend Renata Soutter.

If you're interested in the technical side of things, check out my Drum Gear page, and my new jazz kit. I've become very involved in hand drumming, writing music based on these instruments. And last but not least, you can see some photos of my life in music (incl. road pics) in my Photo Gallery.

I'm inspired by all sorts of music, from the many incarnations of Jazz (Duke Ellington!), to Russian Choral music, Classical, Challenging (King Crimson!), Funk, Jive and Jump Blues (Louis Jordan!), contemporary (Dave Mathews Band), and the various forms collectively known as World Beat.

Of course, I often get asked the inevitable "so who's your favourite drummer?". Well, I 'll answer that with a list of my influences: Bill Bruford, Stewart Copeland, Sam Woodyard (Duke Ellington), John Bonham, Steve Gadd, Art Blakey, Phil Collins (early Genesis), Buddy Rich, Terry Bozzio, Michael Giles (early King Crimson), Dave Tough (mid-1940's Woody Herman), Mitch Mitchell, and Michael Shrieve (early Santana).

Other fave artists (in no particular order): Dead Can Dance / Lisa Gerrard, Duke Robillard, kd lang, Woody Herman, James Brown, Milton Nascimento, Loreena McKennitt, Keb' Mo', Tower of Power, Medeski Martin and Wood, Gong, Benny Goodman, Sting, Maceo Parker, '70s Prog rock (Genesis, Yes, etc.), Crowded House, Joey Baron, Dr. John, Gustav Mahler, Little Feat, Enya, John Hiatt, plus various Electronica, Ambient, and Drums 'n Bass artists.

Here are links to artists whom I've worked with to varying degrees.

Mumbo Jumbo Voodoo Combo