Rudimental Technique & Analysis Ebook Packed with Features!

This video shows how my downloadable ebook version of Rudimental Technique & Analysis has everything you need including a clickable table of contents and clickable audio samples embedded in the pdf document!  Get it soon at http://www.jeremylarochelle.com/book

Surviving as a Professional Musician

This video piece is an excerpt from my upcoming video on drumming, which I plan to release in the fall of 2011.  Also mentioned is my book "Rudimental Technique & Analysis http://www.jeremylarochelle.com/book. 

This sampling demonstrates some core elements that today’s top professionals require of their musicians, and as you will see being a good player is just a small piece of the pie.  Many of today’s top bandleaders, producers and musicians have hundreds of choices in players for their projects.  With so many great musicians to choose from they often thin out the herd by seeking out players that treat their music like the profession it is.  Being on time, taking criticism well and dressing the part are all business decisions that can change playing music from a hobby into a full blown profession.  

A test of time.

Do you want to find out how good you can hold time on the kit?

I have a simple little test you can try.  This is something I read in Modern Drummer Magazine Years ago.

Get yourself a copy of Billie Jean by Michael Jackson, preferably the studio cut off of the "Thriller Album".

Place your iPod on the single track and set your device up to repeat the track, grab your sticks and hit play.

The goal is for you to play the track "as-is".  It is a simple song.  Play through the song and when it repeats start over again playing it as-is.  Concentrate on keeping your time steady, try not to get bored and start adding frills, concentrate on the beat.  Keep on repeating.  At ten times with no foul-ups you are doing great, 25 you are damn good and if you can hit 50–you are a monster time keeper!

Good luck and drum on!

A drummers product line equals success

Many of today’s top drummers had to do the same thing that you are doing hopefully right now, and that is to practice.  But why should we, or better yet, do they practice so much.  The answer is quite simple.

Any successful business must first have a successful product or service.  The companies that achieve long-term success must have a very stable product.  Coca-Cola^® hasn’t changed the recipe for their soft drink since the late 1800’s.  Kentucky Fried Chicken^® safe guards the secret of their recipe like it is the Holy Grail.  These two companies and the select others that achieve long-standing success that has survived the tests of time share the same mantra.  Those with the best products to sell survive the longest. 

For drummers our long-standing success is attributed to our ability to play confidently in any situation along with the ability to bring that confidence to any genre or project we choose.  About ten years ago the great Neil Peart from the band Rush, whom is known for his amazing progressive rock chops, produced a project called “Burning for Buddy”.  In this project he brought in drummers from various genres including Matt Sorum, Billy Cobham, Steve Gadd and Dave Weckl and asked them to play straight ahead big band jazz with the famous Buddy Rich Big Band.  Many thought that a drummer such as Sorum whom was known for playing with Guns and Roses and The Cult was not a good fit for a project of this caliber.  The test required him to play outside his comfort zone and to read a drum chart.  Matt proved everybody wrong and earned the respect of Neil and all members of the Rich Big Band within one take. 

Matt proved that no matter what “kind” of drummer you are, if you practice, if you take the time to study and learn, you can succeed in any musical situation. 

I have made money as a drummer because I accept practicing as part of my job.  I have played hundreds of gigs in a variety of genres all of which have required a little something different from my skill-set.  For Broadway shows I have had to devote countless hours to learning how to properly read and interpret a drum chart.  To properly play straight ahead jazz I have had to seek the advice of great instructors to help me understand the intricacies of the genre and then I would relentlessly practice those lessons.  For any of you drummers daring enough to tackle Nashville be prepared for a community of drummers who spend their days writing charts and nights rehearsing to headphones for a simple one-night gig with a new artist. 

So if you don’t think you need to practice you will soon find out that the phone WILL stop calling.  There are too many great drummers now, many with skills comprable or better than yours.  You must practice and show up at your gigs prepared.  You must fill that toolbox with the instruments of your craft so you can pull the right wrench for the right gig.  GO PRACTICE!

Let's hit the skins!

Welcome to my blog designed for drummers to help keep the beat within their craft.  I have been a drummer (at heart) for all my life and I have been playing professionally for about sixteen years.  For the past six years I have made a living as a drummer, yup’ that’s what I put on my tax returns, but getting to that point hasn’t been easy.  It has taken a lot of work, sacrifice and of course practice, practice, practice.  Thanks to the countless hours in the woodshed and the assistance I have received from teachers, friends, associates and people in the music business I now am able to pay my rent, car loan, health insurance and even enjoy dinners that aren’t Ramen Noodles or Mac and Cheese with the money I make from banging on the drums. My purpose of this blog is to help those drummers out there whom hope one day to be able to make a living playing the drums.

I have learned a lot from my experience in the music business.  The biggest thing I have learned is that it isn’t always the easy advice or pats on the back that will help you become better, rather it is the kicks to the shins and blows to your ego that will have the most impact…if you choose to listen and press forward.  So I have decided to write my blog that same way, pulling no punches and dropping hard truths on my readers.  The ones who come back for a little more insight are the ones who are going to succeed.

With that being said I will offer my first piece of advice.  PRACTICE! Even if you already think you are the best.  PRACTICE!  Even if you are already making money or in a popular band PRACTICE!.  Practice those rudiments.  Watch those drumming videos at  http://www.drummerworld.com/ or on YouTube.  Go get a subscription to Modern Drummer http://www.moderndrummer.com/.  Later on in this blog I will introduce you to some awesome practice techniques and learning resources, but for now you MUST get out those sticks and hit those drums.  Businesspeople go to college, doctors to med school, and lawyers to law school.  Drummers need to go practice it all starts there.

Good luck and I hope to see you back for some more drumming insight.

~Jeremy Larochelle