Your most important musical product.

Ok, so now that I am a few months away from graduating with my Bachelor's Degree in Music Business Management it seems that so many of my friends, and even people I didn't know, are after for me on advice to launch their musical careers.  In listening to them I am overwhelmed at how many of these green musicians are still under the impression that a huge musical industry professional will show up to their next show, wave their magical record deal wand and turn them into the next Adele or Lady Gaga overnight.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news guys, but this just isn't going to happen.  So pack up your delusions of grandeur and think about what you really want from your music.  If you want to be the next international jet setting superstar that's cool, but it may also be impossible.

So how do you know if you have what it takes to get the bowl of M&M's minus all the brown ones at your next show at Madison Square Garden?  Well the answer is quite simple.  It all starts with your music.

I am often overwhelmed at how little importance young artists put into their music.  I have heard everything from "we have an amazing show, the lead singer eats a baby kangaroo on stage" or "the label will give us this big name producer who will make our music into the next big radio, or better yet Spotify, hit.  Where is my red buzzer, or better yet my hoop to pull these idiots off of their pedestals so I can scream Trump's catch phrase "your fired".  Honestly if you think that your music comes second in your career I hope you enjoy salting fries at McDonalds.

Remember this the music business is just that a business and the central point to any business is a competitive product and/or service.  I mean Henry Ford didn't start selling his automobiles to the public in hopes that someone would come along and build them for him after he made a number of sales.  No he had the cars first and then marketed his product to the marketplace.  The music industry is no different.

First and foremost your music is going to define who you are in this huge market.  According to www.quora.com there are upwards of 15-20 million bands on the Internet. And when it comes to live shows Martin Atkins in his book "Tour Smart" reports that there is close to 2940 bands performing each week in L.A., and 1235 in New York, and that's only two markets.  The U.S. is a HUGE country, and we are just a small part of the music world on this planet.  Do you still think that the head of A&R for Atlantic Records is going to show-up at your show in bum fuck New Hampshire and sign you to a multi-million dollar deal.  If you still think yes stand there for a moment while I grab my hook.

The first thing I tell young bands is "take it slow".  Your music is so vital to your success so you should be willing to woodshed the group for weeks and really craft your songs.  Then pick five or six gems and practice them some more.  When you can play through those tunes perfectly your next step is to find a decent studio, and by decent I don't mean your buddy with his Radio Shack recording set-up.  In today's market there are dozens of people with quality home studios who can record your demo.  Make sure they know what they are doing, after all this is your business "product" and it needs to sound as good as it possibly can.  Why?  Because we are going to use that as center point to your marketing, touring, and promotion strategy.  And for Christ's sake after your done recording get that CD professionally mastered. Spend the money and you will be very glad you did.  Unmastered CD's, even those mastered by some dude with a Dell laptop and some free program, get tossed in the garbage by more radio stations, promoters, and label executives than I care to research right now.

So now you heeded my advice and you have a killer demo of your tunes.  Here is how that one little product can change your career.

Your "quality" demo can be uploaded to a digital ramp service provider like ReverbNation or TuneCore to get your tunes in the digital music stores such as iTunes, Rhapsody, and Amazon along with the multitude of streaming services out there.  Or it can be used to press CD's to sell at your shows, to your friends, or your parents.  I hope your parents are buying your music, or at least taking the cost off of the food and rent you currently owe them among other things. Now you have created a product that can sell and earn you some cash, but there is more to it than that.

Your demo will be used to get clubs and promoters to book you at shows.  Who do you think they are going to hire the group that calls them and says: "Hey dude we are the next Metallica. We don't have a CD for your to hear, but trust us we are awesome the drummer has the most expensive kit you can get" or the band who is able to direct them to their music on iTunes, or even send the owner a copy of the CD?  There you go that "quality" demo can help you land shows.

Ok, so now a few club owners bit and you have some gigs.  With your music available you can use it to promote that show with journalists, radio dudes, and possible fans.  The more people you get in that door the better and the best way to get them there is to showcase how great your music is.

Once the show starts you now have a room of fifty people exited to hear you.  With music available you can sell them CD's or hand out free stickers that push them to your website where they can buy or download that music for free.  You can even give away discs to people in the audience who traveled the farthest to your show or street team members who hung posters promoting the event.  Basically your music can be used to build your fan base and as a sales point at the same time.  You need good music to do that.  You need a good product.

Then down the road you are playing to 400 people a night.  Your website and Facebook page is jammed with thousands of fans and "like" comments.  All the sudden you are on a labels radar and they sneak into your next performance.  Like what they hear and offer you a deal.  It is now your choice to accept or tell them to fuck off, because you are doing just fine on your own.  I suggest you sign, but that's another blog.

The point is this I have never heard of a label signing a band without first hearing their music.  Sure they have created bands out of the blue like NSYNC and 98º, but they knew that these cats could sing and perform before they invested.  The labels understand that this is a business and at the core of their business model is music.  If you call them and tell them how great you are they won't care.  You have to show them how great you are which means you must show them that you can connect with fans and make them buy your music.  How can you do that if you never recorded a demo?

I will end this blog with a great point to hammer home that demonstrates how important good music is. One of my favorite groups is The Dave Matthews Band.  Their music was so good that a local bar owner named Coran Capshaw sold his business to manage them band.  In an interview he stated that the biggest factor in his decision was the quality of the group's music.  Because the group had such great music they peaked the interest of one of the best managers to walk this planet.  This manager helped them sell close to 40 million records worldwide, win a Grammy, and sell out some of the biggest venues on the planet.  As Capshaw saw it is all about the music, your product, in this business.  Why rush creating that product?  Why try to sell someone a bridge you do not own?

The story behind the Heel Toe Technique

I was on a road trip from Orlando to Tampa with my sister and we were skipping through radio stations trying to find something to entertain our ears.  After about thirty-five minutes of skipping through song after song, genre after genre we landed on the old classic “One” by Metallica.  Very few songs in the world force me into air guitar mode, but within minutes I was shredding away with Kirk.  My shredding session quickly stopped when the song neared the end and Lars kicked into that iconic double bass rhythm that acts as a foundation for Hetfield’s poetic verse:

           

            Darkness imprisoning me

All that I see

Absolute horror

I cannot live

I cannot die

Trapped in myself

Body my holding cell…

Now in my opinion Lars’ double bass playing ushered in a new dimension to the drum set; the idea of using double bass as a core component in the drumming structure of a song.  Sure the idea was already out there.  I mean Slayer’s Dave Lombardo was killing the double bass as were drummers from other 80’s metal groups such Iron Maiden and Megadeth, but for some reason Lars’ use of double bass in “One” quickly had young drummers around the planet seeking out a second bas drum, or at the very least a double bas pedal.  Today double bass has become a basic component to any drum kit and even icons such as Steve Gadd have jumped on the bandwagon.  

I don’t want to burst any metal bubbles out there, but double bass drumming has been around for a very long time.  Sure Keith Moon and Bonham used this type of set-up.  So have Billy Cobham and Tony Williams, but we can go back even further.  Take the late Louie Bellson who became renowned for using two bass drums in his big band set-up.  I like to cite a story about my drumming icon Buddy Rich to hammer the point.

In one of Buddy’s legendary rages he punched a wall and injured his hand while on a tour with his big band.  The injury was so bad he had to wear a brace and his manager was concerned that the superstar wouldn’t be able to play a big gig at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.  Buddy wouldn’t give up so easy.  He called up Ludwig and had them deliver a second bass drum.  That evening with no double bass training he played the show minus one hand and one extra foot.  The crowd didn’t even know what was happening until he took his final bow and they realized he was in a cast.  Many thought it was a marketing trick, but it wasn't. 

For all you young double bass drummers out there I want you to consider how much time you have put into playing a double bass kit.  I know it has taken me lots of woodshed hours to get proficient at the craft.  So why could Buddy do it almost instantly with prolific results?

The answer lies in the heel toe technique.  And contrary to what us drummers may believe this isn’t a drumming technique, but one borrowed from the tap dancing world.  Yes you heard me right.  The tap dancing world. 

It turns out that Buddy started his life as a young vaudeville star called “Traps, the drumming wonder.”  In that training he was taught the stage performance techniques of the day including tap dancing.  One of tap dancing's core moves is a technique called "The Flap Heel Toe Combination".  Take a look at this tap dancing instructional video and you will see our teacher explaining the technique.  Listen as she get going.  Can you hear the double bass?

Ok now take a look at this video by Derrick Pope.  I find him to be a very cool online resource and his technique is spot on.  The Heel Toe Technique starts at about 4:23.  

Do you see the similarities in methods.  I know the drummer isn't moving around, but watch their feet and how they make that same rocking motion with their foot as you should already be doing with your hands when you do a single stroke roll or triplet with The Moeller Technique.  

The unique thing about the Heel Toe Technique is that when it is mastered you can do it forever without the burning you may get from the standards heel down or heel up technique.  Your double bass playing will become more fluid, and like Buddy you will be able to dance on your kit.  I encourage you to check out the technique and see how it can elevate your drumming. 

Now just to prove that drummers can tap dance take a look at this video of legendary drummer Roy Haynes and Jack Dejohnette having a tap off.

One of the first lessons I learned at Berklee was that drumming is all about the dance, and as Buddy, Jack, and Roy have shown us the great ones have no problem getting down.  Is this a secret to their greatness?  

To change the palette or not to change the pallet?

For any of you who know me you know that I am very specific when it comes to my cymbal pallet.  Over the years I have tested a number of cymbals in various playing situations to develop my own unique cymbal sound.  In these trial and error scenarios I have stuck by the Zildjian brand.  After all I was handed my first set of cymbals from my father, who was also o a big Zildjian fan.  To this day I still use those vintage 1960’s era hi-hats on the road and in the studio.

On a recent contract my ride cymbal developed a nasty overtone out of the blue.  The technicians thought it was the stand, but they were wrong.  After talking with a Zildjian representative I found out that the molecular composition of the cymbal had changed and that nasty 4K overtone was there to stay.  The only way to kill it was by placing gaffers tape at strategic locations on the instrument.  This killed the bounce and made playing jazz, swing, and certain world rhythms a difficult task.  It also got me questioning if it was time to change out my brass for a new brand.

I have been researching and testing a number of other cymbal manufacturers and have narrowed my choice down to either Sabian or Meinl. This change will cost me thousands, as I will now need to reinvent my cymbal palette.

All of this raises the question.  Is it worth it?  Should I stick with Zildjian and just change out the ride and risk another dead cymbal that is out of my control or switch to a knew unknown brand that may present their own problems?

Cymbals and drums are the tools of today’s modern drummer.  Much like a drill for a carpenter they can make your work much better and efficient.  Unlike a carpenter they require you to adjust and possibly reinvent your sound with a single change, which can affect your personal brand.  So how do you do it?

I follow a specific cymbal selection pattern.  First and foremost I develop a foundation sound with my ride and hi-hats and build up from there.  With that foundation developed, I usually go with a darker sound.  I then add my crashes, usually a bit brighter cymbal sound.  This helps define them in the sound spectrum, much like engineers do with EQ settings.  Once these colors are in place I add effects cymbals such as splashes and Chinas.  Once complete I have created a new cymbal pallet and defined my new sound.  It is fun to try, but expensive and time consuming.  In the end it can be very rewarding.

If you have any suggestions let me know what I should try as the cymbal hunt is on folks. 

Merchandise now available

Hey to all you drummers out there,

I just launched an online store with a small collection of drum themed t-shirts, mugs, and other items.  I will be adding more each week.  You can check out the new line by clicking here!

I have included a bunch of items with the statement "drumming is peace", well, because it is. Over the years studying this craft I have learned how important the drum has been to the development of our planet. The sound of the drum mimics the heart beat and that is why the earliest indigenous tribes in Africa used drums and drumming to communicate with one another even before they learned how to speak.

Over the evolution of our planet the idea of rhythm spread to every corner of the world and many cultures based their own unique dances to specific drum rhythms.  In many tribal societies it was believed that the drummer could speak to the gods and was highly revered by the entire village for these powers. For other communities the drums signified a time of joy and happiness. Slaves played drums to keep their spirits up after long arduous hours in the fields. Carnival in Rio is based around specific drum beats that get those beautiful booties shaking. Even in our modern society we can still see how important the "beat" is. Club dance music is almost completely absent of lyrics and melodies, instead it is built on the pounding rhythmic bass that keeps the drinks flowing and the spirits up.

I once had the pleasure to meet the Ambassador to South Africa. When he found out I was a drummer we became great friends. Someday I will blog the amazing conversation I had with him for hours about how respected the drummer still was in many parts of the globe, but for now I will sit back and relax knowing that what I do is as true to the heart as anything out there because "drumming is peace!"

YOU CAN FINALLY DOWNLOAD MY BOOK!!!

Happy days are finally here for me.

With a little down time from the road I was able to finally get my book "Rudimental Technique and Analysis" available for download through an online merchant for only $9.99.  You can Download it NOW! Check out this promotional video on the book's features.

I started this book after I finished my first cruise ship contract.  After getting home I felt the need to step-up my playing so I started working monthly with Berklee professor and drumming icon Kenwood Dennard.  His lessons on timing, independence and technique opened up my ears to the core concepts of drumming.  I had always been a huge fan of the 26 standard drum corps rudiments so I started putting together a practice regiment that revolved around the simplicity of using just those twenty-six moves to better my playing.

As drummers we all know of these rudiments, but many of us are confused of how they can be used.  Sure anyone can play a paradiddle, but it is a different thing to play that paradiddle to your metronome at various note values.  In my sabbatical with Kenwood and my private studies I found that I could use these basic techniques to develop my hand technique, double bass foot technique, timing, and independence.  I then used my experience as a graphic designer to chart out how each rudiment can be played to the click with your hands and feet, how they can be used for fills, grooves, and how you can gain your independence with them.

I recorded samples of myself playing through each exercise and had originally planned to get the book published, but thanks to the ol' Internet I was able to convert the entire book into a PDF format that includes the audio samples embedded in each lesson.  You can learn more about the book at my website www.jeremylarochelle.com or if you are feeling frisky download it today from e-junkie.