Mystical World of Cymbals and a visit to cymbal smith Jesse Simpson

     I've been chasing a cymbal sound for 30 years and never even really came close to finding it.  Maybe that's a part of being an artist, or it's part of "the journey" in being a musician, chasing something that we never quite find.  Or maybe, that magical sound keeps evolving, but whatever it is, I'm still chasing it!

     Cymbals are the X factor of the kit for me.  Drum sounds are more predictable, more attainable to me, because you can choose the woods, the bearing edge cut, the hoop and you cane TUNE them, choose various kinds of heads and combinations of heads.  With cymbals, insofar as their intrinsic sound and feel, you can choose a certain alloy, a certain weight and profile, but still, you kind of get what you get.

     Of course, there are many things that go into your cymbal sound; your touch, your stick, your intention, the part of the cymbal your play on, the dynamics and of course, YOU.  However, cymbals have that mystical, otherworldly thing that goes beyond description and has remained a mystery to me for years.

     Over the years I have gone thru so many phases: Old Ks that always had some kind of weirdness, Old As that sounded good, but still had a clumsy sounding bell, Sabian HH Sound Controls that had a beautiful oceanic sound but too much so, Paiste Traditionals that had this sort of clangy sound to the bell, Bosphorus Master Vintage that had a beautiful under stated woody sound, but void of musical overtones and Sabian Artisans that are a little too thick...  why does it have to be so confusing?

     And of course, it's one thing to find a cymbal that you love, but quite another to have a whole set that works together.  (maybe that's another post in itself)

     Of course, cymbals ain't cheap.  So, if  you're on a budget, as most musicians this day in age are, it's a constant quest of turning over cymbals, buying/selling, to find something that you really love.  You have to be absolutely tenacious and unyielding in your quest, and also gotta have some luck!

     So, last night I had a  chance to visit a cymbal smith, Jesse Simpson, in Brooklyn last night.  It was well worth the trip.  As I stepped into his shop, I felt like I was transported to an alchemists lab.  Finally, I was going to get some answers and some knowledge about cymbals that could help me evolve my conception of cymbals.

     Jesse answered all my questions and filled me in on some of the things that determine the sound and some of the things that don't effect the sound quite so much.  I learned about the cymbal "profile" the hammering patterns, the balance of thickness in a cymbal, the lathing, etc...  Jesse explained some of the myths of breaking a cymbal in (burying it, playing it really loud with heavy mallets, turning it inside out 50 times)  It was fascinating to finally get some knowledge and de-mystify some of this stuff.  And Jesse is just a cool dude, he's not out to soak anybody for cash, he's not looking for accolades... he just digs making and modifying cymbals.  Clearly this man has a passion for what he is doing.  Respect and admiration to him for going for it!

     I also brought in a few of my Paiste traditional series cymbals that have always had some kind of "clangy" tones in them and Jesse evaluated them and explained to me why that is.  I love those cymbals about 70% and the other 30% keeps me from really wanting to play them that much.  So, Jesse is going to "modify" the cymbals with some additional hammering and lathing to bring out the qualities that I feel the cymbals are lacking.  I'm very excited!

     So, the quest continues, but I now feel I am closer to the answer than before.  I will keep tenaciously searching, digging and feeding this obsession until, well, let's just leave it at that... until....

Motivation and Practice: part 2 Practice

What is practice?

That's a good question.  There are more kinds of practice than one may think.  As a noun, a practice is an ongoing carrying out of a profession.  Like a law practice.  As a verb, practice can mean to perform a particular skill in order to improve or become proficient.

Going with the latter and applied to the practicing of a musical instrument, there are different kinds of practice within that definition.

Practice to learn a skill.
Practice to become proficient at the skill.
Practice to master the skill.
Practice to maintain the skill.
Practice to integrate the skill into musical action.

Wow, that's a lot of practice!

The drums are a very physical instrument. The drum set has been referred to by the great Max Roach as a "four limbed monster" and indeed he's right.  The manipulation of the sticks and pedals to get the multiple instruments to all speak as one rhythm, one sound, takes a lot of work.  It takes a certain amount of conditioning of the muscles and mind.

So, you have a "conditioning" kind of practice that you must deal with in order to train your muscles.  Olympic athletes know this well.  Have you ever watched the Olympics and marveled at the precision, the timing, the confidence, the clutch performance of the athletes?  That certainly doesn't happen by accident, or even with mere "practice".  It happens with an intelligent and analytical approach to training, conditioning, muscle memory, mental toughness, self discipline, motivation and probably some qualities there aren't even names for.  Let's call that inspiration.

Let's break it down further.

Practice to learn a skill:  slow, concentrated practice of the skill to teach the muscles and mind how to respond.  Paying close attention to form, feel and sound production, we are literally teaching our neurological system and brain how to fire together.  We are wiring the action into our brain.

Practice to proficiency:  to be able to perform/execute the skill upon command with good form and control.

Practice to mastery:  to be able to execute the skill at any tempo, any dynamic level, under any circumstances, at any time.

Practice to maintain:  as they say, use it or lose it.  This kind of practice is usually a daily ritualistic practice of going over what we have mastered in order to keep what we have worked so hard to master.  What we have mastered is like a jumping off point where we move onto to the next plateau.

Practice to integrate the skill:  for musicians, this would mean utilizing the skill within a musical performance context, usually playing with other musicians (but not always) and to be able to maintains ones ease, concentration and form in the "heat of battle".  For athletes, this would be in an actual competition.

A lot of practice indeed, but if you break it down into different types of practice, one can begin to put it into perspective and begin to understand how a master musician attains that level of play.  Obviously, there are intangibles; talent, culture, opportunity, environment, tenacity, goals, vision.  However, if we understand what we are doing when we practice; learning, polishing, mastering, maintaing, integrating, then it doesn't seem quite so daunting, dry or academic.  It makes total sense.

Thanks for reading, let's go hit the practice room!

Motivation and Practice: Motivation Part 1

What lies at the root of our actions?  What is our "Why"?

In regards to music, playing, practicing and improving; motivation is key.

Recently a parent of a student came to me and said his son was practicing 15 minutes a day, like I suggested in the beginning, but that his practice routine hadn't grown… in 2 years.  And as a result, his playing hasn't really grown as much as he'd like.  

It got me thinking about what drives us.  What motivates us.  What's within us.  

A wise man once told me "There are no officials in life who are going to blow a whistle on us if we don't practice.  It's something that you either do, or you don't do."

Further, yes, you can practice regularly and maybe not really improve.  If that's the case, then you have to ask yourself why you're practicing, what your goals are and most of all, is it enjoyable for you or is it a drag and a chore?

A teacher can shine a light on the path, but the student must walk the path themselves.

What motivates you to play will motivate you to practice.  And what motivates you to practice is your desire to attain, to understand, to master, to move to the next thing, to build on what you've gained already.  

When a student comes to me with a desire, a goal, then my duty is done for me, almost.

On the flip side, when I have to practically beg a student to bring in a song they love and really want to be able to play, or beg them to go out to a jam session and sit in, or practically plead with them to get the Charles Wilcoxon book, then the chore is mine.

Some young aspiring players, you can't keep the instrument away from them, as soon as they come home from school they head straight for their horn, the piano, the drums, the guitar.  And they play it out of sheer joy.  They've made a connection to it, to music, and they are drawn to it.

Some musicians practice out of love for the music, so they can honor the music that they hold in high regard, to be able to play it right.  They practice to be able to enhance the music and the musicians they are playing with.  They practice because they want to improve, constantly.  The best musicians practice constantly in their minds, they are always thinking about music, art, expression.  They are literally obsessed with music, not just their instrument, but music as a whole.

Some musicians practice out of fear of not being good.  Their motivation is suspect, are they really in it for the right reasons?  They may thrive on competition, not necessarily musical expression or understanding.  And to be very honest here, if you have to be begged to practice, or if you feel it's a drag, then maybe you need to try something else.

Playing music is something that maybe good in theory, might sound like a good idea, but have you defined your "Why"?  Do you know why you're doing it?  Most say, because it's fun, because I enjoy it.  If that's the case, then use that for motivation.  

Some players truly enjoy improving.  They live to wake up and play and to experience improvement every week.  In fact, they expect to get better and they do whatever they have to do to make improvements.  Some go to quite extreme lengths, moving to another city, practicing for many hours a day.  

Some watch the clock as they practice, some sit down with something in mind and will not stop until they attain it.  

If you have hit a wall in your practice, in your musical life.  Here are some keys to working through the wall and getting to the other side:

Find what motivates you.  This could be a tough question, but it is absolutely necessary.

Define your "Why"

Tap your curiosity.

Ask what it is you love about music.

Ask what your goals are.  Short term and long term.  

Go beyond what your teacher asks you to do.  And remember your teacher is only pointing you in the right direction, you must walk the path.

Find something you absolutely want to learn to do and pursue it relentlessly until you get it.  Not because your teacher asks you to do it.

Never stop, even the best players have periods in which they have to ask these questions and re-define what their goals are.  

I also think it's important to identify what practice is.  That's what we'll deal with in the next post.

Thanks for reading, now let's define that "Why"

Music clinics...

I first heard of musicians doing "clinics" when I was in high school.  My dad read in the St. Louis paper that an amazing drummer, Dave Weckl, was doing a drum clinic sponsored by Drum Headquarters, Zlidjian and Yamaha.  I was curious, so we drove down to St. Louis, a 2 hr trip from our town of Hannibal, Mo, to check out Weckl's clinic.

It was hosted in a high school auditorium, which was pretty full.  There were a lot of guys wearing their Zildjian shire and hats, I was one of them, and there was an expectancy in the air.  Something big was going to happen.

Dave put on a fantastic show, his kit was hooked up to the latest in drum processors and he played with some pre-recorded tracks that showed his orchestration and groove skills.  The audience was truly blown away, I know I was. After Dave played a couple tracks he spoke in depth about his approach to the drums; his concept of snare drum technique, his kit, orchestrating musically, tuning, and the New York music scene.  Weckl spoke at length about New York and that there was room for everybody and that if a musician was very serious, they should think about going to New York.  That was maybe the first time I thought seriously about it.

Over the years I went to a few more clinics and they all had their own vibe.  Ed Soph was very matter of fact and no-nonsense.  Gregg Bissonette was high energy and entertaining, while also very grounded and conversational.  Louis Bellson.  Dennis Chambers.  Simon Phillips.  Tony Williams.  Kenwood Dennard.  Victor Lewis. Every clinic I ever went to I can remember something interesting about each one of them, I came away with something to think about.

Some of my favorites were not the drummers, but pianists and horn players:  Bob Brookmeyer, Clark Terry, Lew Soloff, Clare Fischer, Gerald Wilson, Phil Woods, Kenny Werner.  All amazing musicians with a lot to share.  Just being in the same room with them, listening to their ideas, elevated those who came to listen.

With Wes Faulconer of Explorer's Percussion at a clinic in 2015

Now, I am giving my own clinics and it is an awesome experience, more exciting than I ever thought.  I've been doing a lot of clinics with high school jazz groups and it's always fun and I end up learning something.  A recent clinic at Explorer's Percussion in Kansas City was a favorite, we had a great turnout and I felt a real connection was made with everybody in the room.

I do some playing in the clinic, but I try to emphasize the "Why" of music.  What motivates us to play music anyway?  Why do we do what we do?  The sacrifices, what is it for?  I always get very interesting answers from musicians as to why they love music, why they do what they do.  Sometimes it can't be explained, but I feel it's something we can benefit from being in touch with.

Aside from the philosophical side of things, in a clinic I try to give my audience something they can't get anywhere else.  So I approach rhythm from a totally different perspective…. the jump rope!  Check out this video to see rhythm from a different perspective.

Enter: Canopus Drums

A few thoughts about Canopus Drums

     I started hearing about these new "Canopus" drums from musicians around New York.  A bassist asked me "hey man, they got a set of Canopus drums down at Cornelia St. Cafe and they sound amazing and open.  You ought to check them out.."  And, sure enough, the next time I played Cornelia, I was struck by how open and tonally expressive the Canopus were.  I made a note of it, for sure.

     In 2010 I was in Frank Ascensa's drum shop in the Bronx when I met Eliot Zigmund, the great drummer who was with Bill Evans in the 70s (Eliot is STILL great, he's at the top of his game).  I had some old Sonor drums I was having the edges re-cut and I was thinking of buying some new drums.  Eliot asked "Why don't you try Canopus?  I think you'd like them."  He invited me to his house and we played the Canopus club kit in his living room and they just sang beautifully.  I was very impressed.

     On the way home I stopped off to see my friend Frank Colonnato at the Long Island Drum Center shop in Nyack, NY and there was an amazing Canopus RFM kit sitting there, waiting for me.  I played them, they sounded open and full, especially the snare, a beautiful 5.5x14 with die cast hoops and the Canopus Vintage snare wires, it sounded bigger than a 6" deep drum and had more guts than any snare I'd ever owned.  It was perfect.  So, I promptly stepped outside to call my wife and explain to her how I was going to pull off buying these new drums.  "What's the name of them?!?" She kept asking. 

    The drums sang so much more open than any other drums I'd owned.  I found the Canopus to be especially easy to tune and hear the tonalities more specifically.  Granted, I had been playing on 60s vintage drums since the early 90s, this was my first "new" drum kit in quite some time, but the alignment and congruity of the Canopus allow them to sing and have tone that no other drums I'd owned ever had.

     In 2011, I very gratefully and happily signed with Canopus Drums.  

     In 2012 I ordered two more Canopus kits, the Club Kit and a "pop" type kit with a 20" bass drum.  I enjoyed them immensely and recorded a couple of records using those drums.  I used the RFM drums on my album "Suit-up!" in 2013 and took the Club Kit out on scores of gigs, the 15" bass drum always sounded amazing, filling up the room with a full tone.

Canopus Club Kit

     In 2015 I switched out my RFM series for a Neo-Vintage M1 kit.  The past few years had taught me a lot about bearing edges, hoops, various woods… all kids of nuances about drums I hadn't known.  After playing the Canopus kit at Smoke in NYC several times, I found I liked the Neo-Vintage drums a lot because of their tone and feel, which comes from their rounded bearing edges, die cast hoops and poplar wood in the shell design.  The perfect kit for me has evolved into a Canopus Neo-Vintage kit with 12" 13" toms mounted from stands, 14" 16" floor toms, 5.5"x14" snare and 18" un-drilled bass drum.  Rounded "baseball bat" edges, die cast hoops.

     Canopus is doing several things aside from just their drums; the bolt tight washers, their amazing snare wire, the speed star bearing, are all examples of intelligent re-imagining of drum designs.  The bolt tights change the feel of a drum, just slightly, taking a bit of the edge off, softening the feel a little bit because the hoop is resting on a bed of leather washers instead of a metal-on-metal.  I feel it most in the snare drum.  I also feel it gives a slight more depth to the sound of a drum.  Their snare wires are the best going, artistry applied to every detail make the wires more sensitive and light, so that the drum breathes.  I can't say enough for the snare wires, they are simply amazing!  And the Speed-Star, I was shocked at the difference in my vintage yamaha pedals from the early 90s, the re-imagining of the bass drum spring pulley gives a pedal a major upgrade in smoothness, speed and power.  You have try it!

The Speed-Star Bearing Rocks!

     

     So that's it, I'm just psyched to be playing drums that are a total joy to play and I don't find myself wanting something more from them, they're opening me up as a player, I can relax into the drum, all the tones are there, the depth is there.  I spent 20 years trying to nurse along my 60s vintage drums, carrying them around NYC banging them all up, felt like walking on eggshells.  The vintage drums, they always needed work, I was always on Ebay looking for parts, and they never sounded right, even after I had them re-cut.  The old drums were cool, still had a lot of soul, but they were limited.  I had to move into the present!  The Canopus have the soul of a drum from the past, but with all the modern design upgrades of the present.  http://www.canopusdrums.com

     

Welcome to Kane's World

     When a person writes, they reveal themselves in a way that no other communication can.  When we write, we put our thoughts and feelings into words.  In between the words lies the spirit, that something beyond words, open to our interpretation.  Writing is powerful.

     With that in mind, I'm starting this blog to write about many topics in music in hopes that those who read it may get a better idea of what I am all about.

     Music has been a constant force in my life.

     I have loved music since before I can remember.  I sat in a circle of LPs and a record player when I was 4,5,6 years old, watching the vinyl spin, hearing the otherworldly sounds come thru the speakers.  There was and still is a mystery about that.  Even tho I know how music is recorded, there is an intangible spirit in music that still gets me.

     I got interested in the drums around the age of 6.  First, it was playing on plastic butter containers, then a conga drum, then my uncle found a used drum set for 40$ and sent it to me from Florida to Missouri, one piece at a time.

     In my town of Hannibal, Missouri, I dreamt of someday being a musician.  There was no manual on how to do it.  There were few, if any, musicians playing around town to learn from.  It was a total mystery to me as to how one would even become a musician, let alone get good enough to someday move away from Hannibal and go play in big cities, tour, record, write and live the dream.

     I kept asking myself one key question:  "How can I get better at music?"  Even in Hannibal, Mo. the answer to that question was there, and the answer was "Keep at it".

     I kept at it all through grade school and jr. high.  At 15 I got into a band, with grown men who were easily 10 years older than me, and I began making money and playing gigs.  I worked at it in the school jazz band and found myself in the all-state jazz band at 17.  I took it as far as I could in Hannibal and left five days after high school graduation for Kansas City.

     In KC, I learned a lot of truths.  A lot of what I had thought was true in Hannibal, was not real.  The music business and playing jazz worked totally different than I had thought.  I was almost starting over, on my playing, my concept of music and really, my concept of myself.  But, that was ok, because I was still asking the question "How can I get better?"

     I asked that question constantly:  in the practice room at UMKC putting in hours and hours, on the bandstand, listening back to recordings of gigs, watching videos of gigs, at jam sessions, even just lying in bed at night and thinking about music and how to get where I wanted to go, how to get better and play like I knew I could play.

     After moving to NYC, I started over again, which seems like a theme in my life, always pursuing something further.  I've put in 19 hard years in New York in which I constantly ask that question "How can I get better?"

     It continues to this day and much of it feels the same as it did when I was six years old.  The fascination with music, the feeling of the drums and rhythm, playing with the best musicians possible, staying grounded and moving forward, building, being disciplined.

    Through my playing and teaching, I funnel my experience in music and life.  I always thought that if I was going to do something, I wanted to do it to the fullest expression possible, weather it's playing or teaching or going to the gym or writing.

     So, welcome to Kane's World, hope you enjoy the journey.

Best,

Matt