January 27, 2006

Hello again, out there!!!
Daddy Funk Returns from Christmas & New Year Refreshed, Rejuvinated & Ready for Action!!!>>>

I hope You ALL had a Fantastic & Festive Holiday Season!! >>> WELCOME TO 2006 >>> IT’S NOW IN FULL SWING!!!>>>

This Year I’ve been Working hard introducing New Students to My TeaChing Practice; Building up & Strengthening My Roster with New Blood ready to be Inspired & Uplifted by the Rhythmic Art of Drums & Percussion!!!>>>& Writing NEW & Inspiring Tunes with My Musical Partner in “Friendship and Respect” an experience which lead Me to the Subject of this Blog>>>>>

My first Drumming thouGht for January 2006 is MELODY & MUSICALITY on both DrumSet & Congas ! >>> Infact on ALL Percussive Instruments!!! >>>

It has come to My attention recently MORE & MORE in the Wonderful World of Drumming that the emphasis is on Technique WITHOUT Style, Speed WITHOUT Dynamic, Power WITHOUT Finesse!!!>>> Increasingly the Fashion is for Loud, Super~Fast & Super~Complicated “EXTREME Drumming!!!” >>> I Know it Can be exciting to Watch & it DOES have it’s place in the Scheme of things >>> but VERY QUICKLY for Me it gets Boring to See & Hear >>> To Put it Bluntly, it just becomes a TIRING NOISE!!!

What I NEED in these Cold Winter Months, as this New Year begins to come Alive, is MUSICALITY & MELODY coming from MORE Rhythm People>>>

There Are of Course Many Great Players Out there who Use Subtlety, Light & Shade & MELODY on their Instruments >>>

Manolo Badrena, Airto Morera,Robert Thomas in the Realm of Percussion >>>
Harvey Mason, Manu Katche, Billy Ward & Brian Blade are Fine examples on the Drum~Kit & OF COURSE if You travel back to the Early Innovators MAX ROACH is Your MaN!!! Beautiful, Lyrical, Musical!>>> This is what I yearn for More & More, what My Mind & My Soul NEED, Like a Musical FOOD!!!>>”Can You Dig it?” >>>I’m SURE You CAN!!!

Let Us ALL make it Our Aim in 2006 to Explore the Tonal potential of Our Drums & Cymbals whenever We can, in ALL Musical contexts! >>> Let’s make Our Instruments SING with Rhythmic Tunes & Musical Shapes that COMPLIMENT & ENHANCE the other Instruments & Musicians AROUND US!! Bringing Sensitivity & New Colour to the Creative Table!!!

My Musical contributions to this Idea can be found on the MP3 Page of the Friendship and Respect Web Site in BOTH the Duo & Trio forms >>>

More ThouGhts & InsiGhts from Me SoON but in the mean Time…..
Peace to the Planet, ENJOY, Keep the GroOVE Phat & MELODIOUS!!!
& Let the LIGHT Shine,

***<<<<< SiMoN the DF >>>>>***

November 28, 2005

Hello again FuNky~Drum~People!!!
I’m Sorry I haven’t Blogged iN a While but I’ve been INSANELY Busy iN the preparations for the CD LAUNCH of the NEW Friendship & Respect Trio Album “Rainshine” to be Staged iN My Home Town of Bournemouth, South~Coast UK >>> It’s coMing Up oN Thursday 1st December 2005 & Will be a VERY Cool, Smooth & Civilised Affair!>>> I’m a Great Believer in Self~Promotion, So I’ve been Busy Designing EVERYTHING & then Covering the Town with HUNDREDS of Stylish looking Posters & Flyers!>>> Not to Mention preparing THE PRODUCT to be Ready for Sale, all Packaged & Beautiful by Thursday!!!(3 Days Time!) >>>>> PHEW!!! >>>

SO, Double Pedals,
Many of My Drum~Students have asked Me over the Years why I do not have a Double Bass Drum Pedal >>> The short, simple answer to this Question is that I don’t like them!! >>> but there is of course More to it than that!
There are some TRULY GREAT DRUMMERS who use Double Pedals Brilliantly & with GREAT SKILL, but these Talented Men & Women are Few & Far Between!!! >>> I’m speaking of MASTER DRUMMERS such as Neil Peart, Vinnie Colaiuta, Gene Hoglin, John Blackwell Jr, Shiela E, The Wonderful Brit Simon Phillips, even My Friend at Poole Percussion Austin Lane has something VALUABLE to contribute on a Double Pedal but the VAST MAJORITY DO NOT!!!!! >>>

I recently Perchased from the afore~mentioned Drum Shop a REALLY EXCELLENT DVD by the WONDERFUL Drummer & Human Being BILLY WARD >>> CheCk Him out on His Web Site billyward.com >>>
His New DVD “Big Time” is one of THE BEST Drum~Instructional Experiences I’ve encountered in A VERY LONG TIME!!! >>> I’m affraid to say Drum DVDs are usually pretty Aweful & leave Me COLD & UNINSPIRED but Billy’s is Informative, Funny, COOL, NOT TOO LONG (an extremely important criteria for a Busy chap like Me) & to get back to the point Billy displays some Very SUBTLE & Sexy Bass~Drum Chops >>>

This is My MAIN POINT with Double Pedals >>> SUBTLETY!!!!!!! >>>
Most of the Young Drummers who express an Interest to Me iN My Lessons are really only interested in Playing LOUD, FAST Bass~Drum Work in an effort to Impress their Friends or sound vaguely like one of a variety of Metal Drummers (I know there ARE some Good ones out there) >>> For Me this is BULLSHIT DRUMMING!!! >>> There is NO MUSICALITY, FINESSE, STYLE or CHARM in this type of Playing & it is BY FAR, My least favourite!!!

The BIG PROBLEM with most Youngsters who own a Double Pedal on a whim, is they are not prepared to put in the VAST amount of practice time it is going to take, to get even a tiny bit proficient on one of these pieces of Equipment! >>> Doubles between the TWO Feet, Paradiddles of ALL kinds between the Left & Right Foot, Controlled Singles etc. etc. etc. >>> & that’s just for STARTERS!!! >>>

If You Can’t play with Style, Precision, Control & Flair on a SINGLE~PEDAL, how do You expect to be even Vaguely Useful on a Double??? >>> The Mastery of ANY Musical Instrument takes TiMe, Patience & Focus >>>
The long Road to Success lies in a Calm, Clear mind with an Eye constantly on the objective >>> In the case of Drums & Drumming, that is INDEPENDENCE & CONTROL (with a liberal dollop of PASSION, JOY & OBSESSION!!!) >>> Starting with a standard Set~Up & working ONWARDS & OUTWARDS from there, as Your Talent grows, Your kit can grow with it if that is what You Desire >>>>>>>>>
I plan to be Playing & Learning WAY into My 90s >>> Therefore there is PLENTY of Time to Explore Your Drum~Set & Your Playing!! >>>>
SO onward with Drumming & Drum~Teaching, PeaCe to ALL You DruMMiNg People out there, Whatever Your Equipment tastes are >>>
BE COOL,
***< <<<< SiMoN the Daddy Funk >>>>>***