May 18, 2006

I’m VERy Happy to Announce that as of Monday 15th May 2006 SiMoN the Daddy Funk is Endorsed by Trueline Drumsticks USA!

Many THANKS to Billy Ward (Who I hooked up wih in South London on Saturday 13th ~ Blog to follow!!!) Check Out the Super~Cool Photo of Billy & I Chatting (by the Gorgeous Pantherkitten) to the Left of this Very Blog!!! Special Thanks to Ian Kershaw @ Atlantic Distribution Ltd for making the whole thing Possible!! >>> You Guys Really ARE the BEST!!! >>>

So let Me say RiGht Now these Drumsticks are AMAZING!!! >>> I Use The Trueline “Tribal Assault” Model featuring their Patented “Power Ball” Grip>>> These things are MENTAL!!! >>>

What a GREAT PAIR of STICKS!!! >>>

These Drumsticks are HAND MADE in Vermont USA from Hand selected Hickory which is Specially Kiln Dried for Flexability & Strength. Billy Ward told Me that in ALL the Touring & Studio Sessions He has done with His Signature Trueline Sticks He’s NEVER Broken a Single Pair!! >>> That’s pretty Amazing! >>>

The Pair I Endorse are Designed in Collaboration with Danny Carey from the Band Tool >>>
What I LOVE about them is the Long Reach (they are apparently 3/8″ Longer than any other Drumstick on the Market)
They’re LIGHT & Very, VERY Comfortable to Hold & Groove with! >>>

The “Power Ball”is an Ergonomically Designed Grip~Shape just behind the Natural “Balance Point” of the Stick. It is Unusual, Original & Frankly PURE DESIGN GENIUS!!! >>> What I have found is this SERIOUSLY REDUCES Hand & Wrist Fatigue >>> I can Play Faster for Longer with these Drumsticks!!! >>> Which is Good News when You do as much Teaching & Studio Drumming as I do! >>>

NiCe oNe Trueline!!! >>>

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Checking Out the TRUELINE Website which is Informative & has a CALM Vermont Vibe!! Thes Guys have been Hand Crafting their Beautiful Drumsticks since 1981!!! >>>

www.trueline.com

ThaNks to the AnGels of Drums & The Funk for Making the Big Wheels turn in My Favour, Enabling Fate to Smile oN Me in this Groovy Way! >>>

Joy, Respect & Phat SeXy GroOVes to the PlaNet,
Keep it REAL & Let the LiGht Shine,

*** <<< SiMoN the FuNk >>> ***

March 12, 2006

Hello, Hello, Hello!

I was giving My student Iain a LesSoN the other afternoon>>>He was trying to master a 16th Note Hi-Hat Part in a CoOL Off~Beat GroOVe & He asked Me why I have the distance between My Hi-Hat Cymbals & My Snare Drum set the way that it is>>>

My Answer was this…….with comfortable distances between the Drums & Cymbals on My Drum~Sets it gives Me more ROOM to Move around Freely, enabling Me to set up a Smooth FLOW in My Playing & encorages Me to utilise the effects of GRAVITY on My DRUM~STICKS to the fullest!!! >>> Let Me explain this to Everyone in a little More Detail >>>

I’ve found that an ALARMINGLY Large amount of Drummers have No idea how to set up their Drum~Kit so that it is Comfortable to move around on & maintains LOW STRESS & LOW IMPACT on The Muscles in the Body, Particularly the BACK, NECK, SHOULDERS & KNEES.>>>

In 1981 My Drum Teacher Dave Clifford took Me & a small goup of His Favourite Students at Raynes Park High in South London to See THE INCREDIBLE BUDDY RICH & His Big Band Playing at The Royal Festival Hall on London’s South Bank >>> This AMAZING Experience CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER!! >>> Buddy Rich was then & still is Now,Years after His Death, One of the ALL~TIME GREAT MASTERS of Drums, bringing to the Instrument Swing, Funk, Flair, Humour, Power & FEEL,FEEL, FEEL, FEEL, FEEL!!!>>>>

As an excitable, Over~Enthusiastic Teen~Ager He & His Brilliant Band COMPLETELY BLEW ME AWAY!!!! >>> I Vividly remember getting SO EXCITED that I couldn’t stop Laughing out loud & thoroughly Annoying the other kids in Our little group!!!

In the Interval I walked down to the edge of the stage to look at the MASTER’S Kit & what still fascinates Me to this Day is how FAR AWAY Drums & Cymbals were from Him & His Drum Throne!! >>> He had SO MUCH SPACE!! >>> His China Cymbal for example was a FULL ARMS REACH Away from Him & NO Cymbal or Drum was set too High~ NOTHING was above His Shoulder Hight & NOTHING was Uncomfortable for Him to Reach or Play >>>

I Realised then & there Why He Seemed to have such a GREAT Time & Enjoy Himself SO MUCH when He Played…..BECAUSE HE WAS REALLY COMFORTABLE!!
His Feet, Hands, Arms, Legs & Back were under NO STRESS from His Kit Set~Up….though looking back His Heart obviously WAS from His GRUELING Performance! >>>

So Many Drummers (& Percussionists for that matter) Set their Kits Up to make them Look Cool, Rather than to make them Great to Play>>> This is a BIG MISTAKE!!! >>>>>

So what was that about Gravity I hear You ask! >>>> Well, a Drum Stick FALLS & if We give Ourselves Plently of Room as I have discussed, We can Use this Phenomenon of Physics to Our Great Advantage! >>>>>

Without much Unnecessary Effort We can ALL Play with MORE POWER & SKILL by Controlling & Guiding the “Fall” of Our Sticks thereby “streamlining” the amount of Energy We have to Use to Play Our Instrument >>>

Basically it all adds up to making the Action of Playing Drums or Percussion EASIER & MORE COMFY!!!!! ERGONOMICS!!! >>>
It makes SO MUCH SENSE!!! >>> So why not try Re~Positioning Your Kit TODAY!!!

ENJOY Drumming, ENJOY Music, ENJOY LIFE,

Big Funk & PeaCe to the Planet,

Let the LIGHT Shine,

***<<< Si the DF >>>***

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 >>>>>***