July 2, 2006

Hi Drummers Paradise Community!!!

As You All Know I’m a KEEN RuNNer >>> So Here’s a Few More ThouGhts oN WHY DruMMing & RuNNing are PERFECT PARTNERS!!! >>>

In the UK at the MoMent it is VERY HOT!!! >>> Being oN the SuNNy South Coast that MeaNs H O T ! ! ! >>>
As I Blog, My WoMaN “Panther Kitten” is oN the BeaCh Waiting for Me to GET OFF THE NET & JOIN HER!!!! So I better Get My Idea Out to You NOW! >>

I RaN oN Friday Morning oN My Usual Forest “Assault Coarse”!!! >>> What struck Me was THIS……

It is NEVER EASY!!!

& NEW Gear CaN Re~Inspire YOU!!!

…..2 SuNdays Ago was FATHERS DAY here iN the UK & PaNther, Charlie GIANT & AliCe PalaCe got Me a NEW NIKE Running T-Shirt! >>> This is a Super COOL piece of Running Kit! >>> It’s “Dri-Fit” Technology iN BlaCk with the Word “RUN” on the Chest & WiCked Lime GreeN Detailing on the BaCk whiCh is all Very Cyber & GrooVy!!!>>> It Feels GREAT & Does it’s Job…..IT KEEPS YOU COOL!!!

This Made Me want to Get STRAIGHT Out There & R U N! ! ! ! ! >>>

EVEN this Last Friday whiCh was WELL HOT eVeN at 9am I was STILL Inspired to GET OUT THERE & GET ON WITH IT! >>>

I have to Say 40 MiNutes Later I Arrived baCk BRIGHT RED in the FaCe & Sweating Like a PIG but it WAS Worth it for the ENORMOUS Sense of Achievement!!!!

NEW GEAR Really CAN INSPIRE!!!

To PARALLEL this I Just ReCently got a 8″ Rack Tom to Match the Rest of My YAMAHA Endorsment Kit! >>> Making the Toms 8,10,12, 14 Floor with Legs & a 16 Floor with Legs >>>

I’ve NEVER had this MANY MATCHING Tom Toms IN My ENTIRE Career!!!! >>> I’M LOVING IT!!! >>>

The 8″ Tom is So Beautiful & SeXy, with a BriGht AttaCk & a Round, Resonant HiGh PitCh…..It has TOTALLY INSPIRED ME to Play this Kit MUCH MORE for My Own ENJOYMENT!!! >>> GOOD DESIGN WORK YAMAHA!!! >>> WICKED!!!! >>>

I’m EveN Using the YAMAHA , once a Week, to Rehearse My BRAND NEW LIVE EuropeaN Cool JazZ Act “BURST” !!!!>>>

WATCH THIS SPACE for More Gig & Internet News oN this AMAZING NEW JAZZ TRIO!!!! (!)

You Heard it Fisrt RiGht HERE FOLKS, on DRUMMERS PARADISE !!! >>>

So…..Inexpensive New Kit caN Re~Inspire You to Get oN that Drum Kit or Get OUT THERE & RUN! >>>

As I MeNtioNed Earlier iN this Blog thouGh “It Is NEVER EASY” !!! >>>

Whether it is RuNNing Up that 3rd Steep Hill iN the Boiling HEAT or trying to NAIL that Beast of a Drum Pattern it’s Just the Same ThiNg!!! >>>

It IS NEVER EASY……….BUT it IS ALWAYS WORTH IT!!!!! >>>>

The Final Destination of SELF~DISCIPLINE iN ANY Endevour that You LOVE is >>> RESULTS!!! >>> & that is ALWAYS WORTH the “Pain” & Hard Work!!!!!>>>

So Get Re~Inspired & Get oN that Drum Kit, Get On those ConGas, Get Out There & Get RUNNING >>> As the Nike Ads Used to Say “JUST DO IT!”

…..You’ll be GLAD You Did!

Stay Fit, Stay Active & Keep oN DRUMMING,

PeAcE & PasSioN,

*** <<< SiMoN THE Daddy FuNk >>> ***

June 2, 2006

Hi DruMMers Paradise Crew!

Here’s Something I’m doing iN My Drum LesSoNs at the Moment that I ThiNk You Will find Interesting & Stimulating!! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

A few Weeks Ago I took oN a New Mature Student, Paul W, who is Left Handed. >>> He speCifically wanted to learn from Scratch oN a RiGht~Handed Set Up playing “Open Left” (Left Hand on Hi~Hat, RiGht Hand oN Snare & Right Foot oN Bass Drum) >>>

I was of course VERY Happy to ablidge!! >>> This was not the first time I had beeN asked to TeaCh a Left HaNded Player in this Way & it is a Style of Playing which I found ExCiting & Challenging! >>>

Paul W is thorouGhly Enjoying His LesSoNs & so am I !! >>> This way of Playing caN be GREAT for a Left Hander if that’s what You CHOOSE, HOWEVER it caN be MUCH MORE INTERESTING for RIGHT HANDED PLAYERS!!!! >>>

WhiCh all leads Me to My point……..TRY Playing “Open Left” (Left Hand on Hi~Hat) as a RiGht Hander!>>It is SoMething FRESH & DIFFERENT whiCh I Guarantee WILL BLOW YOUR MIND!!! >>>

I First saw this TeChnique being Employed by Famous (LeGendary!) RiGht Handed Players oVer 10 Years Ago, oN My continuing Quest for DruMMing EnLiGhtenment, these DruMMing Greats Were of Course the GREAT Billy Cobham & Lenny White. >>>

Both MeN Tore Up their Respective Fusion GiGs, oNe at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Den Haig in Holland & oNe in Southampton in the UK, using this Different Style of Playing for their ENTIRE Performances!! >>>
They Both made this Scary, Ambidexterous TeChnique LoOk Very Comfortable & Frankly Very EASY, WHICH IT IS NOT!!! >>>

In My Current UK Drum Practice I have decided to TeaCh ALL My ADVANCED RiGht Handed Students this COOL TeChnique with Great SuCess & Many of My Guys are LOVING it as Much as I Do!!! >>>

But WHY?!!! I Hear You Ask! >>>

Well it’s GREAT for Mind ExpansioN, Lateral ThiNking, Added Independance in the 4 Limbs, ImproVed Co~Ordination, but MOST IMPORTANTLY You will be Developing StrenGth & FleXibility iN Your Weaker HaNd whiCh caN only be A GOOD THING!!! >>>

Insidentally if You Play a Left Handed Set Up with Your Hi~Hat on Your RiGht Hand Side Why don’t You haVe a Go at Playing “Open Right”!!! >>> It will haVe the saMe Awesome effect oN Your DruMMing toO!!! >>>

Well there You haVe it, ANOTHER WiCked, CoOL & GroOVy Idea from drummers-paradise.com!! >>> NICE! >>>

PeAcE Out,

*** <<< The FuNk >>> ***

May 18, 2006

On 13th May 2006 BILLY WARD was presented with the Gift of a “DF Wear” T-Shirt, Signs of LIFE Volume 2 Album & The F&R Trio Album “Rainshine” in Croydon in South LONDON by Simon Greenhill the Daddy Funk!!! >>>

Billy Ward’s Drum Clinic Tour,UK Spring 2006 >>>
Panther Kitten, Tim (Fellow Drum~Pro&Ex-Student), Ryan (Fellow OCDP Player&Current Student) & I travelled Up to Croyden in South LondoN in the Funk~PantherMobile! >>>

It was a BriGht, Sunny Saturday & the Whole Day went like Clockwork, Smooth & Easy!!! >>>
Billy was Performing a Drum Master~Class sponsored by the London Drum Company & Organised by
mikedolbear.com Nice oNe People!!! >>>

This was a GREAT little Event, which was purposly small & low key to enable Working Drum Professionals like Myself & a small handfull of keen enthusiasts to have Personal & Direct contact with Billy.

Within Minutes of arriving I met Billy Ward & Presented Him with The Daddy Funk Presentation PaCkage & had a RelaXed Chat about Drumming, Trueline Drumsticks & His British Clinic Tour >>>
I found Billy to be Friendly, Open & Very Funny! >>> He is a Sharp Witty MaN, who was Happy to share some Insights with Me & Generally Hang~Out >>>

I would like to again Thank Billy W for Introducing Me to TRUELINE “Power Ball” Drumsticks & helping Me to Secure My Endorsement with this Great Little Company! (CheCk Out My Previous Blog for MORE DETAILS)

Billy Really is a TOP DOG in the Drum~Community & I’m Very Glad to Count Him Now as one of My MaNy International Drummer Friends >>>

If You are oNe of the Few Who don’t know that MuCh about the Man I STRONGLY Suggest You Seek Out His EXCELLENT DVD “Big Time”. For More info go to His Website billyward.com He also has a GoOD Page oN
drummerworld.com whiCh is Well worth a LoOK!!! >>>

Billy Ward is a Great Drum Teacher, Drum~Enthusiast & Groovy Player. His Style & Approach is Very Similar to My Own & it was a HUGE HONOUR to Hang with Him & be INSPIRED by His FRESH, INVENTIVE ApproaCh to the DrumSet >>>
I found His Answers to My Questions on Studio Recording Particularly InsiGhtfull & His LoVe of Trueline Drumsticks as I haVe already said lead to My Subsequent Endorsment …. They REALLY DO Help to Reduce Hand, Wrist & Forearm Fatigue!! >>> We are both also Zildjian Cymbal Endorsees >>> So that’s a BIG 2 Count RiGht There!!!!! >>>

Have a LoOK at the Photo just to the Left of this Blog of BW & DF >>> & CheCk Out the “Photo Gallery” Page on
daddyfunk.com for MORE Photos of this HISTORIC MEETING!! >>>

Speak to You ALL SoON,
PeAcE & Awesome JazZy Vibes,

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