REMO PRESENTS “DRUMMERNIGHT”
Remo present DrummerNight, in association with the major drum and cymbal companies, a benefit show in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. It will be held at Manchester Central on the 23rd September 2017 as part of The UK Drum Show.
Latest addition is the amazing Gary Wallis (Tom Jones, Mike & the Mechanics, Pink Floyd). The Line-up is almost complete with a couple more names to be added close to the event. DrummerNight will gather together legendary and amazing drummers to support Teenage Cancer Trust for one special night with no less than 16 drummers taking the stage with an all-star line-up of musicians.
The world-class players will be supported by a band of leading musicians, with Karl Brazil (Robbie Williams, James Blunt, Feeder) acting as Musical Director for the evening. The show will be MC’d by John Thomson, (drummer, comedian and actor, best known for his roles in The Fast Show, Men Behaving Badly and Cold Feet).
In addition to Karl Brazil & John Thomson the show will include Joe Donovan (The Blossoms), Mike Dolbear, Andy Gangadeen (Chase & Status, The Bays), Thomas Lang, Jamie Morrison (Stereophonics), Al Murray, Alexis Nunez (The Kooks), Simon Phillips, John “JR” Robinson, Ralph Salmins (The Water Boys), Jeremy Stacey (King Crimson), Gary Wallis (Tom Jones, Mike & the Mechanics, Pink Floyd). and Steve White. Plus one more names will be announced before the event depending on commitments.
Drum wise, the night promises to be a Drummer’s Night of the year ! Check out Simon Hanson of Squeeze on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eblVTktgdR4
The event is supported by the drum companies: British Drum Company, DW, Gretsch, Mapex, Pearl, Sakae, Sonor, Tama, Yamaha and the cymbal companies Istanbul, Paiste, Sabian, Zildjian, plus Innovative Percussion and Vic Firth, as well as The UK Drum Show for one night in support of Teenage Cancer Trust.
Tickets (£30.00 each) on sale from the The UK Drum Show website and are available from www.theukdrumshow.com
For further information go to: www.drummernight.com or www.theukdrumshow.com or www.remo.com
Teenage Cancer Trust Cancer sucks. Each day seven young people age 13-24 are diagnosed with cancer. Teenage Cancer Trust is there to make sure they don’t face it alone.
Teenage Cancer Trust provides world-class cancer care and support in specialist units, local hospitals and in homes across the UK. They are there at every stage, from diagnosis through treatment and after, and bring young people together so they can support each other.
The charity gives presentations in schools so young people understand more about cancer and go to the doctors earlier. Their education team also helps medical professionals and politicians understand why young people with cancer need specific support.
Teenage Cancer Trust has come so far but there’s still so much more to do. Right now, for every young person they can reach, there’s another they can’t. But they will not just sit back and accept that, so the charity is expanding their work.
Teenage Cancer Trust is aiming to provide specialist nurses across the UK in order to reach all young people with cancer, no matter where they live. To do this they will need to raise £20 million a year, every year, by 2020.
DrummerNight aims to help this very worthy cause.
Great drummer or great drum teacher?
Nick Schlesinger, Aug 2017
An ancient Chinese proverb says “to know the road ahead, ask those coming back”. In your journey to becoming a better drummer, there’s no doubt that you’ll want to learn from the best drummers around; those who are most experienced. So, with this mind, I wanted to bring some food for thought to the table when searching for tuition.
It starts with establishing a difference between a great drummer who teaches and a great drum teacher. Is there really a difference? I believe there is, so we’ll explore these below.
Similarities
Let’s start with the things both groups have in common.
| Great Drummer | Great Drum Teacher |
Proficiency Pro-level playing ability (time, feel, technique) | Yes | Yes |
Knowledge Deep knowledge of, and context for, subject matter | Yes | Yes |
Specialism Can have specialist knowledge on a topic | Yes | Yes |
Core principles Understands core principles and how to apply these | Yes | Yes |
Processes Applies these to develop creative and practical ideas | Yes | Yes |
To my eyes there are basic elements that can make a great drummer and a great drum teacher very similar. At the end of the day, both groups are knowledgeable drummers!
Differences
When it comes to the differences, I believe the devil is in the detail. Great drummers come in many shapes and sizes. Some focus on technical proficiency and speed, some on pocket and feel, and some are great at both. And whilst some may specialise in different styles, they all have in common a great sense of time, musical sensibility, and are active listeners. Yet, when it comes to teaching, their approach might be more geared towards a lecture on a particular topic.
In contrast, a great drum teacher is the drummer who is able to provide guidance, nurture and develop skill. The focus, therefore, turns away from his / her own abilities and towards the student’s. This translates to understanding where you stand as a player, identifying your goals and getting to know how your mind works to use to effectively communicate with you. This goes in tandem with spotting areas that need development and creating tailored solutions for these. In doing so, being patient and supportive, keeping fun in mind, yet always challenge to push you forward.
Conclusion
To sum up, I think it’s important to acknowledge that some drummers are better teachers than others. This doesn’t make anyone worse or better drummers or musicians than the other by any stretch of the imagination. Some like teaching, and are great at it, some don’t like teaching and
therefore prefer not to. Conversely, it’s important to be aware that some may like teaching but may not have the aptitude, whilst some may not like teaching but be reluctantly be good at it!
The point of this article hasn’t been to box any one into two distinct categories. On the contrary, I hope that the paragraphs above have served as a guide for you, the student (and let’s face it, we’re all students), to help you in choosing your drum teacher.
Ultimately, you should explore different teachers, and find what works for you. Go to sites like www.drumteachers.co.uk, or its sister sites www.drumteachers.ca (Canada) or www.drumteachers.info (USA) to help you find the right teacher for you.
Good luck!
Nick Schlesinger
Drummer / educator
