Working Drummer

Dan Ainspan is the co-host of the podcast Nashville Drummers Podcast with colleague Nathan Sletner. The podcast gives a voice to Nashville’s next generation of players — the up-and-coming drummers that you may haven’t heard of yet. Dan is also currently the Jr. Marketing Manager, Band & Orchestra Products for Pearl Corporation, based in Nashville, TN. A Slingerlands, NY native, Dan attended the State University of New York College at Oneonta where he received a B.A. in Music Industry with Double Minors in Percussion Performance and Audio Production. At Oneonta, Dan studied percussion with Dr. Julie Licata and drum set with The Mars Volta drummer Blake Fleming. After graduating in 2015, Dan relocated to Indianapolis, IN to pursue an internship with the Percussive Arts Society before his eventual move to Nashville, TN. In this episode, Dan talks about:    His job at Pearl drums    Dan’s journey from college to NY to Indianapolis to Nashville    Interning at PAS    Studying with original The Mars Volta drummer Blake Fleming    Leaning into his digital and social media skills    Hosting the Nashville Drummers podcast w/Nathan Sletner The value of a personal website in 2023

2 Feb 20231h 36min

Jay Bellerose is a Los Angeles-based touring and studio veteran with an approach and aesthetic all his own. His passion for all things old and gritty has resulted in a personality behind the drums that has become sought after by artists and producers including Robert Plant & Allison Krauss, T-Bone Burnett, Bonnie Raitt, Ray LeMontagne, In this episode, Jay talks about: The Slingerland "Rolling Bomber" set he plays on the Plant/Krauss tour, and how the sound is captured Having to find and fight for his aesthetic amidst the LA scene How singers move, and how drummers can recognize and respond to that How the Plant/Krauss project is separate and distinct from Robert or Allison's individual history or work Playing in Molly Miller's trio with his wife, Jennifer Condos on bass The deceptive challenge of simple instrumental music Keeping his schedule intentionally sparse when he's home in LA

26 Jan 20231h 20min

Jamie Wollam has toured with some of the most talented musicians on earth including, Tears for Fears, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Tommy Shaw (Styx), Fee Waybil (The Tubes) and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello’s solo project, The Nightwatchman. He has recorded with Michael Sweet (Stryper), Guardian, Zache Brooke, The Brave, John Elefante (Kansas), Venice, Jay Nash, Mindy Gledhill, Michael Jackson, Kyle Vincent, Hillary Duff, Eric Hutchinson, Avion, Steve Bertrand, Drake Bell, G.E.M and, Tears for Fears. In this episode, Jaime talks about:    His move from L.A. to Canada and getting sober    Working through these struggles while working with Tears for Fears    Drumming with Tears for Fears and the support they gave him    Being the drummer for Tears for Fears and working a “regular job”    Drumming for Tears for Fears and the new record    Losing his deal with DW    Dialing in his sound with A&F drums

19 Jan 20231h 45min

Matt Starr is a 20-year veteran of the LA scene and recently landed in Sarah McLachlan's drum chair. Over his career, he has divided his time playing live and recording in the pop/rock world and has also been producing music in his own studio. Matt began formal study of drums in his hometown of Toronto with Vito Rezza, and went on to study with Joe Morello, Jim Chapin, and Bernard Purdie. In addition to the Sarah gig, he has also performed with Buffy Sainte-Marie, Chris Shiflett (from the Foo Fighters), Christopher Cross, Lisa Loeb (with whom he recorded a grammy winning album in 2018), Deana Carter, Glen Ballard, Alphonso Johnson, Lucy Hale, Kiki Ebsen, Kevyn Lettau and Inbar Starr. In this podcast, Matt talks about: Learning to get the most out of your existing gear before buying more How drummers now have the expertise to be in conversation and partnership with audio engineers How his relationship with Victor Indrizzo led to the Sarah McLachlan gig Being an LA drummer without the LA extroversion/ambition How you can define "community" by just a couple of relationships

12 Jan 20231h 17min

400! We’ve celebrated milestones in different ways over the years and this time around we wanted to make you the listener the special guest. Over the last few months we’ve been collecting messages from y’all about where you are in your drumming journey and where the podcast has fit into that. Matt and Zack also reflect on where they are in their drumming journeys (two very different places) and the role the podcast is playing for in that, professionally and personally. We want to thank everyone for calling and writing in, it’s been really rewarding to hear from old friends and new, some close to home, some halfway around the world about how what we do here is valued. And thanks also to everyone who has listened, donated, told a friend about us, followed us on social media, there have been so many ways y’all have supported us over the years and that support is the reason we’ve reached this milestone. Thank you.

5 Jan 20231h 46min

Drummer, singer, and songwriter Jerry Gaskill founded the progressive metal band Kings X in 1983. A native of Bridgeton, New Jersey, Gaskill began playing at a young age, forming a band with his father and brother and playing his first gig at the age of seven. After playing in bands throughout high school, he became heavily involved in the Christian faith and enrolled at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. Not long after arriving in Springfield, he befriended bassist dUg Pinnick and the two formed a sturdy rhythm section, backing up artists like future Petra singer Greg X. Volz and guitarist Phil Keaggy. After trying out various combos of their own, Gaskill and Pinnick were joined by guitarist Ty Tabor and the trio, then called Sneak Preview, relocated to Houston, Texas. Changing their name to Kings X in 1987, they eventually signed with metal label Megaforce and released their debut, Out of the Silent Planet, a year later. A prog trio with a strong melodic bent and elaborate three-part harmonies, Kings X have enjoyed a successful career with stints on Atlantic, Metal Blade, and InsideOut Music. Gaskill's contributions as drummer, writer, and occasional lead singer are an integral part of Kings X's sound. In 2004, he released his solo debut, Come Somewhere, which was recorded and produced by bandmate Ty Tabor. In addition to his work with Kings X, Gaskill has contributed to side projects by his two bandmates as well as albums by blues guitarist Jay Hooks and New Jersey songwriter Bob Burger. After suffering a heart attack in early 2012, Gaskill's home was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy later that same year. Waylaid by a second heart attack in 2014, he rallied to release his second solo LP, Love & Scars. The album was released in October 2015 and featured guest spots from Billy Sheehan, Phil Keaggy, Earl Slick, and others. In this episode, Jerry talks about:    Kings X new album - Three Sides of One    Insight to Jerry’s time feel    Surviving two heart attacks    Wedges over in-ear monitors    The popularity of Kings X among the musician community    Moving away from the Christian music industry in the early days    The profound inspiration that John Bonham had on his playing    Performing with Bruce Springsteen

22 Des 20221h 14min

Based in Boston, MA, Tim is an international touring musician, session drummer, educator, and published author with both Alfred Music and Hudson Music. Tim currently records and tours extensively with GA-20, a three-time Billboard #1 blues trio signed to Karma Chief/Colemine records. He also leads two of his own projects: Tim Carman & The Street 45s—a world-groove inspired funk band—and the Tim Carman Trio—a vintage organ jazz trio (à la Jimmy Smith) nominated for “Jazz Act of the Year (2022)” by the Boston Music Awards. Along with performing, Tim is a dedicated educator who has released four drum books: Haynes-ISM (2022 via Hudson Music), Groove Systems (2021 via Hudson Music), Shape Beats: Drum Notation Simplified (2020), and Shape Beats for Kids (2017 via Alfred Music).  In this episode, Tim talks about The easy decision to commit full time to GA-20 in 2018 His experience at Berklee  Learning to make experimentation part of practicing Versing himself in Chicago blues, and the shuffles of Fred Below, Ted Harvey, and others The more jazz-based projects he leads, and playing with B3 organ

15 Des 202254min

Kris Mazzarisi is the founder and owner of innovative drum company Big Fat Snare Drum. Big Fat Snare Drum has become a standard must have piece of gear that is used by the majority of drummers around the world. When he isn’t running his business or inventing new products to add to the BFSD legacy, Kris tours with his brother in the band Winnetka Bowling League. Kris leans into his years experiences in the music industry as an intuitive guide in the running and growth of Big Fat Snare Drum.  In this episode, Kris talks about:    Creating a balance between touring and running a business    Road managing    Touring with his brother in the band Winnetka Bowling League    Teaching himself to be a professional tech    His company: Big Fat Snare Drum and it’s beginnings    The inspiration for The Drum Click Network

8 Des 20221h 33min