114 – Angela Lese: Drumming for The Dead Deads, Cultivating a Strong Fan Base, From “Regular Job” to Touring Musician

Kent Slucher was born in Louisville, Kentucky October 19, 1976. With an intensely musical ear he learned to appreciate music at a very young age. Some of the most influential bands for Kent growing up included; Led Zeppelin, KISS, Fleetwood Mac, Bad Company, and Journey. At 19, Kent got his first gig in his father’s band, Uncle Lijah. After that, he played in a top 40 house band hoping to be discovered. In 2002, Kent got his first touring gig with singer/songwriter Anthony Smith. Since touring with Smith, Kent has had the opportunity to tour and record with Pam Tillis for five years as well as working with such artists as; Kelly Keagy(Night Ranger), Gatlin Brothers, Oak Ridge Boys, Suzy Boguss, James Otto, Bill Medley(Rightious Brothers), Mary Sue Englund, Reggie Vinson(Alice Cooper), Bobby Terry(producer/songwriter, Cowboy Crush and many more. Kent currently plays with country music artist Luke Bryan. Luke has been fortunate enough to tour with artists such as; Kenny Chesney, Dierks Bentley, Jason Aldean, Sugarland, Rascal Flatts, Tim Mcgraw and headlined his own “Tailgates and Tanlines” tour in 2011. Luke has had many number ones and top ten hits including; “Do I”, “Rain is a Good Thing”, “Someone Else Calling You Baby”, “Country Girl Shake It” and “I Don’t Want This Night to End”. Kent performed with Luke on the CMA Awards, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Jimmy Kimmel Show, Ellen Degeneres, The Today Show, Regis and Kelly, and the CMT Awards. With passion and determination to be the best player he can be, he has brought a uniqueness and energy to the bands he has played with. “I like to think of myself as a pocket player…groove oriented.” Although he started out “stealing licks from hundreds of influential drummers”, he feels he has developed a style of his own. Very technical and precise, he leaves no room for error. “When performing live, while staying true to the recorded version of the song, I try to make it my own.” In this episode, Kent talks about: Navigating the home recording thing His responsibilities as the drummer for Luke Bryan Keeping your cool when things go haywire Becoming a full-time musician His approach to clinics Bus etiquette His pre-show ritual of watching and finding inspiration from opening acts How he spends his time off Performing on T.V. (talk shows etc..) Kent endorses: Ahead, Zildjian Cymbals, Ludwig Drums, Vic Firth Sticks

6 Sep 20171h 1min

Matt Jorgensen was born and raised in Seattle and caught the jazz bug in high school. It sent him to New York in 1992 to study at the recently formed New School, after which he worked around town until 2002 when he returned to his hometown. He has since maintained an active performance schedule as a leader and sideman, playing with many modern jazz greats including Peter Bernstein, Reggie Workman, and Sam Yahel. He is also the cofounder of Seattle-based Origin Records and The Ballard Jazz Festival, and composes for recording projects, commercials, web series, films, and theatrical productions. In this podcast, Matt talks about: The influence of experiencing other art forms How to bring a signature approach and voice to many different styles and genres His experience at The New School, and how his career is still built on the relationships he formed there Spending his 20s playing anything and everything in New York What brought him back to Seattle, and how he has gotten to do more of what he wants to do there since. Living and working in Seattle, before and after the tech boom Working with public and private sponsors to get new music heard How time spent away from the drumset on other responsibilities can “reset” his drumming and ideas Composing for solo drumset/percussion How finding his voice as a composer is just like finding his voice as a drummer – identifying strengths, playing to them, and being authentic https://youtu.be/J8YeXU7Zsl0

30 Aug 20171h 13min

Robert Breithaupt is a veteran of over 40 years in music, as a performer, arts administrator, educator, author, musical contractor, entrepreneur, and visionary in the arts. Breithaupt has performed in diverse solo, small ensemble and orchestral settings and has appeared with a virtual “Who’s Who” of great jazz talents and scores of other noted artists. As drummer/percussionist for trumpet virtuoso Byron Stripling, Broadway star Sandy Duncan and other artists, he has performed with dozens of professional orchestras throughout the United States and abroad. As Executive Director of the Jazz Arts Group of Columbus from 2001 until 2012, Breithaupt’s vision helped to shape the nation’s oldest not-for-profit jazz organization into a comprehensive, working model for performance, education, and community engagement. He developed the concept for the unique JAG Jazz Academy, a 5,000 square-foot facility dedicated to instruction of jazz and American music for all ages.   In 2011, JAG received the Columbus Foundation Award as the top non-profit organization in Columbus, and the first performing arts organization to have ever received this distinction. In 1981, Breithaupt was a co-founder of Columbus Pro Percussion, Inc., recognized today as one of the nation’s top comprehensive retail percussion outlets; he served as Vice-President until 2006. He is also Past-President of the Percussive Arts Society, the world’s largest percussion membership organization. He has been a musical contractor for over 20 years, and is the President of RBMusic, Inc. Breithaupt is recognized internationally as one of today’s leaders in percussion education, and has conducted workshops and clinics throughout the world on the subject. He is Professor of Music and Department Chair of Performance Studies at Capital University, and since 1978 has built what is viewed as one of the nation’s top undergraduate percussion programs. Breithaupt is the author of The Complete Percussionist (Barnhouse), one of the standard textbooks in percussion education, and the instructional DVD Snare Drum Basics (Hudson). The recipient of numerous honors and awards, Breithaupt received Bowling Green State University’s Outstanding Graduate Award, was a fellow in the Jefferson Academy for Leadership and Governance, participated in the Stanford Graduate School of Business’ Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders in the Arts and was the founding chair of the Columbus Cultural Leadership Consortium (CCLC). He is currently a member of the board and executive committee of Experience Columbus, where he represents the viewpoint of the arts community in dialogue surrounding the role of arts and culture in economic development and civic value. In this episode, Bob talks about: Traveling to Beirut, Lebanon for a drum workshop The way young students consume information Recognizing the drum-set as a “folk instrument” What lead to Bob teaching at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio Creating and managing a diverse workload Leveraging your skills into a lifetime career How his teaching has evolved and changed over time Drawing from your experiences when teaching The love of teaching Bob endorses: Yamaha Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Remo drum heads and Innovative Percussion sticks

23 Aug 20171h 16min

Steve Fidyk’s career has been a balance between military service in the Army Field and Army Blues bands, civilian life as a member or leader of various creative projects, and academia as an author, clinician, and Artist in Residence at Temple University. The son of a weekend warrior sax player, Steve was encouraged to pursue music from an early age. He began sitting in with his dad’s band and by age 11, was getting called for gigs. He went on to study with Ed Soph and Joe Morello before winning the drum chair for the funk group in the Army Field Band and later the Army Blues big band. With Annapolis, MD as his home base, Steve has been able to maintain a presence in multiple east coast cities including Baltimore, Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York. In this podcast, Steve talks about: How orchestral training helped shape his drumset playing Studying with Ed Soph and Joe Morello, who kept him focused on musical and technical development rather than professional ambition, and how their style of teaching lays the foundation for a student to pursue anything Spending equal time developing mechanics and concept Always viewing his music career through the lens of providing for his family His career in the military, the single largest employer of musicians in the world Working for an institution while avoiding an institutional mindset How “staying current” outside his military gig kept him busy and motivated outside of it, and is making the transition away from it easier Steve endorses Mapex drums, DW hardware and pedals, Zildjian cymbals, Remo drumheads, Vater sticks, and LP percussion.

16 Aug 20171h 21min

Originally from upstate New York, Seth began playing drums at the age of three. By age nine, he was sitting in with local bands and even backing up his elementary school choir. He’s been in the Nashville music scene for 15 years and is currently the touring drummer for Keith Urban. Other artists Seth has worked for include Gary Allan, Joe Nichols, Phil Vassar, and Little Big Town. While with Little Big Town, Seth was given the opportunity to record on two records and work with producer Jay Joyce. When Seth isn’t on the road, he is in the studio recording and collaborating with some of Nashville’s top writers, musicians, and producers. In this episode, Seth talks about: Working with Keith Urban and how the gig came about Performing on “festival dates” Getting let go from a gig and seeing it as an opportunity Recording with Little Big Town and producer Jay Joyce Creating unique sounds in the studio through non-traditional means The influence of a musical family growing up Studying with George Lawrence Balancing family and touring Seth endorses: Zildjian Cymbals, Innovative Percussion, Gibraltar Hardware and Gretsch Drums

10 Aug 20171h 14min

Justin Chesarek has lived in Atlanta for almost a decade, where he has played with various jazz artists including Gary Motley,Joe Gransden, and singer/songwriter Sam Burchfield. Justin also teaches at two area universities, Kennesaw State and Emory. He grew up near Pittsburgh which, despite its rustbelt identity, has always had a rich music scene and has recently evolved into a more cosmopolitan city. He stayed close to home for college, attending Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. Grad school brought him to Atlanta in 2007 and he earned a master’s degree in jazz from Georgia State. His recent trip to Alaska, and finding ways to put yourself in a good headspace to perform, especially while on the road Creating jazz tunes with relatable titles and content The early influence of The Beatles, and the first jazz records he listened to His first performance experiences at age 12, sitting in with his teacher’s bands at bars on school nights Notable jazzers from Pittsburgh including Art Blakey, Roger Humphries, Ahmad Jamal and Sean Jones How the Atlanta scene, especially the drumming community, is very high level without being too competitive Rediscovering his passion for rock drumming, and putting in the work to sound authentic on it Transitioning out of a gig in a positive way when life moves in a certain direction The differences between the two college programs he teaches in, and what each requires of him as an educator His hobby of photography, and how it can further enrich the experience of traveling for music Justin endorses Vic Firth Drumsticks

1 Aug 20171h 34min

Kyle Wilkerson is a well-versed and highly versatile drummer/percussion and film composer based out of Nashville, Tennessee. He has played/toured/recorded with many national artists and bands such as Maddie and Tae, Joshua Scott Jones (of Steel Magnolia), Kristen Kelly, Jillette Johnson, Michael Alvarado (of the duo US), Justin Adams, Logan Mize, Adam Sanders, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, The Lucky Few, North Carolina Dance Company, and many more. Kyle has toured all over the nation and has played the top music festivals in North America including Bonnaroo, CMAFest, and will appear in an upcoming episode of Bar Rescue on Spike TV. While home in Nashville, Kyle consistently works at the top live music venues and recording studios such as 3rd and Lindsley, 12th and Porter, Mercy Lounge, Darkhorse Studios, Blackbird Studios, Omni Sound, and Sound Emporium. In addition to recording and performing, Kyle also composes and scores for film and video for the Bofars Production Company based out of Columbia, South Carolina. His music has been featured in the Nissan Innovation for Endurance campaign leading up to the 2012 Olympics and he will be scoring the full-legnth feature documentary, The 41st Day, about the top US Men’s Olympic Marathon runner Ryan Hall (www.ryanhallfilm.com). Kyle also teaches, writes, and arranges for various high school marching bands in NC and TN. When he is not performing or composing, he is teaching/arranging percussion for the WGI Indoor Percussion Group Forza East Independent, based out of Greenville, North Carolina, which he is also the board of directors. In this episode Kyle talks about: Touring with Maddie and Tae When to showcase your chops What a radio tour is How the Maddie and Tae gig happened Creating real relationships Writing music for film Being prepared T.V. performances Answering a question from a listener Kyle endorses: Gretsch, Zildjian Cymbals, Innovative Percussion, Evans Drumheads, Gibraltar hardware, and Big Fat Snare Drum

26 Juli 20171h 27min

Rafael Pereira was born and raised in Sao Paolo, Brazil. As a kid he began playing piano, guitar and percussion, and along with his brother, fell in love with the traditional Samba and Choro music of Brazil. He first came to the U.S. as an exchange student in high school, and spent a year in Idaho. After he returned to Brazil, his father got a business opportunity in Atlanta and Rafa made the move with him. In addition to Atlanta’s Brazilian community of about 60,000, Rafael found immediate opportunities to play all sorts of gigs on drums and percussion. He played percussion alongside two of the city’s most famous local heroes, Sonny Emory and Lil’ John Roberts, which led to his name being thrown into the hat when Janel Monae was forming a new band in 2010. He’s been part of her team ever since, playing for multiple recordings and tours. He also stays active at home in Atlanta with multiple projects including The ATL Collective, a pool of Atlanta musicians that convenes once a month to perform a classic album in its entirety. In this podcast, Rafael talks about: He and his brother getting into the Samba artists of their parents’ and grandparents’ generations The blurred line between percussion and drumset in Brazilian music Why he views the percussionist’s role as that of a copilot, and why he loves it The parallels between American and Brazilian folk/roots music Taking stylistic and rhythmic cues from guitarists His involvement in The ATL Collective Rafael endorses Pearl Drums and Percussion, Remo Drumheads, Sabian Cymbals, Innovative Sticks and Mallets, Cooperman Frame Drums, and Ultimate Ears In-Ear Monitors.

19 Juli 201759min