“I wake up every day and have many ideas for what sounds I would like to try.”   Try Drumeo Edge for free for 7 days   Wiktoria Bialic is a great live and studio drummer from Poland. She has been working hard towards making a career in music and was even told that it wouldn’t work out because she lives in Poland. I think it is fair to say that she has busted that myth.   You Will Hear About….   Location and how it plays a role in how we approach the music industry. Experimentation with sound. Wiktoria breaks down her financial situation. Whether or not Wiktoria’s parents have been hesitant for her to become a musician. Why passion leads people to a higher chance of success with whatever they do. Why Should You Listen?   Wiktoria is a drummer that I have been following for some time now. I have seen her sound, ability to play, and success come through in a big way in the last year or so. To listen to a young person talk in such a mature way about their goals and where they want to be in life is really satisfying. This episode may just lift up your spirits a bit.   Check out my new podcast Shootin’ The Shit With Seamus   Follow Wiktoria   Instagram Facebook   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’   Instagram Facebook YouTube

“I need things like skateboarding, or surfing, or art, or like you, building to just balance myself out.”   Try Drumeo Edge for free for 7 days   Brandon Scott is an online drum educator through his very popular YouTube channel. Most of the content he produced was while he lived in Cape Town, South Africa. Recently, however, he made the move back to the USA with his wife.    With a growing YouTube channel, a huge uproot, and sorting out his next moves, this was a great time to sit down and chat about what is going on with him.   You Will Hear About….   What makes something good and letting go of certain things during the creative process? His experience recording 400 minutes of content at the Drummers Collective. Is Brandon getting bored of what most drumming content consists of? The big uproot that Brandon and his wife are currently going through. Some thoughts about Covid. The fine line between overdoing the drumming thing and not doing it enough. What is Brandon’s ultimate goal with his YouTube channel? Self-esteem and imposter syndrome. Some opinions regarding social media. The importance of having a connection with nature. Why Should You Listen?   Because this is nearly the end of this podcast I felt inclined to discuss some stuff that isn’t talked about much but I feel is thought about often. I get the sense that there is a lot not discussed so that people’s brands aren’t put into jeopardy but because I have cancelled myself, I figured I would venture into some of that territory. You might like this just because of the nature of the conversation and how uncomfortable most of this stuff is to talk about.   Follow Brandon   YouTube Instagram Facebook Website   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’   Instagram Facebook YouTube

“The one environment that I cannot lie in is music. Music tells the truth all the time. Either you can play or you can’t.”   Try Drumeo Edge for free for 7 days   Our second episode with the great Billy Cobham. In this episode, we are talking about the nature of creativity.   You Will Hear About….   Billy shares his thoughts on where creativity comes from. Does creativity ever tire for Billy? With advancements in technology are we better off nowadays or was there more of a hotbed of creativity in the past? The importance of taking notes to capture creativity that would be fleeting if not captured somehow. Why Should You Listen?   Creativity is a deep subject and it is one that I enjoy exploring with my guests. In particular, to hear testimony of an incredible musician stating that his creativity never ceases to exist is inspiring to hear. I just wondered if there ever comes a point where you run out of ideas.   Follow Billy   Instagram Facebook Website   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’   Instagram Facebook YouTube

Try Drumeo Edge for free for 7 days   The time has come for me to part ways with the DrumeoGab podcast. It has been a blast making this show but my time has come to move onto other things.    I also share a prank call that I made to Drumeo where Jack Thomas answered the call.   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’   Instagram Facebook YouTube

“It’s been told to me that our minds are like Teflon when it comes to positive and velcro when it comes to the negative.”   Try Drumeo Edge for free for 7 days   We are back with Larnell Lewis! Our first episode dealt with Larnell ranking some facets of drumming in order of their importance and I think we all learned a lot from that one. Today though, we are dealing with something very different.   What happens when life gets in the way of your drumming? It happens to all of us. Even the pros. Larnell has had his fair share of interruptions and having to deal with balancing his professional career and the rest of his life. He shares some invaluable wisdom that struck a chord with me not just when I interviewed him but also today as I write this.   For those drummers out there who feel guilty for not feeling like they are spending enough time behind the kit then this one is for you. You Will Hear About….   Reaching your greatness and the balancing act that comes along with that. The importance of your brand. How interruptions in life happen and how we can keep the flame lit for our passion for drumming. Some final thoughts regarding today’s episode. Why Should You Listen?   When I connect with listeners it is often said that they feel like they don’t play enough drums or that they feel as though that they should be better than they are. It seems to me that their lifestyle has other plans in store for them. Family, work, events, other interests, emergencies, health, stress, and so forth. This episode will help you.   I share a lot of my own personal thoughts too because like most of you, I am not a pro drummer. I love the drums but I honestly never felt like they were going to be my all. I just never could justify that. But there is always a big ol’ gushy spot in my heart for them and that will never die. I think y’all might connect with what I had to say also.   Follow Larnell   Instagram Facebook Website   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’   Instagram Facebook YouTube

“I have to play stuff that I truly love.”   Try Drumeo Edge for free for 7 days   When I interviewed Todd Sucherman for the top five unique snare drums (and five honorable mentions) we also discussed endorsements.    I feel that endorsements will always have a gravitational pull for most of us. If someone gets offered one what do you think the likelihood of someone accepting it be? My guess is that it would probably be quite high. Even if it isn’t really something they need for their career or if it meant that they would need to take out a line of credit to buy the cymbals, or drums.   So, what are endorsements for?    Well, I share my views on it and Todd shares his. You Will Hear About….   What does it mean when drummers switch companies a lot? Why you should play the instruments you love. Some common misconceptions about endorsements. How Todd got hooked up with Sabian. Why Should You Listen?   I have spoken to many artists. I have observed many posts regarding endorsements. I have spoken about endorsements and my thoughts about them but I have always been slightly cautious about what I say….until now. I mean no disrespect but I had to share my thoughts about them.   Follow Todd   Instagram Facebook Website   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’   Instagram Facebook YouTube

“That’s old history. Great history. Like I said every now and then I’ll think back on it.  Especially when someone asks about it.”   Try Drumeo Edge for free for 7 days   Dennis Chambers is involved with Billy Cobham’s “Guide To Stress-Free Drumming” and so for that ongoing event, I was invited to speak with the legend himself. Due to a house fire situation, all of Dennis’ recording gear was offsite which meant that we would need to do this over Zoom. Or did it…?   I decided that maybe it would be a vibe to just record a phone call. You know, an old-fashioned phone call! It was amazing. I was sitting out on my hammock on a beautiful sunny day talking to one of my all-time favorite musicians. It turns out that Dennis is funny, charming, and down-to-earth. That made this all the more incredible. Sometimes they say “never meet your heroes”. This was certainly an exception.   You will hear about many things in this messy and natural conversation. No notes. No prep. Just a phone call that I will never forget. I hope that you experience this episode like you were listening in on us like a fly on the wall. This episode is as casual as this podcast will ever get.   You Will Hear About….   Honestly, there is too much going on here to even begin listing off everything within this conversation. Just as a general overview though, we talked about his dog, his incredible collection of historically important instruments, the house fire, his health scare, playing in a band, and much more. Why Should You Listen?   This is Dennis Chambers talking on the phone with me in a funny and memorable conversation. Need I say more?   Follow Dennis   Instagram Facebook Website   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’   Instagram Facebook YouTube

“I was lazy until I found something I liked to do.”   Try Drumeo Edge for free for 7 days   Since I started doing this podcast thing I have been friends with Jefferson, a quirky woodworker out of Santa Cruz, CA. I can almost see his eyebrows raise when I refer to him as being quirky. What I mean by that is that he doesn’t give a shit. I mean, he definitely gives a shit about the whole people and drums thing, but at the end of the day he really just does his own thing. That is probably why we both connected like we did.   The drums are second to none. I play Sugar drums and they are simply spectacular instruments. There is a sense of occasion every time I play them but the time is never spoiled with unrealistic expectations of yourself. Good drums can sometimes feel like they expect a lot from me and it has gotten to my head before. With crappy drums I feel like it is more of a surprise when someone sounds good on them. So, nice drums, I feel, set up a scenario of expectations. The worst case scenario with Sugar drums is that you just look like a player who has fine taste. But this is all totally subjective and my personal experience.    Of course, it goes without saying that I recommend that you look into these drums if you like the idea of owning furniture grade drums that sound magnificent and have incredible tonal range. This episode is more about highlighting personal and emotional connections to the company and how it is affecting people.    You Will Hear About….   Some details about Jefferson’s recent move. How the name of the company affects what Jefferson does with the drums he builds. The thought process behind Jefferson’s high quality standards and where the neurosis comes from. Noah and his role at Sugar Percussion. The charitable work that Jefferson commits himself to. What 2020 was like for Jefferson. The FedEx thing. Why Should You Listen?   It is great to hear about what matters to Jefferson and how that works itself into the company values. It isn’t just about the drums. It goes deeper than that.   Follow Sugar Percussion   Instagram Facebook Website   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’   Instagram Facebook YouTube

“It took me two years to convince my parents that I needed a drum set.”   Try Drumeo Edge for free for 7 days   Greek metal maestro and drummer for Nile, George Kollias, is on another level when it comes to extreme metal drumming. He has authored the trilogy, The Odyssey of Double Bass Drumming and has also released his two DVD’s Intense Metal Drumming 1 and 2.    In this episode you will hear a lot about George’s thoughts about comparisons, creating independent learners, Nile, Derek Roddy, whether blast beats can groove and much more.   You Will Hear About….   Has having an abundance of convenient knowledge hurt or helped drummers? George’s observations on students discovering their potential. What does George think about comparing ourselves to others? What does George’s practice routine look like currently? Hobby versus professional career. Which is better? Derek Roddy and Nile. Can blast beats groove? How George goes about creating independent learners. About George’s teacher Yannis Stavropoulos. How is big band jazz similar to metal? How exhausted George is after a Nile show? George’s love for drumming and where that comes from. Invictus and what George would have done differently? Why Should You Listen?   George is one of the greatest metal drummers in the world. If you are really into what George does then you will be really into this episode.   Follow George   Instagram Facebook YouTube Website   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’   Instagram Facebook YouTube

“It’s all about the why. If you figure out the way then you figure out purpose.”   Try Drumeo Edge for free for 7 days   Juan Mendoza is a classically trained musician who is one of the smoothest, knowledgeable and musical drummers around. Hailing from New Jersey, Juan has developed his own home studio where he films his lessons, teaches his students and records for artists. The results that he manages to achieve are second to none.   In addition to being a fantastic performer, Juan is also an incredible teacher. He has filmed courses at Drumeo where he got into, what I feel, is his specialty. Rudiment applications. I highly recommend checking them out.   I wanted to have Juan on to talk about how he interprets his students and how they can become better students but this also means how can teachers become better teachers because they work hand in hand.    You Will Hear About….   What is it like to teach the next generation? How recordings help with education? How Instagram clips might be hurting our abilities. Some tips on how to become better at improvising and creating. Why Should You Listen?   Juan shares his opinion on why results may not be being met with our youth, how Instagram is foiling our ability to play through entire tracks and so much more. They are hard truths. They should be heard. This will also be a helpful episode for educators and how we can better connect with our students.   Follow Juan   Instagram Facebook YouTube Website   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’   Instagram Facebook YouTube