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“If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything, it is open to everything. In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind, there are few.” - Shunryu Suzuki   Do I know a lot about this subject? No. However, I have some tangible thoughts about it and I wanted to explore some ideas that involve this beginner's mind concept.   Check out Drumeo Edge for 7 days!   Here is my Spotify playlist.

Musicians often say, "the music tells me what to play", and I agree with that one hundred percent. But what if music told us what to practice? I have often heard how confusing it is out there with the many lessons online. There is just so much to potentially learn! But if our music tastes dictated to us what we need to improve upon in order to play the music we love, maybe it would cut down the confusion. That is what today's episode is all about.   Check out my Spotify playlist "seamus is all mixed up" for some inspiration.

“Allow yourself to understand that your emotions are completely valid and sometimes you do need help for understanding and adapting to these emotions.” Jack Thomas is a survivor. Quite literally. About five years ago, when Jack was seventeen years old, he was involved in a serious workplace accident that nearly cost him his life and in the end, it did cost him an arm. As a result, Jack thought for a moment that he would never play drums, bass, or guitar again.  It has not been an easy transition as you can imagine. Re-learning how to play instruments with the use of only one arm has been both rewarding but also frustrating too for Jack. But with mental strength and support from his friends and family Jack has managed to achieve something most people would consider an impossibility. Jack’s story is remarkable, tragic, and not one without a struggle.  He had recently been featured on Drumeo and amongst other content, Jack performed “Duality” by Slipknot. The video has surpassed 1,000,000 views with an incredible degree of positive feedback. It has resulted in capturing the interest of several media outlets and exposure to a large audience. He has also earned a position at Drumeo, which he had started about a month ago (at the time of the interview). Overall, Jack has worked hard to get to where he is today and did so under very difficult circumstances. We can all learn something from Jack.   You Will Hear About…. What happened after Drumeo released Jack’s drum cover of Duality by Slipknot. The process of learning how to play drums, bass, and guitar with one hand. How the accident happened. The aftermath. Some of Jack’s fears. How Jack overcomes the obstacles in his life. An encouraging word for listeners.   Why Should You Listen? This episode is heavy and will make you feel a lot of different things. His story is one that we can all learn from and it puts things into perspective. If Jack can do what he does, what is our excuse? I cannot begin to imagine what life must be like for an amputee and to watch his drumming is so inspiring. This is a good one.   Duality by Slipknot - Drum Cover by Jack Thomas    Jack’s Socials Instagram YouTube   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’ Instagram Facebook YouTube

Today's VIP is all about execution. You've prepared. You've mustered up the courage and taken the risk. Now it is time to complete the task at hand. In my experience hosting numerous in-person and virtual interviews, I have felt and experienced what it is like to be in these situations that are scary. In this episode, I talk about some tips that helped me get through those experiences.   Try the 7 day Drumeo Edge Trial!

Today's episode piggybacks onto the "Always Prepare" episode.   Taking risks, building confidence, and challenging yourself is an interesting venture. Will I fail or will I succeed? In this episode, I share my personal experiences with this stuff in hopes that you will reflect on your own choices and whether you ever felt ready to take risks. I have had many scary moments concerning this topic but I have always seen growth from it.   Try Drumeo Edge for free!

“I decided just to be myself.” Domino Santantonio has been playing drums for quite a while and doing so professionally touring for Roxane Bruneau and being called for studio sessions. She recently, however, became noticed by millions of people due to TikTok. One day she made a 15-second drum cover of Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie” and in a few hours, it received millions of views.  It was Roxane who recommended to her that she become involved with TikTok but Domino felt that it would just be another platform to browse through cat and dog videos, which we laughed about. But then the pandemic happened and she realized that it might be a good time to start making some videos and I suppose she was right! Opportunities are opening up for her due to her massive and rather immediate exposure.    You Will Hear About…. The day her TikTok account blew up. Her newfound popularity online and the impact it’s had on her social media use. Why she no longer compares herself to others online anymore. A bit about her background with music and drumming. Her audience and what she believes her appeal is online. Our thoughts about female drummers being objectified.   Why Should You Listen? So, the first half-hour is mostly to do with social media boundaries and addiction, her TikTok account growing at a rapid pace, and her background with music. The second half of this interview is where things get really interesting. I wanted to get some information about her demographic and that led to some thoughts we have about female drummers being objectified.  For Domino, this was a big concern at one point. She considered how much make-up to wear, what clothing to wear in her videos, and whether or not people would listen to her drumming more than simply watching her. Like many women playing drums, she takes it very seriously and loves it so much. So, she works hard at it, and as a result, she is an incredibly solid player. However, we did talk about something that is definitely true and does not help female drummers. Women who use their sexuality to gain views online. It is not talked about much but it definitely led to a very interesting and transparent conversation.    Domino’s Socials TikTok Instagram Facebook YouTube Website   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’ Instagram Facebook YouTube

“It’s endless of how many different opportunities we can provide and create for ourselves.” Greg Hersey is the Director of Instrumental Music at Episcopal School of Jacksonville and received his masters degree at University North Florida. He is a very well studied musician and has a passion for education as he is currently in his fourth year as band director. He uses Instagram to showcase his talents and creativity with many of his videos reaching well into five-figure for the number of views. In particular, his trap set videos indicate his high level of musical knowledge and creative rhythmic applications. I wanted Greg on the show because he works in the school system and with all of the changes that teachers face, I thought it would be very interesting to hear his perspective on how he and his colleagues have adapted to this new way of doing things. We also get an in-depth look as to how his love for drumming took shape and a few people in his life that pushed him to become who he is today.   You Will Hear About…. What it is like teaching in the school system today. His first real drum lesson with Benjamin Wiseman and the impact that had. Greg’s observations on support from home regarding music. Intrinsic values vs extrinsic values. Charlotte Mavery and the positive influence she had on Greg.   Why Should You Listen? It is really interesting to hear about how within the education system things have changed and what faculty have to do now in order to satisfy the current situation we are in. Also, for people who may feel like they have a deep connection with something, it is great to hear a success story that involves a career path that is not always associated with the word “stable”. Greg managed to find a career that he strongly connects with and he finds a lot of pleasure in what he does professionally day to day.   Greg’s Socials Instagram YouTube Twitter   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’ Instagram Facebook YouTube

“I was meant to do it.” Tony Royster Jr. is a household name in the industry and has been famously recognized by drummers all over the world since his drum solo that he performed at the age of twelve during the Modern Drummer Festival. He has since been mostly a touring musician with some of the biggest musical entertainers in the world, including Jay-Z and Katy Perry. Times are changing though and with musicians essentially being pulled from touring, Tony has begun pivoting in his career. Private lessons, YouTube, and so on have been on his mind as things continue to change.   You Will Hear About…. Tony’s decisions lately regarding his career. Whether he believes in natural talent and his experiences in the early years of his life with music. What it is like for him teaching when considering his innate abilities. Tony’s thoughts on the generation he was born into. Bowling. What that Modern Drummer Festival solo meant to him. A nerve-racking experience on Dave Letterman. How social media affects our ability to socialize.   Why Should You Listen? To hear Tony’s perspective on the questions raised in this interview is really interesting to hear. This situation has forced him to look at different ways of maintaining a career. For a drummer who has been blowing minds with his abilities all of these years, it is kind of unreal to hear him speak on how to keep it going.   Tony’s Socials Instagram Facebook YouTube Website   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’ Instagram Facebook YouTube

VIP is made in part by YOU, the audience. Submit your media to Seamus@drumeo.com   Today's episode is the second half of me covering my favorite modern drummers over the last fifteen years.   Dan Weiss Bandcamp   Clips used: 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP4fwwHpYZM 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-e4YJ-3Cb0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViHmnR4OXUc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqH_jK48slE 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcr2f1l7aDE&t=190s 4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYooD58N0Lg&t=231s 5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6muS5lg-9B8    

VIP is made in part by YOU, the audience. Submit your media to Seamus@drumeo.com   Today's episode is covering my favorite modern drummers over the last fifteen years. This is the first five.   Clips used: 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhtcG79kPNw 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlxe3EpJDLk 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oUSvp6qg2A&t=122s 4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZKpAPpHm2Q 5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJDARjzHhZE

“A lot of drumming fans are just that.” Chris Paprota is a multi-instrumentalist who experiments with making his own recordings, such as his latest project “Riff Tapes” which is due for release on October 1st of this year. He is also the drummer for the Philly based prog-fusion band “Gnarbot”. Click this link to a sample of their work from a performance at Meinl which was released as a four-song EP titled “Meinl Sessions, Vol 1” which is also available as a vinyl release.  Chris was scheduled to perform this year at the Meinl Festival in Germany but due to Covid it has been canceled for this year. Chris is hopeful that due to the fact that he was invited this year that he will be performing next year assuming that it is in fact happening next year. Chris is a drummer who I feel falls far below people’s radar and I have been asking myself why that is and what makes a drummer rise to fame or social media fame?  It is interesting to hear how he aligns with his own creativity and how people assume the worth of somebody based on their associations and achievements. This is just one aspect of this conversation.   You Will Hear About…. Improvisation and risk taking. Why we think some drummers are underrated. Social media and whether it hurts an artist. The difficulty in converting your drumming audience into a fan of your music. Obsession. Meinl festival cancellation and how that affected Chris. Chris’s time studying with Dom Famularo. Riding the ebbs and flow of motivation. A conversation about the spark within us. A listener question.   Why Should You Listen? This is really relatable to anyone who is working hard and their craft and has experienced a slow burn, maybe not being noticed or feeling like you have had some missed opportunities. These events and experiences can be a hard thing to deal with but Chris’s point of view with this is hopeful. It is encouraging to hear such a great musician have a tone of voice that indicates that he believes in himself and that by working hard at his drumming and making moves in the world will bring what he is looking for. The song in the intro of today’s podcast is a sample of Chris Paprota’s “Megazord” from his Riff Tapes record.   Chris’s Socials Instagram Facebook Website   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’ Instagram Facebook YouTube

VIP is made in part by YOU, the audience. Submit your media to Seamus@drumeo.com.   Opening music by @ianhitsdrums and @elotium   Taggart and Torrens Podcast

"Creativity stems from the mind.  Feeling stems from the heart.  When you combine the two together you get character." Maison Guidry is a multi-instrumentalist who may not be known to many people. He is an extremely advanced drummer who pushes the boundaries of what is possible. He commits himself to thirteen hours of practice per day, however, due to a recent injury to his shoulder he has had to take some time off.  To find a conversation in a podcast with Maison is rare and therefore it is a great honour to feature him here because he has some incredibly compelling thoughts regarding how people may want to pursue their life in order to gain a fuller experience day to day. He is uncompromising with his art. I hope that in the future his name becomes more widely recognized because there is no one else like him.   You Will Hear About…. Progress report on Maison’s injury. The uncertainty of life. Why we should embrace ourselves. Standing by your vision. Where creativity comes from in Maison’s words. How sometimes people devalue themselves. Listener questions.   Why Should You Listen? I get a lot of emails and messages from listeners who are a bit uncertain about what they want. Sometimes they realize that they love drumming but they aren’t sure it is meant for them as a professional career. What are the influences that bring people to this state of mind? This is one of the biggest takeaways from this episode. It allows you, the listener, to reflect on your own choices and thoughts about what your life could become. This is a common dilemma with some of the drummers I have spoken with who listen to this podcast. Besides that, this is just an incredibly interesting conversation about life and choices in life. There is also some Star Wars stuff in here too because Maison loves Star Wars.    Jonathan Scales Fourchestra - Pillar (album)   Maison’s Socials Instagram Facebook   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’ Instagram Facebook YouTube

VIP is made in part by YOU, the audience. Submit your media to Seamus@drumeo.com   Follow Tim Baltes and check out his Vol.6 Drumless track packs.   Today we are talking a bit about music and whether it was better in the good ol' days. These are just ideas and conversation. Don't take this as gospel.

“You can never forget that a technique book is someone else’s ideas that they actually put on paper. Those aren’t your ideas.” JT Bates is a drummer from the Twin Cities area, Saint Paul to be specific. He was recently informed that three tracks that Aaron Dessner from The National asked JT to perform on earlier in the year were actually for the new Taylor Swift record titled Folklore. That seems like an opportunity that could potentially heighten JT’s career. So, naturally, I had to feature him on the podcast to discuss this massive opportunity. But this is just a small part of what JT is about. It is really JT’s skills and fortunate networking situations that made this opportunity possible. JT has the incredible ability to add the human touch of drum set playing to music featuring programmed drums. He is a very conscientious drummer who knows exactly how to fill that space. I also encourage people to check out the drum duets that he has performed with his long-time friend Dave King on YouTube.   You Will Hear About…. JT’s game-changing moment where he learned that his drumming was featured on Taylor Swift’s new record “Folklore”. If he knew the gig was Taylor Swift, would he have performed differently? JT’s passion projects and how these have been a great study to learn what he has applied on several projects for other artists. Our mutual love for ambient music. Rates and whether a big recording gig like Taylor Swift changes anything? Embracing our true selves and experimenting regardless if it is right or wrong. The relationship between sound and emotional response. How day to day events affect our creative output.   Why Should You Listen? The big takeaway in this episode, in my opinion, is the idea of creating full/complete music or drum parts with very few ingredients. This is one form of mastery that is often overlooked. We often look at adding rather than subtracting to create something that we believe feels finished. While this is a small portion of the episode, I think it is the most interesting concept for drummers to examine and apply in certain situations of playing.    Music used in this podcast comes from JT Bates “Open Relationships”   JT’s Socials Instagram Website   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’ Instagram Facebook YouTube

VIP is created in part by YOU, the audience. Submit your media to Seamus@drumeo.com   Opening drum clip performed by Dan Mayo   Ambient music for the episode by JT Bates   Today's episode was a bit different. This past week has been triggering a lot of thoughts and feelings about the world we live in. I wasn't sure what I was going to say and this is completely improvised but I ended up talking about.... - My lack of trust within the system - Will masks be a new way of life? - Are we being consumed by fear? - Is social media taking over our lives? Those are just a few topics in this messy, off the cuff episode. I was listening to JT Bates' ambient tune "Round" over and over while I recorded this. I ended up asking JT if I could use this music in the episode because my thoughts were being driven by the music and I felt that it conveyed the right feeling if the music was included in the podcast. So, huge thanks for JT's creativity fueling my own. I hope that everyone is living well during this uncertain and difficult time.

“Four on the floor. This is the most important groove in the history of drumming.” Yoni Madar is an Israeli multi-instrumentalist. He is known well by the drumming community online as “not human”, “alien” and many other other-wordly descriptions. Truth is, Yoni has been practicing a lot over the last thirty years or so. He has mastered four instruments (Guitar, Bass, Keys, and Drums). As a side note: if keys could be played both on the left and right side he would have mastered that too because he can with the other three. Yoni has chosen a path that does not involve himself with celebrities. Instead, he writes, performs and records his own music, performs locally, and teaches his methods to students. He recently released his video course and book where he presents his methods of teaching that he claims are unique.  Yoni has taken the art of drumming to an incredibly high level. If drumming was featured as an Olympic sport, I would imagine that Yoni would be Israel's shining star to win the Gold medal. There are very few drummers that I have witnessed who possess his level of independence and technical facility. Go look him up if you don’t know Yoni Madar yet and have your mind blown.   You Will Hear About…. Yoni’s take on people’s common reaction to his abilities. Why technique is so important. Thoughts about practice. Yoni’s new record and how it was recorded in one take. Approaching a drum solo with complete improvisation. Why does every drummer need to be able to play Pink Floyd well? Yoni’s video on the open/close technique and his new book. Phil Collins and Genesis.   Why Should You Listen? This is essential listening for drummers. It is basically an hour and a half long masterclass on why we need to practice our technique, play simple parts well, why we shouldn’t overthink our playing and that is just the beginning. Yoni has so much ability and the proof is everywhere online what this man can do. It is staggering to say the least. To hear him speak about why simple playing is not simple is a game changing message for drummers to recognize. I don’t say this much but this should not be passed over. You must listen to this.   Music used in this podcast comes from Yoni Madar’s new album Consultation   Yoni’s Socials Instagram YouTube Website   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’ Instagram Facebook YouTube

VIP is created in part by YOU, the audience. Submit your media to Seamus@drumeo.com   Today we are talking about making a statement with music.   Opening drumming/tune is performed by Ash Soan   Check out "Voodoo Or Die" on Spotify   Comment reads this week are from   @chris_hornbrook @genestix.drumming @claus.hessler @milowicdrums @laurenzodrums @robert__brennan @phoenixkatewale @bigpopapump__ @__jaydenhall__ @mrkatiegraham

“I feel like this industry is always in upheaval and so you always have to be light on your feet.” Dylan Wissing has a very unique situation brewing in his studio in the small city of Hoboken, NJ. He runs a multimedia based service called “Getting The Sound” which is based off of his immense knowledge and experience in recording drums but also re-creating drum breaks for current artists, mainly in the rap/pop genre. While this embodies a small amount of hired work in his entire career, it is still incredibly noteworthy.  There are laws in music that prevent artists from sampling pre-recorded music or drum parts and Dylan is capable of recreating these drum parts the way they originally sounded making them virtually identical to the original. From what I understand, this is an absolutely painstaking affair to create and costs the artists a lot of money and therefore, it doesn’t happen much. However, this expertise has given Dylan quite an edge for providing the right sound for the song. Of course, Dylan is primarily a session musician who works out of his studio fulfilling artists with drum tracks every single week. He is no stranger to the industry and has experienced the ups and downs of being a professional musician. In this episode we are all reminded of what being a musician is really about.   You Will Hear About…. Balancing family life with music and how Covid changed things overnight. How Dylan has adapted over the years within the industry. Dylan’s thoughts on people who consider drummers as “unskilled laborers”. Should drummers be generalists or specialized? Our conversation regarding what drummers should focus on. Dylan’s preference for analog vs digital sample production. How Dylan managed to work with artists like Kanye, Jay Z, etc. Some basic drum recording ideas.   Why Should You Listen? I think that this episode showcases a very real situation. Dylan is an incredible drummer. He owns an immense collection of drums. He has a dedicated studio. He has a very nice resume. Yet, you can hear the struggles of being a working drummer in this conversation. The ups and downs. The situation with Covid. The constant uncertainty of whether work will continue to come in. How he balances his life with music. It is all here and nothing is sugar coated. All in all, this episode takes the glamour out of what being a musician is about and simply focuses on the reality. It takes a lot of guts, determination, passion and sacrifice and this episode nails that message.   Dylan’s Socials Instagram YouTube Getting The Sound Instagram Website   Follow ‘Drumeo Gab’ Instagram Facebook YouTube

VIP is created in part by YOU, the audience. Submit your media to Seamus@drumeo.com   Today we are talking about perfection.   Here is the link for Drums for Parkinson's   Opening drum clip performed by Brody Simpson   Email reads this week are from   Andrew Gaudet Guilherme Maranhao   Comment reads this week are from   @tommyigoe @sugarpercussion @stevelymandrums @ojaugustine @claus.hessler @greghersey @groovru @lynetteokoroike @madmaxv1.1 @aaronlevydrums @loncaricdenis @mitch_thedrummer @a.d.reger