Home Recordings

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It’s a mess! This is a picture I took after doing some recording at my studio space in Brooklyn yesterday and was an accurate depiction of my brain at that moment!

I’m currently tracking percussion for a very excellent song cycle that requires a lot of different instruments and sounds. I was able to do some of it in my apartment (shakers, triangle, etc…) but for the louder instruments (cymbals, snare, cajon) I found myself dragging my instruments and recording accoutrements around the block to my space, and let me tell ya, with very little gigs over the last seven months, the schlepp is real! Additionally, I have to get to my space early with hopes that no one on my floor is blasting heavy metal that would interfere with my audio captures. Yesterday morning, there were two drummers playing on my floor, but thankfully it was faint enough that the mics didn’t pick anything.

To be honest, I enjoy the work and the final product, but it is all very stressful! Musicians of the internet, I’m wondering: How are you dealing with being a musician, audio engineer, and studio assistant all simultaneously in the current climate? What are your tips for staying sane and not wanting to scream into a pillow during your home recording sessions?

Served Up Live

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Last night I joined Brass Queens for a performance of Served Up held at Culture Lab LIC. It was the first time I’ve performed on an actual stage since March! It felt wonderful to play with a group of women for a group of women.

Drum Nostalgia

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I brought a bunch of keepsake items back to New York with me from my last trip to my hometown in Maryland. Going through them has been a trip! In addition to goofy pictures, report cards, and childhood artwork, there were a few musical-related items that I thought would be cool to share here.

My First Real Drum Set

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Though my first drum set was a kids Noble & Cooley kit out of a Penny’s catalogue, my first real drum set was this 90s era Pearl Export kit my that my parents surprised me with. This thing has been a workhorse, and in fact, I still occasionally use the bass drum, floor tom, and some of the hardware to this day. Unfortunately, I still can’t get the sound of these B8 Pro cymbals out of my head. I can tell the above shot is from my Mr. Bungle’s Shotgun days by the black heads.

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Here’s the same kit with a slightly different setup This was taken during my first run of a musical: The Music Man with Apple Alley Players in West Virginia.

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Here’s she is with yet another set up. I don’t recall this particular tom setup, and I’m sure it didn’t last for very long. This picture is from a gig with Simple 4 on the last day of high school. I wish there was a better shot of our homemade tie dye banner that’s hanging on the truck. Yes, our high school was adjacent to a cemetery.

The Gretsch Kit

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Christmas day 2006. My parents once again hook it up with a new kit! This time, a Gretsch Catalina Bop kit. The small size of this kit was especially beneficial when I moved to NYC and had to schlep gear around. It got a lot of use, but I sold it last year to a young lady drummer in order to make room for my Yamaha kit.

Recital Programs

And finally, I came across my recital programs from the University of Maryland. I remain very proud of both of these programs and had a blast putting them together. And wow, I used to play A LOT of mallets.

Long Live The Miller Machine!

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The Miller Machine is one of the most important percussion inventions of the last 50 years! Are you even playing a musical if you don't have one (or three, like I use in my setup for The Grinch)?

Stay tuned for the full videos from me and all of these amazing percussionists that I am honored to share the screen with. Thanks so much for having me, Billy Miller and Jeremy Yaddaw!

Drum set up: Quarantine Edition

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Do to New York state regulations, I’m not permitted to use my shared rehearsal space. I actually chose to stop going there a few days prior to the government directive because, frankly, it felt like a risk no matter how cautious I or my colleagues were.

I have NEVER practiced drum set in the apartment I’ve been living in (coming up for two years). I had some mesh heads I bought for my set up in my last apartment (Pearl Sound Off) so I threw them on my Yamaha kit. I had to pick up a head for my 20” BD (Remo Silentstroke) and grabbed another Pearl for a 12” tom.

Previously I had only used mutes for my cymbals, and let me tell ya — they’re god awful. Not only is the sound atrocious, but they feel absolutely miserable. After doing a little bit of research I ordered a 13/14/18 Zildjian L80 cymbal pack from Steve Weiss. I am blown away! The feel is great and they sound is pretty good considering. I especially love the open hats. I often play in small spaces around the city so I may try them out on a gig in the future, whenever that may be. The only thing I’m not crazy about is you hear a significant amount of stick contact. I’m not sure if nylon tips would make it better or worse but I’m going to do some troubleshooting here in the coming days.

Drum Cat

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Since I’m currently not allowed to use my studio space, I have my drums set up in my apartment for once. I have mesh heads around the kit and some Zildjian L80s just arrived. I’ve been practicing, but I haven’t felt particularly called to put out any content. Maybe sometime this week… I’m just trying to quarantine the best I can.