"Commitment means giving yourself over to the music-making process and the whole experience — actually being in the music." - client Rich Redmond
Cris: What is the key to having longevity in this industry, in an industry where most people just have blips of a career?
Huey Lewis of clients Huey Lewis & The News: You know, I don’t know. I wish I knew. I think what we try to do is just play well, play your instruments well. And represent the music so it sounds good. There is really nothing like live music in a good venue. Great live music and a great venue … when you can feel the bass in your feet and in your chest and you get in the middle of a good song like that … that is as good as it gets. If we can continue to play well, when people come, we will continue to show up. That has always been the first level for us. Having said that, we are going to keep writing songs and making videos for our songs because that is how you get the people to show up. But playing live is really what we do. Cris: You had an intense education, studying jazz and odd time signatures. And now you play more rock and pop. How has your education benefited what you do now?
Chris Kimmerer (drummer for Thomas Rhett): I do think that all of those years of studying and playing in small jazz combos, playing in big bands, and learning about Afro-Cuban and Brazilian rhythms -- all of that stuff that was a large part of my formative playing years -- I think it really adds a lot of depth for what it is for me to sit and play backbeats now. To do what I am doing now, I really think from the years of playing and exploring dynamics, phrasing, and subtlety of nuance, I think it gives depth to how I can treat a backbeat kind of gig. And I still feel that that rings true even though that was 10 years ago. "With the Thunderbirds, everybody in that band has to cover a lot of bases musically. They’ve got to be able to play rock and roll. They’ve got to be able to play R&B and soul. They’ve got to be able to play blues. And they have to be able to do it in their own voice. With the Thunderbirds there is so much different Americana going on … and maybe a lot of different blending of music, as in Blues and R&B." - Kim Wilson of clients The Fabulous Thunderbirds
"Freddie Gruber used to say, “We want to take drumming to the level where it is as easy as breathing or walking.” Get it so deep into your bones that you don't have to think about it." - client Daniel Glass
If your goal in creating social media content is to beat the site's algorithm, you are going to crank out a large quantity of crap.
"Live and laugh. Enjoy yourself and those you share your life with." - Louis Prima Jr. of clients Louis Prima Jr and the Witnesses
"I don't know how long all of this is going to last, but I sure am going to enjoy it." - client John Papa Gros
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April 2024
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