Drummers Pathway Podcast

Episode 14 - Amy King (Recording Engineer/Producer)

On this episode, my guest is award winning Recording Engineer & Producer Amy King

Originally hailing from Newfoundland, for over 20 years, Amy has been the engineer at the legendary Grant Avenue Studio in Hamilton, Ontario,  where her talents and expertise as a recording engineer, classically trained pianist and multi-instrumentalist has allowed her to not only inspire and influence artists of all levels and genres but also gained her the respect of the industry therefore allowing her the opportunity to work with established artists such as Gordon Lightfoot and many more.

In our interview, we talk about how often the respect of our peers and collaborators is more essential than seeking the spotlight, the value of being open to listening and showing compassionate towards others who are working through their own creative processes and why maintaining a positive attitude and commitment to being professional and prepared is essential to establish and maintain a professional career in this industry.

Follow Amy at https://amykingrecording.com

Episode 13 - Jamie Wollam (Tears For Fears)

On this episode, my guest is drummer Jamie Wollam.

Best known as the current drummer for the band, Tears For Fears, a position he has held since 2010, Jamie is an in demand musician who, at the age of 13 became inspired to pursue drumming after attending a concert by the band KISS. He went on to develop his skills by playing along with the albums that inspired him during his formulative years, mostly in the hard rock and metal genre of the day.  At the age of 18, he attended The Percussion Institute in Hollywood, CA, where after studying with some renowned educators, he graduated with honours in 1989.

Jamie landed his first professional touring gig with Michael Sweet, of the band, Styper. This began his career as a touring and session drummer.

In addition to Tears For Fears, He has had the privilege of touring with a variety of other artists including Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Tommy Shaw, Fee Waybill and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello’s solo project, The Nightwatchman.

As a musician, Jamie has also begun composing and producing music for television, film, as well as other artists. 

In our interview, we talk about how important it is to remain committed to your craft despite the many personal and professional challenges you may encounter, why you always need to stay humble and show gratitude even during the challenging times, and also that it is essential for our well being and mental health to always have a creative outlet to express ourselves.

Follow Jamie at https://www.facebook.com/jamie.wollam

 

Episode 12 - Liberty DeVitto (Billy Joel/Slim Kings)

On this episode, my guest is drummer Liberty DeVitto.

For thirty years, Liberty was the driving force behind the legendary Billy Joel. Known for his intense drive and New York swagger, he created the grooves to multiple platinum Billy Joel albums that have sold over 150 million copies.

He also went on to work as a session drummer for a variety of other artists including Meat Loaf, Paul McCartney, Karen Carpenter, and Stevie Nicks

In 2020, he released his memoir, Liberty- Life, Billy and The Pursuit of Happiness, which is a honest reflection of following and fulfilling your dream and an inside look at the music and career of Billy Joel.

Today, Liberty continues to work with a variety of artists including The Lords of 52nd Street, and The Slim Kings and spends much of his time encouraging other drummers to follow their passions 

In our interview, we talk about the value of finding your own voice as a musician, even when you are faced with discouragement, why it’s important to always put the song first when creating the perfect drum parts and the importance of remaining true to yourself and continue to find joy in your life despite the challenges that you may encounter.

Check out Liberty's Autobiography https://hudsonmusic.com/product/liberty/

Episode 11 - Jon ”Bermuda” Schwartz - Part Two (Weird Al Yankovic)

Welcome to Part Two of my interview with Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz.

For over 4 decades, Jon is best known as the drummer with the iconic "Weird Al" Yankovic. The two met while recording the parody "Another One Rides the Bus" at the Dr. Demento show on September 14,1980, then shortly after, Yankovic invited Schwartz to join his band, gave him the nickname "Bermuda" and they have worked together ever since.

Jon is also the official band historian, known for keeping meticulous lists and notes, and has archived an unsurpassed collection of unique audio and video products from around the world that feature "Weird Al" Yankovic.

He is also an avid photographer and in 2020, Jon published Black & White & Weird All Over, a coffee-table book featuring his unreleased black-and-white photographs of Weird Al from the early '80s. In 2022, he went on to publish the follow-up Lights, Camera, Accordion! a collection of his colour film photos of Weird Al from 1981-2006.

For our interview, we talk about the importance of maintaining a consistently high level of excellence, embracing the creative challenges that are presented to you and always being open to maintaining another career in order to maintain a comfortable life while you work to pursue your creative endeavours.

As this interview ran close to 2 hours, I have divided it into 2 episodes, so let’s sit back and get started with Part 2 of my interview with Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz.

Follow Jon at https://www.bermudaschwartz.com

Episode 10 - Jon ”Bermuda” Schwartz - Part One (Weird Al Yankovic)

On this episode, my guest is Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz.

For over 4 decades, Jon is best known as the drummer with the iconic "Weird Al" Yankovic. The two met while recording the parody "Another One Rides the Bus" at the Dr. Demento show on September 14,1980, then shortly after, Yankovic invited Schwartz to join his band, gave him the nickname "Bermuda" and they have worked together ever since.

Jon is also the official band historian, known for keeping meticulous lists and notes, and has archived an unsurpassed collection of unique audio and video products from around the world that feature "Weird Al" Yankovic.

He is also an avid photographer and in 2020, Jon published Black & White & Weird All Over, a coffee-table book featuring his unreleased black-and-white photographs of Weird Al from the early '80s. In 2022, he went on to publish the follow-up Lights, Camera, Accordion! a collection of his colour film photos of Weird Al from 1981-2006.

For our interview, we talk about the importance of maintaining a consistently high level of excellence, embracing the creative challenges that are presented to you and always being open to maintaining another career in order to maintain a comfortable life while you work to pursue your creative endeavours.

As this interview ran close to 2 hours, I have divided it into 2 episodes, so let’s sit back and get started with Part 1 of my interview with Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz.

Follow Jon at https://www.bermudaschwartz.com

 

Episode 9 -Joe Bergamini (Drummer/Educator)

On this episode, my guest is Joe Bergamini. Embracing many diverse musical styles, he is well-known for his progressive rock drumming in a variety of bands including Happy the Man and 4Front. Currently, Joe tours internationally as the drummer for The Doo-Wop Project, and he has worked extensively on Broadway. 

Recognized internationally as an educator, he has given hundreds of clinics in a variety in schools and conventions. He has also been teaching privately at his own studio for over 30 years. 

In 2015 he became Education Consultant for Sabian, designing and directing the Sabian Education Network for drum teachers and has been the Senior Drum Editor for Hudson Music since 2009.

In our interview, we talk about the importance of developing your fundamental skills so you are ready to pursue any new opportunities, even when they are unexpected.

We also discuss the value of staying committed to your craft so you are ready to embrace any new challenges and why it’s important to work towards maintaining a good work/life balance.

Follow Joe at https://www.joebergamini.com

Episode 8 - Mark Kelso (Drummer/Educator)

On this episode, my guest is Mark Kelso. Originally hailing from Belfast, Ireland, after moving to Toronto as a youth, he went on to pursue a highly successful music career.

Mark’s ability to play a wide variety of musical styles has helped establish him to become one of Canada’s most sought after drummers. Known for his versatility and incredible sense of musicality, he has worked with hundreds of artists and to date, has played on over 450 recordings.

From 2005 - 2021, Mark was the head of the percussion department at Humber College and is also a highly regarded educator.

In 2016, he released his acclaimed educational DVD “Musician First, Drummer Second”

Mark is also an accomplished singer, composer and producer and is the leader of the Juno nominated band, The Jazz Exiles.

In our interview, we talk about the importance of listening to each other in any musical situation and why embracing new opportunities and experiences with a positive attitude and commitment to excellence will allow you to develop your creative side and find inspiration in the new experiences, which ultimately provides more potential opportunities for success.

Follow Mark at https://www.groovydrums.com

 

Episode 7 - Darcy Patrick (Musician/ Author- Managing Wellness)

On this episode, my guest is Darcy Patrick. For over 25 years Darcy was making a living from music as a professional bass player freelancing with many different bands, as well as teaching privately. At the same time, he was also working full time in a music store doing sales, repairs as well as assisting in managing the store. 

In 2013 the perfect storm happened in his life and pushed him over the edge. Darcy had struggled for over 38 years from depression and had to make a difficult call for help.

After a month of intense therapy, Darcy's therapist started giving him home work. Through these weekly assignments, they would talk about what he had written and worked on changing his negative thoughts, and changing the way he was seeing the world.

His therapist told him he was a natural writer and that if he wrote a book he could change people's lives who suffer in silence, and who are too afraid to reach out and get help. Four years later he released his 1st book “Why I Run” My story of how I won my life back from the darkness of depression.

Darcy then went on to write the books “Creative Writing For The Mind, Body & Soul”, “My Guided Meditation"  Using Meditation as a Therapeutic Tool to Focus Your Overactive Mind, “ The Big Let Go” Letting go of control is taking control and in 2022 "Managing Wellness" Creating and Maintaining a Mind, Body & Soul Connection.

Since the release of Darcy's book his life has changed dramatically. He became a public speaker and peer counsellor doing talks all around Southern Ontario for many different mental health and addiction organizations to raise awareness. His goal is to break the stigma behind Depression, Mental Health and Addiction, help as many people as he can and let them know they are not alone. 

In our interview today, we talk about just how common these challenges can be for all of us and why it’s essential to not only seek out support when you need it, but to understand the impact and value it can have to just take the time to listen without judgement.

Follow Darcy at https://www.darcypatrick.com

Episode 6 - Tim Buell (Drummer/Educator)

On this episode, my guest is Tim Buell, who as a Nashville-based drummer, has toured with several artists (Cody Fry, Gloriana, Jana Kramer, Jerrod Niemann & Remedy Drive) He also records drums for clients all over the world from both his home studio as well as other Nashville-based studios.

In addition to touring and recording, Tim is passionate about creating educational resources through the courses and eBooks available at his website and maintains a roster of private students both virtually and in-person at his studio in Nashville. 

Tim has also spent many years transcibing drum parts from iconic songs and drum solos and his work have been featured by Zildjian, Vic Firth, Drummerworld, and the Percussive Arts Society as well as numerous educational projects.

In our interview today, we talk about his transition on being primarily a touring drummer, to shifting his focus to education and recording. We also discuss the importance of staying true to yourself and why it’s important to know your strengths and value as an artist.

Follow Tim at https://www.timbuellmusic.com

Episode 5 - Mike Trebilcock.(Songwriter/Composer/The Killjoys)

On this episode, my guest is Mike Trebilcock. Best known as the leader of the power-pop/punk band The Killjoys, Mike is a prolific film composer, songwriter, producer and multi-intrumentalist. He has created unique scores, themes, and songs for feature films, theatrical productions and podcasts, including the theme for this show. 

He is also the singer/songwriter/guitarist/for the horror-rock band Sematary Spawn which features music from many of the films he has been the composer for. Mike continues to be in demand for his work in many different genres and situations.

In our interview today, we discuss his background and how he developed his interest in songwriting and composition. We also discuss what it’s like to work in collaborative situations and why it’s important to be adaptable in order to help others achieve their own artistic visions.

Follow Mike at https://www.miketrebilcockmusic.com