DC is NP in this Video

I used to listen to Tool quite a bit but, over time, they haven't been in my regular rotation. Even though there was a long gap between their previous album and their latest album, I haven't listened to Fear Inoculum between when it was released in 2019 and today. I also didn't attend their concert in Des Moines https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/entertainment/2019/05/13/tool-new-music-album-concert-des-moines-wells-fargo-arena-tickets-descending-invincible-all-souls-ia/1192663001/. In that article, it's pointed out "Tool previously played in Des Moines in 1993 as part of a Lollapalooza tour that stopped at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. They returned to central Iowa in 2002 for a show at Hilton Coliseum in Ames" and I think I remember that they played in Cedar Rapids with a rapper as the opening act - I didn't go to that concert so I can't say for certain.

I thought about Tool as I watched Danny Carey join Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson on stage on September 27, 2022, as part of a Taylor Hawkins tribute concert. Hawkins was a fan of the band and, as I understand it, he met and became friends with Lee and Lifeson. I'm unsure how Carey was selected to be in Neil Peart's role and I don't bemoan the choice. He is a powerhouse drummer and plays all sorts of polyrhythms that I will never be able to play on the drums. I attempted to play "46+2" in 2000 with Ralph, Steve, and Jon (Free Beer) and I failed miserably.

I enjoyed watching Danny Carey play "YYZ" and I think he did a great job.

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https://youtu.be/ C4mPNuAaB34 - Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson with Danny Carey w/HQ Audio - YYZ (Rush) - 2022-09-27

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RIP Taylor Hawkins

RIP Neil Peart

Serve The M - no, the Other M.

I also saw this video the other day. It says to serve the Music, not Me about how a drummer can serve himself, not the music. I admit this is something I face when I play drums at Saint Thomas More. I tend to embellish the rhythms I play so that I don't get bored playing straight 4/4 time with snare on 2 and 4 or, in 3/4, with snare on 2 and 3, or, in 6/8, with snare on 3 and 6. My interest in balancing 'overplaying' with 'boring drumming' is why I watched this video:

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After I did a little more digging, I found this video by Brandon Khoo.

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I like his style.

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For my own growth as a drummer, I listen to my self playing drums. Nowadays, I use my cell phone to record Mass so I can listen to what I sounded like whenever I want to do so. This is not a new practice / method for me. I've always done this - recording myself playing drums - dating back to before I was even in a band in my parent's basement. When I would practice drums, I'd use a boom box and cassettes, which I still have in the sump pump storage room. I also recorded rehearsals and performances with Assume, various practice sessions in that basement, Old Stew, and Free Beer / Corporate Prisoner on cassettes. Later, when I played in Lou's Classic Ride, I used a micro recorder that I borrowed from a former co-worker. Eventually, I transitioned to using my cell phone instead of cassette tapes to create recordings of Uncle Rico the Band and auditions with other Ideal Bands.

Why? Am I obsessed with my own drumming?

No.

I do this because I do want to be able to serve the Music, not Me, when I play drums.

It doesn't really matter when I've played drums - from playing alone or with other musicians. I want to grow as a drummer. I don't want to play the same beat that every other drummer in the world plays. I felt that way the other night when I was practicing on the Yamaha electronic drums. As I played along with the pre-programmed tunes in the brain of the Yamaha set, I focused on the patterns that repeat - think verse, chorus, verse, chorus - in an endless loop. I intentionally tried to play "insane" patterns - that served Me, not the Music - during some of the cycles. I did that to foster creativity. After a cycle of playing an "insane" pattern, I would revert to playing a beat that served the Music, not Me. I actually found that being able to dial back the "insane" pattern to be a challenge during the "sane" pattern cycles. I plan to explore that challenge in future practice sessions. Of all the videos on the "All Videos of Me Playing Drums" page, I think this one - where I achieve the balance I crave. I play soft during the verse so that the drums are felt, not overbearing. I then have a hint at flashy during the "I've been waiting..." part of the song. During Brian's solo, I'm intentionally playing soft again.

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Damn, I love the way we played that tune. Brian's guitar playing is spot-on, Matthew's bass locks in with my pattern, and Joe? Well, he belts out the lyrics with emotion.

Editor's Note: For videos, see https://prhmusic.blogspot.com/p/videos-of-me-playing-drums.html