Official Virgil Donati thread

[Rodge]

Hey Jeppe,
I was wondering when did you hear of Virgil for the 1st time ?
Me it was with his video "Power Drumming", 1992.

[Morgenthaler]

Hey Jeppe,
I was wondering when did you hear of Virgil for the 1st time ?
Me it was with his video "Power Drumming", 1992.

Hey Rodge,

For me it was 1995 - I was visiting my favourite drum shop (where I would later be employed for 7 years)
and they told me about their spring 1996 clinic schedule and a certain Australian who, in the words of my
dear late (RIP) then-boss, Ole, "can't stop practising".

So I met Virgil in March of 1996 in Copenhagen, struck a conversation with him after his amazing display of drumming and
subsequently we started corresponding. He was moving to L.A. just then and I managed to import a lot of
his older work, like Obsessive Rhythms, Southern Sons, Loose Change etc. as well as Power Drumming which I hadn't
seen when it came out, simply because it didn't make it to Denmark before he did.

There are quite a few highlights in our friendship, one being my project managing my cousin Lars when he created the cover art
for Virgil's 'In This Life' album. That was a perfect match between friendship, family, hobby, music, art, all at the highest standard.

[Pocketplayer]

Great topic...when did Virg cross your path!

I was researching drum corp stuff and in one obscure interview
there was a drum corp "master" who said there is one drummer
I know who does drum corp right AND can play drum kit...this
guy named Virgil Donati! That led me to Serious Young Insects
and it was done and over...imo, his best work ever overall--
compositions, sound, style, balance between prog rock and
high IQ music, feel...it has it all! NEVER gets old...

[langmick]

I went to a clinic in Rochester Hills MI. Someone attending was a teacher and lit in to Virg...that was uncomfortable. He played the sickest drumming I'd ever seen.

[Tombo 7/4]

The first time I heard of Virgil was in 1990.
A good drummer friend of mine took the summer off after his bachelor degree to travel to Israel. There he met an Italian-Australian girl in a kibbutz and they fell in love.
She told him that a drummer in her family was the best in the world....Yeah, all right.

Came back here and decided that he wanted to move to Australia to live with the girl but the immigration process took two years. He moved there in 1992 and had to get married within 3 months.

My friend played traditional grip because he learned with the classical percussion professor of the Conservatory (who was Paul Brochu’s teacher).
I was amazed at the indicrate contemporary snare drum studies he could play at ppp but when he was on a kit, something was missing.

He took lessons in Sydney with a former Virgil’s teacher who told him that his hands were very weak. “It’s all right for ochestral snare but if you want to play trad grip on the kit you’ll need to strengthen things up. Check this video on one of my students!”. He pulled out the brand new "Power Druming” video and my friend freaked out. He talked to me about it and sent me a copy. I freaked out too

He still lives there in a happy marriage.

[Clint Hopkins]

My introduction to Virgil's genius was back in the early 90's on a shop demo clip from 'Power Drumming' in the music store I used to frequent.
I was blown away but didn't hear him for quite awhile. I found the 'Power Drumming' VHS and freaked.
Heard him on a Modern Drummer compilation CD. I got into Planet X, OTV and his Stretch stuff. Saw him up close at a clinic and tried to
absorb everything he had to teach. Caught him on the 'In This Life' tour in 2013 in Atlanta and Nashville.
Outstanding stuff. I hope he tours the southeast again soon.

[Rodge]

Thanks Jeppe.
Good ol' times uh.

Can we say that Virgil is not really well known considering the HUGE level of his drumming ?

[bensdrums]

I come across a lot of drummers and serious musicians young and old who are very well informed musically and not aware of Virgil. Often they're aware of other [for lack of a better term here] niche or "inside" players like Benny Greb or Thomas Lang, but not Virg. This is nothing more than an observation... not a comment on who's better or worse at this or that.

[Rudy_Ment]

Virgil is like a Pagani Zonda R. Same beast of an engine, faster and more technically superior than just about anything else on the planet, but not that many people have heard of it either. Most people can never afford a Pagani and most people can never attain a fraction of Virgil's ability.

I have no idea what I'm talking about but hopefully Virgil will be flattered to be compared to a car.

[Morgenthaler]

The sound is taken from the gopros so it's very sub-Virgil's usual standard. Anywho: