House of Drumming.com

Edit: I've changed the thread title so it can be an ongoing discussion about the podcast's subjects, rather than limited to just one of them.

http://idhitthatpodcast.podomatic.com/entry/2013-05-19T19_17_07-07_00

From the I'd Hit That podcast (a John Freese interview appeared from the same series in this forum a week or two back). It's worth a listen - he says some things about academic study killing art forms which I agree with... He also has some strong views on being a pro starting out in the industry today (essentially that there IS no industry) - I like it when people from any industry don't just trot out the same generic encouragement, and actually focus on the realities.

The only problem I have with it is that he refers, again and again, to the importance of moving on, of not dwelling in the past, looking forward etc. But Nerve and the stuff he does in clinics is rooted in really a 3 year period ending in about 1999 - it's very reminscent of Photek (the programmed drums on Modus Operandi are some of the greatest beats of any kind I've ever heard), and Photek himself had completely moved on by 2000, but Jojo is firmly staying in the late-90s because that's where the most diverse and creative beats are. Drum & bass has moved on, Jojo hasn't - and I can understand that. But then you can't tell others not to look back...

"academic study killing art forms"

What, this is impossible, we need to fund art centrally from the government to have any chance of art surviving!

I don't think he's dismissing the educational side of things completely. I think the focal point is really due to the lack of industry, and account of technology as a double-edged sword. He's not a guy that really studied drumming in a school like some of us and he started from a very early age- naturally, I'd expect him to discount going to school for him because he learned a lot through playing music and listening, being around other drummers and musicians, and from working out stuff on his own.

He's got his own creative endeavors happening and he's making a decent living doing that as well as all the drumming-community stuff like designing gear and doing clinics.

But he's absolutely right about a few things (and personally, none of the below is really a new concept to me. I know I'm not the only one that's been talking this talk for years).

-there are few modern/new bands or artists that will be relevant in the future years
-the music industry or business as most generations of musicians know it (that's probably mine and all the ones before it) is dead
-Starting something from the ground up and committing to a project/idea/band/whatever early on and sticking to it is the way to do it today. There's no support from record companies anymore. There has to be a culture around what you're doing as a foundation. He was doing aallll the legwork getting Nerve started back in the day (and probably still does a lot of it)
-Getting work due to going to music school (or getting work after going to college for any degree, rather) simply doesn't happen today. It's an over saturated market and economy

I think Jojo's got his own thing happening, he's found his niche and he's sticking to it as it's been proven successful for him.

I really dig the whole podcast thing- way less formal than a traditional interview and think it lets the guests personality shine a bit more.

langmick wrote:"academic study killing art forms"

What, this is impossible, we need to fund art centrally from the government to have any chance of art surviving!

And yes, we do. At the K-12 grade school level. If Math and Science are being tought in school, then so should music and other aspects of the arts.

Academic is "adult" in this context, not the education system of high schools etc.

thewikiman wrote:The only problem I have with it is that he refers, again and again, to the importance of moving on, of not dwelling in the past, looking forward etc. But Nerve and the stuff he does in clinics is rooted in really a 3 year period ending in about 1999 - it's very reminscent of Photek (the programmed drums on Modus Operandi are some of the greatest beats of any kind I've ever heard), and Photek himself had completely moved on by 2000, but Jojo is firmly staying in the late-90s because that's where the most diverse and creative beats are. Drum & bass has moved on, Jojo hasn't - and I can understand that. But then you can't tell others not to look back...

Jojo plays his version of one Photek idear EVERY time he gets on the drums. Dat's like his default beat when he can't think of anything else to play. Yes, we all do it but that beat really bugs me because I know exactly where he got it from.

I think because of the internet, we the listener can easily overdose on someone. When I watched Gavin's latest video (one of the most creative drummers ever in my opinion) I kinda drifted off because it was the same licks I heard him play a hundred times.

I think at some point musicians need to retire their licks like comedians retire their jokes. Just stop playing them for a few years and then BAMM! bring back the classics.

I listened to part of Jojo and then skipped to The Mover interview. Great story there. Jojo seems to be happy doing his thing while the Mover interview is a great history lesson. (Drumhead mag interviews are far superior to other mags IMO) Thanks for hipping me out to the podcast. I've personally spent the last year focusing on running and nutrition and was looking for something to hook me and inspire me to think a lot more about drumming. This hit the spot! I can't wait to listen to more of the interviews.

I have to admit that when JoJo talked about a lot of the "professors" who have had nothing but academic careers, I had the same thought when I looked at some schools years ago: how legitimate is it when someone goes straight from graduate to professor? It seems to me there's a real lack of 'real world' experience in some of the professors teaching. I'm not doubting their skills at all, I simply question weather they should be so quick to pass the torch that they just lit themselves.

bstocky wrote:

thewikiman wrote:
I think at some point musicians need to retire their licks like comedians retire their jokes. Just stop playing them for a few years and then BAMM! bring back the classics.

This is a somewhat impractical but EXCELLENT idea!

langmick wrote:"academic study killing art forms"

What, this is impossible, we need to fund art centrally from the government to have any chance of art surviving!

That's just my 5-word summary of 5 minutes of conversation, it's far too simplistic. If you listen to the interview you'll know the bit I mean - it's to do with studying jazz so hard there's a danger it becomes an academic rather than a musical experience; this happens in other fields too. But here I am putting words into his mouth again - it's best to hear him explain it.