149 episodes

A podcast from two professional drummers talking drums, music, musicians, and the entertainment industry. We resource topics that are important to all musicians along with interviews from drummers and industry professionals. Each show includes special segments on gear, underrated drummers, and great drum tracks. We're here to inspire, illuminate, and motivate...we like to have a lot of fun too.

Drummer's Weekly Groovecast Drummer's Weekly Groovecast

    • Music
    • 5.0 • 57 Ratings

A podcast from two professional drummers talking drums, music, musicians, and the entertainment industry. We resource topics that are important to all musicians along with interviews from drummers and industry professionals. Each show includes special segments on gear, underrated drummers, and great drum tracks. We're here to inspire, illuminate, and motivate...we like to have a lot of fun too.

    Episode 136 - Playing With Recordings Vs. Playing With People

    Episode 136 - Playing With Recordings Vs. Playing With People

    Phil and Jon are back in a newly revamped studio B with a topic suggested by a member of our listening audience. This week we discuss the pros and cons of playing with recordings versus playing with live musicians. The request was sent to us in regard to the tribute band show that we did several weeks ago. Our listener, Tony, recently became involved with a Steely Dan tribute act. He’s spent copious amounts of time working with the original recordings however he’s discovering that he has to make numerous adjustments when playing the exact same songs with live musicians.

    We discuss Tony’s situation and then debate some of the positives and negatives of playing with recordings. Some of the benefits we outline are: ear training, learning typical song forms, learning grooves, ‘playing’ with the professionals, de facto transcription, learning good time/feel, and the pleasure of playing with good music. We then discuss possible detriments such as: being led thus not stating assertive time, possibly learning bad feel/tempos, not listening to yourself, setting up your band mates to fail, and trying to measure up to studio fidelity perfection. We also give some tips to combat these issues along with some ideas for practicing with drummer-less tracks.

    We finish out the show with a brand-new segment of the DWG Garage. Jon has not one, but two, great tips for dealing with problematic, vintage Ludwig drums.

    Join us each week for brand new shows. We can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and anywhere you access your favorite music and shows. If you are an Apple subscriber, the next time you are in iTunes please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review. We’d greatly appreciate it. Lastly, go by our website at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to all of our shows, visit our social media, and contact us via email.

    • 1 hr 7 min
    Episode 135 - Interview - Michael Udow

    Episode 135 - Interview - Michael Udow

    In the field of drumming we all have heroes. Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, John Bonham, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Gadd and the list goes on and on. However, we often overlook the unsung heroes of drumming, the teachers. In the past few years, I’ve realized just how important and influential great teachers can be. The ability to clearly and concisely articulate ideas, techniques, and concepts is not an easy task. When you factor in that this must be done in a classroom setting as well as in private lessons, where teaching styles must be customized from student to student, then you understand that great teachers should hold a high position on our hero list.

    This week we welcome one of the great teachers in our discipline’s history, Dr. Michael Udow. Mike was head of percussion at the University of Michigan for thirty years as well as a respected clinician and author of the new book, Percussion Pedagogy (Oxford University Press). He was gracious enough to join us from his home in Colorado for a candid interview about his career, the art of education, and a description of, Percussion Pedagogy. We discuss his early interest in music, his personal path in higher education (culminating in the first DMA in percussion at the University of Illinois), his literature preferences, teaching techniques, state of the university, and much more. There’s something here for every teacher, student, and performer.

    You can visit Michael at his website: www.michaeludow.com

    You can explore Michael’s new book, Percussion Pedagogy, by clicking this link: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/percussion-pedagogy-9780190902940?lang=en&cc=us

    Join us each week for brand new shows. We can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and anywhere you access your favorite music and shows. If you are an Apple subscriber, the next time you are in iTunes please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review. We’d greatly appreciate it. Lastly, go by our website at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to all of our shows, visit our social media, and contact us via email.

    • 1 hr 33 min
    Episode 134 - Season Four DWG Advisory Board

    Episode 134 - Season Four DWG Advisory Board

    After a rather lengthy absence, we present to you the reemergence of the Drummer’s Weekly Groovecast Advisory Board. The board is back after skipping season three and we’re welcoming several new members to this season’s show. Our in-studio co-host is Justin Chesarek. Justin is an Atlanta based performer and educator who holds positions at three major metro Atlanta colleges: Emory University, Kennesaw State University, and Morehouse College. For the remote participants we welcome back long-time board members Joel Rosenblatt and Rod Morgenstein. New for season four we have added esteemed drummer/educators, Carter McLean, George Marsh, and Steve Smith.

    The question that we will address is: “What mistake (or questionable choice) do you most commonly see and hear your students or other drummers commit?” We listen and comment on the various answers given by our board members.

    When listening to the answers it’s worth noting that almost everything mentioned relates to basic techniques and thoughtful musicianship. In the current and popular social media world of practicing ear candy and chops it’s completely refreshing to hear some of the world’s best drummers teaching the basics of our craft. We discuss listening, dynamics, musical choices, phrasing, basic drumming technique, listening to recordings, and getting stuck in the routine of the ‘medium phenomenon’. Tune in for a great discussion!

    Join us each week for brand new shows. We can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and anywhere you access your favorite music and shows. If you are an Apple subscriber, the next time you are in iTunes please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review. We’d greatly appreciate it. Lastly, go by our website at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to all of our shows, visit our social media, and contact us via email.

    • 1 hr 31 min
    Episode 133 - Tribute Drumming Featuring Wayne Viar

    Episode 133 - Tribute Drumming Featuring Wayne Viar

    Tribute bands have been around for quite a long time. However, over the last several years they’ve become significantly more prevalent and a viable alternative to the original artist. In fact, some will even say that many tribute acts perform the music even better than the original artist. When you also consider that many classic bands are charging several hundred dollars per ticket while their corresponding tribute band may charge less than a typical parking fee, the choice becomes even clearer.

    This week welcome to the show Wayne Viar. Wayne has been a friend of the podcast since its inception and has known the hosts for 20 years. In recent years Wayne has become the tribute band drummer of choice for several high-profile acts. Wayne regularly performs with Abba Mania, A1A (Jimmy Buffet tribute), Almost Elton John, and Piano Men (Billy Joel tribute).

    In this show we discuss how he became involved with tribute acts and how that led him to work with others. Wayne tells us about preparing for the shows, the venues, travel, and the backline provided for each gig. He goes over the perks of the job as well as the challenges. Finally, Wayne talks about a typical day on the Abba Mania tour.

    On our way out of the show please check out Wayne’s playing on the track: Hard Eight

    Join us each week for brand new shows. We can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and anywhere you access your favorite music and shows. If you are an Apple subscriber, the next time you are in iTunes please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review. We’d greatly appreciate it. Lastly, go by our website at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to all of our shows, visit our social media, and contact us via email.

    • 1 hr 12 min
    Episode 132 - Season Four Listener Mail

    Episode 132 - Season Four Listener Mail

    Just like that, we are halfway through the fourth season of the Drummer’s Weekly Groovecast. The midway point means it is due time for another edition of listener mail. Phil and Jon begin the show discussing the audience response to the new episodes. We also get caught up on the news of the early fall season and discuss how the gigging and teaching jobs are going.

    This season’s mail bag was overflowing with a variety of questions, comments, and suggestions. We address a host of comments that relate all the way back to the Jim Gordon artist feature and as recent as the re-post from the Crash and Ride podcast featuring Phil. We then answer questions regarding snare drum repair, teaching, and Mel Lewis. We then discuss threads found on drumming forums that reference past shows and answer questions found there. We finish out this season’s mail with the feel-good email of the year!

    Join us each week for brand new shows. We can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and anywhere you access your favorite music and shows. If you are an Apple subscriber, the next time you are in iTunes please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review. We’d greatly appreciate it. Lastly, go by our website at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to all of our shows, visit our social media, and contact us via email.

    • 1 hr 1 min
    Episode 131 - Artist Feature - Josh Freese

    Episode 131 - Artist Feature - Josh Freese

    Since we started doing the artist feature segment approximately two years ago it has become one of the most popular formats for this podcast. Ultimately it has provided some of the best listener feedback. Last season we featured the great Sonny Payne and the response was tremendous. We discuss the reaction from the listeners and then talk about our Jim Gordon feature from two years ago. Back when we posted the show on YouTube the Gordon episode received a tremendous amount of attention (and continues to do so presently). Since then we’ve decided to pick players that are either under the radar or tracks that are not obvious representations of the featured player.

    For this season we decided to feature southern California studio and live ace, Josh Freese. Since his initial gig at Disneyland Josh has performed with acts as diverse as: Devo, A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, Kelly Clarkson, Weezer, Nine Inch Nails, Evanescence, the Offspring, Guns and Roses, the Replacements, and his current gig with, Sting. We discuss his background and then listen to several of our favorite tracks.

    Phil’s picks:
    1. Down – Live performance with 311
    2. Paranoid Android – In-studio performance with Weezer covering Radiohead
    3. Pretty Young Soldier – Sting
    4. It’s F*’ed Up – from Freese’s solo CD, “Since 1972”
    Jon’s picks:
    1. Judith – A Perfect Circle
    2. Haven’t Met You Yet – Michael Buble
    3. Can’t Change Me – Chris Cornell
    4. You Get What You Give – Brand New Immortals

    Join us each week for brand new shows. We can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and anywhere you access your favorite music and shows. If you are an Apple subscriber, the next time you are in iTunes please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review. We’d greatly appreciate it. Lastly, go by our website at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to all of our shows, visit our social media, and contact us via email.

    • 1 hr 7 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
57 Ratings

57 Ratings

bullet987 ,

Sonny Payne episode

Excellent critiques by you guys on Sonny’s drumming. Great show!

jashoup ,

One of the better drumming related podcasts out there

I'm only a few episodes deep but I already really like what these guys offer. Very informal and candid; like a breakfast hang at 3am after a late gig. Interviews are insightful and the questions are very thoughtful. Thanks guys! Looking forward to checking out the rest of the back catalog of episodes.

Mark A Strickland ,

This is crazy-good stuff!

Phil and Jon share a wealth of knowledge that spans a wide variety of topics that can be informative to young players who are just on the brink of playing out on a regular basis all the way up to the touring/session professionals. Humor is a wonderful thing and must be kept close in just about any work environment, especially music and these guys stay true to that within reasonable limitations. Sounds like they certainly have fun, genuinely love each other and respect drums, music history, forward thinking and the growth of our community. Alot of the shows could easily be geared towards other instruments and even life in general. If there was a 10 Star rating, I would give it that and ask why can't I rate it even more stars! Thanks Phil and Jon!

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