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Can you believe we have hit 2019 already? Where did 2018 go? I wanted to say a huge thank you and well done to everyone who performed in the Winter Performance before Christmas, everybody had a great night!

So, Planet drum is kicking off the new year with a bang, including more workshops than ever before and exciting upcoming masterclasses and gigs. We have the pleasure of announcing that UK session drummer and Grammy winner (yes, that’s right) Robert Brian will be coming into Planet drum to host a masterclass on Friday 25th of January, talking about his experiences in the studio and on the road as well as top tips that he feels all working drummers should know…You can purchase your tickets here.

​with Israeli jazz drummer, Asaf Sirkis (8th February) and Vladimir’s Balkan band, Paprika (9th February) so make sure to grab your tickets by contacting the office.

to book a slot as there is limited availability! Bookings for January workshops will be available on 2.01.2019.

• 10th January - Band workshop (6pm juniors, 7pm adults)
• 10th January - Percussion and drumkit workshop, 8 pm
• 17th January - Improvisation workshop (6pm juniors, 7pm adults)
• 24th January - Band workshop (6pm juniors, 7pm adults)
• 31st January - Percussion and drumkit workshop, 8pm

So here we are, Christmas is just around the corner and the Planet Drum family is coming together for our Winter Show on Friday 7th starting at 6 pm.

This year, for a change we’ll be kicking off with the percussion workshop performance followed by the junior performances at 6.30 pm then the adult performances at 7.30 pm.
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The final rehearsals for these will be held on:
Tuesday 4th 8 pm – Percussion Workshop
Thursday 6th 6 pm – Junior Band Workshop
Thursday 6th 7 pm – Adult Band Workshop
Thursday 20th 6 pm - Junior Improvisation Workshop
Thursday 20th 7 pm - Adult Improvisation Workshop

​Please contact the school to book your places for any of these if you haven’t already done so.

Finally I would like to say well done to everyone for the progress made this year and wish you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Best wishes for 2019!

Newsletter by Planet drum teacher, Louis.

I've been lucky enough to watch two incredible live band performances. On paper, both these groups have a pretty standard and traditional sounding line up (keys, bass, drums), but their music is far from what most people would call traditional. The sounds and styles of the two bands are worlds apart, however, one thing they have is common is the ability to improvise and create unique pieces during their sets. ​

at Cafe Oto in Hackney. The Necks are true masters of improvisation. As far as I know, that's exclusively what they do. There are no plans, no set pieces, no agreed direction: nothing. Each piece they create is truly unique and begins when one of the members starts making sound. That sound may not necessarily be a melody or an identifiable rhythm, but what happens from that point is certainly a sonic journey. The evening consisted of two 45 minute sets which felt very different to each other.

The one similarity was a steady yet almost imperceptible increase in intensity. There was no apparent communication between any of the band members other than through the music they were making; it was as if they were operating telepathically. Toward the end of each piece, the vast amounts of space that existed earlier on were filled with sound which had become quite mesmerising. I had no idea that they'd been playing for as long as 45 minutes and when it stopped, the room fell silent for what seemed like an age before the applause began once the audience had recovered from the hypnotic effect of the performance.

​The Necks' drummer, Tony Buck, uses an array of objects in addition to his kit as part of his performance; a bowl full of bells, mini cymbals, cogs from bicycle gears, strange looking sticks, straps to name but a few items! It seems that anything can be used as a musical instrument in the hands, or under the feet, of a creative player.

from The Necks experience, I then went to see NERVE, led by legendary drummer Jojo Mayer. NERVE make electronic music but it is all played and manipulated live by the people in the band, which includes the man out front on the sound desk.

The sounds used are faithful to various electronic genres; drum and bass, house, dubstep etc, and clearly a lot of work has gone into the reproduction of those sounds using the instruments being played live on stage. With NERVE, there are obviously some parts in the pieces that have been pre -written and are probably played the same way each time the piece is performed, as Jojo Mayer was directing the other band members at points, however, the vast majority of what was being played appeared to be improvised and took shape as it went along.

The pieces were extended and allowed plenty of room for each band member to showcase their musicality. It would be easy to go on and on about how incredible and technical the drumming was but actually, the most impressive thing was just how much of the drumming was about the groove, the feel and creating space for the music to take shape and find it's own way.

​That said, there were obviously some pretty mind blowing passages where Jojo Mayer demonstrated some of his legendary technical skill and techniques. I decided not to focus on trying to watch what he was doing but to just listen closely instead and I think I enjoyed the performance more as a result. Again, just like Tony Buck, Jojo Mayer had a collection of extra items, acoustic and electronic, which he used to affect the natural sound of the drum kit and help create new sounds to fit with the various styles. ​

is an important skill to develop as a musician and playing music with others is probably the most fun, enjoyable and rewarding way to use all those other skills you've been developing and working on in your practice. Why not get yourself along to the Planet Drum improvisation workshop were you'll get to do just that!

Also, please keep your eyes open for opportunities to socialise with Planet Drum students, teachers and friends. Whenever possible, we'll be arranging group nights out to see high profile drummers and other artists perform at local venues. Earlier this year, we went to see a seriously intense Femi Kuti concert and in November we'll be getting blown away by Louis Cole one night and Moses Boyd the next!
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Blog post by Planet drum teacher, David.

to everyone who came to see our performances last month. We really appreciate your support and hope you were well entertained.

And finally, want to wish good luck to everyone taking exams this month. Stay cool out there and have a banging November!
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See you around!

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We have a handful of tickets to the following gigs at Islington Assembly Hall so contact the office to reserve your space now!
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• Louis Cole - 23rd November
• Moses Boyd - 24th November

Newsletter by Planet drum teacher, Louis.

​We all like crazy syncopated patterns, intense solos and intricate rhythms. All that noise can sound cool, but we often forget about the power of simplicity in music. Some of the greatest songs ever recorded have been done with two verses, a chorus and most of the time with a single rhythm looped for the entire duration of the song.

​The first one, is that I spent the whole summer gigging almost every day with instrumental jazz gigs with various acts, electronic rock/pop (http://www.fjokra.com) and last-minute function gigs. The differences of “vocabulary”, sound, repertoire and approach are quite challenging and very often there’s no time to prepare or rehearse the set list.

​There is always a good solution for this kind of situation, it is simplicity. Keeping the rhythmic section clear, minimal and most of all musical helps the music breath more and sound better ( and eventually get more bookings).

I’m not saying that technique and other more academic studies are not important. Indeed, every kind of music requires a specific standard knowledge; what I’m saying is: do not confuse practicing with playing when you're making music with a band. In other words, while you are playing, focus on the “now’ and do your best with the skills you have acquired up until now.
 
Of course, I like watching skilled drummers showing off brilliantly executed chops and taking inspiration from them. But don’t forget that what you really need to do is to play for the song, this is what drumming and making music is about..
 
As Miles Davis used to say “I always listen to what I can leave out”

Blog post by Planet drum teacher, Filippo. 

​I would like to say a big thank you to all who came down to the Jazz Cafe last week to see my band Afrik Bawantu. It was an absolutely amazing night and such a fun gig to play. Here’s a little clip from the first set. 

 This is where you can check out some of the teachers in action!

• Vladimir and Peter with Paprika  http://www.eastfinchleyartsfestival.org.uk/#sat6th
• Keith - The lost disc show  https://sohotheatre.com/shows/the-lost-disc/
• Filippo - 2nd October, Curveball atThe Kitty Hawk. Modern Fusion/Jazz
• Filippo - 11th October, Guido Spannocchi Trio @ Caravanserail
• Filippo - 17th October Rory More Trio @ Jazztrain night, Shoreditch
• Filippo - 22nd October, Guido Spannacchi Trio @ Brixton Market
• Filippo - Samba Ensemble @ Granary Square, Kings Cross
• Louis - 24th October Afrik Bawantu https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/afrik-bawantu-with-afla-sackey.
• Dee- 5th October Entropi http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/event/double-bill-entropi-voronoi-match-fuse-late-session/
• Katy Russell - KT Abbotshill wine bar Sat 13th Oct - http://www.abbotshillwine.co.uk/new-products-1/national-album-day-131018

​Finally for anyone who has been waiting patiently for an update on the garden. Well, I’m happy to say the tomatoes are eventually ripening at a rate just about sufficient for necessity. What a wonderful thing nature is. Muchisimas gracias! Good luck with all your endeavours. See you soon!

Newsletter by Planet drum teacher, Louis.

I’m excited to be starting a new chapter of my life, teaching trumpet at the fantastic Planet Drum school.
From walking through the doors of Planet Drum for the first time I could sense it was a place full of creativity and hard work.
Everyone I’ve met so far has been enthusiastic and passionate about their work so I’m looking forward to joining the team soon!

I’ve been playing in bands in London since I was 16 years old. This summer has been a busy time playing festivals across the UK with Afrobeat guru Dele Sosimi and the Ghanaian percussionist extraordinaire Afla Sackey to whom our very own Louis Pocock is the drummer for.

​Most recently we’ve been touring the Chai Wallahs stages at Kendal Calling, Greenman and Shambala Festival. Its truly been a wonderful experience meeting so many amazing people who make it all possible. Anyway, enough about me!

Blog post by Planet drum trumpet teacher, Henry Lawry.

First things first... We are now offering trumpet lessons with our new trumpet teacher Henry Lawry! Learn the secrets, tricks and tips of pro trumpeters designed to help you succeed.
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Check out our blog on last months masterclass by Ringo Starr's drum collector and historian, Gary Astridge.

This month we are introducing and hosting a brand new improvisation workshop for all instruments. Improvisation is a performance that is not practised or planned, in particular, it is a piece of music that is created spontaneously. In this new workshop we are putting these skills into practice by playing alongside one another and cultivating new ideas as we go! Improvisation is at the heart of great musicianship.

This is a great chance for students of all abilities to Jam and learn the art of improvisation. It is a lot of fun and we encourage students to bring their own ideas to the table...

Hope you all had a fabulous summertime home or abroad, wherever that is for you. With the festival season coming to an end and the temperature taking on a somewhat autumnal feel it definitely feels like ‘back to school’ time.

Here at Planet Drum we’ve already got one eye on the Winter Show so encouraging everyone to get involved and start preparing your performance piece for the Band Workshops. This month they will be happening on Monday 17th at 8pm (adults), Thursday 27th 6pm (kids) and 7pm (adults).

facilitated by Alain and Katy which is aimed at helping you to develop your musicality and musicianship so well worth a look into! This will take place on Monday 10th at 5pm (kids), and 6pm (adults). Please contact the office early to reserve your place for either of these.

The percussion workshop is also on Thursday 27th at 8pm. As always, the more the merrier so don’t worry if you haven’t booked a place, you are welcome to come anyway.
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Following last month’s newsletter, a quick update on my band Afrik Bawantu and the garden.Ok, without meaning to blow any trumpets, we smashed it at the festivals!

with tons of courgettes and cucumbers, tomatoes taking longer to ripen. Apparently some others had the same problem due to the weather so I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. It’s all about trial and error. On both counts I’m already preparing and hopefully improving next year. 

Anyone who would like to see us play is more than welcome to come to The Jazz Cafe in Camden on Tuesday 25th September. The event is called Afla Sackey and Afrik Bawantu present – Ghana’s Highlife Groove, tickets available here.

We’ll be performing a range of classic old-school highlife tunes along with a few of our original compositions. We’re going to take the roof off so would be great to see you there, if you can make it. That’s all for now folks, look forward to seeing you around. All the best for the coming season!

Newsletter by Planet drum teacher Louis.

​Think you know a lot about legendary Beatles drummer ‘Ringo Starr’? Well think again.

Planet drum had the absolute pleasure of meeting Gary Astridge; ultimate Ringo fan, collector and drum historian. As well as being such a warm and friendly person, Astridge shared his Beatle knowledge and marvellous stories about working alongside Ringo himself.

because of your research, I've learned things that I didn't know, and you brought back fond memories of things that I had forgotten." - Ringo Starr

Some of Gary’s achievements include having the distinct honor and privilege of handling and documenting two of Ringo's Beatles drum sets and his Ludwig gold plated snare drum at the Grammy Museum in LA. This also includes being the first person since Mal Evans, the Beatles roadie, to set up Ringo's Sullivan and Let It Be drum sets.

Gary has been involved in numerous other projects. He can say that he has now documented all  five of Ringo's Ludwig Beatles drum sets and his custom Ludwig Silver Sparkle kit used on the Hello Goodbye promo film. All five Ludwig Beatles drum sets are complete with no missing items.

​With the blessing of Ringo himself,  Gary and his friends Jeff and  Scotty (Ringo's roadies), have successfully implemented Gary's plan to photograph, document, organise, preserve and securely store these iconic kits for history and their hopeful future placement in a museum.

Gary Astridge was involved as technical adviser in the "World's Great Drummers Salute Ringo Starr" documentary featuring Dave Grohl, Tre Cool, Abe Laboriel Jr, Max Weinberg, Questlove, Jim Keltner, Stewart Copeland, Chad Smith, and Taylor Hawkins. 

Gary Astridge for sharing his stories and knowledge with our Planet drum students and wish him well as he travels to International Beatle week in Liverpool!
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“I really enjoyed my time with you and thanks so much for your hospitality. I surely will be spreading the word about Planet Drum & the great people that make it work” - Gary Astridge 2018

*Photos copyright of Gary Astridge

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