Category: Bands

Newsletter December 2018

4/12/2018

Hello everyone!

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.

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.

Here’s a list of other performances happening this month where you can see the teachers play:

Afrik Bawantu (Louis) – Empire Bar, Hackney 20th December
The Swing Notes (Alain, Vlad, Peter and Ben) - The Goring Hotel, 31st December

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.

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Simplicity

15/10/2018

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We know it, we are drummers.

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.

Why am I writing about simplicity? Well, for two main reasons.

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).

The second reason why I’m talking about simplicity

is for all the music students who are reading this. During lessons, I talk with students about band workshops and about “being ready” to play with a band. I know it can be hard to believe, especially for beginners, but a single rhythm looped for an entire song, plus maybe a single fill is enough for a successful session.

To be good drummers/musicians in a band context, we don’t need to show several different ideas squeezed inside a single song or demonstrate incredible technique and independence. The main factors we need to take care of are: timing, song/structure (stating the form), and sound control. If we are successful in doing this, we will have a successful session, 100% assured!

Don’t misunderstand me.

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.

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Newsletter September 2018

3/9/2018

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Hi everybody!

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.

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).

This season we’re introducing another workshop

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.

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!

The garden performance was a bit more erratic

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.

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Planet drum diary

24/8/2018

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An evening with Gary Astridge

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.

“Gary,

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.

Furthermore,

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.

We would like to thank

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!

“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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Discover Nicola Hogg

26/4/2018

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Playing drums gives me a good feeling,

although it feels much greater when you can work with like minded artists. That's why I'm working with the up and coming Nicola Hogg. Last year we've released 4 singles, you can check these out on all social media platforms with the handle @nicolahoggmusic - for them we've worked with Abbey Road Engineer Christian Wright (Ed Sheeran) and other collaborators.

The single 'Flow'

won the Mayor of London Big Busk competition which received press coverage from BBC News, BBC introducing, the Evening Standard and many other major media outlets. It also took us to Glastonbury where Nicola shared the bill with artists such as, Mullally, Everything Everything & producer Naughty Boy. Touring wise, Nicola played in Italy and Argentina.

Where is she now?

She's now back in London, where we are planning for her second set of song releases, gigs and tours. We'll be rehearsing at Planet Drum too, so pop in if you want to meet Nicola or just say hi! Make sure you listen to her tracks, and leave a comment if you like them!

Post by Planet drum teacher Hernan Palazzo

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I am not With the Band, I am IN the Band

22/9/2017

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Everything changed on my birthday a few years ago

As a surprise for my birthday, my other half (a tall handsome Irish bloke) led me on a mystery tour ending at the Scar Studios in Camden, the one time home of Planet drum. He had arranged for a few drumming lessons for my birthday. There to greet us was Alain.

Becoming a drummer, has been an enjoyable journey but not an easy one. I am not being humble when I say that I am not a ‘natural’… far from it … but I stuck with it and, as they say, persistence is stronger that failure.

The love for drumming has never faded, in fact it continues to grow stronger.

It took me a while to pluck up the courage to throw myself under the bus in search of a band. I was fearful of replying to adverts looking for a drummer. I had that constant terror that I wouldn’t be good enough, that I was somehow a fake and would be found out… “Call yourself a Drummer!”

Having a demanding full time job, a family and that Irish guy I mentioned! didn’t make it easy to fit drumming into my life but I guess when you love something you magically just make time.

I am currently a happy member of the noise pop outfit called Bedlam Motel.

We are constantly busy with emails, rehearsal times, gigs, carrying stuff, uploading recordings, reschedules, bookings, updating Facebook pages and endless debate about the name of our band. To some this may be a chore but to me it's all worth it.

After a long hard day of work, the tiredness of dragging yourself, and in some cases your kit, to rehearsals or a gig may seem a chore but any misgivings soon disappear within minutes of immersing ourselves into the glorious racket we create.

Rehearsals nowadays usually consists of a good old crazy jam.

"About 15 minutes before the end we will do a rendition of one of our “old classics”. Songs are created out of these jams which we record and pour over and dissect over the following few days until next rehearsal when we might be ready to stitch it into something… or not!

I look forward to my commute the morning after a rehearsal, where I can re-live the evening (including chats and comments but also all the mistakes and "bad beats"). Sometimes, it all comes together when I am about to reach the office entrance and then I have to walk once around the block to get a couple more minutes of joy before grown up life begins.

We'd like to record and album but this takes time. There should be a couple of songs printed on tape this year.

It still brings a smile to my face when I arrive at a rehearsal studio or a gig, or by simply walking in the street with the guys carrying guitars, and I think, I am not with the Band, I am IN the Band.

Aurea Garrido
Planet drum student

Check out Bedlam Motel on Fb.

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Blog

Newsletter December 2018

Hello everyone!

Here’s a list of other performances happening this month where you can see the teachers play:

Simplicity

We know it, we are drummers.

Why am I writing about simplicity? Well, for two main reasons.

The second reason why I’m talking about simplicity

Don’t misunderstand me.

Newsletter September 2018

Hi everybody!

This season we’re introducing another workshop

The garden performance was a bit more erratic

Planet drum diary

An evening with Gary Astridge

“Gary,

Furthermore,

We would like to thank

Discover Nicola Hogg

Playing drums gives me a good feeling,

The single 'Flow'

Where is she now?

I am not With the Band, I am IN the Band

Everything changed on my birthday a few years ago

The love for drumming has never faded, in fact it continues to grow stronger.

I am currently a happy member of the noise pop outfit called Bedlam Motel.

Rehearsals nowadays usually consists of a good old crazy jam.

We'd like to record and album but this takes time. There should be a couple of songs printed on tape this year.

Join us and send us your comments.

Blog

Archives

Categories

Courses

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Network

Blog

Hello everyone!

Here’s a list of other performances happening this month where you can see the teachers play:

We know it, we are drummers.

Why am I writing about simplicity? Well, for two main reasons.

The second reason why I’m talking about simplicity ​

Don’t misunderstand me.

Hi everybody! ​

This season we’re introducing another workshop

The garden performance was a bit more erratic

An evening with Gary Astridge

“Gary,

Furthermore,

We would like to thank

Playing drums gives me a good feeling,

The single 'Flow'

Where is she now?

Everything changed on my birthday a few years ago

​The love for drumming has never faded, in fact it continues to grow stronger.

​I am currently a happy member of the noise pop outfit called Bedlam Motel.

​Rehearsals nowadays usually consists of a good old crazy jam.

We'd like to record and album but this takes time. There should be a couple of songs printed on tape this year.

Join us and send us your comments.

Blog

Archives

Categories

Courses

The second reason why I’m talking about simplicity

Hi everybody!

The love for drumming has never faded, in fact it continues to grow stronger.

I am currently a happy member of the noise pop outfit called Bedlam Motel.

Rehearsals nowadays usually consists of a good old crazy jam.