I think a couple of the most underrated drummers at the moment are, well, a name that pops into my mind is Nate Wood. He is the drummer for a jazz/fusion group called Kneebody. His drumming is astonishingly good! And as far as I can tell, he is not a “household name.” His sound, his parts, and his facility make me jump out of my chair! Another guy I love to watch is Toss Panos. He’s wild.

https://youtu.be/uIHf07kbS0c
Nate Wood with Kneebody

https://youtu.be/nPZWrWbRnNc
Toss Panos with Robben Ford

If I could go back in time, I think I would tell my 14-year old self to spend a lot more time focusing on “tone” and “groove.” Those are two subtle concepts that are difficult for a young student to keep in mind. As up-and-coming drummers, we are overwhelmed with the tasks of “improving our chops” and “learning new styles.” That is all very important, but “tone” and “groove” are things that make drummers sound “next-level” professional.

I would also sit my young self down and go over a bit of the business of music. Not too much (because ignorance is bliss), but a little bit of awareness would have helped me navigate some tough situations along the way.

There is not much that I would have done differently with a second chance. However, I might have worked more on my piano, bass, and guitar playing, and I would have started earlier studying composition, production, and engineering. There are never enough hours in the day!

I had fun this afternoon chatting and playing with Terry Bozzio and Mario Claire. We rocked for a couple hours. Afterwards, we sat and talked about technique and important life experiences. Terry said he was completely obsessed and distracted the entire jam session, and was dying to ask, “How do you get your hair to look so fantastic?” I explained how it comes from a secret Shaolin method I learned after years of intense study and devotional meditation at the temple in Dengfeng, in the Henan Province of China. The monastery is hidden in the forests of Shaoshi Mountain (one of the seven peaks of the Song Mountains). It is during The Jieba, the ancient ceremony of the nine marks, where master Fang Lu-Hao’s sacred words (and hair secret) is burned onto the head with sticks of incense. It looks like a simple Chinese symbol, and translated into English, it reads, “Wax on, wax off.”

Watch the video here:

To me, “success” is accomplishing a set of goals. Some people confuse success with “fame.” Fame is about popularity. Success is about achievement. Surviving a tough day is success.

A tough day could be long hours while suffering jet-lag and sleep-deprivation. Or it could mean a disagreement over money with a promoter or a manager. Or, maybe your personal life is in shambles. During these moments, I try to remain positive, and I remind myself that this is simply the “ebb and flow” of life. You’re not supposed to get what you want all of the time. As the saying goes, “You win some, and you lose some.” Be grateful for what you have.

A typical work day would look something like this: wake up, eat a healthy breakfast, hit the gym, head to a session/rehearsal/soundcheck, record some drums or prepare for a concert, finish, head home, answer some emails, go to bed. That is success.