FROST NEWS INTERVIEW
by Jordan Levin
Q: You live in LA – what neighborhood/area? Can you tell me a little about your family time and its importance to you, and what other non-music activities are important to you?
A: I live in a neighborhood of Los Angeles called Silver Lake. It has been one of my favorite locations in L.A. since I moved there in 2004. I love the nature, the restaurants, the architecture, and the artistic community. My wife and I live there with our 12-year old son and our 2 dogs. I built a music studio in the guest house for recording, practicing, and producing. When not touring and working on music, I spend almost all of my free time with my family: swimming, hiking, eating, exploring, watching movies. Outside of music and family time, my preferred activities are reading books and exercising (either at the gym or training jiu jitsu at a martial arts academy).
Q: In the Drumset interview you mention applying to a few music schools. Why did you apply to the Frost School? What attracted you? Why did you choose Frost? Did you get a scholarship? Am also intrigued that you drove yourself and your stuff down here from NJ; can you tell me more about that?
A: I was very involved with my high school music department up in New Jersey. I went to a school called Roxbury High in Morris County. Our middle school band director Jerry Peel happened to be the former French Horn professor at Frost School of Music. And one of my high school band directors Harry Owens had a daughter that was in the Frost choral department at that time. When I was looking into possible college music programs, both Harry and Jerry steered me towards the University of Miami. They thought it would be a “good fit” for me. I auditioned at several conservatories, but Miami was my first choice. I was attracted to Frost’s great teacher-to-student ratio. I felt as though I could get more attention there, as opposed to getting lost in the shuffle. I liked the diversity within the curriculum. Frost offered courses ranging from studio recording to African percussion ensemble. I found the drum faculty of Steve Rucker, Steven Bagby, Fred Wickstrom, Ney Rosauro, Harry Hawthorne to be surprisingly modern. They weren’t simply training drummers and percussionists to play like they were from the 1940’s. They were preparing students to head out into the real world and work. It was also important to me to study at a school that was located within a vibrant music city. I didn’t want to “go away” and disappear for 4 years, and then try to integrate myself into a music scene. I wanted to study and learn within a music community. I first entered the Frost music program through the education department. But while at school, I auditioned for every ensemble, and applied to every grant and scholarship I could find. By my sophomore year, I was accepted into the Studio Music & Jazz department too, and I had a bunch of financial aid that made it possible for me to continue my attendance. At the start of my freshman year, I needed to be at the campus a week early to begin rehearsals with the Hurricanes marching band drumline. I packed my drumset into the back of my Ford Escort and drove 21 hours down I-95 from Mount Arlington, NJ to Miami. However, during my very first week in Miami, we were hit by the infamous Hurricane Andrew, which devastated South Florida. These were the times before cell phones and internet. The city had no electricity, no telephones. I didn’t know anyone. There was an evacuation of the city. I had no other choice but to drive my car right back up to New Jersey until further notice. I went home, got a gig teaching high school marching band for a couple weeks, and then drove back down to South Florida when the school re-opened. That was my introduction to Miami!
Q: In Drumset you also say you were probably the worst drummer at your high school (which I doubt.) How did the Frost school help you grow as a musician? What teachers were most important for you ? What Classes? Fellow students who became friends, or who you played with? How did the school’s atmosphere, attitude and expectations affect you?
A: Did I say that? I definitely felt as though I was the worst drummer at Frost when I arrived. Everyone seemed to know more than me, and they had all been playing their instruments for a much longer time. A lot of the students came from high school arts programs. I had a late-start at the drums. However, the teachers at the school and the fellow classmates were very encouraging and supportive. My first drumset teacher at U.M. Steven Babgy helped me relax and not stress myself out so much with all of the sensory overload. And the head of the drumset department Steve Rucker was exceptionally kind and funny. His positive attitude towards drumming and learning was quite infectious to everyone around him. Fred Wickstrom and Harry Hawthorne both shared a fatherly, “seasoned” approach to studying music. Ney Rosauro, Scott Deal, and Keith Aleo were my orchestral percussion teachers. They inspired me to pursue marimba, timpani, and all the other instruments in the percussion section. We had a Dean of Music named Nick DeCarbo who not only taught me 4 semesters of conducting class, but he was also in charge of letting me tinker with my class structure to allow me to study advanced theory, big band arranging, jazz piano, and more. I had a composition teacher named Ron Miller who was astonishingly good at helping both advanced students and the ones trailing behind (like me). Along with the fantastic faculty, there was a strong peer group at Frost too. I struck up dozens upon dozens of close friendships with fellow music students. For example, guitarist Adam Zimmon (Ziggy Marley) became my bandmate, my roommate, and later the best man at my wedding. There is a network of U.M. alumni spread out all over the globe. I still see tons of old buddies like Jeff Babko (Jimmy Kimmell), Jason Sutter (Cher), Ed Toth (Doobie Brothers), Eric Gardner (Melissa Ethridge), Derek Frank (Gwen Stefani), and on and on. It’s a family.
Q: How important was studying in Miami to your growth as a musician, while you were at Frost and after? You’re not Latino, yet you ended up playing with so many Latin artists here – including Elsten, and of course Shakira. Did Frost connections help with any of that? Or was it just a function of being in Miami?
A: Well, I believe my love for latin music started with my fellow classmates at Frost. Many of them were originally from Brazil, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Argentina, The Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and so on. I would rehearse and perform with these friends all week long, and their cultures rubbed off on me. I became a sponge for music from all around the globe. Of course, part of me was training myself for future gigs. But another part of me was just fascinated with all of the exotic music I was hearing on a daily basis. It felt never-ending. I immersed myself in latin and world music, and I believe that openness led me to work with Elsten Torres, Shakira, Gloria Estefan, Roberto Carlos, Natalia Lafourcade, Paulina Rubio, Emmanuel, Alejandro Sanz, Julio Iglesias, Alejandra Guzman, Nil Lara, Aleks Syntek, Gustavo Santaolalla, Javier Garcia, Beto Cuevas, and many other talented Latin American artists. I have been working with Shakira for 27 years, and that all started with a single recording session at Emilio Estefan’s Crescent Moon Studio.
Q: You started playing professionally while still at Frost, correct? (I remember an early gig where Elsten told me ‘yeah he’s amazing and he’s only 18’ – though I could be wrong about the number). Did Frost encourage that? Did teachers and other students encourage that and set an example for doing that? What was it like and how did your schooling and work complement each other, if they did?
A: I lived in Miami during the mid-1990’s. At the time, there were many ways to be involved in the South Florida music scene. There were tons of live music venues featuring rock bands, jazz trios, salsa music, etc. There were a lot of recording studios pumping out albums upon albums. Many of the faculty members at U.M. were working musicians themselves, so you could catch them playing gigs around town. I would often go to class from around 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, grab dinner and cram some homework, and then go out and gig from 8:00 pm to midnight. The drummers used to have a room called The Shed, which we could use to practice “after hours”. I’d sometimes be in there at 2:00 in the morning working on my assignments for the upcoming week. Looking back, it all seems so crazy. But I was very hyped up and inspired to learn and to get better. And yes, I met my long-time music collaborator Elsten “Fulano” Torres in the hallowed hallways of the Foster practice building. At the time, he was on the cusp of signing a record deal with BMG, and he was looking for a band. I believe I was 20 years old at the time (not 18), but we really hit it off. We had countless adventures together. Good times!
Q: Obviously, you’re a fantastic and experienced musician who’s built a career of over three decades. But can you say something about whether and how your education here helped create the foundation for that? Would be great to use Shakira as one example, since she’s a star and you’re on tour with her now.
A: There are so many ways in which Frost School of Music helped me with my career as a professional musician. Where should I start? The location of the school itself, centered in a hotbed of music from all corners of the world, was crucial for me. I spent my days on campus studying, learning, practicing, training, and I spent my nights performing or watching other high-level musicians perform. Also, I was very involved in the vocal program at Frost School of Music, not as a singer, but as a drummer for all of the vocal students. Somehow, I became the guy who played drums on every singer’s recital. I believe that this experience gave me a lot of real world insight on how to make band members feel comfortable on stage, and how to keep shows flowing smoothly. There is a lot of psychology involved with performing music; juggling people’s nerves, confusion, self-doubts. I gained so much by performing with my classmates week after week. I think this experience gave me a massive head start with the concept of reassuring artists, music directors, producers, and managers. It’s about playing with the aura of, “No problem. I’ve got your back. Everything is going to be fine.”
Q: Have you ever worked with other Frost alumni?
A: All the time. I actually still work with Frost alumni on a regular basis. In fact, two of my bandmates with Shakira are former Frost students: the illustrious Tim Mitchell and Albert Menendez. When I was in music school, I remember it being a lot of fun to learn about and follow the careers of former Frost alumni. We’d stay up late and watch different former students perform on The Tonight Show or Saturday Night Live. These working musicians gave us budding students a ray of light; something to look forward to.
Q: Any advice for current Frost students and recent alumni?
A: Be curious and open-minded. Make friends, not enemies. Take advantage of every opportunity. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Treat every job (big or small) like a learning experience. Be yourself, there is not one “right way” to do something. Seek progress, not perfection. Do everything with a combination of persistence and passion. It’s never too early to start saving your money. There is freedom with maintaining a low financial overhead.
Q: Anything you want to add?
A: I am very grateful for my time at Frost School of Music. The music school, with its teachers, students, and facilities, offered me a place to grow; a place to transition from a confused kid to a slightly-together young adult. If I were to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Brendan Buckley
www.brendanbuckley.com