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Singing Drummer As A Singer-Songwriter


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It's been a long time since I've written here. Paradoxically, my drum life has been very busy and engaging. Often times the work behind the scenes is the only work. And now it seems I've come full circle, yet for the first time, in seriously planning to do a significant project as a singer songwriter playing drums.

In 2008 I began playing drums "in earnest" following a scant 3 years prior to that, and a 12 year break prior to that. Probably the most courageous thing I ever did was to commit to drums after what was in effect pretty much a 15 year absence.The only original music I had going on those years was periodically developing and singing my own catalogue of songs w/ acoustic guitar accompaniment. Sometimes I played and wrote in bursts, but mainly life was very filled with raising children. At one point I missed the music so bad, but had no time for it, that I took up sewing as art. A practical art it was, as whole wardrobes began appearing for little ones.

Also around 2008, I realized that I'd become a strumming-guitarist-singer-songwriter by default. All my music friends seemed to have vanished - or maybe I did. There was no one musically to help me for a long, lonely time. Because of the periodic nature of playing my catalog, I often felt I was completely starting over and nothing but belief in, and liking for my own tunes kept me doing it. There was one other musical thing going, which became regular, and it, too, was something I hadn't sought: singing in a Latin Mass choir consisting of polyphony, Gregorian chant and motets. At the time I felt like it was barely keeping one toe in the musical stream, but in hindsight the consistency added up. It was certainly different from popular music singing, and they let me sit in, so I did.

After a couple years in choir as I became more comfortable, people I knew began commenting favorably on my voice. This was familiar, as I'd begun lead singing as a drummer professionally at age 17. What was bizarre about it, was that none of my newer friends knew me as a drummer or songwriter. Then it struck me that all but one of my own children had never heard me play drums.

It's hard to describe how uneasy, and eventually terrified, this made me feel. From that void, I consciously made the first step on the road back, in my own mind.

Since 2008, the bulk of my work has been networking with musicians and deepening friendships with those I already knew (like John Moxey & Steve Perrett from Songstuff). Other musicians are our best allies. We need each other, and some of our greatest needs have little to do with money or getting work. We need each other to keep the music, and ourselves, alive.

In addition to reuniting with band members from when I was 17, and taking up anew as a singing drummer in a gigging variety band, Thorny Swale (the name of this band) began doing my originals (I think) in late 2010. Guitarist Scott Iverson can play drums, and I found out that my default-status as a rhythm guitarist was actually rather nuanced regarding my own songs, so for the originals, I've been playing guitar & fronting. I realized again that other musicians are our best allies, and that the first people to "sell" a song to are one's bandmates. The few experiences I'd had in bringing originals into a band setting long before my 15 yr break from drums, were quite different from the relaxed "show me" that Thorny Swale offered. It was so pleasing. And something happened to the band, something good. It got both more rooted and more alive. I really liked playing guitar and singing, as well.

In 2011 I set out to find more gigs in addition to Thorny Swale, which meant "cold-calling" networking, promoting myself and auditioning. In July, up 5 flights of warehouse stairs in 103 degree weather was when I first heard Ray C. (a guitarist auditioning for the same gig). That gig never materialized, but I made sure to keep my eye on Ray, because I knew I wanted to work with him. We began working together late summer, and amidst some bumps, our 4-piece band "Sneakers" began sneaking around on a very consistent rehearsal schedule, making our debut last month.

It's very exciting to be in both bands, and I'm psyched for the future in gigging with both.

The full circle come around that I've never been to before, is what I'll close this entry with. As a member of the MAS (Minnesota Association of Songwriters), members have been given an opportunity to do a cable TV taping - up to 6 songs. (The MAS is a whole other story - very active and thriving organization with regular showcases, song circles, and stellar songwriting workshops, among other ever-increasing irons in the fire). I'm one of those MAS members who isn't versed in appearing solo (I gave it a good try, though), and I'm happy to be given a shot among MAS peers to appear in my element, which is with a band.

Just before the New Year, it struck me that guitarist Scott and I should play our respective instruments for this taping, and also, it's a lot harder to lead a band as a guitarist than it is as a drummer. The only thing is, I'd not only not lead-sang-while-drumming the newer originals slated for the MAS taping, but I'd not ever seriously considered, or even casually entertained, the thought of being a drumming singer-songwriter. Yeah, there've been a few, we know who they are (though the cat I'm really interested in is Brian Blade). It doesn't matter how many or few, but that I'd not tried that on for myself.

It has been confusing at times, being a writer, a singer and arranger. Frankly, it would be a whole lot simpler to be a drummer, period. But the years and experiences have shown that putting one or more musical aspects away, leaves me with that void. I'm a practical musician, so immediately upon securing the MAS taping date, I set into action to prepare - which means Thorny Swale's guitarists (they switch off parts) learning rhythm parts and chordings. More than a couple experienced guitarists in other settings have said I, not they, should play those rhythm parts (this could be a good sign or bad), so the final outcome of the taping will depend on how things gel, and I suppose, me letting go of some of the quirkiness of my r. guitar parts.

But the main element and most recent discovery was sitting down to record myself playing drums while lead singing some of these tunes. I knew the playback would tell me if a drumming-singer-songwriter might fly.

"I think she may".

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