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I've been shaping my vocals for around ten years, and playing rhythm guitar. Toured with my family as a drummer in my youth. After that a long break. Spent almost four years serving as an infantryman, including one tour to Mosul Iraq. Spoke with a buddy yesterday who's one of the best keyboard players for his style that I'm associated with. My uncle whom I've played a ton of shows with played nearly 300 shows last year. We'll see what happens. Thanks for reaching out
I have a story Iam a old guy,well in the 60's I played in a band in hawaii built my first guitar at 14 it was a piece of s--- .In the 70's I invented patented and marketed the first plastic molded guitar cases on the market . took a brake from music got married and. i got back into music in my 50's opened a music store and started building guitars . i closed the music store and moved .i have still been making guitars you will see Iam not a conventional guitar builder hope this helps
I first fell in love with music at 11 years old, when I entered a talent show hosted by the middle school I attended. I can remember catching the bus to the studio and paying to be recorded and my music to be complete, I decided that I would do this myself and I started buying equipment. Today music is everything, it serves as relaxation, encourages me to remember good memories of people who I have lost, allows me to share my love for music with my children.I can remember competing in a talent show in 1994 and my group won, We had a show to do and with this contest it was supposed to be no cursing, instead the group went with the original song which had cursing.
It all started at church, hearing my grandmother Ruth Bramlet (my dads mom)playing the piano for congregational singing week after week. Plus getting to hearher play at her home, as well as her sister Kathleen Hall (my great aunt),daughter Donna Harper (my aunt) and on my mothers side of the family, mygranny Opal McDaniel and her daughter Nina Wallace (my aunt). Music, gospel,was all around me and they played very well. Some of my older cousins weretaking up the piano and also trying out for their school bands on differentinstruments, mainly the woodwinds. My mother wanted me to try the guitar butI wasn't passionate about that enough to work on it like I should have.Fourth grade started and band tryouts were taking place at my grade school so ldefinitely went to see what I might be good at. I tried all the instruments butnothing seemed to stand out, and I really didn't have a favorite but I was goodwith wherever they would put me. Thing is they didn't, said I just didn't have it.Now being a kid with asthma I kinda knew I was having trouble holding notes andproducing a good tone when I would blow through the different horns. I thoughtthough that I would get better as I would learn how to sustain through lessonsand practicing. No was the answer though. You ain't got it! The band teachersaid that he had been a music teacher for many, many years and he could quicklytell who could and who couldn't make grade and truthfully he said, " you can't"!That really hurt and I was very upset to say the least. After several weeks passed, some of my fellow students that was picked for band began dropping out due to getting aggravated and giving up, and every time one of them would quit and I heard about it, I would run the the band director begging for another chance, only to be told again and again, you ain't got it!Finally one of the drummers quit the band, and so I went again and begging him to let me try the drum. He seen my persistence and he finally said okay, if your parents will take you to the music store and get your a pair of drum sticks and a practice pad, we'll give you a try. I was so excited I was about to bust. When I got home I told my mom what the director said and we quickly went to the music store in home town Eldorado and purchased both and I took them to school with me the next day and showed my new teacher. So that day I started band and I was so excited!All through 4th and 5th grade, Jr. High and then High school I excelled on the drums, even being introduced to the trap set my freshman year of high school with 2 other upper class school mate drummers showing me the basic's. My sophomore year doing more and more solo's and runs. I really loved playing the drums.After high school I figured I was done, no more drumming but I learned later I was just starting. I graduated in May and by August I received a phone call from a fella who was in a working honkey tonk band call The Outsiders. Their drummer had quit and they heard about me and my abilities and so they wanted me to audition if I wanted to. I thought what the heck, I was intrigued for sure. So I went to the audition, set my drums up in their living room and fell in love with the music they were doing and their ability to create a wonderful sound musically and vocally. We played a few bars and clubs but we also played many wedding receptions, town festivals, parties and retirement dances. The main thing though is was the wide variety of different genre's of music we played, from country, rock a billy, rock n roll, blues, waltz, what a learning experience it was. These people had been together for many years so by the time I came around they were kind of ready for a break, so I was with them a little more than a year when we all put it to rest. So I figured I was done again.So some of us was out of that seen for around a year or so and 3 of us decide we might try to start a new band. Enter Whiskey River Band. Bill Pickering (singer guitar) Richard Omohundro (bass guitar) and myself (drums) met up with a piano player we heard of (Steve Essary) who played like Mikey Gilley and Jerry Lee Lewis and we hit it off from the start. We were the only band in this region of with a country boogie sound with honky tonk piano. About a year later though the piano player (Steve) had to quit because of work so we were a trio again and kept on playing and really became tight and filled our parts very well to produce a full sound. In time we had others coma and go but kept the band going. Others such as Jim Clark, Charlie Ashby, Larry Omohundro, Kenny Haney, David Newman, Jerry Potts, Jerry Hunt, Carl Gibbs, Larry Dolan, Lee Brothers and Jacl Martin.Through the years I was picking up my acoustic guitar at home and trying to copy what I heard the others in our band playing during our concerts. While I was playing my drums I could look around at the crowds and watch them dance and also watch the guitar players play their notes and where they would be on the guitar neck and I would go home and learn what they did. I knew all of our songs, what key they were in, and learned some improvised leads to them. At one point we had a guy quit and we couldn't find a replacement but we found another drummer to fill in so we went with me on guitar. I had to buy an electric guitar and amplifier and then later a couple of effects pedals. I played guitar then for two years until we decided to put Whiskey River Band to rest after 10 years. Some of us was attending church now and didn't want to be in the bars and clubs any more. I sold all my equipment, drums, guitars, pedals and amplifier. I'm done!My wife and I started back to church and rededicated our lives to Christ and attended as a family with our kids. My mother was using sound tracks in church to sing solos as a part of worship and that was a new thing and she was great at it. All the music and background vocals was recorded on cassette tapes and you provide the lead vocals for worship and songs of faith. I finally went to try and search for a fitting song for me to try and did so I purchased it, learned it and shared with our congregation and they showed their appreciation and I felt something stirring within. So I did buy some more, and more and began to share with our church as a part of worship, my new musical thing that was truly blessed. After some time I had enough to do a program, and that led to singing at singing conventions, in other churches, town festivals, even funerals. Presently I have around two hundred sound tracks on cassette tapes and CD's and have recorded five albums and I sing concerts at nursing homes and assistant living homes.In 2006 music department was nonexistent in our home town school system and some of us alumni wanted to revive it somehow. After Unit #4 schools hired a new band director we set out to help in any way we could. Bruce Baldwin and myself started out by calling on our friends that we knew played in the band with us in high school about forming an Alumni Band, and then they would call their friends and ask the same. The response was very exciting and positive. We practiced a few times and it was truly amazing how fast the horn players got back their pipes and fingering techniques and we were the talk of the town. We even inspired other local towns to do the same. I purchased a drum set again, and others bought horns to play again and we were like kids in high school again. Ages varied from 20 to 78 years old, and we grew to 72 alumni members.Also around the same time we had some fellas in our church who could play guitar, and the drummer was in high school band so we started putting some songs together and playing, at times, in church as a part of the worship band. Now I buying a guitar, again, and an amplifier, Praise the Lord! We were excited about this and we grew quickly, practicing for a while at first in my garage, then later at the church house. Before long we were asked to play at town festivals and other churches for a concert. We named ourselves the Union Grove Gospel Band and we are in our 12th year now. We've done many concerts, homecomings, revivals, and festivals, recorded two albums and still going strong and will as long as God provides for us to. I am lead guitar and vocals, John Abell - rhythm guitar, mandolin, bass guitar & vocals, Emerson Abell - drums & percussion, Dusty Brandsasse - drums & percussion, Brock Cantrell - guitar & vocals, Wyatt Taylor - acoustic guitar and Beth Casey - percussion. Others who have been a part of us and either quit, moved away or passed have been Eli Jackson, Sam Brandsasse, Derek Brandsasse, Christian Stanley, Stanley Grisham and Tony Kivett.I love the process of recording, and I don't know how many more years I have to participate in music, for I'm 63 years old now, but the thrill of playing is just as vibrant today as it was when I was a teenager. I get even more excited about playing drums with the Alumni Band at home basketball games these days now that two of my grandsons Emerson and Wyatt are playing along with me.Emerson is on the drum set and Wyatt is playing the trumpet and I am so proud of that. I also get excited about playing guitar at church for the congregational singing and with the Union Grove Gospel Band as we do songs weekly for our services, Worship time, southern gospel songs of salvation and faith. I'm thrilled about giving these youngsters the blessing of being in a band without being tempted in participating in the goings on in those places. The littles pre-school kids at our church are also welcome to join us on stage and we have ukulele's for them to strum as we play our songs and they come running towards the stage at the appointed time, eager to take part of the service. I can only imagine that we are building a passion for not only music, but service to our Lord by letting them be a part of the band, and not being shy or frightened of being in front of a crowd.I don't read music or play by the notes when playing the guitar, bass guitar, piano, dulcimer, mandolin or banjo, that's all done by ear. I can read some when playing the drums but again, unless it's concert music I usually create as I go along. I often think back of the one who said "you ain't got it", I wish he could see what passion and determination done for me, to turn his negative into a positive to accomplish success. With God's grace I will continue on for many more years.
My name is Norman Gaither and I have been a musician since I was fifteen. I started out with a folk group playing coffee houses and fairs. I and Cindy Ulhorn were recruited to be the lead singers for the Sheridan’s which eventually became the Sensations. I left that group and joined several rock groups. Eventually, I became the lead singer for “The Morning After,” an eight piece Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears type tribute band playing D.C. high-end clubs. I left the band to record and start a solo career on acoustic/electric guitar. Along with a local band I recorded “Believe it” a song played on Annapolis stations for a short period. I played Fells Point in Maryland and the “Rum Runner” in the heart of Baltimore for some time. I formed a duo with the very talented Tommy Fangman that we named “Noon Tide.” We were the house duo for “Coco Lane” in Ellicott City, MD. for a few years. Since than I played back up on several recordings, working as a studio musician. Today, I still perform at a winery in Bethany/Frankford Delaware [The Salted Vines] as a soloist under my name. I also performed for the “Hogs for Heroes” , “Beer Pong for Boobs [cancer benefit in Wilmington, DE]” and numerous other benefits —pro bono. My company is under the brand name “Salty Rose Music” (www.saltyrosemusic.com). I supported my passion for music as owner of “NorArk Technical Corp. DBA NorArk Executive Group.” That’s the short of it. Suffice it to say, playing for people that pay to hear good music has been and is an honor and a pleasure.
My brother had a band and I was too young and wild to quietly watch rehearsal in the basement so I sat at the top of the stairs for hours wishing I could be in a band too. When I was 16 (and still holding on to that dream) my parents bought me a fiberglass pearl drum set with a set of A Zildjian and the adventure began. Still own that kit • The Now: Sidetracked my love of drums for work as a freelance composer and producer. 40 years later I am back to accumulating drums and recording my own music. • Your Highlights (and Maybe Some Bloopers?): I’ve had a long career as a tv/ commercial and film composer. Many know me from a particular show that launched in the late 90s/ early 2000s but I go from composing for NFL films highlights in the late 80’s all the way to a number of TV shows including musical director for a notable awards show. • A Glimpse Into Your World: Attached is a pic of current mixing desk, kind of messy.
I fell in love with music ...from my uncle Bob, his taste was all over from The Beatles, Sly & the Family Stone, Black Sabbath, most Motown groups. I honestly like the tv show The Monkees, and the Banana Splits...Mickey Dolenz and Bingo were my favorites. I moved away from the drums after high school ...GIRLS were more important. I got back into them when my son joined a band. Now I just play along with my Iphone Music........LOVE the drums...until I cant play anymore
I am interested in participating, but am not a particularly robust purchaser these days. I have most of the gear that I need. However, sometimes I need something like microphone cables, guitar cables, things like that. I really like the Fat Toad cables. The cables work great and is fairly inexpensive. Plus I like the occasional discounts offered! And, another plus I like that the guitar cables are orange! It makes it so much easier to identify my cables on a stage when there are so many black cables everywhere. I bought a lot of Griffin drum hardware for my son-in-law's set several years ago. He lives in New Zealand and I brought the drums plus the hardware in two suitcases. I probably won't ever do that again, but was a great idea at the time. The Griffin drum hardware is very sturdy very well constructed, great quality. As for me, I play guitar and bass. I began guitar when I was 11 years old, and now I'm 73! My years of big gigs are over, but still play a lot just for fun. Sometimes it is just better to buy new cables then try to figure out which of my old ones still work!
It's a great honor for you to share my short story with the world. Thank you very much. Here is a short story about my life and career in music.I would like to thank GeekStands for the opportunity to share part of my music journey with you. I hope my story is encouraging. My name is Levi De Ville. For many years I used the stage name Waylon Weaver as a Blues/Rock artist. Under the stage name Waylon Weaver it was a great journey from the beginning. I was raised around a family of musicians. I started at the age of 10 playing the drums. At that time one of my main influences Stevie Ray Vaughan's tragic death caused me to discover a deeper meaning to music in my life and changed my life. I longed to touch others musically the way he touch my life. It has been a hard path for me, however through God, he gave me a purpose through music. I began to write my own songs under the name Waylon Weaver and I had some great experiences. My Bio is on my website at levideville.com for more about my story. I continued to produce and record my own music. It was a great challenge to learn the production side of music. Also understanding we never stop learning. I continued for 20+ yrs to become a somewhat recording engineer. If there is anything I could encourage you with is to live a life of Love and follow your talents and never give up.
Our Guiding Principles…….Do What We Say, When We Say That We WillBe The Same, Every Day - Every WayCommunicate In A Timely FashionWin - Win For EveryoneStrive For Excellence In All ThingsDo The Right Thing, AlwaysPeople Before ProcessOUR STORY………People often ask how we got started. To be honest, it was a fluke! That’s right, almost by mistake!We had a group of friends that would gather for food, pool parties or just to hang out and, to hear Jerilyn tell it, “there was never any good music”! So a small tablet and speaker were taken, which graduated to a bigger speaker and then a bigger speaker and computer.Then a couple approached and asked if we would DJ their reception and how much it would cost. Being friends, we said, “Hey of course and don’t worry about the money thing as we are friends, we will come and make some noise and have fun!” Well, seeing that we did not do this sort of thing and had no clue as to how to start, we asked them what songs they wanted and showed up for the rehearsal.The preacher did not show, so we ended up officiating AND doing ceremony/reception music. That was on December 30, 2014. We did 28 weddings in 2015 (along with other types of events) and have not looked back since.It amazes us that we each have just the right skill sets to operate and grow Power Blast Events! We simply cannot stand to be apart. We tell couples that we work with to “Lean In” and continue to fall in love daily. Guess what! We are thrilled to take our own advice!After doing bar gigs, dj gigs and karaoke shows in Southern KY for 8 years, we knew that Panama City Beach is where we needed to be for health and sanity reasons, so we moved here in April of 2022 with no gigs or contacts whatsoever. Within 2 day so being here we had fallen into two gigs a week and graduated to doing well over 300 karaoke shows all within 3 miles of the house in 2024. YES! This is our full time shtick! Your Highlights (and Maybe Some Bloopers?): Our biggest joy (other than being to be able to do this together, is to see those who come to sing, hang out and maybe even possibly just to listen have a better day today than they did yesterday. And learn his story, one of Joy and Life through Karaoke!In February of 2023 we had a 72 year old gentleman show up and watch a show or two before he came up and signed up for a song. He was probably the worst singer that we had ever heard. Off beat, key and painful to listen to. We applauded him and encouraged him and he kept coming back multiple times per week following us to the various venues. I finally had a chance to sit down with him and learn his story. His wife had recently passed after a lifelong love and he moved to Panama City. He had to make the decision to become a hermit or to learn how to live. He saw an ad of ours on social media for karaoke and he decided to come. Fast forward to today and he is one of our most loyal singers, coming 3 to 4 shows a week and bringing others. First time singers from as young as 3 to as experienced as 86. We purchased the two thrones because of the larger saddle and padding to help with Jerilyn's hip replacement issues. They are wonderful!
Your Musical Genesis: as a kid in the mid 70's, I was fascinated by Buck Owens' red, white, and blue guitar on "Hee Haw". My parents would help me buy first beginner guitars, then a full on electric guitar in my teen years. Graduating from old school country, I moved on to Queen, Van Halen, Ozzy, Metallica and so on- learning songs by ear prior to the advent of the internet. I started jamming with friends and being in bands; and I was hooked!The Now: I love listening to music and watching guitar maintenance and instructional videos. I play in a regularly gigging band on the weekends. It's still a rush.Your Highlights: Back in the day when I was playing in a local small town thrash band, we had to self promote. I remember sneaking around town stapling fliers to telephone poles and handing them out to people- usually to kids my age when school was letting out. We had several hundred people show up to an event where we had to come up with venue rental. It was wild and fun; and eventually shut down by the local police!
I received my first " toy" drum set when I was about 3 years old, my dad has always been into music and he would buy me little drum/percussions here and there until one day he surprised me with a toy set up.When I started kindergarten , right before that summer I was told we would do spring cleaning and since I didnt use the drums much they would be out - it was at this moment that I decided why not play with them since I already have them. That was when my whole pursuit for drumming changed. I started playing , self taught, since my dad played stringed instruments and had always told me drums were just not for him. By third grade I was upgraded to a jr full set and I kept growing, learning and loving my journey with drums. Fifth grade promotion I was gifted what I now use, full size drum set. With the help of YouTube, music and websites like yours we've been able to upgrade this drum set as it ages with me. From snares to hardware we've always found it easy and reliable to buy it either straight from website or amazon.My dad always tells me music runs in our family, through the years I've learned to play Bass and guitar but my number 1 passion still remains with drums. I am enteringmy senior year and have played marching snare with our High school band since my freshmen year. There I have continued to grow my chops. I will fill in on bass or drums when we hang out during lunch and friends want to jam, or even during band class, we'll go in the studio and have jam sessions.I have learned through my years in marching band that the things we fear might happen will eventually happen. That's why i try my best to always be mentally prepared. From set lists being changed last second, to dropping a drumstick because the sleeves to our outfits are too long and stick gets jammed inside. Fortunately I've been able to " march on" and pretend no one saw. highlights in my drumming journey would definitely be getting to participate in so many parades around southern California and meeting other students that are also passionate about drumming. I do have a YouTube channel that I just upload and blog on when I get a chance, it gets busy with school, sports and music. Through the years I have upgraded and replaced several items with Griffin, currently in my setup I am using the griffin double pedal, throne, snare drum w/stand and a cymbal stand. we get to enjoy jamming as a family on weekends and we've all learned to appreciate how much is needed to sound " not bad" , I'm thankful that a company like Griffin gives everyone an opportunity to get gear they can rely on at great prices too.
We say we are semi-retired as we quit show business. We are the Wild 4 Hypnosis Comedy Show. Yes, that’s us Rich and Elizabeth Wylde! At one time, we were quite famous. We were the hypnotists for the Jerry Springer show and also owned the largest comedy club in the Midwest entertaining 400 people nightly from around the world with our hypnosis show and headlining comedians opening the show for us.In 2001, Rich and Elizabeth traveled to Myrtle Beach and said this is the place we want to retire. While visiting MB. We met one of our lead singers Chris Hennigan who was working at the Fudgery. He sang “My Girl” to Elizabeth and she said to him if I ever bring my Motown Show down here, I want you to be a part of it. He gave Elizabeth his business card. After retiring to Myrtle Beach in 2012, Elizabeth’s parents moved here in 2014, her mother did something none of us expected and passed away a little over a year later (July 2015). Her last words to Elizabeth were “live your dream before it’s too late! I loved seeing you produce shows.” Two weeks after her passing we signed the lease on a small place and opened a small intimate theatre in Myrtle Beach – GTS Theatre.Elizabeth produced her first Motown Tribute show in 1988 for Great Lakes Naval Base. The commanding officer came to her with a request to celebrate the Golden 13 (first 13 African American Naval Officers commissioned at Great Lakes Naval Base. He wanted Motown on stage at the theatre. Elizabeth reached out to Motown, and no one was able to perform pro bono. She went back to the commanding officer and told him she had failed. He said I don’t care what you do but Motown needs to be on stage that night. She then went back and did auditions with navy personnel of enlisted and officers and the Original Motown Show was Born. Elizabeth loved the opportunity at the ripe old age of 19. (She has been on stage since she was 3 years old – dancing – tap, ballet and jazz and hypnosis). Therefore, after her mother’s death request, the Original Motown Tribute Show was reborn in 2016 in Myrtle Beach. The first person she reached out to was Chris. He wasn’t able to join the show at that time however, in 2020, Chris was able to join the cast and is now a permanent member of the show.Elizabeth’s great grandfather was a huge jazz musician in the 20’s. Her father’s cousins sang backup for Perry Como (The Fontaine Sisters.) Her mother’s cousin costarred in Jailhouse Rock with Elvis Presley (Judy Tyler). Her father’s cousin played saxophone & clarinet and toured with Xavier Cugat’s orchestra. Xavier Cugat’s brother Francis, was an artist and painted the cover art for the Great Gatsby. (This is where “GTS” comes from – Gatsby shortened and Elizabeth’s favorite book). Let’s Just Say: Entertainment is in her blood.Most nights, you will see Elizabeth’s father John aka Grandpa managing the snack bar. Elizabeth manages the theatre operations and the Original Motown Show, Rich manages the sound and lighting and overall business.Join our family for a great night of entertainment!My older brother was signed to a major label so I was able to witness how the music was made, and the performance aspect which I just fell in love with it.Music is my drug of choice, I suffer from depression on a manic level where in a few instances I attempted to unalive myself. But after I got into music, I let that become my outlet to express how I was feeling and what I was going through.Working for Flo Rida and his label in 2004, I had the opportunity to network with people in the industry which was dope and I had the chance to witness the creation of some of hip hops most iconic music.
I fell in love with music as a youngster. My dad was always listening to either classical, opera, musicals and sometimes jazz. When I was about 9 I heard a song on the radio that caught my attention...it was "Magic Bus" by The Who. I was hooked. The rhythms and percussion were transfixing. I jammed along with it on my knees. I guess I realized that day that I had rhythm and could follow the beat. So....I asked my dad if I could play in the school band. I started with a saxophone, went to trumpet, and ended up asking to try drums. I would listen to my neighbors band from their back wall or in their backyard. One of my neighbors, Mrs. Smucker said that I have rhythm and should play the drums. I ran home and told my parents and dad agreed and we went and rented a snare drum for school. It was a red Slingerland snare and believe it or not, I still have it and use it for my live gigs. But I did change the color to silver sparkle after I bought my neighbors 1964 Rogers Holiday kit. I still have that too. I will always be grateful to Mrs. Smucker for her kind words and suggestion. I have a degree in Nonprofit Arts Management and worked as a Production Assistant for Festival Productions in Los Angeles in the '80's. Worked the Playboy Jazz Festival among other shows around LA. Then I was hired as the Production Manager for the Pasadena Chamber Orchestra and did that for 2 and a half years. Learned a lot about classical chamber music at that job. Then I was recruited by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival in Santa Fe NM and moved here in 1986. Been here since. Left the non profit music business for a more stable career in 1989 and retired from state government in 2013.I've been playing now for 54 years. I've played classic rock, country, jazz, southern rock, and of course in band at Elementary school. I didn't play in Junior high and only for a little while in high school. I'm currently in two bands. I've been with Eddy and the Nomads in New Mexico since 2001, (find us on Reverb Nation), and we play surf guitar and classic rock. And the other band is called Renegade, and we do all classic rock covers. Find that band at Renegade band. We have a nice web site and have been together almost two years.My moments of triumph are mostly when I get compliments from fellow musicians about my playing. Also, from some of the concerts I've played. Eddy and the Nomads opened for Big Head Todd and The Monsters a couple of years ago. That was a great show. A couple thousand in the audience.
An army friend of mine needed some cash to go home during a long weekend so he sold me his Yamaha guitar for $20. That was a lot for me back in the 70s. When I got home my wife asked, "what's that?" A guitar I replied. "What you gonna do with it?" I answered her, I bought it so I guess I'm going to learn how to play it. Little did I know after a few lessons I was hooked... So I kept learning and a few years later, after being discharged from the Army, I started my first band. So here I am, still playing live shows, writing my own songs, and loving it more.. I visit song writing festivals hoping to get involved. I feel I'm getting closer. I'm also trying to get my songs in the hands of someone to record. My goal is to make the top 100 someday, (Not an easy task, but I do believe). I played with many great bands, but Southern Touch was my big one, and that's where most of my highlights were. We backed up shows like, Earl Thomas Conley, the Forrester Sisters, and once I got to back up Alabama. This music journey of mine is not over yet, so many things I want to do. I wouldn't trade my music for anything else. It's been a magical ride that I can't explain. I have been blessed with some of best tools that I need to play my music, thanks to the many friends, stores, and a decent job. My link is starbutterflymusic.com and ronnyjonesmusic, this is where I reside in the web world.
My name is Jack LaManna and I'm a retired IT Director. I am 75 years old and the first time I played in a rock and roll band and got paid I was 14. Met my wife of 53 years when I was 15 playing at a mall opening. I stopped playing for several years because of family, kids and annoying job but started again in the 90s. Played out a few times last year and still in good enough shape to carry equipment. Craziest place I have ever played was Paradise Lakes in Florida; clothing optional resort and I was wearing a shirt with a picture of the last supper on it. Wasn't aware it was a nudist resort. I left my band in Florida after 10 years and moved back to NY last year where I now play with 2 different groups of old retired guys. I put together a new band room and practice room and needed a snare stand which I purchased from you. Great stand and reasonable price. We old guys will never stop playing.
I started in the early 80's, fueled by passion and a couple of drumsticks. While there are a few moments that lead me down the music path, the Maryland Bar-Mitzvah, really stood out. In 1979, my parents drove from Staten Island to Maryland to attend a Bar-Mitzvah with 2 twins boys. One of them, Jeffrey, was already playing drums. During the reception, I was deeply captivated by the Classic Rock Band that was hired. The drummer played on a Cherry Red drum set; the band was playing The Rolling Stones, CCR, Eagles, and a general Classic Rock mix. I was blown away by the band, the sound, the lights, and the drumming just put me into a state of bliss. Jeffrey ended up playing a snare drum solo during the Rocky Theme Song: Gonna Fly Now--very unconventional, yet I was amazed by this entire vibe. During the 5-hour return trip home, I told my parents that I wanted to play drums. At this point, the story gets long-winded...However, the real fun began in high school when I started my first band, Omega. We tried to play Priest, Maiden, Sabbath, The Kinks, and other Rock selections... Once I began drum lessons with my teacher, Joe Bedford, my real drumming life began. By 1986, I mastered everything Joe taught me. I left for SUNY Oswego (1988-90) and joined an instrumental Jazz Fusion Group, Street Talk. Two more Rock groups followed: Mending Wall and Menachem Ded (sic)... After graduating from college in 1990, I recorded with various NY Artists and played in a cover band, Like Rabbits. I left NY to pursue a Masters in Music... Please follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more musical activity. From 1997-2000, I performed in a variety Swing Band, GT SWING. We played very upbeat swing (Zoot Suit Riot, Royal Crown Revue, Cherry Poppin Daddies, et al). Moreover, we played weddings and various venues. Add some Jazz Standards, Rock, Surf, Cha Cha Cha, Shuffles, and so much more... For 2 years in a row, GT Swing performed at Victory Stadium (Roanoke, VA) for thousands of people. The Roanoke Symphony opened up and we played a high energy set until the fireworks went off. Playing drums in front of thousands was a surreal experience. I'd love to play in front of a large crowd as I move forward... I'm 55 and a permanent Florida resident; I attend many live jams in Indian River County, teach private lessons, and sub in about 5 different groups... I still work on a variety of books and styles: Funk, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Latin, Afro-Cuban, etc. I play mostly Blues-Based Rock covers and Big Band Jazz. However, I subbed in a Phil Collins/Genesis Tribute style band a few weeks ago. I had 2 weeks to play like Chester Thompson--not kidding. To pull off the gig, I had to watch interviews, read transcriptions, write out parts, and practice 2-5 hours daily. Since I'm no longer teaching English and Spanish in the classroom, music is everything. It has saved my life. My wife supports me to gig frequently and continue with private lessons. Who inspired me on the drums? Personal drummer highlights include: Stewart Copeland; Dave Weckl changed my life at a Michel Camilo Show in NYC, Circa 1987. Moreover, I've met many of my drumming heroes: Vinnie Colaiuta, Billy Cobham, Chick Corea, Dave Garibaldi, Ignacio Berroa, Will Kennedy, Frank Bellucci (my former teacher), Elvin Jones, Gavin Harrison, Todd Sucherman, Jim Chapin, Al Miller, Peter Erskine, et al. In terms of bloopers, I left my bass drum spurs home one time... I discovered this at the gig during setup. I drove home and sped back to the gig with 15 minutes prior to downbeat--that was crazy... Other bloopers include setting up someone else's drums when I was specifically told to leave my stuff at home. Other great bloopers included singing Karaoke (which I do not like) to become part of the band. I had the chops, but they wanted me to embarrass myself (some odd initiation process), so I sang "You May Be Right" by Billy Joel.
I started playing guitar in 1962 and in 1963 started a garage band named 'The Young Ones' with an average age of 13. When15, I joined an older group named the Couriers' who went on to open for many famous Icons of the 60's. Having just written my memoirs (yet to be published), I recalled 45 major groups from 1966 to 1971 where I had the privilege to rub shoulders with. These included Jethro Tull, Deep Purple, Uriah Heap, The Fortunes, The Searchers, Gerry and The Pacemakers, The Fortunes, The Kinks and many of the 'British Invasion' bands of the time. My name is not known globally but at home I did make a small dent in the Southern England music circles. During the late 60's and early 70's I became friends with Noel Redding bassist for Jimmy Hendrix and the phenomenal Jeff Beck who jammed with my band on several occasions. In 73, I recorded my first single at Deep Purples (Ian Gillan's) Kingsway London studio. I laugh as I say it escaped into oblivion in Scandinavia. My next single was much the same story in 1978. Following this disappointment in 1979 I joined a country band and toured for the next two years. In 1983, I was performing solo for a charity in London and was discovered by a chap called Steve Michaels who was the A&R guy for Gilley's in Houston. Here we go again I thought, so they flew me to Houston and we cut some very nice crossover tracks. They offered me a record and management contract. Unfortunately record and management contracts of that period were not very lucrative. Meeting many of the people who were in the movie 'Urban Cowboy' was indeed special. In 1987, I started what was to be one of the best bands in Southern England. During my time with them (14 years) I played lead, rhythm and keys. Venues included The Ritz, The Savoy, Wembley, Lord Mayor's London Ball and frequent visitors to the main stage of Disneyland Paris. 2001, I moved to be with my new US wife Robbin in Orlando. Here once again I put together a band named 'Think Big' who are still working today and are one of the premier bands in Central Florida. I moved to East Texas in 2017 and have been here ever since having now recorded several albums and some singles. There are too many stories to tell, from playing in hole in the wall bars, theaters, stadiums , Nashville, Daytona Speedway, Bally's Las Vegas and even a nudist resort as all been part of my musical journey.
I purchased the DJ stand because it provides a more professional appearance by hiding all of the ugly wires while providing a steady platform for my equipment and lights. All of the details about me are at the link below my name, and my bio is at https://www.thebash.com/house-dj/dj-blayne.
This is the home studio used by my 18 year old, Kill the Kitty, Dani Giulianti. You can see the small synths on the Geek Stand (a triple)! Dani started producing music at around age 9, and plays a dozen instruments as well. Dani graduates high school next month, and is starting Point Blank Music School in Los Angeles, to study audio engineering and music production. Dani puts some music on my project site, Acadian Serpent on YouTube (Kill the Kitty playlist). We love Geek Stands!
I feel in love with music as a child, my mom would always take me to church and that is where I learned to play drums . No lessons just looking and listening . One day I told the pastor of the church that I will play the drums one Wednesday night and I did which totally shocked everyone . I can’t define what music means to me but all I can say is it’s comforting and it will always have a special place in my heart. One of my bloopers was one time in church I was playing the drums and I dropped the drumstick which messed me up a little bit but I picked up quickly. Back high school my senior year 2023 I was in a class that held a concert and I was setting up the night before and I played the drums . The next day close to the end of the concert I had a bunch of girls run in the bathroom to get me and the band members wanted me to play the drums . It’s all on the internet and they even used my picture for my yearbook photo. Also the video at the bottom is the video of me playing drums at the concert at my high school. Thank you for this opportunity to share my love of music
Ya Neighborhood DJ, story started as a pair when I was teamed up with my brother in law. He had some equipment, I had the music and the experience in music from days of growing up in Virginia of being a rapper and would entertain parties by just playing the music and dancing. After moving to Northeast Ohio, him and his brother in law started out by DJin for a charity event then went on to DJ a couple of weddings and a birthday before disbanding due to just not wanting to do it anymore. It was by popular demand that Wynton was still getting requests on if he still DJs. With no name, no real brand or any equipment to speak of. He borrowed some from a friend and started DJin again but this time as DJ Rayford!! After a year of buying used and old equipment, and have a dollar tree kind of budget. He was just getting by with bulky equipment and going through the growing pains of DJin at a bar, weddings and other events. As the years went by he started to build a brand for himself, creating a website, facebook and an Instagram page to create a way for people to contact him and see the type of services he was providing. Uploading DJ videos on TikTok, he went from borrowing equipment, to buying old cheap equipment. Now he has invested good money in a real DJ controller not one that was $80, great power speakers, stage lights to where he use to have a small disco ball light on a table to now he has a DJ booth where he has setup that is not only pleasing to the eye but also professional. It started in 2016 as a hobby to now where it is a official LLC business. Where I've DJ over 100 Weddings, Birthdays, school dances, community events and more!!! To where he has becoming one of the leading DJs in the small market of the Tri State area than spans three states, Western PA, Northeast Ohio and the Northern Panhandle of WV. Just a kid from Reston, Virginia who has moved to an area after falling in love with his wife in where he didn't know anyone or anything of the area and has turned a love of music to a successful business.
Yeah I bought some Griffin remote hi-hats. I still use them. I had to fool around with the older ones. The newer version I bought seems to work better. I can answer these questions and send you a photo. And a link to my band. And there is a video I want to post eventually of me using the Griffin remote hi-hat. I actually have two one on the right side one on the left side. The song that I use it on is actually not being released for another 2 or 3 months depending on production. So expensive nowadays to pay those producers to mix and Master things. We have already recorded so that part of payment is done. In Canada. It's kind of different for the way things work but also we are a very DIY type band. Let's keep in touch and try to work something out. Thanks, André P.s. the link to my band https://linktr.ee/afterthehorizon
SubDrum®: Born on the Space Coast of Florida! Music has always been my lifeblood. From drumming as a kid to tinkering with electronics and building businesses, it's all been fueled by my love of sound. Even after "retiring" from the business world, the itch to create never left me. Then, during the crazy times of COVID, I found myself diving headfirst into a wild experiment: mounting speakers into drums! The initial idea? Turn my old bass drum into a giant microphone to capture the deepest bass frequencies possible. I cut a hole in the head, mounted a speaker driver... and then it hit me: “Hey, this could be a subwoofer instead!” Needless to say, I abandoned the original idea… and that’s how SubDrum® was born. Our first creation? The Coffee Table Subwoofer. This wasn't just a gimmick. We took a real 22- inch bass drum, flipped it on its side, and loaded it with a powerful 18-inch sub driver, mounted directly into it’s flexible mylar head. The idea here was to reduce cabinet resonance distortion by isolating speaker frame vibrations from transferring to the drum shell. Topped with a half-inch of tempered glass with installed vibration isolation points, it became asubwoofer that could seamlessly blend into any room, doubling as an eclectic furniture piece. But we didn't stop there! SubDrum® took the "float-in-head™" technology a step further. We transformed matching tom drums into SpeakerToms™: full-range speakers featuring SubDrum’s® proprietary 8-inch KOAX™ Kevlar drivers. Paired with the Coffee Table Subwoofer, these SpeakerToms™ create a unique soundscape that's both clever and artistic. So, whether you're building your dream home’s new home theater, a rocking music room, or the coolest man cave on the block, SubDrum® offers a forward-thinking sound system that's as unique as you are. About the people behind SubDrum®: Hey there, music lovers! SubDrum® isn't your typical speaker company. We're a team of passionate folks right here in Melbourne, Florida, on the high tech Space Coast. It all started in October 2020 when yours truly, Larry Moroni (drummer, music fanatic, and tech wiz) decided to combine my love of music with my electronics skills. By my side on this wild ride is Ryan Gillham, our operations manager. This martial artist and fellow music lover keeps things running smoothly. Together, we're building some of the most incredible-sounding and visually impressive speaker systems you've ever heard or seen! Want to learn more? Check us out at https://www.subdrum.com/ or shoot us an email at sales@subdrum.com. We'd love to talk about sound and unleash your inner audiophile!
I started in the late '90s, fueled by passion and a couple of drumsticks. What about you? My mom had the radio ALL THE TIME and my sister and I loved the Beatles. When I was 8, dad brought a Harmony 6 string home and asked if I wanted to learn to play along with him. I continued, dad did not, but he played the piano and trumpet, and I also played trumpet a couple of years. I had a little garage band at 11, playing and singing Beatles tunes with friends, got into my first gigging band at 15. I played anywhere and everywhere and I could pick the songs up off the record player, including the licks of Clapton, Hendrix, Page and various other bands. I became an elementary teacher and to help support my family I played. At one point, I got to do a USO/DOD tour with a show band. We toured through the pacific theater: Japan, Okinawa, Guam, Philippines, Diego Garcia, Hawaii and Johnston Island. We played all over northern Utah, Southern Idaho, Wyoming. In another band, we were the warm-up act for the Roy Clark Band and once my band was the TV backup band for Tanya Tucker and Merrill Osmond. I also taught privately, taught at 2 universities part time. While I was living in North Hollywood, CA going to GIT, I learned how to take care of my instruments, modify them, and even build my own electrics with parts.
Here's a couple pics of me with my geek stand and fat toad mic with a homemade pop screen . I'm also using a homemade harmonica mic .Sweetwater Station is the name of the band we're in the foothills of California in the gold country, doing covers of the Dead,Pink Floyd, Allman bros and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Way back when Disco was King and Rock was still in it's Glory, my brother John and I were commisoned by our Dad to take guitar lessons, classical guitar to be exact. Although I did what i was told, I had no desire to play guitar and made my objections known to my dad. My brother John on the otherhand, took to it like water to a turtle. A couple years later, my brother John was playing some serious Classical pieces, while I continued to dream about becoming a drummer, my dad however would have none of it. One day after a performance in front of our Aunts and Uncles, after the applause settled, one of my uncle's said, "Mike, I see your brother has excelled with his instrument, what do you play?" I told him without any hesitation, "I'm a drummer." My brother having over heard said; "No he doesn't play the drums" Which I responded, "No, but I'm going to." That was over 40 years ago, today I just happen to be a drummer, fulfilling those prophectic words over 40 years past. I hope to one day play the the drums for a living or at least play on a regular basis. The Now--Exodus:from obscurity: Frustration has played a large role in my pursuit of reaching my full potential as a drummer. Those of us with the right circumstances, drive and determination and have full access to their kit, (Not stuck in an apartment too small for a drum kit and strict noise rules) can reach their full potential, if they're willing to put in the time and practice smart. Please don't get me wrong, I teach and have been doing so for almost 15 years, I play in a classic rock band for a couple years now, I've had the opportunity to been in a studio recording original songs and play drums for the church that I attend on an almost weekly basis. Bottom line is i really have nothing to complain about, but deep inside I know I can be better, I know exactly what i need to do to polish up some of the rusty parts, strengthen my weaknesses and acheive the goal to reach my full potential.....What that is? I'm not sure yet. Bloopers: Wow, bloopers play a big role in my drumming pursuit, there are many for sure, but one in particular that irks me to this day. I was playing in a Country/Blues band,(Never played Country before) I had just learned about 40 songs in a short period of time, most of the songs I never heard of, many had the same feel. During a gig in restuarant up in PA, a song by Miranda Lambert was next on the list, when it was time to play this song, I had a complete blackout... I couldn't remember the beat and ended up playing a groove from another song. I don't recall ever seeing so many heads turn at the same time and their eyes glearing right through my very soul. I knew I was playing the wrong beat, but couldn't stop. I had to eat crow that night and many nights after....My band mates never let me live that down. Highlights: Many of those as well; However, there was one highlight that I'll never forget. My brother John and I were playing some original music, and performing with other artists and musicians during a benefit show. Right in the middle of one of the songs, ( Go to aragonband.com , Click > Music > Scroll Down > Select 2016 , Aragon....check out "Do you want it this way") While I was in the middle of this song, one of the fellow musicians performing with us, but was now on the sideline watching, walked up and whispered in my ear, "You're the best drummer I've ever heard." That was one highlight I'll never forget. Link to our website, aragonband.com, original songs that date back to the 1980's, 2012 and 2016. Recording, mix and master done on a shoe-string budget, but hey, we did what we could with what we had.
For me, it was when my older brother took me to see Rush in concert. Once I saw Neil Peart perform live, I knew what my main goal/direction in life was going to be. Previous to that day, I had fiddled with just a snare drum, but that moment propelled me into the musical journey I endured for so many years. Retired from performing professionally years ago, to concentrate more on family. In the past 18 months, I have been putting gear together, to record drums at home. Had most of the gear already, just needed to pickup a few components to help complete the idea, and now I spend some free time recording drum videos, and post them to my YouTube channel. All for fun, as I still build up what I need, to do complete home recordings for artists/bands in need. For my career, I'd say some of the best highlights, are the big names we had a chance to share the same stage with, as an opening/supporting act. Bands: Buck Cherry, Firehouse, LA Guns, Bullet Boys, Jackyl, Warrant, Great White, Twisted Sister/Dee Snyder, Styx.......so many over the years. As for bloopers, probably those nights of having power failures while on stage performing, or those other little gremlins that tend to popup while performing. Attached some pics from live performances, I do have one video on my YouTube channel, that I specifically point out/discuss my Griffin Rack Mount and Mixer Platform(in my YT video titled EAD10 + Mics Hybrid Rundown), and how it serves me well, holding my mixer and rack mount effect units.
I remember being 12 years old in the year 1999 and falling in love with the idea of owning turntables and a mixer. I saw on the T.V. Dj Lethal perform for musical projects such as House of Pain and Limp Bizkit. Even tho I loved rock music at the same time I had a nick for electronic music as well. I later on decided to pursuit a career in fashion design instead of a career in the music industry. We I graduated from college and It wasn’t until later that I had the money to buy my first Dj controller known as the Pioneer DDJ-SX back in 2013. So I decided to ditch my fashion industry career an fully commit my life to music. Now I’ve served as support Dj for Lauren Flax & Liquid Earth. My music has been featured in two different electronic music compilations. I serve my community as leader and mentor to does who seek support. Music plays a huge rol on my life and career path. I’m proud to have been part of All Eyes ‘N’ Colombia compilation which was a fundraiser to Colombians artists and students protesting against their government policies. All the money that was recollected went to the cause.
I started playing guitar at around 14 yrs old. Prior to that my mom wanted me to take acoustic guitar lessons so I could “play some songs around the campfire” but all I heard was “here's more homework” haha so it didn’t take. Then in Sept of 1988 I went to my first concert which was Queensryche opening for Def Leppard on the Hysteria tour. This would be the first time I ever witnessed guitarists doing a showcase solo during a concert while the rest of the band was all backstage. It blew me away. I used saved up money to buy a Hondo Strat copy and a Peavey Onstage 20 combo and started competing with my same-aged cousin over who could learn songs faster. We competed over the intro to Sweet Child O’ Mine, and some Tesla songs and once we got more confident… Van Halen. And of course my first time seeing Eddie live sent me into overdrive on guitar. (pun intended) Got my first real guitar (an Ibanez Radius 540R - “Brenda”) and started playing in bands with my friends and did some really fun shows and parties. So I never did get around to taking lessons, just jumped right in, but there were hours and hours of homework in the form of practicing. My first real band was a prog-metal band called Arkaina and went from 1993 to about 1996. But the big one for me was when Era for a Moment formed. Era for a Moment (EFAM), a female-fronted rock band, is the combined talent of Shelby Carcio (lead vocals), Tim DAgostino (guitar), Greg Donegan (bass), Matt Perry (guitar), and Johnny DeRienzo (drums). The band, which formed around mid-2001, has been described as a stronger Evanescence with the grit of Sevendust. (One article even called us “Heart with balls” which was a fun article to read.) At the onset, EFAM did a three-song demo with producer/engineer John Ellis, who worked on records with some of the then-current top national bands such as Godsmack, Tribe of Judah, and American Hi-Fi. Our three-song demo got us minimal exposure and allowed us to get our feet wet on the Boston club circuit. For several months we steadily built our fan base by playing as many venues as we could fit into our schedule. Later releasing a 5-song demo/EP done at Woodshop Studios with Charlie Borusso. I was still in the Army at the time, and in 2003, I was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq for over a year. Undeterred from the potential major setback, the band decided we would keep in touch as best we could; we hired two fill-in guitar players (Frankie Nogueira and Matt Perry), and the band kept pushing along. Our loyalty to each other allowed the band to wait for my return, however long it would take. Our original plans of hitting the studio to record a full-length CD would be on hold temporarily. EFAM kept writing new material back home, as did I on an acoustic guitar (I had smuggled overseas with me in a connex) and a mini-mp3 recorder I used in the desert when rare downtime allowed. We traded ideas on which the band and I could work separately but together (I guess we figured out Covid collabs 20 years early haha!) Finally, I got home safely in the spring of 2004. Matt stayed in the band and Frankie moved on to some other stuff, and EFAM got back to work harder and more grateful than ever finalizing and practicing all the things we’d been working on that year and prior. In 2005, we released a nine-song CD with producer Jim Foster who is known from the national artist Nullset. The release of our new disc, Realize, created a lot of attention for the band, and in another turn of events the original bass player left the band due to personal reasons. Seeing how EFAM had dealt with hard times before, this was a situation we knew we could handle. We were fortunately able to hire a new bass player, Greg Donegan, who entered the band quickly enough that we did not skip a beat with our scheduling. From the band’s new CD, the song The Fire quickly shot up garageband.com’s Top 10 hard rock music chart for eight weeks, followed by Best Female Vocals for ten weeks. Before that reached its peak, garageband.com had another song by EFAM, Calling You, reach the #7 all-time spot for female vocals. Shortly thereafter, in the fall of 2005, XM Satellite Radio (before they had merged with Sirius) added the band to a show called “The Radar Report,” which aired on XM52, “RadioUnsigned” to help expose independent bands to as many people as possible. XM called EFAM in November 2005 to announce they had chosen EFAM to open for rock icon Bon Jovi. This was a sold out show at the TD Garden in Boston on December 10th, 2005 as the only opening band of the night. The band landed the show as the result of me submitting the song Strength into the “Have A Nice Gig” contest. (Greg thought we were hazing him as he had only been in the band about a month at that point � ) This “gig” exposed the band to a previously unattainable audience size and widened our fan base considerably. EFAM remains the only independent/unsigned artist to play a show of that caliber at the TD Garden in Boston. We went on to make it to the final four of that national contest. From that point on, the band landed many other opportunities and awards including a live performance on FOX 25 Morning News in Boston, Winning Best-Female Fronted band of 2006 on Z98 FM in Iowa, Best Album Release on SonicCathedral.com, cover stories for Indie In-Tune Magazine and NOMASONHA Magazine, as well as opening for National Acts such as Drowning Pool, Legion, and others. Our follow-up album in 2009 called When Earth Meets Sky continued our success; we continued to play local shows and traveled throughout New England playing with local and national acts. That album carried us through about 2015, but during that time the music scene in Boston and on the internet changed significantly. We went from selling CDs to offering downloads on places like Soundcloud and iTunes and making a few videos for YouTube. Then came streaming on platforms like Pandora, I heart Radio, and finally Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. A few more members switched out as Greg, Matt and Johnny moved on. We added Adam Barker on drums, Marc Bona on bass, and Frankie came back on guitar. We released another four songs between 2016 and 2019 as singles with a few more videos for them… and then came the pandemic. That pretty much kicked things in the butt for us. We lost our practice space and venues shut down when everything closed. That was about the end of us playing shows, but we still get together and record music for various reasons: fun, licensing opportunities, etc. Most of EFAM’s catalog is available on all the current platforms, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Youtube Music, Spotify, Pandora, I Heart Radio, Deezer, and many others. You can find Realize and When Earth Meets Sky as well as the four singles: Break the Spell, See Me Now, Fight the Tide, and the last release we did (ironically) called So Long. As for me, without the band’s busy schedule, I have had time to complete a lot of instrumental music I had been working on over the years but never had the time or money to complete and release. My first solo EP called Slide was released under the name Tim DAgs in November of 2022. It’s four songs that have been in my head for a long time and I was finally able to get them out into the ether for anyone who stumbles upon them, and they are available on all the platforms mentioned above. Instrumental guitar rock tends to be a very niche genre, but if you like Satch or Vai you might like these. (That is not to put myself in their company as a player haha that’s just where the music fits.) What I’m working on currently is something very special to me. Over the years, Era for a Moment had a solid group of core fans who were with us pretty much from the beginning, and stuck with us all the way through. The first two demos we did in the early years never had a “release” such as it is today, and the people who bought those demos only got a CD-R with a sticker on it, and the second demo wasn’t even mastered! But a few songs from both of those stuck around and were often requested at our shows. So, I have gotten my hands on the sessions to both demos and over the next two years I’m doing a 25th anniversary re-release (or proper release as it were) of three songs from each demo respectively. Some things will be augmented, some things will be added, and some completely redone to fix a couple of those dreaded studio mistakes all musicians make early on in their careers but time/money/available technology forced us to go “I guess I’m the only one who will really know, so I’ll have to live with it.” (GIRATS has a much different meaning than it did 25 years ago,) and home studio recording allows for the time we didn’t have money for, and the forgiveness that 2” tape didn’t give us!! I plan to release these in 2025 and 2026 for free as an appreciation to the fans who followed us all these years, so they can have a modern, fully-produced version of some of the old songs they loved that never got the production treatment I felt they deserved. Keep a look out, EFAMily!! Peace. -Tim DAgs
I really think I was born to be a musician. It was all I wanted to do since I was about 4 years old. Music is my happy place and always has been...I was introduced to early blues through my Dad's old 78s and 45s--it was love at first sound, and I've never looked back. CURRENT ADVENTURES In addition to gigging, touring regionally, teaching singing, songwriting, guitar and ukulele, in schools, online and private lessons, I also write historically rich, musical programs. The latest ones include Ladies Sing The Blues and Blues and the Poetry of the Harlem Renaissance. But the biggest change is this year I built a studio in my bedroom and have been deep-diving into the world of sync-licensing for film and TV. I am learning LogicPro, writing A LOT and collaborating with people all over the world. Definitely challenging, but also inspiring and exciting! TALES OF TRIUMPHS OR MISADVENTURES: My worst misadventure was my first live radio broadcast for a station outside of NYC that had a listening audience of over 40,000 people. I had a really cheap resonator and as I was playing Walking Blues, the guitar literally fell apart in my hands. The bridge flew off, the strings went flying and it was a total disaster. So embarrassing! In terms of triumphs, I have toured and headlined festivals in the CZ Republic, Italy and Norway as well as touring regionally all over the US, and been a finalist in the Boston Blues Challenge, Albany Region Blues Challenge, Telluride Blues Challenge and Memphis Blues Challenge. I have opened for many wonderful people in my genre, including Roy Bookbinder, Paul Geremia and Andy Cohen.
I bought 4 guitar cords from you. They work, what can I say? B&W pic of mom on her front porch in 1952. Then another of her on her porch (the same porch) in 2022. That's where I started. I grew up around musicians. My best friends got back together to make music for my 25th anniversary. 'This has been a core point of my life since I was conceived! I got a few guitars and other stringed instruments. When I can find a decent deal on equipment I take it. Gotta love it.
I tell you what, I have been playing drums for 45 years. It all started back in 75 when I was in second grade and heard of the rock band kiss! Peter Criss blew my mind, as I got into my teens I started listening to Carmine Appice and purchased his realistic rock drum method book. From there Steve Smith, Gene Krupa, Nicko McBrain and Vinny Appice and so on. I really enjoyed setting up my kits like Vinny since 83 and used a double kick pedal, it was very comfortable for me. Long story short I put together a chrome concert tom Ludwig set from 76 like good old Peter Criss and purchased a gold chrome wrapped custom made marching snare and I'm the first to own it. I started to look at some two leg hi hat stands and couldn't believe the price for them!! Then I came across the Griffin hi hat 2 leg stand that was hundreds of dollars cheaper and way better built and it is very smooth, better than the big brands for sure! God bless all you drummers out there and learn to play all styles of music out there.
MARK SCHULMAN has enjoyed an unprecedented career for over more than 30 years as a first call drummer for world-class rock and pop artists. He was voted Top 3 Pop-Rock Drummers’ in the Modern Drummer Reader's Poll in 2014 and was the featured cover artist in the May 2019 issue of Modern Drummer. Mark has done four record breaking world tours with P!NK and continued to work with her for 15 years. Mark’s resume reads like a “Who’s Who” of international Rock n’ Roll royalty including acts such as Cher, BILLY IDOL, FOREIGNER, SHERYL CROW, STEVIE NICKS, BEYONCE’ and so many other world–class artists. He has drummed with VELVET REVOLVER at Ozzfest and for a crowd of 225,000 at Glastonbury Festival with SIMPLE MINDS. Mark has appeared on nearly every American, European and Australian variety show including The Grammys, David Letterman, The Tonight Show, Conan O’Brian, Jon Stewart, American Idol, Paul O’ Grady, X-Factor, Wetten Das, The Arias and more. Schulman is a classically trained cellist and as a teen, played with the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic. He played cello on the 2009/2010 P!NK tour! He is also a music producer, trained audio engineer and studio co- owner of WEST TRIAD RECORDING STUDIO in Venice, California. As an active educator, Mark taught at the LOS ANGELES MUSIC ACADEMY and as one of the world’s most sought after drum clinicians hosting clinics in countries around the world. Mark produced his first DVD in his studio entitled, ‘A Day in the Recording Studio; A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Recording Great Drum Tracks for Drummers and All Musicians’ distributed by Hudson Music. The MARK SCHULMAN SIGNATURE SNARE DRUM is one of the best-selling signature product in the history of GRETSCH.
My older brother was signed to a major label so I was able to witness how the music was made, and the performance aspect which I just fell in love with it.Music is my drug of choice, I suffer from depression on a manic level where in a few instances I attempted to unalive myself. But after I got into music, I let that become my outlet to express how I was feeling and what I was going through.Working for Flo Rida and his label in 2004, I had the opportunity to network with people in the industry which was dope and I had the chance to witness the creation of some of hip hops most iconic music.
I started out young age around maybe 9 or 10 beating on drums after ⛪❗I would also play ⛪ service with my sister n play on buckets. One day my mom bought me box set from the local Dollar store n I play on em until I broke sticks n play with pens. Around 6 grade I joined marching band n really enjoyed it. Now im playing 2 ⛪
Always have been around music growing up in a multi-generational home; folk, opera, surf, Van Halen, Ozzy. You name it, most likely was getting played. My first inspiration was sitting behind my uncle's drum set as a 10-year-old which led me to buy my first kit at 11 years old. I had the capability to lay it down from the 1st time. Right now I teach at a couple of after school institutions institutions as well as privately. I'm also involved with teaching as a temporary artist in residency at a variety of schools based in & around Philadelphia. Highlights include highlights include winning the John Philip Sousa leadership award for my high school graduating class as well as our leadership in music, a variety of accolades from Atlantic City based elephant talk music Awards, and the various opportunities recently presenting themselves to the groups I play in, Crambler & GCIS.
Honestly, I can’t really pinpoint when I fell in love with music. I guess it was bread into me. My father’s true love was a tie between being a city firefighter and also being a drummer. He used to play in bands when I was growing up, mostly cover bands, but he did at one point put out a 45 entitled “Rock Housse.” He an my mother had a huge vinyl collection and always had music playing at the house, mostly classic rock, which I still love to this day. According to them, I used to want to be the guitarist. They always tell stories about how they got me a small toy guitar for Christmas or my birthday one year and I used to go down when the band was practicing and just stand in front of the mic saying “check, check one two” repeatedly and never really did much else, lol. After, I slowly became curious about drums and had my dad teach me everything he knew from tuning to cymbal cleaning. He still has and plays his giant white Yamaha kit that almost resembles something Neil Peart would have played. I called the set “Whitey." My dad absolutely loves Rush and more recently, he’s gotten into Dream Theater. If I were to guess when I got “serious” about playing drums, I probably say around the age of 14 or so. I used to play in a few school bands and participate in talent shows and whatnot. In high school, I’d say things got a little more serious when my band “Systematic Box” used to play all over town, even in bars before we were of age. We even pulled together some money to record our own album, which we kind of got gypped on when the guy recorded it and didn’t apply any EQ or give us anything other than a raw recording. After that band broke up due to some bad blood, I started with another group of talented individuals from my home town. We just loved to play and create new and interesting stuff. We still collaborate to this day, and every time I go home for leave, we jam. As a side gig, I played in a bluegrass band that graced the likes of nursing homes, elementary schools and even the local Pizza Inn. Our metal band only played one show at our local venue before I joined the military, which brings us to more recent times. The now and highlights: I’ll start this from when I joined the military. I’ve been active duty Air Force for 18 years now, and love everything about my life. It does make It a little difficult for music sometimes. After basic training, I had my kit shipped to my first duty station in England and kept it at a friend’s house and played on the weekends. Turns out he played guitar and wanted to jam, so we did that on the regular. Fun fact, we actually linked up 17 years later (today) and picked up where we left off playing Cream, Hendrix, and Zep. I moved into my own place and he eventually left that base, but I got linked up with some other musicians who wanted to start a pub band. We played at a bunch of places near where we lived and actually opened for a USO event where Kid Rock and I believe Kelly Pickler came through. That was a fun night of just messing around with those musicians. Since then I’ve basically been a musical recluse and have mainly just honed my talent and occasionally laid down some tracks for friends. That’s pretty much what I do now, session drumming and collaboration work. I’ve recently tried to market myself on Fiverr but haven’t had any bites yet. I’m highly critical of myself and over the years you could say that I developed sort of an anxiety about it because I haven’t played with anyone in quite some time. That being said, I finally started my YouTube channel. I’m calling myself the World’s Okayest Drummer. It’s all about drumming, music production, and home studio setups for musicians who don’t have the luxury of living in one place for more than a couple years. I want to impart my years of knowledge on everyone out there who needs a fresh way of looking at things or just needs to start from scratch. I whole heartedly believe in finding your own unique sound, so that’s what I’ll be talking about quite a bit on my channel...I also like to inject comedy in almost everything I do. My channel link is www.youtube.com/@worldsokayestdrummer8614. I also post a lot of my stuff on my Instagram, @drum_ist. Lastly, my Fiverr is at https://www.fiverr.com/s/1G7x25 in case anyone wants some whacky drums for their stuff. I recently purchased a remote hi-hat from your Griffin line and I absolutely love it! I, as many drummers do, have a sweet spot where I like everything to sit so I feel comfortable behind the kit. My hats always felt too far away and I could either get longer sticks, larger hats, or a remote. I chose the remote for the customization. I’ve attached a few pictures of me with the kit and also a pic of how I have the remote setup with a video as well. My wife took most of them (she’s super proud of how they turned out). Not sure if that’s what you’re looking for, so be sure to let me know if you want any follow-up material at all. Again, thank you so much for this opportunity and I’ll be sure to mention your company in some of my future work!
Here is the Fake Leather Jacket origin story. We are a cover band and were asked to play a club outside of our normal area. When we pulled up to the venue, we quickly realized we were at an old school biker bar. None of us have ever ridden a street bike; this was not our typical hangout. Dudes on choppers were doing smoke show burnouts in the parking lot. Shiny Harley’s were lined up like it was a dealership showroom. We were getting set-up to play between some 55 gallon drums and a picnic table that looked like it had been recently set on fire. A gnarly dude approached our female drummer and said in a sarcastic tone, “Hey, nice jacket”. As you may have guessed it was not made of leather. There was nothing else to do but laugh at the fact she wore a fake leather jacket to a hardcore biker bar. Launching into the set with Born to Be Wild - within minutes everyone was having a great time. They were buying us rounds of shots and asked us to play an extra set. Soon after we named our band Fake Leather Jacket. Embrace the absurd. Music unites us all.
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If you are aware of my reasons for making contact it’s something that I am giving you to make it a reality. I am only saying this because by the time I went through the process it would be year’s before it would become a reality. I just want you to remember that so many of us Guitarists who may play, say “Suite Madame Blue” by:STYX The ability to transition from your Acoustic Guitar Mounted Firmly and securely In Horizontal position, then we can have our electric behind us attached to a separate Amp and just step back and let the crew take it from the stage, and then bring it back at the end. All along this new stand for Stage and Studio use is a gift from myself to all who are going to use it for year’s to come….I only ask you call it the [StyngrB Steele] guitar stage stand, or at least give credit for a device that I have made many of my own using stands from drumsets.
This is a unique type of stand which will help so many of us, I am only offering this so it has a better chance of being created a quickly as possible….
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