When I was a kid, I wanted to be a drummer in a band.
Whenever we'd go to the music store, I'd pick up all the Zildjian, Tama and Pearl catalogs I could. They'd always feature photos of their spokesdrummers, and out of 20 or 30 per catalogue, I'd usually only know three or four.
So I'd try to figure out who these other drummers were and why they were supposed to be good. And that exposed me to a lot of new music I would never have discovered on my own.
Instead of thinking Alex Van Halen and Phil Collins were the uncontested best in the world, I learned about the guys in this video:
I bring this up for two reasons:
- This video is awesome and should be viewed frequently and with great enthusiasm. Steve Gadd knows how to use the cowbell.
- Being a wannabe rock drummer isn't too different from being an advertising student. You don't have Zildjian catalogs, but you do have the annuals, and sites like Creativity. Everyone knows the Goodbys, Wiedens and Boguskys. But there are tons of lesser-known creatives who have just as much talent, if not more. The best thing you can do is seek them out in the annuals, and seek them out when it comes time to look for work.