I had the pleasure of taking my eight year old to her first clinic at Sam Ash in Tampa yesterday. The clinician was Jim Riley, drummer with Rascall Flatts. While I had heard some of the hits (and had been bombarded with their cover of "Life is a Highway" from "Cars" - because I have a two year old son), I was really unfamiliar with Jim's playing.
He accentuated the solid foundation necessary to be a working drummer and spent some time adapting rudiments to the kit and especially to use in grooves. He invited some younger attendees up onto the stage and was extremely encouraging. He also played along with some fairly complicated stuff with shifting time signatures and did a tribute to John Bonham (playing "Foursticks"). His clinic was impressive and educational - and what a hell of a nice, straightforward guy. Don't let the fact that he plays in a straight ahead country band make you jump to any conclusions concerning his chops and technique. He did some flam a diddles around the kit that just blew my mind.
If you get the chance go check him out!!
http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Jim_Riley.html
Paul
Oh - by the way, my daughter thinks Jim may have hung the drumming moon - which is a little dissapointing because prior to the clinic she thought I did. Good job I didn't take her to see Vinnie!
He accentuated the solid foundation necessary to be a working drummer and spent some time adapting rudiments to the kit and especially to use in grooves. He invited some younger attendees up onto the stage and was extremely encouraging. He also played along with some fairly complicated stuff with shifting time signatures and did a tribute to John Bonham (playing "Foursticks"). His clinic was impressive and educational - and what a hell of a nice, straightforward guy. Don't let the fact that he plays in a straight ahead country band make you jump to any conclusions concerning his chops and technique. He did some flam a diddles around the kit that just blew my mind.
If you get the chance go check him out!!
http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Jim_Riley.html
Paul
Oh - by the way, my daughter thinks Jim may have hung the drumming moon - which is a little dissapointing because prior to the clinic she thought I did. Good job I didn't take her to see Vinnie!