Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz here!

Hey Jon,

The General Discussion thread on compliments made me realize I had not made a visit over here!

As a well known pro what is your take on receiving praise from other drummers?

Does it get old? Does it tend to generate a static internal response for you or does it remain a fresh experience each time?

It seems it would be hard to be 'present' after a certain point.

Hope you know that the drumming geeks in my circle that used to cluster about fm radios trying to tune in the Dr. Demento Show from a thousand plus miles away always felt the humor of Al's work through the filter of your accuracy of feel and composition...the irony reaching 'Saturday Night Live' type heights because the possibility was real that Al was working with Rodger Taylor on 'Another One Rides The Bus'!
You brought conversation to the idea of 'feel' that we 8th graders had not delved into.
Thanks for that!
 
I enjoy hearing positive comments, and I've never had the sense that any of it wasn't genuine or was given in order to get a favor. But there's never been so much that it gets old, I really appreciate anything that comes my way. Praise from a pro is especially appreciated, and one extremely well-known and well-liked drummer said after one of Al's shows "I couldn't do what you do." Or maybe he said "I wouldn't do what you do", I'm not completely sure!

Thank you for listening to us on Demento, those were just the seeds of what was to come. However it's hard to imagine that Roger Taylor would be involved with Another One Rides The Bus, that accordion case was all me! :)
 
I can’t tell you how much I love that American Pie one— it’s sublime! Also the Nirvana which I actually hadn’t heard until a couple years ago. (Sorry I know that’s not really adding anything at all to this conversation but I just saw this thread and I was moved by the spirit! ? )
 
Huge fan here as well! I hope you don’t mind me keeping the spirit going here.
To this day I don’t understand why “One More Minute” was never in the top 10 contemporaries? I was born in early 80s, as a youngster, even I knew there was something catchy in this particular tune.
Such a beautiful song aside from lyrics which are genius in satire.
Al was locked in the melody, and you guys - if in fact are ‘doo wopping’ - kill it as well!

By the way is “One More Minute” a rendition or an original?

Also what splash are you using on “Gump”?
Is that an 8” AA? Mine sounds like that as far as decay goes. Presidents were one of my favorite bands growing up in ‘90s; and, when y’all covered that one, was utopian for me as a young teen.
For some reason I’ve always had it in my head even back then that the original drummer Jason Finn used a b8 series as it sounds tinnish - sorry to geek out I’ll hang up and listen.
 
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Hey Jon,

The General Discussion thread on compliments made me realize I had not made a visit over here!

As a well known pro what is your take on receiving praise from other drummers?

Does it get old? Does it tend to generate a static internal response for you or does it remain a fresh experience each time?

It seems it would be hard to be 'present' after a certain point.

Hope you know that the drumming geeks in my circle that used to cluster about fm radios trying to tune in the Dr. Demento Show from a thousand plus miles away always felt the humor of Al's work through the filter of your accuracy of feel and composition...the irony reaching 'Saturday Night Live' type heights because the possibility was real that Al was working with Rodger Taylor on 'Another One Rides The Bus'!
You brought conversation to the idea of 'feel' that we 8th graders had not delved into.
Thanks for that!
Yep for me it was either Saturday cartoons or early starts get in the car with the family and go to either Pampa or Amarillo, on the way hearing Dr. D on the Amarillo college station 89.9 until the program ended at 10 a.m.
 
Also what splash are you using on “Gump”?

My notes say it was a 14" Zilco, so I re-listened and I'd say that's correct. Also, my notes were made in the studio once gear was selected for each song, so the notes would be correct. I think it was from a pair of old '40/50s hats. :)
 
My notes say it was a 14" Zilco, so I re-listened and I'd say that's correct. Also, my notes were made in the studio once gear was selected for each song, so the notes would be correct. I think it was from a pair of old '40/50s hats. :)
Man o man that’s great!
Thank you Bermuda you nailed the doubles on the kick and what a fun song to play!
I was way off base, y’all’s music vid shows a smaller splash cymbal in diameter, but I understand aesthetics, which fooled me.
?
 
Man o man that’s great!
Thank you Bermuda you nailed the doubles on the kick and what a fun song to play!
I was way off base, y’all’s music vid shows a smaller splash cymbal in diameter, but I understand aesthetics, which fooled me.
?

Thanks, I always enjoyed playing that one live! Also, nothing in the video was mine. Those were cheap drums intended to eventually wind up in the fountain. :)
 
Hi Jon Bermuda Schwartz. I've seen you touring with Weird Al Yankovic for many, many years. I didn't get a chance to own a Impact drum set like you. Cheers from Malaysia.
 
Thanks Joshua! I still have some Impact kits and they really do sound great. The main reason I switched to Ludwig was that Impact stopped making drums, and I knew that could be a problem in the future if I needed parts or new drums. Otherwise I might still be playing them today!
 
Thanks Joshua! I still have some Impact kits and they really do sound great. The main reason I switched to Ludwig was that Impact stopped making drums, and I knew that could be a problem in the future if I needed parts or new drums. Otherwise I might still be playing them today!
You're welcome Bermuda. The most funniest part of Weird Al Yankovic's Yoda is the Yoda chant that really makes me laugh so much. ???
 
Hey Bermuda mate. I haven't been on this forum in a good 10 years or so but I still remember you well. I hope you are doing good these days!
 
Doing well thanks, apart from not playing with any of my bands in over a year! Otherwise, little has changed with me, which is good! :)
 
Hi Bermuda. If I had a chance to buy a impact drum kit from you, I may save all my money. But give me time. I like you very much Bermuda, you're a funny guy.????
 
Hi Bermuda. If I had a chance to buy a impact drum kit from you, I may save all my money. But give me time. I like you very much Bermuda, you're a funny guy.????

Thanks, it will; be a few years before I get into selling some kits, but I'll me sure I post them here for the locals. :)
 
What a job! Of having to get inside the minds of every drummer he's had to duplicate. He's under more pressure than you or I as his drumming is under scrutiny from drummers world wide.
 
Thanks, it will; be a few years before I get into selling some kits, but I'll me sure I post them here for the locals. :)
Ok. My mom tells me that i can only choose one. I think one Impact drum set for me is enough. Oh I email you from Gmail account and I finally got your reply. Thanks. I keep in touch with you. My favourite drummer. Give Weird Al Yankovic my regards because the Yoda chanting is very nice.
 
So Bermuda since you have down time-you working on another photo journal or a book or something? I've really enjoyed your last effort. I was checking it out again this morning. Thanks!
 

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So Bermuda since you have down time-you working on another photo journal or a book or something? I've really enjoyed your last effort. I was checking it out again this morning. Thanks!

Thanks! :)

About a month ago I embarked on this year's project: scanning/archiving/cataloging all of the 35mm film that I shot from 1973 to 2007, totaling more than 350 rolls. It's a painstaking task, but satisfying to know that if I stay diligent, scanning two to three rolls per day, it will be complete by September. Having those images digitized also makes it simple to source them as needed (rather than grabbing a print and scanning it, which I've done a few thousand times in the last 25 years!) and they'll also be handy and prevent a LOT of scrambling and searching if there's another book in my future.

And of course it's fun and emotional and educational to revisit my life in chronological order from age 17 or so. Family, friends, bands, gear, girlfriends, vacations, places I've lived, old cars, hair, etc.

I've always been an archivist (read: meticulous hoarder) and was smart to keep the negatives cool, dry and safe, so they've survived well with a minimum of issues. And as the scanning progresses, I back-up the files on three hard drives (two of which will be permanently archived and replicated on an annual basis for multiple copies in the event that one or more get corrupted), a USB stick (more for convenience and speed when sourcing files) and on M-Discs, which are archival DVD/Blu-Ray discs that are written not in the typical dye layer, but in a 'hard' layer... kind of like etching. The discs and some of the drives are kept in a fire safe. And the negatives will remain stored in an adjacent safe, in case I need to source them again.

And I sit down at the drums now and then. :)
 
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