Monthly Roundup #6 - August '18

August has been another slightly quieter month for me where I've been able to enjoy a bit of time off over the summer. The school summer holidays put most of the teaching to a stop, and if I'm honest, I haven't actually had loads of gigs through August - which is funny as it's usually a very busy time of year for me! But as I say, it's been quite a welcome break where I've been able to fit in a few days away on holiday and made the most of enjoying some down-time, which has been very nice indeed!

Where the school lessons came to a stop, I was able to carry on with some of the students who wanted to at a local rehearsal studio ("The Base"), which I have used for my summer lessons over the last couple of years, and they've always been very accommodating! A couple of my favourite things about my summer lessons down there are that A, it's a great opportunity for parents to sit in on lessons which they don't often get the chance to do at school, so they can see what we're getting up to, and B, some of my students only really get the chance to play electronic drums, so it's a great chance for them to have a go on an acoustic kit and experience what it's really like. And hey, it can't hurt that they've got a Gretsch kit down there, can it?!

"The Base", where I've been doing some lessons over the summer holidays.

The first gig of August was playing a festival with a jazz quartet (trio plus singer) at a little festival. It was the first bit of playing I did after getting back from holiday, so it was great fun to be back behind the kit, and there was a really nice vibe!

The summer festival jazz quartet setup.

The next gig, following a couple of weeks of catching up with friends and family, was playing a wedding up in Cambridge with a Ceilidh band I fill in with every now and then. It's a pretty cool band - essentially it's a traditional violin and caller, but with the addition of a contemporary rhythm section. What's not to like about that?!

My setup for the Ceilidh.

The next bit of playing was with a big band that for I while I had the drum chair on, but since had to let it go to make room for other commitments. It was great fun to catch up with the guys from that band, and of course to play through a load of big band tunes which I don't get to do quite as often as I used to! One of the best things about it was that it meant an opportunity to get one of my favourite drums out - a 14x6.5 brass Premier snare from the 1940s which I found in a charity shop - and boy does it sound good kicking a big band!

Big band setup

What a glorious drum! 1940s Premier, 14x6.5, BRass. Lovely!

To end the week, I then had another lesson of my own on the Friday, then found myself playing at my church again on the Sunday morning.

The church setup.

So there you have it! Overall, it's been a fairly quiet month with lots of down-time with friends and family (which is of course always a good thing!), but I'm looking forward to things getting a bit busier again in September. I hope you've enjoyed this somewhat brief entry, and that you'll check in again for the next one! Catch you soon, Ed.