Monthly Roundup #16 - June '19
/A friend of mine once made the point that as a musician, it sometimes seems “the busier you are, the less you play” - and that’s certainly seemed true this month, only the opposite way around! June was a pretty quiet month for me gig-wise, as it was one of those where I had a number of personal commitments in the diary and unfortunately the dates that did come my way didn't align with my availability, so it ended up being pretty quiet!
However, I’ve probably spent more time sat behind a kit this month than I have in a while in terms of practice, as I’ve had plenty of time on my hands to get to work on a few things I’ve been wanting to devote some time to. Usually when there’s a bit more on, I spend a lot of my time either practicing parts for upcoming gigs, writing out drum charts or travelling for instance, but this time there’s been plenty of time to just enjoy some good practice sessions!
My practice space, where I spent plenty of time this month - and no, I can’t say I’ve ever gigged a kit this size!
The first bit of playing was an event at Eastbourne Bandstand, where churches from across Eastbourne (including my own) got together for a joint meeting. It was a beautiful day for it (despite actually being a bit chilly on stage in the shade!), and it had a great turn out. All in all, it wasn’t a bad way to spend a Sunday morning!
A couple of shots from the church event down at the Bandstand.
A couple of shots from the church event down at the Bandstand.
One real treat at the start of June was a trip into town to catch my drum teacher, Andrew Small, putting on a show of his own material. It was a fantastic night and the band was absolutely top drawer - a real special evening!
Andrew’s setup for his show in town.
The only gig of the month this time (I told you it was a bit quiet!) was another outing with the Alter Eagles. It was a cool venue in the Guildford area, which was really well attended and the crowd was a good one! As much as it pains me to mix and match my Gretsch Brooklyn’s between different finishes for this setup, I’m loving how good these drums sound!
My setup for the Alter Eagles gig
Another highlight of the month was an assembly at one of my schools, where I had 9 youngsters performing pieces that they had been working on. It was a great event which left their parents, teachers and fellow students alike feeling inspired (apparently!), and I was massively proud of all of them. A really nice moment!
My teaching setup, ready for our assembly
Later on in the month, I was doing my drumming duties at church once more. It involves a pretty early start (there at 7:00!), but it was nice to be in familiar surroundings again after a busy couple of months beforehand.
My go-to setup at my church
Finally, I had my monthly drum hang once again! This time, those of us there took the chance to discuss things we’d been working on lately, comparing techniques and exercises etc. It was great to see so many different schools of thought on display, with people coming from all kinds of different musical backgrounds and generations. I’ve loved how this group has brought together such a variety of drummers and given us the opportunity to meet one another and hang out! If you’re a drummer in the East Sussex area, hit me up and it would be great for you to join us!
And that’s a wrap for June! It’s funny… At the start of the month I was a bit gutted about having to turn down a few things leaving me with a pretty quiet month, but in actual fact it’s been a nice bit of down time to have some more time for personal commitments and to get lots of practice in! My Summer is looking fairly relaxed, so I’m guessing that it’ll continue a bit like this for a couple of months (unless a load of stuff suddenly comes in!) before things get a bit busier again in the Autumn. So, now I’ve finished writing this - you guessed it - I’m off to get some practice done! Thanks as always for checking in and hopefully catch you next time. All the best, Ed.