tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9901180010470017312024-03-13T08:46:07.261-07:00Kasey PetersThat which rankles and delightsKasey Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09688143283662096395noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990118001047001731.post-65544688716871353262019-05-01T00:57:00.000-07:002019-05-13T05:30:59.058-07:00Drum studio build in BelfastI've been trying to build a drum kit teaching studio for about 9 months.<br />
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I have the space, but the difficultly has been trying to find someone in Belfast to build a soundproof room. I've contacted companies in Dublin and England, but unfortunately they won't come to Belfast.<br />
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I've tried:<br />
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FR Mark & Associates (Belfast)<br />
<a href="https://www.shedfactoryireland.ie/garden-rooms/garden-rooms-ireland.html">Shed Factory Belfast (Ireland's biggest supplier)</a><br />
<a href="https://www.gardenrooms.ie/music-room-garden/">Garden Rooms in Dublin</a><br />
<a href="http://www.soundproofingexpert.co.uk/">Soundproofing Expert in Chester</a><br />
<a href="http://www.sound-barrier-studios.co.uk/">Sound Barrier Studios in Hampshire</a><br />
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And I'm still waiting on quotes from 'qualified soundproofing specialists in my area' from a service company finder (18 days and counting).<br />
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I was particularly crushed when the Dublin based company said they only build garden rooms in the Republic of Ireland and are not able to in Northern Ireland.<br />
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Since my original post, I've had positive responses from both <a href="https://www.gardenroomsni.com/">Garden Rooms NI (Belfast)</a> and <a href="https://www.amazingspacesni.co.uk/">Amazing Spaces NI (Belfast)</a>, both of which are looking hopeful.<br />
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I have architects coming out of the woodwork (so to speak), I need soundproof builders.<br />
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If you know anybody locally who could help, please don't hesitate to get in touch. It has to be properly soundproof, a room within a room, including the ceiling with floating floor, ventilation and toilet.<br />
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This shouldn't be an impossibility.<br />
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My fundraiser page to help get this project built <a href="https://uk.gofundme.com/KaseyPeters">Kasey Peters Go Fund Me</a>.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
Kasey<br />
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07817 055097<br />
<a href="https://kaseypeters.com/">kaseypeters.com</a><br />
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<br />Kasey Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09688143283662096395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990118001047001731.post-21204102631028531972016-05-19T03:44:00.000-07:002019-05-01T01:46:15.406-07:00The Reason for C&C Drums<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3MffX0e2xzgQN4XH2_HDi3tofj6_enubhySwV8NDjX58xCIYsCD9t_128bupgc7-FkL7olW2DLhmQinNXmseMIiSe3fJ9RgisuAeFu0ijIsyVlA3C06r5fVVgmsuDniCfOAQ9zEh8Aru/s1600/images.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3MffX0e2xzgQN4XH2_HDi3tofj6_enubhySwV8NDjX58xCIYsCD9t_128bupgc7-FkL7olW2DLhmQinNXmseMIiSe3fJ9RgisuAeFu0ijIsyVlA3C06r5fVVgmsuDniCfOAQ9zEh8Aru/s320/images.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Choosing new drums can be an exacting experience. A bit like buying a car.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I had been looking for a new kit for a while and wasn't totally happy with the usual brands. I grew up in the late 60s & early 70s playing Ludwig and Gretsch.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Bk4eXtBGQL_2Ii_Rv_dEciLkYOa6yMooUirQemy4G4Wu5nLdLUhAnz6GWXXE6KLnpf2k7F2o2jaNLw6XLA5ZHkC9Vz8oT0P9M6sFDvzpE27udhyphenhyphent1AePkFNahyphenhyphen5poFWrTkuMyPAF7IOO/s1600/FotorCreated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Bk4eXtBGQL_2Ii_Rv_dEciLkYOa6yMooUirQemy4G4Wu5nLdLUhAnz6GWXXE6KLnpf2k7F2o2jaNLw6XLA5ZHkC9Vz8oT0P9M6sFDvzpE27udhyphenhyphent1AePkFNahyphenhyphen5poFWrTkuMyPAF7IOO/s320/FotorCreated.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Over the years I've played Tama, Pearl, Premier and Yamaha with DW and District Drum Company snares thrown in the mix. I would be remiss in not mentioning my endorser </span><a href="http://districtdrumcompany99.vpweb.com/Testimonials.html" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">District Drum Company</a> <span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">from America, who made me this stunning snare. I'm just waiting on you building entire kits Tina!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIqGKX48QMyOTA6HAdb_vz6DMLuiIyppOYx_LQ6Wdllp4DAeMOCyKcWne89190PBOQYBKyeK2MgIm1C-Wu4997aE0ShtUI685R5fMn4vJdAJm-dDFRMFuxlRZ8yVp9mQlioprAxiINplC/s1600/DDC+Snare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIqGKX48QMyOTA6HAdb_vz6DMLuiIyppOYx_LQ6Wdllp4DAeMOCyKcWne89190PBOQYBKyeK2MgIm1C-Wu4997aE0ShtUI685R5fMn4vJdAJm-dDFRMFuxlRZ8yVp9mQlioprAxiINplC/s200/DDC+Snare.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I was very close to ordering a Gretsch USA Custom when I came upon C&C Custom Drums. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">After some investigation, I knew that C&C were for me. What really sold it, besides their gorgeous drums and craftsmanship, were their videos. I love the ethos of everything they're about: a small, independent, American company, recreating new shells with modern equipment, but with a vintage approach and style. Bill Cardwell, the founder, says it best here:</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ArfN_56xr-Q/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ArfN_56xr-Q?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Another great video with more detail on the factory and process here:<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-12-09/hand-making-drums-with-a-long-lost-jazz-sound" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Hand-Making Drums with a Long-Lost Jazz Sound</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.candccustomdrums.com/">C&C Drum Company</a> (fantastic website)</div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ccdrumco/?hl=en">C&C Drum Company Instagram</a> (a must)</div>
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My beautiful new drums. C&C Player Date. Seven-ply mahogany shells with full contact bearing edges. A vintage-inspired sound, look and feel with round, dark, warm tones. Specs chosen: walnut stain finish, wood hoops with inlay, beer tap throw-off, vintage fold out spurs, double-ended lugs & butterfly claws:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8W2kmcw1r0vA9yxNgOuuau9xO9RhqC42tapeHRfdY7nXNFdk3Kgp_Jx_e6SqH-Ee9sqLDoxTv9_8txlCdVBnIl_GAPIdfJnbr3IQRdwGh4ALASox6WgmCa8IB-vojxvfxLu7CUhZ_wcF/s1600/My+kit%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8W2kmcw1r0vA9yxNgOuuau9xO9RhqC42tapeHRfdY7nXNFdk3Kgp_Jx_e6SqH-Ee9sqLDoxTv9_8txlCdVBnIl_GAPIdfJnbr3IQRdwGh4ALASox6WgmCa8IB-vojxvfxLu7CUhZ_wcF/s320/My+kit%2521.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The guys at the factory in Gladstone, Missouri were great about staying in touch (they even made me an unorthodox 13" snare) and liaised brilliantly with <a href="http://www.rustydrums.co.uk/candc-drums.html">Mark Jeffs from Rusty Drums</a>, the sole dealer for C&C in the UK. Mark was very easy to work with. I would encourage anyone to look him up for C&C and all things vintage drums. All of them gents!<br />
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I am not obsessive about gear. I can derive pleasure from making the most budget, dilapidated kit sound good. But I also love beautiful, artful design -- items that are well made with quality, care and detail by expert craftsmen.<br />
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Future classics.<br />
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Hear them here:</div>
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Kasey Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09688143283662096395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990118001047001731.post-73624622461237458762015-01-21T07:24:00.001-08:002021-09-21T02:12:06.446-07:00Whiplash: Breakneck Speed Equals Excellence!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YsZG-3F54QUQ19qs75De6Zbj2y_9y1ww-PhlJl1yNi2KKlUUfFlUxsJPK_TSJgghFAn-qc8bPiVaymwpO8ZV-EoAx0B_h1GZREbYg2pk0p6ya4EMSXBq3LcgPhIoq8QOLBrm_62LvpPD/s1600/10917196_916294835071746_6195893396202130870_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1115" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YsZG-3F54QUQ19qs75De6Zbj2y_9y1ww-PhlJl1yNi2KKlUUfFlUxsJPK_TSJgghFAn-qc8bPiVaymwpO8ZV-EoAx0B_h1GZREbYg2pk0p6ya4EMSXBq3LcgPhIoq8QOLBrm_62LvpPD/s320/10917196_916294835071746_6195893396202130870_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Goodness gracious, I really wanted to love this film. A story about jazz, playing drums and teaching
music -- all of my favourite things and everything I do. Although the trailer was cringeworthy, I had high hopes. </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">But for me, <i>Whiplash</i> turned out to be more like a made-for-TV-after-school
special (with added foul-mouthed absurdities). I've seen better episodes of <i>Fame</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">I understand how fiction operates. I know this is just a film and meant to be
entertainment. I'm hip to the concept of
suspension of disbelief – where a semblance of truth may turn into a
fantastic tale; therefore the audience should suspend judgement or disbelief.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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And it would be easy to pick holes in the technical flaws. I will try to resist this, but suffice it to
say, anyone with an ounce of technique will not bleed while playing (certainly
not bucket loads that require submersion in ice and copious plasters). And it is impossible to punch your hand
through Mylar.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Writer/director Damien Chazelle recalls his own experiences (fear of his
music teacher), and deliberately uses sports and overtraining as
a comparison to pursuing musical excellence -- fair enough. Someone’s truth doesn’t have to be mine. But the no pain, no gain approach is
hackneyed nonsense. So melodrama (and
<i>Rocky</i>) here we come!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">If <i>Whiplash</i> was made about a
trombonist, we'd have the corners of the player’s mouth cracking and bleeding -- having to be constantly defibbed back to life from passing out due
respiratory failure and lack of air.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">It really wasn't a film about jazz or drumming at all, but rather one of
abuse, abuse of power and achieving musical 'greatness' by playing as fast as
possible (where speed is paramount and playing drums is viewed as extreme sport) --
whilst becoming not a very nice person in the process. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Speed is only one aspect of playing, not <i>the</i> aspect. Many may find this
type of storytelling exhilarating, much in the same way many find the world’s
fastest drumming competitions meaningful. But this is not music making, nor does it have
anything to do with the skills required to build a great musician; making it for me, joyless and uninspiring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Macho buffoonery aside, Neiman better prove Fletcher wrong and become a
supersonic drummer rather than a 'pansy ass faggot'. Racist,
homophobic and misogynistic language is used to build this musician’s character.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Ultimately, it is a film about the twisted 'bromance' of Neiman and
Fletcher. And one that is po-faced, overblown
and full of male bloat: the last scene being cringeiest of all. Ah yes, the
tiresome trope of the student becoming the teacher – but in this case perhaps
not the most desirous of goals. Neiman: I
have the upper hand because I'm calling the musical cues. Fletcher: no I have the upper hand because
I'm still conducting you. I’m on top, no
I’m on top! Get a room.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">I left hugely disappointed and didn't feel entertained at all by these wholly unlikeable characters, as</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"> did many of my non-drummer, non-music-teacher friends, who disliked it even more than me. Most of all, the film irks because it perpetuates the fallacy that speed alone equates to eminence in playing the drums.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Fletcher's 'good job' monologue rang most true (not the incorrect version of the Jo Jones/Bird story he tells), but that commending students with high praise when
they've only been adequate is detrimental. However, jazz is not dying because of
undeserved congratulations; it is simply no longer the popular music of the day.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">And while Teller is a decent actor with a compelling face, he actually only
does a 'good job' of mimicking a drummer. </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">His technique was appalling, he had awkward
hands (that traditional grip in the left hand was a stinker), making this a
Starbucks film for the Starbucks masses.</span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Drink up.</span><br />
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Kasey Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09688143283662096395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990118001047001731.post-71277505508124101242015-01-04T12:37:00.000-08:002019-05-01T02:35:20.946-07:00Favourite Drumming Scenes in Film<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to my favourite drumming scenes in film. This list is inspired by some of my other shorter blog posts and most recently by the new film <i><b>Whiplash</b></i>, which doesn't make my list only because I haven't seen it yet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>[I have now seen <b>Whiplash</b> since writing this. And although the entire film was ostensibly about playing drums, there wasn't a single scene I'd include in my list. See review blog <a href="http://kaseypeters.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/whiplash-breakneck-speed-equals.html?spref=fb">here</a> and amendment below in comments].</i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My list focuses on kit playing rather than marching band films like <b><i>Drumline</i></b> and is restricted to human players only (so no Animal from the Muppet films, no rabbit from <b><i>Hop</i></b>), and no documentaries or films that contain concert footage. Many of my choices feature tap dancing. A good deal of the old jazz drummers were also hoofers!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Without further ado:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #222222;"><i>The Man with the Golden Arm</i></b> <b style="color: #222222;">(1955)</b><span style="color: #222222;">. If I had to pick a favourite, this would be it, having the most pathos. Frank Sinatra plays Frankie Machine (what a name!), a heroin addict, reluctant card dealer, and wanna be big band drummer. The theme music is perfectly scored by Elmer Bernstein and a soundtrack worthy of any collection. There's a lovely clip of Frankie practising in an apartment. But I'm choosing the audition scene. </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelly_Manne"><span style="color: red;">Shelly Manne</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> is the drummer, not only on the soundtrack, but in this clip as well (one of my favourite scenes in all of celluloid history). Poor Frankie is strung out, can't concentrate, and loses all control of the hi hat. The scene begins at 1:38, but I recommend the whole clip for exposition:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Ship Ahoy</i> (1942)</b>. Buddy Rich and Eleanor Powell provide pure unadulterated joy:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Easter Parade</i> (1948)</b>. Fred Astaire sings, dances, and drums to 'Drum Crazy'. Not traditional playing as he's standing up, but you cannot deny Astaire's percussive abilities when combined with dance. His body is a drum kit:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Damsel In Distress</i> (1937)</b>. Astaire's second appearance. And again, although he plays standing up, it is with great and joyous aplomb:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Small Town Girl</i> (1953)</b>. Ann Miller's opening lyric 'I like the sound of a tom tom' from the tune "I Gotta Hear that Beat" merely scratches the surface of what we're about to see here. If you've never seen this production number, you're in for a real treat. It's percussion heavy, complete with Miller's incredibly fast taps, and includes a bizarre array of disembodied musicians -- a kind of headless orchestra. The giant silhouetted kit player is the cherry on top:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>The Gene Krupa Story</i> (1959)</b>. Although Krupa does the actual playing on the soundtrack and during Sal Mineo's performances on screen, Mineo worked hard learning the drums for the film and mimicking Krupa's playing mannerisms. Four years on from <i>The Man with the Golden Arm</i>, Shelly Manne makes another appearance, this time playing Tommy Dorsey's drummer <a href="http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Dave_Tough.html"><span style="color: red;">Dave Tough</span></a>. The entire film is chock full of drums and fantastic scenes:</span><br />
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>All Night Long</i> (1962).</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> A loose adaptation of Shakespeare's </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Othello</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> set in London's 1960s jazz scene. A great tension weighs on Patrick McGoohan's face (indeed his whole body) as he plays with a perplexity of expression. Using a drum solo to move the plot forward is a delightful device. I understand McGoohan learned to play the drums for the part, but I'm still trying to find out whether he actually played on screen / for the soundtrack. Allan Ganley perhaps? In any case, here's a corker:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Great movie posters too:</span><br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Harlem-Mania</i> (1929)</b><span style="font-size: large;">. A Vitaphone short rather than feature length film, this was 1929, and I've still never seen anything quite like Freddie Crump's outstanding, idiosyncratic performance. Accompanied by a satisfying </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tap_dance" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;">soft shoe</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">, Crump's playing is as precise as it is unorthodox. He comes to view at 2:13. Remain with the clip after the spirited piano solo for more of Crump's entertaining and percussive gymnastics!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As we jump from golden eras of the 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s & 60s, we now find ourselves in more modern times. </span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Step Brothers</i> (2008)</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. Because we all fear Will Ferrell's gentlemen parts sullying our instrument. Warning: </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">very</i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> colourful language here:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Wayne's World</i> (1992)</b>. A sweet Garth (Dana Carvey) has a wonderful fantasy:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 12.8960008621216px;">Mentions go out to </span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Some Kind of Wonderful</i> (1987)</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> and </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #545454; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14.5600004196167px;"><i>That </i></span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Thing You Do</i><b> (1996). </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And a very large and curious mention goes to the soundtrack of <i style="font-weight: bold;">Birdman</i><b> (2014)</b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. I don't believe there has ever been a soundtrack
using improvised drum solos to score a film. Jazz drummer Antonio Sanchez
provides the playing which represents the psychosis of the main
character. The drums are used to destabilising effect, at times
simultaneously cacophonous, jazzy and grooving. The main character walks
past the drummer we're hearing in one scene outside, which could have been
plausible as he appears to be a busker. But the second time this happens,
the drummer is in a tightly closed interior shot. We hear what the
character hears (we were hearing it all along anyway) and the play (or film),
becomes an unsettling play of a play. At times using two, three and four kit overdubs
(rarely done), the drums were the character's unravelling mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;">Here is some fascinating information on the </span><a href="http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/watch-how-birdman-composer-antonio-sanchez-drummed-the-score-20141003"><span style="color: red;">making of the <i>Birdman</i> soundtrack</span><span style="color: #660000;">.</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Signing off with a sweet little clip from the television series <b><i>Freaks and Geeks </i>(1999-2000):</b></span></div>
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Kasey Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09688143283662096395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990118001047001731.post-47078110900736897412012-02-09T06:53:00.000-08:002019-05-01T01:43:48.119-07:00Father Daughter Drumming Interview<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tony and Kasey Peters</b></span></div>
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My dad is a jazz drummer and I learned to play by watching him. He gigged in jazz trios at dinner clubs in Los Angeles and took me to see Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson when I was a little girl. We would watch drummers together on laserdiscs and any time there was music playing he'd turn up the volume when there was a drum solo. Today, I run a drum teaching studio in the UK. My dad's 82 and still has a bash on the drums every morning. He says he's <i>finally</i> happy with his left hand. I hope I'll be the same at his age!<br />
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<b>Kasey: How did you come to play the d</b><b>rums?</b><br />
<b>Tony:</b> I always loved music and wanted to be a musician so I chose the drums thinking they'd be the easiest to learn (<i>we laugh heartily</i>). I was 18 when I started lessons with George Jenkins, who was sometimes called 'King of the Drums' having been married to Dinah Washington, who was known as 'Queen of the Blues'. He had mostly been affiliated with Lionel Hampton in the 1940s but also had stints with Louis Armstrong's All Stars and Erroll Garner.<br />
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<b>Kasey: Were you happy that I was the one who took up drums and not your son?</b><i><b> </b></i><br />
<b>Tony:</b> I just remember you getting it, you know? You were the one who picked it up and that was okay by me. I don't remember ever actually showing you how to do anything. It was like you were growing up in a bilingual household surrounded by a second language.<br />
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<b>Kasey: There are a few drummers in our family besides us. Do you think it's in our Italian genes?</b><br />
<b>Tony:</b> I don't know about that. Maybe it's just coincidence. Do you ever wonder if you'd be a drummer today if you'd grown up in a family without drummers? Nature, nurture; tomato, tomahto!<br />
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<b>Tony: I don't read drum music. How did you learn to?</b><br />
<b>Kasey:</b> Those piano lessons paid off! And rhythm is rhythm. There are fewer notes to memorise on the stave, but coordinating four limbs more than makes up for that. Plus I wanted to teach and have as many resources as possible. Reading is great for referencing, recall and understanding. Also in the UK, we have drum exams to assess playing where you have to read and play along to notated pieces. I help students pass their graded exams.<br />
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<b>Tony: What can you remember about playing at a young age?</b><br />
<b>Kasey:</b> I was seven when you and mom divorced but I was happy that you left one half of your double 1960s Ludwig kit behind (I <i>so</i> wish you still had that kit!). But I no longer had you there to watch. Piano lessons when I was a little older helped with music theory, but as far as the drums go, I suppose I taught myself by watching you. <br />
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<b>Tony: What are some of your philosophies about playing?</b><br />
<b>Kasey:</b> There's often talk amongst drummers about hitting hard (and playing fast) as if that's inherently good. For me, there's a fine line between making music and making noise. I don't mind the odd sforzando, but not strictly as a manner of playing. If you're into drumming as sport, try playing fast and <i>quietly</i>, that's much more challenging. I favour a melodic and harmonic approach with an array of dynamics. I'm into groove, time-feel, pocket and playing for the song. Just because something is loud and fast doesn't necessarily mean it's good. Be tasteful, strive for quality of tone, expression, listen to the whole picture, and don't over season: you can have too much salt in a stew! Also, try not to get obsessed with gear. I teach at lots of different schools and some of the best sounding kits are the old battered ones from budget ranges.<br />
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This interview appeared in <a href="http://tomtommag.com/2012/02/drummers-with-drummer-dads/" style="color: #741b47;">Tom Tom Magazine / Februa<span id="goog_811051097"></span><span id="goog_811051098"></span>ry 2012</a>Kasey Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09688143283662096395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990118001047001731.post-87332230156995212622011-10-02T11:26:00.000-07:002019-05-13T05:20:52.792-07:00Getting the Rhythm Right<a href="http://www.magazinesubscription.co.uk/subscribe-to/Rhythm-Magazine-covers.html"><span style="background-color: blue;"></span></a><br />
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Jenny Jones</div>
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I can completely understand if a woman wants to identify as a ‘female drummer,’ but I have to admit to being in two minds about this. For myself as a drummer and drum kit teacher, I’ve spent the better part of my career trying <i>not</i> to call attention to the fact that I’m female. </div>
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I would venture to say that most of us simply want to be known as drummers. But this is not always straightforward. </div>
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On her Facebook site, Kim Thompson identifies herself as ‘<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kasey-Peters-Drum-Kit-Studio/221019517932618#%21/pages/Kim-Thompson-Female-drummer/158697934142808" style="color: purple;">Kim Thompson [Female drummer]</a>,’ using hard brackets and a capital F for what I imagine to be strong emphasis. This accentuation seems audacious, deliberately focusing attention to her gender. <i>[Note: this has been changed to 'Drummer & Educator' since this blog].</i></div>
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The majority of the covers of the big drum magazines are of guys in <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=rhythm+magazine+covers&rlz=1C1CHJX_enGB472GB552&espv=2&biw=1152&bih=647&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=IHmqVLPfBYqrabb2grgI&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ"><span style="color: purple;">ultra masculine pose.</span></a> Inside these magazines you can be guaranteed to see at least one drummer (usually a pro) flipping the middle finger. What does this say, ‘I’m a drummer so f-you?’ Is that supposed to be cool? I find it tiresome and uninspiring. One gets the overwhelming impression that these magazines are geared to teenage boys.</div>
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I’ll never forget a certain issue that put me off buying a particular magazine ever again. The featured article was about ‘wild drummers’ and their off stage antics. It was crude and loutish and had nothing to do with music or drumming. It only served to encourage the myth of rock star prowess. The interviewee made some horrendous comments about <i>even</i> sleeping with ugly women because they may have had a certain physical proclivity. Boorish twaddle.</div>
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I wrote to the editor of the magazine and received no reply. I haven’t bought it in two years.</div>
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At least 50% of my students are female. How can I suggest they buy one of these magazines with that kind of content? How does that encourage their participation in music and drumming? These magazines barely represent drummers who happen to be female. You might see a woman on the cover every several years. More often than not, these magazines do not speak to women and in the case of this particular issue, it also denigrated them. It promoted age old stereotypes for both men and women.</div>
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It is true that the big magazines are having more female contributors and features about female players -- there is a shift in the tide, though it continues to be a predominately male sphere.</div>
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Honey Lantree of The Honeycombs<br />
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This was a featured article in <a href="http://tomtommag.com/blog/?p=7938" style="color: #741b47;">Tom Tom Magazine / November 2011</a> </div>
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Kasey Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09688143283662096395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990118001047001731.post-61085877543532011632011-09-25T06:14:00.000-07:002019-05-01T02:08:25.032-07:00Drumming The Weight Off<div class="MsoNormal">
It seems you can’t take an exercise class these days without your sticks. From core strengthening while playing single strokes, to drumming on an exercise ball doing aerobics, the trend in fitness appears to be through drumming. Workouts like these are on YouTube under names like Pound, Drum Fit and Cardio Drumming.</div>
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But those of us who play know the decent workout drumming provides (though I find that's mostly from loading in and out and hot lights). I've been using smaller muscle groups lately too (wrists and fingers) making calorie burning more elusive. But Blondie’s drummer Clem Burke recently received a doctorate for his pioneering studies comparing the similarities of big motion, fast drumming to an elite athlete. </div>
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It’s great to see folks incorporate drumming into their lives via exercise. Understandably, the drumming is fairly rudimentary to appeal to a large base with perhaps little rhythmic experience. It would be great however to see a niche class geared to seasoned drummers. Imagine practising your paradiddle-diddles whilst working on those abs! </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7518888.stm" style="color: purple;">Clem Burke and Athletic Drumming</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">This article appeared in <a href="http://tomtommag.com/" style="color: blue;">Tom Tom Magazine</a> / August 2011</span></span> </span></div>
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Kasey Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09688143283662096395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990118001047001731.post-66906608698649421722011-09-15T03:43:00.000-07:002011-09-16T03:34:59.125-07:00Gavin Harrison Saying It Best<div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Terrific advice:</span></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm very pleased to be endorsed by the District Drum Company! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.districtdrumcompany.com/">District Drum Company</a></span></div>
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<br />Kasey Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09688143283662096395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990118001047001731.post-27597372889352861402011-08-24T16:26:00.000-07:002019-05-01T02:35:47.192-07:00Tapping into DrumsIn the film <i>Small Town Girl</i> Ann Miller sings the opening line, ‘I like the sound of a tom tom’ from the song “I Gotta Hear That Beat.” If you’ve never seen this production number, you’re in for a treat. It’s percussion heavy with bizarrely disembodied musicians – no gender here, just great music!<br />
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Miller was famed for her ultra speedy tap dancing. I see lots of young drum students who are double bass pedal crazy before learning the basics on a single pedal. I’ve been known to suggest tap dancing lessons whilst embarking on pedal studies. If you really want fast feet, this is a great route to getting there. Many of the old jazz drummers were also hoofers – it makes perfect rhythmic sense. I’m hard-pressed to think of anything else requiring that much dexterity between the heel and toe.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Yet Jojo Mayer says it’s not how fast you can play, but rather how fast you can hear. A constant barrage of bass drum notes begins to sound like one long note, with nothing in between or left to say. Musicians I find interesting tell a story and engage the listener. Not everything on the drum set has to be hard, fast and loud. It’s quite easy to play aggressively. How do you convey other emotions besides excitement? Joy, humour, melancholy? I often tell my students anyone can make noise, let’s try to make music.</span> </div>
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I can tell I’m playing well when I start a tune with just a drum beat and people get up to dance. It’s one of the benefits of being a drummer – doing something that makes peoples’ bodies move. And in that bodily movement is the space between the notes. This is why swing, funk and hip hop are great to dance to: syncopation creates the space for the body to move.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">To paraphrase Gavin Harrison (among others), use the muscle in your head as much as the ones in your hands and feet because that's where ideas come from. A reliance on speed is a reliance on technique. And technique is not expression. Play not only as a drummer, but as a musician. Beauty is in the nuance and detail. Play like a dancer. Kick ball change. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Check out Fred Astaire's momentous tapping with drums from both </span><i style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A Damsel In Distress</i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and </span></span><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Easter Parade</span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">This article appeared in <a href="http://tomtommag.com/" style="color: magenta;">Tom Tom Magazine</a> / September 2011<i> </i></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span>Kasey Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09688143283662096395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990118001047001731.post-31456361719779750712011-08-17T05:05:00.000-07:002011-08-17T07:01:06.066-07:00Blush-Da?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/vN1jC6KpcMY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
Kasey Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09688143283662096395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990118001047001731.post-58820340962365304672011-08-16T03:13:00.000-07:002011-08-20T02:11:49.260-07:00Don't Make Me Vibra Slap You!I'm very pleased to announce that I've been asked to be a regular contributor to Tom Tom Magazine.<br />
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<div style="color: red;"><a href="http://tomtommag.com/">Tom Tom Magazine</a> </div><br />
<div style="color: #741b47;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Tom_Magazine">Tom Tom on Wikipedia</a></div>Kasey Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09688143283662096395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990118001047001731.post-43292930718763803002011-08-15T03:11:00.000-07:002019-05-01T02:11:53.009-07:00Biography<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m an ex-pat who grew up in Los Angeles and went to university in New York. I now run a drum kit teaching studio in Belfast and have heaps of experience as a player. I’ve been playing for about 30 years and teaching for 13. </div>
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My dad was a jazz drummer and I grew up learning the kit like a second language, a sort of bilingualism if you like. No formal lessons, but rather through observation and a total immersion in music. Dad passed on his love of big band swing music and took me to see both Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson when I was a little girl. </div>
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My folks split up when I was seven but my dad had a double Ludwig set up and left one whole kit behind. He left me with some grammar and syntax on the kit, but not how to conjugate all the rhythmic verbs.<br />
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I remember being nine years old and figuring out how to play Todd Rundgren’s ‘I Saw the Light’ off the radio (with that mambo-like double tom tom hit). Well, that was it for me. I knew right there and then that not only did I know what I was doing, but that I wanted to do it for the rest of my life. In a way, I saw the light.</div>
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In high school I majored in music and all available electives were filled with music classes. From theory to orchestra, jazz band to choir. I even took marching band instead of PE. Marching band was very 'sociable' -- kids used to smuggle cans of beer in the fuzzy hats to football games. I soon learned that musicians were cool. The Venice High Gondoliers were funky (not as funky as Compton High, hell, nobody was), but we did win some competitions.<br />
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I played in lots of bands in and out of school. Not always drums, sometimes keys and occasionally the clarinet. I moved to New York and got a degree in Comparative Literature. I have a love of words and am a bit of a linguaphile.</div>
Kasey Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09688143283662096395noreply@blogger.com0