Drum Clinics - What do you look for?

[DrummerCafe]

In a previous thread called "Best Drummer in Concert", Felix mentioned that he felt like Billy Cobham gave a better clinic than Dennis Chambers.

 

This got me thinking. I want to hear from everyone on what they look for in a clinic or clinician. What makes a good clinic or clinician? Do you want to hear a lot of talk? Do you want to hear soloing the entire time? Do you like a balance of discussion, performance and instruction or prefer to just be dazzled the entire time, gleaning what you can from the performance?

 

Let's here some of your thoughts. Be sure to site a few clinics that you've actually been at; several good ones (if any) and several poor ones (if any).

 

 

 

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Bart Elliott

http://bartelliott.com

[felix stein]

I have been to so many I can hardly remember...lets recollect a second.

 

Some of the best:

Terry Bozio- Very innovative...groundbreaking soling...he doesn't have to talk much...little on the commercial side as a negative, too bad he plays dw's.

 

Dom Famularo- Inspiring playing, motivating speaking

 

Some of the more boring ones:

Jonathan Moffet- Not a great speaker...take away his big drumset and all his footpedals and then I'd like to see how well he plays.

 

Carmine and Vinnie Appice- Sorta unprofessional, lots of horsing around: I really liked Vinnie- Carmen is a little more technical but won't give away any of his tricks on paper...at least he didn't the one I saw.

 

I like it when a clinician goes over 'their' approach to the drumset. I don't like long discussions from them but a brief Q and A session. I also like it when they hand out patterns to practice such as Dave Garibaldi did and Chad Wackerman even wrote me out a weirdo pattern after a clinic one time. Weckle's clinics are usually really good, especially his last one where he had a 3 piece section playing with him...that was great. Dennis Chambers clicked his sticks and rims a bunch...that was kinda funny. Greg Bisonette actually did some fine playing when I saw him a few years ago. Simon Phillips also did a heck uva job...I've seen him 2x. But he's a dickhead I've heard as a person. I have seen a bunch others but those are the cats that stood out.

[djarrett]

I have had the great pleasure of playing, hosting, and sponsoring many great clinics.

 

Drummer just like drummers! I really think they like getting together to watch another drummer as long as the he/she can groove!

 

Some of my very favorites were:

 

Bozzio: I traveled with Bozzio while he was with Mapex on a clinic tour. The negative to Terry's clinic would be the fact that it leaves you feeling like you should just hang up the sticks! He is a drumming anomaly!

 

Gregg Bissonette: what a sweetheart! Gregg really cares about folks learning. He always has a great stage presence. Especially special was his last clinic where he broke out some Beatles songs and replicated the original beats! Wow! Lately, he has gotten into that 3 pedal ostinato stuff with a Latin feel. Blows my mind ... I know, I know ... small explosion!

 

Dom Famularo: Boy if you could harness this guys energy, ... they would not be having rolling black-outs in California. He loves people. He is genuine about folks learning, ... and can he play!

 

Dave Weckl: Just plain inspirational.

 

Will Kennedy: I saw him do a clinic at PASIC 2000 at 8 a.m. in the morning. Just the fact that he blew the crowd away that early in the morning impressed me!

 

Zoro: If you have never seen his Funk clinic ... do yourself a favor!!

 

Some obscure clinic drummers that I have enjoyed:

 

Matt Sorum: Just a hard hitter that is fun to watch and learn from.

 

Marc Schulman A very relatable clinician! (by the way ... Schulman is on tour with Cher! You Go Marc!)

 

DJ

[clockwirk]

I saw Bozzio one time and was very impressed with his musical knowledge as well as with his ability. I actually found it kind of funny, because he was playing some of his compositions that were for the drumset as a solo instrument, and the crowd just wasn't getting it. They were blown away by his chops, of course, but he was talking about composing in sonata form with a developement section, theme and variation.......things you would expect at a seminar on symphonies, not at a drum clinic with a bunch of kids who just want to see their idol shred.

I've studied that stuff and could follow where he was going with it, and it actually made a lot of sense in the pieces he was playing, but it seemed like a bunch of the people there were getting bored and just wanted him to play something really difficult. which he did...

good clinic tho'