DRUM & DRUMMER

Welcome to the ”Drum & Drummer” blog!  My name is Thomas O’Neill, and I started this blog as a project for an English 314 class at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks.  This blog is all about having fun playing drums and percussion instruments.  If you like to hit things with sticks, then this is the place for you!

This blog is meant as an entertaining and educational look at the art of drumming.  Many of the video posts are comedic in nature, while others display rhythms and solos played by inspirational drummers.  For those seeking more knowledge about drumming techniques, educational videos are listed under the “Instructional” Category. 

Although the general public tends to see drumming in a simplistic light, the art of drumming is much more complex than the examples you hear in typical 4/4 pop songs.  Delving deeper into the world of drums and percussion, you will find artists who are able to execute incredibly complex and melodic drumming techniques using all four limbs simultaneously.  Any serious percussionist can tell you that even after decades of learning, there is always much more to learn about the art of drumming.

The drummer is responsible for holding the entire band together, and musicians are always looking for a drummer who is diverse, powerful, sensitive, and solid.  This blog shows examples of what a drummer should aspire to.  I also include humorous examples of why it is best to avoid overplaying in order to serve the groove of a song.

I have been a drummer with various bands over the years, beginning with 7th grade band class and then my high school jazz band.  I played my first bar gig (while shrouded in fog machine and cigarette smoke) at the tender age of thirteen for an energetic and rowdy crowd.  The other members of the band all had at least 30 years on me at the time, and we initially considered going under the name “Three Men & A Baby.”  I have been hooked on playing drums, learning about drum techniques, and watching drummers I find influential perform in concert ever since. 

Some Bands I Have Played With:

• LOOSE GRAVEL
• SOULSTICE
• MEDISIN
• SOL
• THE NEW MACHINE
• RADIO FLYER
• SWING DAWGS
• GALAXY
• VARIOUS UNNAMED BANDS…

My next upcoming gig is at WINTERFEST with the band LOOSE GRAVEL on February 23rd at 8:30pm at the HEALY COMMUNITY CENTER. So come on down to Denali this weekend! You know you want to drive the Parks Highway in this lovely weather. Have fun checking out the blog, and feel free to post your comments (good, bad, or ugly)…

UPDATE:  My next gig is with the band SOULSTICE at CLEAR SKY LODGE on March 1st at 8:30pm (Saturday night). Clear Sky Lodge is just a few miles south of the Anderson intersection along the Parks Highway. Bring your friends along…