Designated Drummer

Booking agents may get a bad rap sometimes but I’m here to tell you they are incredibly important! My guest on this episode of Designated Drummer is Nick Meinema, a Nashville booking agent originally from Canada and a musician himself. He is our agent for Lonestar as well as other artists. We dive into how this whole entertainment booking scene works and some interesting stories along the way. We...

In this episode of Designated Drummer, I have a great chat with Brian Pruitt, drummer for Jake Owen, producer and session drummer. We talk a lot about getting inspired and being your own drummer. Brian is a powerful drummer but not afraid to get into the computer and use samples and loops and creating amazing tracks for a large range of music clients. We talk about getting inspired and focusing on...

In this episode of Designated Drummer, I have the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Donnie Marple, drummer for Lee Brice and the winner of the 2007 Guitar Center Drum-Off! He talks about how the drum-off got things started for him and how it began his journey into music and eventually landing him the role as drummer for Lee Brice. He’s a very humble, unassuming gentleman and a great, great dr...

This episode I talk about some of my favorite drummers and why they make this list.  When I was growing up in the 70’s in Texas I listened to music in a way that formed who I am today. I started thinking about what it would be like to be a drummer in a band. My major influences were Sib Hashian of Boston, Buddy Rich, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jeff Porcaro, Stewart Copeland and more recently Paul Leim...

On this episode of Designated Drummer I talk about things I’ve learned along the way that that have stuck with me. Sometimes you just have to learn things the hard way and sometimes funny stories come out of the chaos. I share some stories about how being a drummer all these years has made me look back on things I’ve learned when ‘stuff happens.’

Some of us remember that big 80’s hit from Canadian rocker Kim Mitchell called “Go For A Soda”. Well, in this next episode, while visiting my daughter up in Toronto I sat down with Paul Delong, the very drummer who played on that big hit, toured for 12 years with Kim Mitchell’s band all over the world, and even was the drummer for some big stage play productions like Hair and Rent. Paul explains i...

On this episode of Designated Drummer, I have the absolute pleasure of talking to a hero of mine, John Dittrich formerly of Restless Heart. I remember seeing Restless Heart back in the 80’s when I was just starting out and seeing John play drums and sing harmony. I just remember thinking how badly I wanted to be a member of a band like that. Many years later on the same record label no less, I got...

On this episode I have a very special guest with me, Chris Hugan, an Entertainment Lawyer and expert on everything publishing and licensing within the music and publishing world. He’s a wealth of information and like I always say, It never hurts to know just what the heck you're signing! Right? We talk about being a musician and writer and what you need to know going in to this crazy world of...

In this week’s Designated Drummer podcast I share my thoughts and experiences about being a member of a successful group and playing for a group as a paid player. Both have their pluses and minuses but all in all, it’s just great to play drums for a living. I’ve learned so many things over the almost 40 years I’ve been making my living as a drummer both as a hired player and as a full member of a...

Building Your Drumming Stamina with Keech Rainwater.pdf

Mills Logan, one of Nashville’s hardest working audio engineers is my very special guest on this episode of Designated Drummer. First as a frustrated guitarist, Mills started out working as a studio engineer back in the days of analogue tape. Struggling through the transition into digital and remembering working with the very first version of Pro Tools they called Sound Tools at the time. He curre...

JD Blair, better known as The Groove Regulator Joins me in this episode of Designated Drummer. He has been laying down the groove for such artists as Wynonna Judd, Lyle Lovett, Shelby Lynne, Big and Rich, and Shania Twain. He has released 4 solo albums and frequently heard grooving with Bassist Victor Wooten. We talk about his beginnings and getting the gig with Shania Twain during the biggest tou...

This week I sit down with the legendary Paul Leim. I can’t even begin to list all the hit records he has played on. As a session drummer starting out in the late 60’s and still playing on hit records to this day, Paul is a wealth of information and experience. We talk about his early days at 15 being recognized as a solid beat maker into the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and still going with no plans to slow d...

In this episode I talk with Memphis drummer Chuck Fields who has played with Terri Clark for many years as well as other Canadian artists. We dive into how he got his start in Memphis, playing jazz and what led him to drum for all these Canadian country artists. Very interesting conversation, check it out!

In this episode Michael and I go way back to the Canyon days of the early 90s. Yes we were band mates just before Lonestar. Together we break down what it is that musicians seem to like about a certain drummer and how groove and feel affect the quality of a song and the vibe of a live gig.

Sitting down with Ben, we talk about him starting out playing the snare drum in school and moving up to the full kit....Studying to be a cook and touring with Brad Paisley for 20+ years.

In this episode David talks about his beginnings and his career as a drummer in Nashville. David is currently playing with Phil Vassar and discusses the challenges and excitement in playing without a set list or click track. We cover when to play exactly like the record or when to make it your own....and more. August 3rd, 2021 | 01:08:36 | E01