Old Town School – On The Road

Dispatches from the road from our wayfaring travelers.

Rock Camp, Day Four

We spent the day at AMP Studios rehearsing our original song for the recording session tomorrow and jamming to various songs so we can fill out our set at the Key Club. We got a chance to jam with Ace Frehley from KISS, and I sat in on a Q & A drum session with Charles “Keep a Knockin” Connor (original drummer for Little Richard) and Slim Jim Phantom (Stray Cats). Connor created that unique, choo choo train sound with nonstop 1/8th notes that American and British drummers in the 50′s and 60′s copied over and over in the 1950′s and 1960′s. As a left-handed drummer, I am always navigating in a right handed world by constantly switching the drum set when I share gear with other drummers. Performances become logistically bothersome when the drums and mics have to be changed quickly. Both Charles and Slim Jim are lefties, and Charles even told us that he was discouraged by others at an early age not play drums because he was left-handed. It turns out that there are many left-handed drummers but are often pressured in their youth to conform to a right-handed kit, like Ringo Starr. The rock stars have all been generous in sharing stories about the road and the many musicians they have known over the years, and I’m stretching out as a drummer by playing a variety of rock styles. Ace and Me