Some Personal Drumming History
In the Beginning
Born to play drums. I have a picture of me at around one year old where my hands just look like they were waiting to hold drum sticks. Seriously, drums didn't enter my life until I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, at the age of 9. Ran for the empty coffee cans and a couple pencils. Why I didn't run for something to imitate a guitar ... who knows? But, the die was cast. Drums would become my instrument of choice.
At ten my folks got me the infamous "cardboard kit" sold at different department stores of the day. You may remember it. A three piece with plastic hoops, a foil like wrapping in silver or blue. I had the blue. Another kid in the closest neighborhood had silver. I liked his better. And, of course, the token pie-plate brass cymbal, which was rather bent and dented after just a short time of use. So, also, went the way of the snare drum, as well, so I put comic books on the head to mimic the snare sound. Still, I played rather incessantly, so it became obvious I was going to stick with this. Especially after trying to play a guitar at ten or eleven, taking one or two lessons, and giving up in abject finger pain. And to think how many blisters came later from playing drums. Go figure.
At twelve I can still remember my father taking me to that guy's attic where he had his Ludwig jazz set - 12, 14, 20 and a 3.5x14 snare. A real, honest-to-goodness Zildjian 18" crash-ride, and a pair of pretty inexpensive no-name hats. Pink champagne finish, eyes lit up, Dad buys the set, and I'm off and running.
At 13 it was down to George's Music, in Hamden, CT to inquire about drums and cymbals. I had contracted Cream disease. Gingerus Bakeritis. Double bass. The fine art of drum soloing. Now don't get me wrong. I had seen Buddy Rich on TV a few times previous to Baker and seen soloing, but Buddy Rich? Please. Such heights are abnormal for a twelve year old. May as well ask a baby to climb Mt Everest.
Anyway, Baker was the man, and George got an order for a 4pc Ludwig pink champagne to go with my smaller 4 pc. A couple new cymbals and the sound level in the basement increased by another large percentage.
From there it was nothing but drums or cymbals for every Christmas, birthday, or any other occasion when I had some money to spend. I went from the big double bass set, to a five piece, and then the drum bug really bit me. The set grew like a weed. Twenty-one drums, including my own DIY PVC "North" drums, and tube drums. Around 30 cymbals, 12 gongs, tympani, and various types of sounds and effects, including a steel pan for awhile. If I had a spot, I filled it with a sound.
For reasons long since forgotten I quit high school in my second sophomore year (though I did finally get my GED at 51). Got various jobs and just kept playing away in the basement. Had absolutely no idea how I'd actually get into music but, that was my goal.
LEGEND
So, it's 30 years later and the lovely woman who is now my wife, Cindy, does a Google on me, when first meeting me, to see what she can find out (smart woman), and sees all this stuff about Legend. "So, you're a rock star, huh?" I said, "What are you talking about?" "Legend," she replies. "Legend?" I ask in shock, "How do you know about Legend?"
Well, she filled me in and I sat listening with my head shaking throughout her comments. "That was almost thirty years ago. This is impossible," I said. "Go see for yourself," was her practical reply. Well, I about fell off my chair doing a Google for Legend and our album 'From the Fjords.' I always knew Legend would have made it back then. I never thought it would have the classic status it currently has among those who are into that type of music. I don't even own a copy of the album, just an old cassette copy of it.
The basic history of Legend is included in an interview I did for a guy on MySpace, which is placed here on the LEGEND page. Along with some other things.
So, for those few years Legend was the horizon. Get stuff recorded by ourselves. Then see what happens from there. Trying to control our own destiny kind-of-thing. Was working out fairly well, too, save for some really deep, personal issues for myself. We only played out four times, as I recall. One or twice with the original bass player, John Judge. And twice or thrice with his replacement, Fred Melillo.
In the latter part of 1978 Kevin Nugent, Fred and I were in a small, 8 track studio in New Haven, CT recording the first of what we knew would be a good five albums worth of material to eventually get recorded. We had a lot of music. It was a very fertile time for me, musically speaking, lyrically and all. And the three of us just melded together, musically, as well. But my soul was empty. Drums, everything associated with drums, drumming, music ... I just felt alone and empty. I should mention I became an atheist around 13 years of age. Just stopped considering the existence of a real, personal God. The Bible? Just made up. Stories. Fiction. Ancient myths and ... well, legends. For years I asked questions of schoolmates, other friends, relatives; no one had the answers to my probing questions. Wrong. God allowed a certain set of circumstances to develop around me which began to unravel the shroud of mystery He seemed to be clothed in. Those circumstances led to the evening of March 18, 1979. At 24, right in the middle of our album project, I gave my life to God, to Christ, to a real, personal Savior and Lord. The actual moment of conversion was like my bedroom lighting up and a joy, a peace, a cascading of God's presence flowing through me while I lay in bed , and it was overwhelming. Inexpressible. It was so real it remains a vivid memory 30 years later. And a new path was born.
There wasn't much musical imagination around me in those formative days after my conversion. Drums were frowned upon in the church I joined, no one suggested I think deeply about the instrument and the talents God gave me, and how to employ such in the future, save for a few comments from the Bible worker who studied with me, and a guy who became a close friend in the church, a very marvelous classical pianist; and seeing as I had to pay off the bank loan for the album project, I sold all my drums, cymbals, everything. In many ways I just lost interest, almost overnight, which astounded people close to me. I left Legend, and left behind a lot of confusion for those who just could not figure out what on earth I was doing. But the reality of it, to me, was so profound I saw no other path so strong and so alive. Why couldn't everyone else see it? Hope. I found hope. I found truth. I found love deeper than anything one can imagine. Oh, yes. God is real. And I answered His call.
ASAPH
I owned a small set or two over the next twelve years, but always sold them to get some new equipment for ministry I was in. Got into preaching, teaching, evangelism, seminars, some writing, did some traveling, had a few radio programs, and just kept busy involved in ministry. But, you know, you can take the boy away from the drums, but you can't take the drums out of the boy. So, around 1988/89 I had such an urge to play again it was a constant sound in my soul. I made some log drums, or tongue or slit drums as they are known. Wood working was something instilled in me from my Dad, although I never really liked it. But, it came in handy. The slit drums were fun. The kids liked them. But it wasn't enough. I ended up getting what I could ... a full set of Remo Legaro drums, 8" - 22" and a bunch of Sabian B8 Pro cymbals. But those wore out on my ears pretty quick. In 1991 I found out about buying drum components, bought some shells and hardware to complete the package of hardware I could take off the Legaros, and I never looked back to manufactured drums again.
Around that time I also heard a sound in my head. The sound of a symphony orchestra and a drum corps playing hymns at the same time. A really big sound. Asaph was born.
Asaph was king David's music director. He played cymbals. His sons carried on his ministry. A close friend who saw my set-up suggested the name for the band. Lots of cymbals. Many bronze disks of various shapes, sizes, and pitches. I do love cymbals. So be it. Asaph it was. Kathryn Frigon and Claire Perry on keyboards, and Rachel Johndrow on bass. That was the original group. Others came and went as we moved. David VanDevander, super-talented pianist on keyboards, as well as Denise Hurd on flute and wind synthesizer (who also plays a mean set of bagpipes), and later Cheryl Knowles on keys and vocals. Each line-up made the sound more unique. By the way, it was Claire Perry, a Bible student and close friend of mine, very much into the Lakota Sioux, who gave me the name - "Drums in his heart." I can't remember how to say it in Sioux. But the English translation works just fine. It's what I do. It's who I am. And it took me a long time to realize that. [side note - upon a recent trip out West we went to the Crazy Horse monument. There, in the Cultural and Educational Center, I met Harriet Brings, who was truly delighted to give me, in Lakota, my friend's given name for me - Cante el Cancega Wica (Chon-tey eal Chon-chega WeCha). Thank you, Harriet! After almost twenty years this important chapter in my life is reconnected.]
Asaph went for about ten years. Lots of weekly rehearsals. Just became a time of fellowship as much as playing the music. We never played out much, but for those who heard it live, as well as rehearsal tapes, they never heard anything like it before or since. It just never got off the ground, though. God's plans are what they are. But Asaph remains a very formidable influence upon me. I'd love to see it resurrected someday.
TODAY
Musically? Aside from some activity in video taping stuff and sharing it, and some P&W bands, not much musically. Would love to be in the right kind of band again. Someday wouldliketobe, hopetobe, wannabe, mayneverbe a full-time musician again. But, like I said, a prisoner of hope. We have to dream. Keeps us going. I recently read an article which covered the therapeutic elements of playing drums. I have to concur from the experience of my own life. Drums pulled me out of a depression many years ago. They have kept my mind and body going strong. They help as an outlet for artistic expression. Recently I saw Roy Haynes on DVD playing at a drum festival on his 80th birthday. No way! Way. And if Christ does not return before I hit 80 (and I certainly expect Him to), I hope to still be playing at 80 and beyond.
In the meantime I'll keep renovating houses and such, and practicing my chosen instrument (and a few others) until something else presents itself as the next musical door to walk through -
Which, having met Tom Cranor on Bandmix, Miledge Muzic came into being, an instrumental duo playing multi-genre improv. For me, a huge boost of musical energy and satisfaction. Our fourth CD is out soon. This stuff is like being involved in a tornado, not just seeing one from afar.
************************
After 5 CDs and as Tom has time, more to come, playing with Tom has changed my entire outlook on music. Creating music on the fly, composition in motion, has been the most satisfying musical experience of my life. So much so, it has become difficult to look back and think about performing or recording "regular" or "typical" forms of music. Talk about a paradigm shift. https://miledgemuzic.weebly.com/
Have a project you think I might fit into well? Drop me a line.
At ten my folks got me the infamous "cardboard kit" sold at different department stores of the day. You may remember it. A three piece with plastic hoops, a foil like wrapping in silver or blue. I had the blue. Another kid in the closest neighborhood had silver. I liked his better. And, of course, the token pie-plate brass cymbal, which was rather bent and dented after just a short time of use. So, also, went the way of the snare drum, as well, so I put comic books on the head to mimic the snare sound. Still, I played rather incessantly, so it became obvious I was going to stick with this. Especially after trying to play a guitar at ten or eleven, taking one or two lessons, and giving up in abject finger pain. And to think how many blisters came later from playing drums. Go figure.
At twelve I can still remember my father taking me to that guy's attic where he had his Ludwig jazz set - 12, 14, 20 and a 3.5x14 snare. A real, honest-to-goodness Zildjian 18" crash-ride, and a pair of pretty inexpensive no-name hats. Pink champagne finish, eyes lit up, Dad buys the set, and I'm off and running.
At 13 it was down to George's Music, in Hamden, CT to inquire about drums and cymbals. I had contracted Cream disease. Gingerus Bakeritis. Double bass. The fine art of drum soloing. Now don't get me wrong. I had seen Buddy Rich on TV a few times previous to Baker and seen soloing, but Buddy Rich? Please. Such heights are abnormal for a twelve year old. May as well ask a baby to climb Mt Everest.
Anyway, Baker was the man, and George got an order for a 4pc Ludwig pink champagne to go with my smaller 4 pc. A couple new cymbals and the sound level in the basement increased by another large percentage.
From there it was nothing but drums or cymbals for every Christmas, birthday, or any other occasion when I had some money to spend. I went from the big double bass set, to a five piece, and then the drum bug really bit me. The set grew like a weed. Twenty-one drums, including my own DIY PVC "North" drums, and tube drums. Around 30 cymbals, 12 gongs, tympani, and various types of sounds and effects, including a steel pan for awhile. If I had a spot, I filled it with a sound.
For reasons long since forgotten I quit high school in my second sophomore year (though I did finally get my GED at 51). Got various jobs and just kept playing away in the basement. Had absolutely no idea how I'd actually get into music but, that was my goal.
LEGEND
So, it's 30 years later and the lovely woman who is now my wife, Cindy, does a Google on me, when first meeting me, to see what she can find out (smart woman), and sees all this stuff about Legend. "So, you're a rock star, huh?" I said, "What are you talking about?" "Legend," she replies. "Legend?" I ask in shock, "How do you know about Legend?"
Well, she filled me in and I sat listening with my head shaking throughout her comments. "That was almost thirty years ago. This is impossible," I said. "Go see for yourself," was her practical reply. Well, I about fell off my chair doing a Google for Legend and our album 'From the Fjords.' I always knew Legend would have made it back then. I never thought it would have the classic status it currently has among those who are into that type of music. I don't even own a copy of the album, just an old cassette copy of it.
The basic history of Legend is included in an interview I did for a guy on MySpace, which is placed here on the LEGEND page. Along with some other things.
So, for those few years Legend was the horizon. Get stuff recorded by ourselves. Then see what happens from there. Trying to control our own destiny kind-of-thing. Was working out fairly well, too, save for some really deep, personal issues for myself. We only played out four times, as I recall. One or twice with the original bass player, John Judge. And twice or thrice with his replacement, Fred Melillo.
In the latter part of 1978 Kevin Nugent, Fred and I were in a small, 8 track studio in New Haven, CT recording the first of what we knew would be a good five albums worth of material to eventually get recorded. We had a lot of music. It was a very fertile time for me, musically speaking, lyrically and all. And the three of us just melded together, musically, as well. But my soul was empty. Drums, everything associated with drums, drumming, music ... I just felt alone and empty. I should mention I became an atheist around 13 years of age. Just stopped considering the existence of a real, personal God. The Bible? Just made up. Stories. Fiction. Ancient myths and ... well, legends. For years I asked questions of schoolmates, other friends, relatives; no one had the answers to my probing questions. Wrong. God allowed a certain set of circumstances to develop around me which began to unravel the shroud of mystery He seemed to be clothed in. Those circumstances led to the evening of March 18, 1979. At 24, right in the middle of our album project, I gave my life to God, to Christ, to a real, personal Savior and Lord. The actual moment of conversion was like my bedroom lighting up and a joy, a peace, a cascading of God's presence flowing through me while I lay in bed , and it was overwhelming. Inexpressible. It was so real it remains a vivid memory 30 years later. And a new path was born.
There wasn't much musical imagination around me in those formative days after my conversion. Drums were frowned upon in the church I joined, no one suggested I think deeply about the instrument and the talents God gave me, and how to employ such in the future, save for a few comments from the Bible worker who studied with me, and a guy who became a close friend in the church, a very marvelous classical pianist; and seeing as I had to pay off the bank loan for the album project, I sold all my drums, cymbals, everything. In many ways I just lost interest, almost overnight, which astounded people close to me. I left Legend, and left behind a lot of confusion for those who just could not figure out what on earth I was doing. But the reality of it, to me, was so profound I saw no other path so strong and so alive. Why couldn't everyone else see it? Hope. I found hope. I found truth. I found love deeper than anything one can imagine. Oh, yes. God is real. And I answered His call.
ASAPH
I owned a small set or two over the next twelve years, but always sold them to get some new equipment for ministry I was in. Got into preaching, teaching, evangelism, seminars, some writing, did some traveling, had a few radio programs, and just kept busy involved in ministry. But, you know, you can take the boy away from the drums, but you can't take the drums out of the boy. So, around 1988/89 I had such an urge to play again it was a constant sound in my soul. I made some log drums, or tongue or slit drums as they are known. Wood working was something instilled in me from my Dad, although I never really liked it. But, it came in handy. The slit drums were fun. The kids liked them. But it wasn't enough. I ended up getting what I could ... a full set of Remo Legaro drums, 8" - 22" and a bunch of Sabian B8 Pro cymbals. But those wore out on my ears pretty quick. In 1991 I found out about buying drum components, bought some shells and hardware to complete the package of hardware I could take off the Legaros, and I never looked back to manufactured drums again.
Around that time I also heard a sound in my head. The sound of a symphony orchestra and a drum corps playing hymns at the same time. A really big sound. Asaph was born.
Asaph was king David's music director. He played cymbals. His sons carried on his ministry. A close friend who saw my set-up suggested the name for the band. Lots of cymbals. Many bronze disks of various shapes, sizes, and pitches. I do love cymbals. So be it. Asaph it was. Kathryn Frigon and Claire Perry on keyboards, and Rachel Johndrow on bass. That was the original group. Others came and went as we moved. David VanDevander, super-talented pianist on keyboards, as well as Denise Hurd on flute and wind synthesizer (who also plays a mean set of bagpipes), and later Cheryl Knowles on keys and vocals. Each line-up made the sound more unique. By the way, it was Claire Perry, a Bible student and close friend of mine, very much into the Lakota Sioux, who gave me the name - "Drums in his heart." I can't remember how to say it in Sioux. But the English translation works just fine. It's what I do. It's who I am. And it took me a long time to realize that. [side note - upon a recent trip out West we went to the Crazy Horse monument. There, in the Cultural and Educational Center, I met Harriet Brings, who was truly delighted to give me, in Lakota, my friend's given name for me - Cante el Cancega Wica (Chon-tey eal Chon-chega WeCha). Thank you, Harriet! After almost twenty years this important chapter in my life is reconnected.]
Asaph went for about ten years. Lots of weekly rehearsals. Just became a time of fellowship as much as playing the music. We never played out much, but for those who heard it live, as well as rehearsal tapes, they never heard anything like it before or since. It just never got off the ground, though. God's plans are what they are. But Asaph remains a very formidable influence upon me. I'd love to see it resurrected someday.
TODAY
Musically? Aside from some activity in video taping stuff and sharing it, and some P&W bands, not much musically. Would love to be in the right kind of band again. Someday wouldliketobe, hopetobe, wannabe, mayneverbe a full-time musician again. But, like I said, a prisoner of hope. We have to dream. Keeps us going. I recently read an article which covered the therapeutic elements of playing drums. I have to concur from the experience of my own life. Drums pulled me out of a depression many years ago. They have kept my mind and body going strong. They help as an outlet for artistic expression. Recently I saw Roy Haynes on DVD playing at a drum festival on his 80th birthday. No way! Way. And if Christ does not return before I hit 80 (and I certainly expect Him to), I hope to still be playing at 80 and beyond.
In the meantime I'll keep renovating houses and such, and practicing my chosen instrument (and a few others) until something else presents itself as the next musical door to walk through -
Which, having met Tom Cranor on Bandmix, Miledge Muzic came into being, an instrumental duo playing multi-genre improv. For me, a huge boost of musical energy and satisfaction. Our fourth CD is out soon. This stuff is like being involved in a tornado, not just seeing one from afar.
************************
After 5 CDs and as Tom has time, more to come, playing with Tom has changed my entire outlook on music. Creating music on the fly, composition in motion, has been the most satisfying musical experience of my life. So much so, it has become difficult to look back and think about performing or recording "regular" or "typical" forms of music. Talk about a paradigm shift. https://miledgemuzic.weebly.com/
Have a project you think I might fit into well? Drop me a line.