Sounds From Below: Stories for Drummers

In this episode, we focus on the issue that dominated the first half of 2020, the coronavirus pandemic. Antiquarian bookseller Ken Gloss of Brattle Book Shop shares tips on how to set up amazing Zoom call backgrounds, Jeremy shares his top ten drumming books, and then we hear drummers Lou Santiago Jr. and Will Carroll share drastically different perspectives on their personal battles with COVID-19.

JC Clifford is a drum industry connector, and the ultimate venue for connecting drummers is a drum show. JC is one of the organizers of the inaugural Music City Drum Show, scheduled for August 8th in Nashville. But like every other public event scheduled for the rest of 2020, this drum show may not happen at all. How does JC deal with an uncertain future? Listen in to our conversation to find out.

Kelly Cook — along with Lane Pederson — owns Twin Cities Drum Collective. Under the TC/DC umbrella, Kelly and Lane build drums under three brands, operate a retail space in Minneapolis’s historic Thorp Building, and have become an important part of the Twin Cities music scene. The company moved into their current location in February, but they were forced to temporarily close their doors just a month later, due to Minnesota’s coronavirus-related stay-at-home order. In this episode of “Sounds From Below,” Kelly opens up about about the struggles of a small business owner in the age of COVID-19.

Rupp’s Drums has been Denver’s hometown drum shop for since 1984. Alex Simpson has only owned the store for two years, but he’s leading this Colorado percussion institution through one of its toughest challenges – the global coronavirus crisis. Alex opens up about what it’s like to own a brick and mortar retail store that’s been forced to close by the government. This episode also features music from Denver musician Michael John McKee, recorded under the name Helicopter Copter.

With much of the world’s population under suggested or mandated stay-at-home orders, we’re taking this time to check in on our friends in the drumming community. Our first “quarantine check-in” is with jazz drummer Steve Lyman. Steve talks about his break-out year in 2019, an upcoming move from Salt Lake City to New York, and his journey to maturity as a musician.

In the very first episode of the Sounds From Below podcast series, Bay Area jazz drummer Scott Amendola tells us about the time he made a huge mistake while packing for a gig. We also hear from two successful drummers - Whiteville, North Carolina's Matt Dudley and Scott Pellegrom of Grand Haven, Michigan - who shunned the bright lights of the big city, choosing to stay and play in the small towns they call home.