Issue 14 - Nate Smith - September 2020

INTERVIEWS 

LESSONS 

ARTICLES 

ISSUE 14 

September 2020 

PAYING OUR RESPECT 

TO THE LATE, GREAT 

TOMMY 

FRASER 

staying 

creative 

IN A GLOBAL 

PANDEMIC 

by jonathan ulman 

online 

drumming 

AS A CAREER 

by ryan nunan 

luca de bellis 

THEATRE LIFE 

NATE 

SMITH 

ALSO FEATURING: RYAN STEVENSON, 

MMOFA MATJELE, KEEGAN 'OXLAND'

WHAT’S 

INSIDE 

ISSUE 14 

interviews & features 

12 

Luca De Bellis 

(Theatre Drummer) 

26 

Ryan Stevenson 

(Session Drummer • Entertainer) 

40 

Keegan 'OXLAND' 

(DJ Drummer) 

64 

Mmofa Matjele 

(Hidden Gem) 

56 

Nate Smith 

(Waterbaby Music) 

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: DENEKA PENISTON 

articles & reviews 

24 

Getting Creative In A Pandemic 

(by Jonathan Ulman) 

34 

Drum Charts 

(Shadow Moses - BMTH & Sucker - Jonas Brothers) 

48 

Online Drumming As A Career 

(by Ryan Nunan) 

55 

My Most Used Fills 

(Lesson - Louis R. Malherbe II) 

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Editor’s Editor’s Letter Letter 

We carry on... 

Another month passes and 

longer. We see more and more 

Editors 

Louis R. Malherbe 

we are still facing the wrath of 

industries starting to either go 

Warren van Wyk 

Covid-19 and the lockdown put 

against the government in many 

Content Editor 


in place by our government. 

ways, whether it be behind 

Art Director 


And with that lockdown con- 

closed doors, on social media or 

Designer 


tinues the restrictions on live 

taking to the streets in protest. 

Senior Writer 


performances, effectively 

But all attempts being made by 

Junior Writer 


crippling if not killing the 

starving musicians seem to just 

Contributors 

Jonathan Ulman 

entire entertainment in- 

land on the deaf ears of a South 

Ryan Nunan 

dustry. People are fight- 

African "government" who 

ing and people are inno- 

seems to not really care what 

vating, but there is only 

happens to the livelihoods of 

so much musicians can 

every single person in the enter- 

do without their chosen 

tainment. Every single person 

careers to rely on. Times 

that they vow to serve. Good luck 

are tough and they seem 

for the future. Stay strong fellow 

like they are going to be 

musicians. Stay strong fellow 

tough for quite a while 

South Africans. 

Louis R. Malherbe II 

EDITOR 

PHOTOGRAPHY: ILLUSTRATION: JOHNALYNN DENEKA PENISTON HOLLAND, BASED ON A PHOTO BY: DENEKA PENISTON 

September 2020 | SA DRUMMER | 5

IN MEMORY OF 

TOMMY 

FRASER 

1979 - 2020 


Michelle Abreu 

"Tommy Fraser - where do I begin? What 

stands out most about Tommy is how he 

made you feel so comfortable and important 

around him. He always complimented, 

cheered on, gave advice, never looked down 

on anyone, always went the extra mile. He 

just had a way of making things look so easy. 

From the start we just had a very big connection 

and from there everything fell into place. 

Love was deep and true from the beginning, 

and our personalities just complimented each 

other. With Tommy, you could sit and talk 

about everything for hours, from food to cars, 

braai, shoes, skin products, medication, old 

music, watching drumming videos, a love for 

animals and farm life, you name it. He could 

tell the best jokes and in general was such a 

funny person, he would have me laughing so 

loud that my stomach hurt. Tommy was also 

my drum teacher and, as a drum teacher, he 

showed so much compassion and dedication 

and could push you so hard that it made a 

difference in the student’s drumming abilities 

very quickly. Tommy being the owner of 

Drumlab SA, arranged for Drumeo from Canada 

with Jared Falk and Dave Atkinson to come 

to South Africa in March 2020, where there 

was a drum clinic in Johannesburg and Cape 

Town, which was a very big success that only 

Tommy could achieve. A lot of planning ahead 

had us so excited for the future in the South 

African drumming community. We were busy 

planning drum camps to be held on their farm 

and even talking about camps on various instruments 

to bring the music community together. 

“Tommy had very big plans and had a 

desire to bring people together through music” 

His heart was always in-beat and for that 

his heart was music and his love was drumming, 

and indeed an excellent drummer, very 

particular in his ways, and very professional. 

Focus, discipline, leadership, compassion, 

excellence, skill, intelligent, capable, positive, 

loving, funny, caring, understanding, sincere 

are just some of the words that Tommy lived 

out in his everyday life. "Legends never die." 

A PERSONAL TRIBUTE TO “TOMCAT” 

Tommy and I literally had everything in common, 

from playing music in church, youth 

ministry, our love for the Lord, hunting with 

guns and bows, fitness, weight training and 

both studying our Personal Training Diploma, 

cooking healthy food, both in-land Skippers, 

our love for the bushveld and fires and we 

both enjoyed a good braai. Having a partner 

that did everything with you was mind blowing 

and for us it was fun and we learned so 

much together. And then our biggest love was 

music and a big variety of genres. With the 

same church background, we enjoyed singing 

old gospel music and Tommy would play on 

the guitar and we would sing together. Practicing 

hand techniques with the drum sticks 

and trying to perfect the ‘garden weasel’ was 

one of our ‘lock down’ goals. With both of us 

playing drums and playing in bands we understood 

the music world out there, the demands, 

practicing, keeping up with what the crowd 

wanted and then the fans. We even started 

a Jazz band just before lockdown, which 

is again one of our favourite genres. I have 

learned so much from you that my whole outlook 

on life and my music career forward has 

changed. Tommy I just want to thank you for 

the positive impact that you had on my life. I 

will never forget you and the love we shared. 

I love you so much ‘Tomcat’. 

‘jou porra’ -- Michelle Abreu

Dayne Marshall 

I met Tommy in 2018 when he purchased 

Drumlab. With Drumlab using one of the 

teaching rooms at our Woodmead store, 

Tommy came and introduced himself. Tommy 

was instantly a likeable chap. Very friendly and 

warm. We used to sit often and chat when he 

came into the store, and Tommy always had 

great ideas on how to grow Drumlab and help 

the drumming community. When I brought 

Aaron Spears out, Tommy kindly offered to 

put Aaron and myself up for the weekend at 

his game farm. Spending several days with 

Tommy, I got to know him a bit better and 

found that all my thoughts on him were all 

exactly how he was. A very warm and friendly 

person, no hidden agenda’s and had the 

best interests of the drumming community 

at heart. I got to know that when Tommy 

puts his head down and goes for something, 

there are no half measures with him. Tommy 

ended up bringing the DRUMEO guys out to 

South Africa and had fabulous ideas going forward 

with Drumeo and Drumlab. I was really 

shocked and saddened when I heard about 

Tommy’s condition that led eventually to his 

death. Very sad. South Africa lost a really great 

person way too soon. -- Dayne Marshall 

Po-Chung Chen 

Tommy is one of the kindest people I’ve had 

the pleasure of meeting, not only was he a brilliant 

drummer, but he was also a caring leader. 

I loved working with Tommy; he was never a 

“boss” per se. He was an amazing friend and 

colleague; that’s how he treated all of us. The 

last few years that I worked with Tommy, I 

saw his love and passion for DrumLab. He had 

big dreams for the drumming world in this 

country and approached it with a big heart. 

He always did everything for the best of the 

community and others, making sacrifices and 

consistently winning. I have endless words for 

Tommy; his generosity, care and love for the 

world and others around him. Thank you for 

letting me work with you. It was such a pleasure, 

my friend. You will forever be missed, and 

your legacy will live on! -- Po-Chung Chen

Neill Ettridge 

It's one thing to have loved life, dedicated that 

life to your profession, fulfilled your ambitions 

and establish respect amongst your peers, but 

when that life this is wrenched away from you 

in its prime, that is the cruelest blow of all. 

Tommy Fraser and I first connected when he 

joined DrumLab as a very studious & dedicated 

student after some time studying under 

Andre Luke. We became good friends & 

business partners across this tenure, and I 

was always so impressed with his playing skills 

and dedication to the Drumming fraternity 

in South Africa as well as Tommy's vision for 

the company going forward. When I relocated 

to London, Tommy bought my DrumLab 

SA business outright about a year later when 

I was looking for a worthy successor to run 

the studios. He was always exactly the kind of 

person I wanted to take over the operation - a 

great Drummer with good business acumen 

and a love for the craft of Teaching. How often 

do you get those attributes ticked in a row? 

I knew the teacher team & students would 

be in good hands and things just aligned. We 

were both so happy and excited about the 

future prospects under his leadership. It is an 

understatement to say Tommy had big global 

plans way beyond my means and resources, 

but this is just one aspect of his inspirational 

character. Tommy had always possessed the 

elements for success in his endeavors; he was 

an ethical, ambitious & hard-working person, 

had a great business background and total 

passion for Drumming and the larger Music 

community. Tommy was a physical & mental 

health fanatic and loved life. His passing came 

as such a shock to everyone who was fortunate 

to know him. As if this COVID pandemic 

isn't reeking enough havoc on Music Industries 

globally and anxiety on individuals at 

present, the loss a special soul like this though 

entirely unrelated circumstances just hit home 

how precious and fragile life is. Tommy would 

want us to celebrate Life, Love & Music just 

as he did - with Joy, Passion, Skill & Commitment. 

Who can argue with that? 

-- Neill Ettridge

Jared Falk 

Tommy Fraser first contacted me on October 

15, 2018. At first read, it looked like many of 

the other similar queries we get for collaborations. 

Unfortunately, due to limited time 

and resources at Drumeo, we can't pursue all 

of the opportunities -- which means saying 

"no" to most things and "yes" to only a few. 

But Tommy was persistent and had a vision 

for how DrumLab and Drumeo could collaborate 

to support the drumming community 

of South Africa. Tommy invited us to come 

out to check out DrumLab and perform some 

drum clinics. In many cases, I will test people 

when we get to this point, and I'll ask them 

to book the flights and hotels. Usually, when 

someone has to put up real money, they start 

thinking more about the entire business plan. 

Tommy did not hesitate, he was so confident 

in his plan, and the trip was booked! After 22 

hours of flight time, we landed in South Africa. 

Tommy and Michelle greeted us at the 

airport, and we drove two hours to the game 

ranch. I remember on the drive to the ranch, 

he was telling me stories about how a Black 

Mamba found its way into the house and was 

hanging out in the hallway one evening. Nothing 

seemed to scare Tommy though, he had 

a solution for everything (but I did ask him 

to check under my bed before just to be sure 

there were no snakes, haha!) I spent almost a 

week with Tommy. One thing that stood out 

to me was how knowledgeable he was about 

so many different topics. Whether you were 

talking about responsible hunting, anti-poaching, 

bodybuilding, business, music, or drumming 

-- Tommy was an expert on so many 

topics. Tommy was fiercely passionate, driven, 

relentlessly obsessive to make progress in everything 

he did. Success was not optional for 

Tommy; it was mandatory. I'm going to miss 

him. I will always wonder what we could've 

done for the drumming community of South 

Africa if given more time to work together. 

But there is one thing I know for sure. The 

South African drum community is thriving 

and doing better than ever. During my visit, I 

met countless passionate and creative drummers 

who are going to continue pushing the 

boundaries on their kits and show the world 

that the art of drumming is here to stay. 

I'll miss you, Tommy. 

The drum community will miss you. RIP. 

-- Jared Falk

• Luca_DeBellis • Luca De Bellis • 

LUCA 

up-and-coming drummer 

to theatre aficionado in 

only 3 years 

DE BELLIS 

12 | SA DRUMMER | September 2020

By Louis R. Malherbe II

LUCA DE BELLIS 

With the likes of ‘Priscilla Queen of the 

Desert’, ‘The Sound of Music’, and ‘Chicago 

The Musical’ under his belt already. 

Luca De Bellis is one of the most 

positive energies you will ever meet. 

He starts off our interview over Skype 

by inquiring if he can send me some 

hearts over the online platform. Immediately 

looking very sad when he thinks 

he isn't able to, but then beaming at the 

realisation of actually being able to do 

so. Putting out unreal levels of positivity 

is something Luca does without trying, 

a fact that becomes more and more 

apparent as the interview carries on. 

This mentality, among other things, 

makes him one of the best sources of 

advice out there when it comes to how 

to keep your head about you when in 

tough theatre scenarios. 

Well over two years ago, late 2017, 

during the early days of SA DRUMMER 

magazine, in our second ever issue 

to be exact, we featured a young Luca 

who had just started making waves in 

the industry. He won the first-ever SA 

DRUMMER up-and-coming drummer 

competition which landed him right 

in the publication at its outset. From 

there on it has been one wild ride after 

the other on his journey into the musical 

world. LRM: “You are basically SA 

DRUMMER OG royalty at this point, being 

one of the very first drummers ever 

to be interviewed in the mag. You’ve 

been here for longer than I have, haha!” 

Off the back of his first tour ever 

with ‘Priscilla’ and right out of varsi- 

14 | SA DRUMMER | September 2020 

PHOTOGRAPHY PREVIOUS SPREAD: THE SIGHT SEEKERS

Action Shot 

Luca performing in 

Chicago The Musical. 

ty, we caught up with Luca for our initial 

interview with him. “It was the last 

week of my tour in Hong Kong when I 

got told about that first interview. That 

was my first ever theatre show. I think 

for the most part, back then, I saw myself 

just doing the one show and then I 

wasn’t sure where my direction was going 

to go after that.” says Luca. With a 

whole world of opportunities opening 

up before him, his path could’ve taken 

him in any direction. But it didn’t. 

He firmly ended up carving out a spot 

for himself in the international theatre 

scene whilst still catching the odd session 

gig in between, although these became 

very difficult to do with constant 

life on the road. This led him to devote 

himself to the theatre scene full-time. 

“I had definitely found the industry I 

wanted to be in for a while,” says Luca. 

Luca: “Priscilla was amazing because 

it kind of changed everything for 

me, getting me into the theatre scene 

and showing me that, yes, I can actually 

do this. Once I had that done I was 

really excited to get into other shows, 

but Priscilla was definitely my favourite 

as an intro into the scene, and also 

who doesn't love playing disco.” 

After wrapping up ‘Priscilla’ 

in Hong Kong, Luca jumped 

straight into ‘The Sound of Music’ 

back here in South Africa, taking 

over during the local stretch of the 

show. One of the biggest challenges 

during this run was the fact that he had 

to learn how to play a myriad of percussive 

instruments with set melodies in 

addition to his kit parts as well. ”This 

is obviously where the studies come in. 

PHOTOGRAPHY LEFT TO RIGHT: ANGELA LIANG, LUCA DE BELLIS 



We were forced to do classical theory. So 

I picked it up there. I had never played 

any melodic instruments but learned 

how to read music and compose a bit, 

which definitely helped.” says Luca. 

This was a steep learning curve as 

he had to learn to read melody lines 

again and use certain note values we 

wouldn’t normally use in drumming 

notation. ”If you want something, say 

yes and figure out how to do it afterwards.” 

Luca quotes one of his old lecturers, 

Carlo Mombelli. And this is the 

mindset that drove Luca to dive headfirst 

into ‘The Sound of Music’ and carried 

him through the entire learning 

experience that came with it. ”I went 

for like a month of timpani and glockenspiel 

lessons with Magda De Vries, 

just to get the technique down. Especially 

seeing as you have to tune timpanis 

as you are playing within a twobar 

window. So getting the technique 

and the reading down was definitely 

a must before getting into the show. 

Playing The Sound of Music’s perc, in 

turn, made Chicago a lot easier because 

of an even higher degree of percussive 

demand. It was strange how it worked 

out, but it was a perfect step between 

the two shows.” elaborates Luca when 

asked about the technicalities of certain 

percussive parts. 

Again right off the back of ‘The 

Sound of Music’, Luca jumped 

straight into ‘Chicago The Musical’, 

thanks to his work with Bryan 

Schimmel, the same MD who initially 

opened up the door for him to be in the 

Priscilla production. LRM: “It all very 

much seems like that case of being in 

the right place at the right time and 

then just proving that you can back it 

all up with your playing as well. And 

let’s face it, a winning personality like 

yours definitely doesn’t hurt either.” 

”Everyone always says it’s about who 

you know, and that is a part of it, but if 

you can’t back it up with your playing, 

then you’ll lose those opportunities and 

you won’t receive another one. But also 

people would much rather work with 

someone they have worked with before, 

especially when it comes to spending 

months together, travelling and staying 

in the same hotels etc.” adds Luca. 

Strenuous schedules and little rest 

was a common occurrence for Luca. 

Keeping yourself motivated through 

months on months of playing 8 shows 

per week, with travelling, rehearsing 

and setting up shows thrown in 

there will put anyone’s mental capacity 

through its paces, and Luca vouches 

for this. With the China leg of the Chicago 

tour, the production arrived in 

China and the very next day they had 

to go into rehearsals to get new members 

up to speed, three days of rehearsals, 

straight into setting up the show 

and an opening night on the same day. 

”I didn’t have a second off until after 10 

days, and this was on top of being jetlagged, 

being in snowy cold weather 


Chicago The Musical 

The exact set up used 

during his 2018-2020 

run of Chicago 

and everyone getting sick and you just 

feeling run-down in general. But once 

you are in the thick of things, touring 

the world, you learn really quickly 

whether this is the kind of lifestyle 

that suits you or not.” says Luca. But being 

grateful for what you are doing in 

all these different parts of the world is 

one of the ways that he keeps himself 

looking forward and staying motivated 

to always give a consistent performance. 

The moment you take a passion 

and start doing it as a profession, it becomes 

work, and no matter how much 

you love what you do, you need to find 

new hobbies to get your mind off of 

work during these travels so that when 

you get back behind the kit you can 

give it everything you’ve got regardless 

of how tired you are or the day, week 

or even month you’ve had. Everyone 

has their one way of dealing with the 

demands of these tours, but one of the 

most important things to have is a way 

to escape when you aren’t busy working. 

Whether that is getting out and 

seeing the local scenes or relaxing in 

a room watching Netflix. Another important 

thing is to have the right kind 

of people on tour with you. People who 

will tell you if you are either spending 

too much time cooped up in a room or 

maybe just someone to be cooped up in 

a room with for some conversation. ”I 

realised, this is what I want to to do. I 

love touring, seeing new places and exploring 

all these cities.” says Luca. Incorporating 

new hobbies, like his love 

of photography, into touring, was the 

perfect escape for him and also the perfect 

combo seeing as he was travelling 

around the world to all these photogenic 

locations. The instant he was done 

“working” for the day, he would go 

take photos all over these cities that he 

had never been to before and probably 

wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for his work. 

Maintaining practices like these were 

the little tricks he used to get the absolute 

most out of his touring experiences 

with one hobby, his photography 

bolstering the other, his drumming. 

and vice versa. 

During all of his shows, one recurring 

hurdle that Luca experienced, was 

the necessity of playing very differently 

depending on each venue’s sonic characteristics. 

He would have to play his 

cymbals softer in certain venues, which 

is a challenge when you are getting into 

the show you are playing and getting 

excited, and at certain venues, he would 

have to crack the snare just that little 

bit extra depending on how much they 

needed it to cut in the venue. This made 

for a big drain on his focus and was just 

one more thing he had to master to get 

to where he is today. 

”In a band, you have the adrenaline 

and you’re there to be heard. Whereas in 

a theatre show you start realising that 

if you hit that crash too hard, the vocal 

line upstairs won’t be heard as clearly, 

and could actually ruin a part of the 

show.” Says Luca. 

PHOTOGRAPHY LEFT TO RIGHT: LUCA DE BELLIS; 2 


“Times like these, make you think 

about when there aren't tours 

anymore or the opportunity 

doesn't present itself anymore.”


One of the toughest parts of touring 

for him has always been the time spent 

away from family and friends. We live 

in a world where you can quickly get 

someone on a video chat which definitely 

helps, but it doesn't always take 

away that sense of missing out. ”It’s 

tough because you are out here doing 

your job, and growing as a person, individually. 

Finding yourself. But that 

tour bubble you find yourself in doesn’t 

stop the rest of the world from turning 

and you end up missing out on a lot of 

things. It’s not easy.” explains Luca. 

Luca’s third show, the ‘Chicago The 

Musical’ production ran for a grand total 

of 358 shows leading to some autopilot 

happening when performing. As 

most drummers know, this is either a 

good or a bad thing depending on your 

focus and mental fitness at this point. 

You don’t have to worry about the parts 

as much any more, yet you might find 

yourself getting sloppy during certain 

sections without actually noticing it. 

It’s a very fine line. Certainly, one Luca 

had to become aware of. ”We would 

sometimes be playing a show, and I’m 

having the best time and I’d see my 

bandmates suddenly start laughing at 

me. Only after the show would I realise 

that I had maybe completely missed a 

certain phrase or part of the song.” says 

Luca, laughing at the memory of these 

situations. ”Knowing which parts are 

difficult and reigning your focus in for 

those parts is a great way to let the muscle 

memory do its thing when it can and 

taking over yourself when the music 

calls for it to prevent making mistakes.” 

suggests Luca. Apart from simply reinforcing 

his focus, he would spend numerous 

days practicing parts over and 

over before shows to make sure he always 

had them fresh in his mind. This 

on top of playing a daily show. 

Focus aside sometimes you just 

make mistakes. We’re all human, and 

it happens. Luca: “Dude, quickly. Have 

you ever had this thing happen, where 

you’ve been playing a song for weeks, 

and suddenly there will be one part 

that you just simply stop being able 

to play? Like your brain just says, No, 

I don’t know how to do this anymore. 

And then after a few weeks, it just sorts 

itself out again?” LRM: “Oh my word, 

I have literally recorded songs for my 

own bands, played them for years, and 

then one night I’ll make a mistake in 

one part and for the next three months, 

I kid you not, I couldn’t get that part 

right, and then just like you said, it 

sorts itself out just like that. . . Hate 

it! Haha. It’s so frustrating when you 

are playing at a professional level and 

dumbass stuff like that still happens 

haha.” 

Musicians performing in a pit, unseen 

by the audience, is a common occurrence 

in the theatre scene. “Oh look! 

There’s a live band!” is something Luca 

heard more often than not during his 

time in the theatre. Being in the pit is 

definitely not for everyone. Even though 

the musicians are credited in the program, 

audience members often still 

think that the music must be a backtrack 

playing. You kind of take it for 

what it is, but the one upside to it is the 

fact that you get to be in this bubble of 

your own and you get to focus on your 

craft and that’s it. But when Luca started 

doing the Chicago show, he was all 

of a sudden thrust right onto the stage 

with all the other performers. And suddenly, 

being in the pit seems like a lot 

less work. ”You can’t sit up there with a 

face like, what am I having for dinner 

tonight. You need to be enjoying it and 

interacting. I love performing though 

and being on stage. So this was an absolute 

plus for me.” Says Luca. Some 

musicians thrive on the solitude of the 

pit and others feed off the adrenaline 

of being in front of the crowd. It’s definitely 

a personality thing. But whichever 

one you fall under, you need to make 

sure you always do your job to the best 

of your capabilities, regardless of where 

you are placed during these shows. 

Playing completely different setups 

to what he would normally 

use during band gigs was another 

hurdle Luca conquered whilst performing 

in these productions. During 

the ‘Priscilla’ run he moved to a conventional 

5 piece kit, with two rack 

toms and one floor tom and then when 

he moved into ’The Sound of Music’, he 

actually reduced his kit down to a kick, 

hats, snare and crash set up and lastly 

for Chicago he was back on a 5 piece 

kit with all the bells and whistles and 

as many cymbals as he could fit. Not 

to mention all the percussive changes 

he had to make when moving from one 

show to the other. Being versatile and 

adaptable is an absolute must in the 

theatre scene and definitely not a challenge 

to be taken lightly. 

Luca is a TAMA and Zildjian endorsee. 

He joined up with TAMA South Africa 

on the backend of the ‘Priscilla” 

show during which time he was looking 

for an upgrade to his kit and the Chicago 

production felt that he should tour 

with his own kit anyway. TAMA South 

Africa ended up providing a TAMA 

Starclassic Maple to the exact specs 

Luca requested for the entire 18-month 

run of the production. Zildjian also 

came on board just before the Chicago 

run providing Luca with everything, 

when he needed a different set of cymbals 

to better compliment the upcoming 

tour’s sound design. ”I was worried 

when TAMA gave me this 14-by-7-inch 

snare, which I thought was going to be 

way too heavy for the kind of vintage 

jazzy sounds we were going for with the 

Chicago show, but this thing was actually 

so versatile that it blew my mind, 

I just cranked it up and it did the job 

flawlessly.” Says Luca. 

It should be mentioned that he also 

had to be the sound effect for certain 

gunshots in ‘Chicago’ during which the 

rimshot from that TAMA snare more 

than did the job. These gunshot effects 

were always cued by movements on 

stage and took a great deal of focus to 

get right each night as they could happen 

at any point with minimal warning. 

LRM: “Did you ever go for one of 

the gunshot rim-shots and hit only the 

rim?” Luca: “I was about to tell you! I 

was the laughing stock of (Continues on page 68) 

20 | SA DRUMMER | September 2020 

PHOTOGRAPHY PREVIOUS & CURRENT SPREAD: THE SIGHT SEEKERS; 2

Personal Space 

Luca in his studio 

space at home with 

his TAMA Starclassic.

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Creative 

how to stay 

in a 

GLOBAL 

PANDEMIC 

By Jonathan Ulman 

Now that we have had 

all the time in the world 

handed to us, how are 

you using it? 

Time is perhaps one of the most 

undervalued and underappreciated 

resources that we have. We 

complain that we don’t have enough of 

it or, when it’s used inefficiently, we feel 

it’s been wasted. Time is something we 

can never get back, and as we get older, 

we reflect on how quickly it has come 

and gone. Up until a few months ago, 

this was a common theme for us all. 

Then, the pandemic hit. While we battle 

through chaos, confusion, uncertainty 

and anxiety, there is a silver lining. We 

were given time; in fact, we were given 

an abundance of time. (Continues on the next page)

As businesses around the 

world came to a grinding halt 

and we buckled down in our 

homes, fearful and frustrated 

at what the future might hold, we 

came to the conclusion that we don’t 

know what to do with all this time. We 

are so used to filling every moment of 

our daily lives with something, that we 

often neglect the things that we wish 

we had more time for. So now that we 

have this once unattainable resource at 

our disposal, can we look back on the 

last few months and say that we took 

advantage of it? 

Like everyone else, as soon as the reality 

of the pandemic hit, I found myself 

agonizing through all the various 

stages of fear and concern. I watched 

first hand as the service, entertainment 

and music industries ground to 

a stop and in turn wiped out a year’s 

worth of gigs for me and many others 

in the blink of an eye. Pretty surreal 

and a very scary realization to wrap our 

heads around. 

But this article isn’t about the 

suffering we have all endured, 

it is about how we can use 

this experience to not only hit 

re-start, but also re-prioritize our lives 

for the moment until we fall back into 

some kind of normalcy, whatever that 

ends up looking like. It took me a couple 

weeks to process everything that 

was happening. I had been going 110% 

every day for the last decade trying to 

hustle and take my career to where I envisioned 

it going. I put myself through 

grad school in order to gain a more 

comprehensive understanding of how 

I could not only market myself in the 

music industry, but also ensure I stayed 

relevant through the relentless competition 

of fighting for the limited work 

that was out there. By studying Marketing, 

Digital Media, Communication, 

Photography and Graphic Design both 

as an undergrad and as a graduate student, 

I was able to become somewhat of 

my own self-sustaining ecosystem and 

take on all aspects of my career without 

needing to rely on anyone else. The value 

of these skill sets became even more sic with new artists and new producers 

apparent when the pandemic hit. It afforded 

me the opportunity to not only Leading into this pandemic, these new 

than I have in the previous two years. 

stay busy during a global lockdown artists and producers had no idea who 

but, more importantly, stay creative. I was and I’ve gotten a substantial increase 

in new work. It’s not rocket sci- 

As a session musician, my most 

valuable asset is staying visible in the ence, it’s simple math. The more eyes 

industry. I want my name to be at the on you means the more opportunities 

forefront of the minds of producers, to sell yourself and your story to a new 

artists, engineers and anyone who can audience. In addition to new drum 

potentially get me work. But, like everything 

else during this time, that work nities in other areas. I’ve been asked to 

work, I also started getting opportu- 

dried up quickly and staying visible run social media campaigns for various 

companies, I’ve 

lost its importance. 

Or did it? I began to 

generated numerous 

recognize/realize 

photography gigs 

that eventually the 

work would return, 

so it was imperative 

that I worked harder 

during these first few 

months to keep as 

many eyes on me until 

gigs started coming 

back. So, while 

a lot of musicians 

slowed their online 

presence, I ramped 

up mine, in turn giving 

me the opportunity 

to put myself in 

front of more people. 

Apparently, when 

the world stops and 

there’s nothing to do, 

people get bored and 

get on their phones 

and that’s where the 

Follow 

Jonathan 

to see his words 

in action 

Instagram 

instagram.com/jmudrums 

Facebook 

facebook.com/jmudrums 

lined up through the 

end of the year and 

have even been commissioned 

to redesign 

logos for a few 

new businesses. Not 

all opportunities will 

lead to work in the 

areas that we may be 

focused in, but maintaining 

the hustle 

and remaining motivated 

and creative 

will allow us to sustain 

through unprecedented 

times. 

While my goals 

are mostly related to 

drumming, I felt inclined 

to use these 

last few months as a 

means to think out- 

opportunity to put out creative and engaging 

content is so pivotal. I spent the otherwise would not have had the time 

side the box and make content that I 

first two months utilizing social media for. Not only for business and marketing 

purposes, but to keep my sanity. As 

to create aesthetically appealing and 

captivating content with the hopes that a part of my routine during the isolation, 

every morning I would get up and 

it enticed people to keep checking back 

on what I was putting out that day. In think of how I could be creative, experiment 

and have fun at the same time, 

two months, I had grown from 17,000 

followers to 23,000, and while those all while attempting to reach a new and 

numbers aren’t the important part, it’s diverse audience. 

the fact that I was now in the position 

to tell my story and show a brand-new Whoever is reading this probably 

doesn’t have the same 

audience what it is that I do. 

The outcome of this increased engagement 

has led to being back at work from it is more about using an abun- 

goals as I, but the takeaway 

in the studio and recording more mudance 

of time to your (Continues on page 68) 

PHOTOGRAPHY: NIKLAS WEIKERT 


RYAN 

••• 

ARTIST 

ENTERTAINER 

SHOWMAN 

••• 

STEVENSON 

• www.ryanstevenson.ca • www.ryanstevensonstore.com • 

• RyanStevensonOfficial • RyanStevensonOfficial • 

• rjwsbeats • rjws_ • 

By Warren van Wyk 

Hey Ryan! Thank you so much for 

taking the time out to chat! How's 

it going your end of the world? 

I am the one to thank you! It’s my pleasure 

and a true honor to take part in 

this with you guys! Big fan of what you 

guys are doing with this platform! I 

feel like no matter where we are in the 

world, we are all living the same things, 

which makes this situation so unique. 

Here in Canada, specifically in Quebec, 

things seem to be not too bad… safety 

measures are still very strict, but that’s 

likely what is helping it all. It’s bizarre 

though , it’s like as things get better, 

they lay down harder rules… how does 

that work? Ha-ha. We definitely need 

to keep safe, but just like musicians out 

there, I cannot wait until shows and 

tours start back up… that is likely one 

of the hardest things during this all. So 

hopefully the more we’re careful, the 

faster we’ll get back at there. 

Most followers out there will know you as 

a drummer, but you also play guitar, keyboard, 

and sing if I am correct? 

Kinda left the singing behind many 

years ago… hahaha! But definitely a musician 

at heart! I actually started my musical 

journey off on the guitar. As a kid, 

I wanted to be just like ELVIS. I still, to 

this day, admire and idolize his work… 

but growing up my plan was to be the 

front-man guitarist and vocalist lol! To 

be honest I don’t quite know how piano 

and some other instruments came into 

the context, lately when I’m not drumming, 

I would say piano is what I am 

most creative on. What is funny is that 

no matter the instrument, I wouldn’t 

be able to really say that “I know how 

to play”. Meaning, I never took drum 

lessons, nor any lessons for guitar, piano, 

bass etc. I’ve taught myself all these 

instruments, so the upside is no matter 

what I do, it always comes from the heart 

because it’s always played with feeling. 

But the downside is that it’s hard to 

try and be a master at your craft when 

you’re not dedicated and focused in one 

area. We all know that with drumming 

we are never done learning, we never 

know everything, if you’re willing and 

you’re hungry to learn YOU ALWAYS 

CAN! That’s a beautiful thing! But I absolutely 

love being able to express myself 

on various instruments, there is 

something amazing about each one. 

Often enough I even feel bad when I’m 

spending time playing something else 

than drums. I know if I would focus on 

the drums, I could improve much faster… 

but yet each instrument makes me 

feel different ways when playing them. 

For example, I couldn't play piano and 

feel the same energy and adrenaline 

rush I get when on my drums, just like 

I wouldn’t be able to feel as relaxed and 

peaceful on drums as when I play pia- 


PHOTOGRAPHY: BOUCANE



no. The time spent away from your instrument 

is what makes you love it that 

much more whenever you get back to it. 

Knowing these other instruments, what 

made you decide to pick drums as your 

primary one? 

I’ve actually always hated the fact that 

I don’t have a cool and fun story to my 

start at drumming hahaha! I love hearing 

those stories of someone at a young 

age that got into music, banging on 

his moms’ pots and pans, and has pursued 

it ever since. I started quite late, it 

was in high school during music class, 

I wanted the guitar but for some reason 

it wasn’t an option in the first years. 

So, EVERYBODY wanted the drums. 

The teacher decided to put everybody’s 

names in a hat to pull one out randomly. 

At that point, my friend landed the 

drums and I was stuck with some sort 

of tuba. Oh joy! ha-ha! One class in, he 

didn’t have sticks yet and found drums 

boring cause he couldn’t play, he ended 

up letting me take drums instead. 

THAT was the start of my journey! I 

fell in love with a new instrument right 

away and anytime the teacher sent us 

to learn new pieces, well I tossed the 

papers away and worked on trying to 

come up with some new beats. There are 

so many amazing drummers out there, 

it’s ridiculous! It’s easy to find inspiration 

and reasons to keep challenging 

ourselves to get better. We’re lucky to 

have so much content at our fingertips 

with the internet and social media. But 

at the same time, it’s important to use 

that inspiration to push us and motivate 

ourselves, it’s not meant to for us 

to be hard on ourselves and compare 

ourselves negatively to others. It’s easy 

to fall into that unfortunately… 

Can you tell us about some of the first 

bands that you played for when you began 

playing in the scene? 

Man, believe it or not my first band ever 

was a Death Metal band! ha! This was in 

high school, when I thought I wanted to 

be a guitar player, and there was an older 

guy that was a crazy good drummer. 

For some reason we decided to start a 

band but switching instruments, I 

would play drums and him guitar…and 

that was the start of many things for 

me. From metal, it went to pop-punk, 

from that to a hardcore band. At that 

point I had the chance to experience 

many different things. One band had 

successes on the radio and television, 

and with the other band, we were touring 

across the country in a half broken 

down van with no money and more passengers 

than we had car seats! Simply 

out doing what we loved, not worrying 

about where we were going to sleep nor 

what we were going to eat. It was some 

rough times but looking back at it now 

and being stuck at home because of this 

pandemic I would do it again any time 

now. I think back then I had just completed 

a course in mechanics too, I even 

remember the van breaking down half 

way across the country, buying tools, 

fixing it myself in the parking lot and 

then returning the tools to get our money 

back to pay for gas to get to the next 

city! Nothing mattered more than playing 

music and sharing it with others. 

The things we do for what we love…the 

love of music. Earlier this year, I had my 

first real tour bus experience while on 

the road with ATCK and AJ Mclean of 

the Backstreet Boys, so looking back on 

"I’ve always been relatively 

strict with 

making sure I like the 

project to begin with. 

I don’t want to take 

work just because 

work is needed. I’ve 

never had that approach 

and don’t plan 

on ever doing so." 

those months of sleeping on floors of a 

fan, or sometimes even in the van does 

seem harder now haha!!! Good times! 

You have gone on to work with some really 

killer names such as French artist Montana 

and famous artists like Waka Flocka 

and AJ Mclean from the Backstreet Boys. 

How did you go about landing these gigs? 

Well to start, I think a lot started around 

-whenIleftmy bandsandI 

started a “one-man show” on drums 

called “The Ryan Stevenson Show”. A 

straight up drum show playing to DJ 

music of all styles. This opened tons 

of doors because at the same time that 

I was building my name and my own 

brand, I had the opportunity to be the 

opening act for some top events. From 

that, it got me meeting some great artists 

and playing for them. So, I had a 

great mix of my solo shows, playing for 

artists, sometimes even playing for an 

artist which was opening for an even 

bigger artist!!! The most important key 

element that is crucial at ALL TIMES in 

this…is to always give your 100%! You 

truly never know what one thing can 

lead to. I strongly believe it’s that that 

helped me move forward. There have always 

been drummers better than me, 

and there always will be I am aware, but 

sometimes your attitude, drive and dedication 

will get you further than just 

the skill. I could likely fill up the pages 

of this whole magazine if I would go 

into detail. I have some crazy stories of 

each of those occasions of meeting this 

guy or that one… but the bottom line is 

simply doing the best you can do every 

single opportunity you get and to keep 

at it. Consistency is everything. I remember 

the day I was on the road with 

French Montana and he brought DID- 

DY out for a few songs that I was like 

“wow, everything really is possible” … 

we played a song from one of Diddys albums 

that came out in , I had that 

album! To think I was barely a teenager 

listening to it… I never thought I would 

be able to say one day that I drummed 

for him. Extremely thankful for moments 

like that. 


PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDY KEILEN



Who are you currently playing for? 

My main projects lately have been a mix 

of my own solo drum shows that is still 

rolling strong, ATCK that features AJ 

Mclean of the Backstreet Boys, DJ Lux & 

Francesco Yates, as well as S.O.T.E which 

is a somewhat electro-metal band with 

RIGGS who is the original guitarist of 

Rob Zombie. Apart from that, there’s 

always different projects here and there 

as well as many extremely talented local 

artists I’ll play for. I’m thankful and 

fortunate to be able to do what I love 

and play for a wide variety of genres 

with great people. 

Your studio is set up so that you can do 

remote recording sessions. Can you shed 

some more light on this? 

For the last few years I’ve had my studio 

setup in order to record some of my 

own basic Drum Remixes and shoot 

my videos. But just before the whole 

COVID thing hit I had some requests to 

get in the studio and record for some 

people. I decided during the quarantine 

to take the time and turn it into 

an actual studio where I can record isolated 

drum tracks for professional recording 

projects. I love challenging 

myself and learning new things, so it 

was a great process for myself and my 

projects but it’s also amazing that at 

any time I can get to work with other 

people from all over the world and take 

part in their projects too. Being a good 

touring drummer doesn’t necessarily 

mean you’ll be a good studio drummer. 

So I find it fun getting to experience 

these things. Sometimes in studio 

you need to learn new tunings that you 

would never have played live, but you 

start to notice how certain things may 

sound once you get a mic on it and hear 

it from the other side of the speakers. 

Having my own studio setup has been 

great because I have been doing a variety 

of things I wasn’t able to before 

from recording full out tracks for people, 

or sometimes simply drum loops 

for a production, and even help writing 

parts for future projects of people. Love 

being busy with music. 

When someone books you to record on 

their song, how do you approach it? Do 

you write the drum parts yourself, or do 

you play what they give you? 

Well, obviously I always start by approaching 

them with that question. Did 

they have something specific in mind 

they just wanted reproduced, or a specific 

sound/mood… I feel lucky and fortunate 

that so far in studio, just like live 

tours, most artists that approach me 

for a gig is because they like what I do 

and want me to add my own touch to it. 

It’s a great feeling when you are trusted 

enough to have “carte blanche” to do as 

you feel in these situations. Although 

it goes without saying that you always 

have to have your ears open, listen to 

the song and what it’s all about to be able 

to play for the song and compliment it. 

It’s not always about the drums unfortunately 

haha! It’s important to always 

know your boundaries. There may be 

times that you can let loose and make 

the drums a main feature of a part, just 

like there are times you need to learn to 

lay low and let the music breath because 

another element or instrument may be 

what needs to lead a section. This is another 

reason why I believe playing other 

instruments helps me when it comes to 

recording/production… I won’t simply 

focus on the drum parts but hear everything 

around it to know what needs 

to pop out to the average listeners ears. 

Are there certain styles of music that you 

specialize in, or do you take work in any 

genre thrown at you? 

That’s a great question… I feel like my 

answer is that I would give any genre 

a shot, but I’ve always been relatively 

strict with making sure I like the project 

to begin with. I don’t want to take work 

just because work is needed. I’ve never 

had that approach and don’t plan on 

ever doing so. It’s not fair for the artist/ 

band hiring you, nor is it fair for yourself. 

If someone is putting in time and 

money to get a drummer on a project, 

they deserve someone that is dedicated 

to it and that will get the job done right. 

I don’t want to be part of something for 

the paycheck only, not enjoying myself, 

likely putting half of my energy on it. 

That won’t get you anywhere. If you’re 

having fun, you’re putting in the time 

and energy at all the right places and 

that is also what will get you called back 

or even referred to others as well. So, if I 

am not feeling it, or I feel like someone 

else would be a better fit for the project 

I prefer to be honest and let them 

know. But personally, I do love many 

different genres of music and would 

love to add my touch to anything. In 

general, though, because of my background 

and previous experiences I feel 

like my strengths would be within the 

Rock, Pop, Hip-Hop and Electronic music 

fields such as House/EDM++. 

You are also active as a songwriter. Do you 

do any songwriting from your studio for 

any other artists and bands? 

I love writing man, I hope to do more of 

it. I’ve been writing for a while just filling 

up hard drives with song ideas and 

melodies not knowing what to do with 

them lol! I feel like that’s the hardest part 

for me, how to get it out to people or artists. 

Hopefully it will get to a point one 

day where people will approach me giving 

me a guideline of what they’re looking 

for me then to create. I’m currently 

working on something that I hope is 

the start to many more collabs of the 

kind. It’s a track I wrote and produced 

for an artist that I will also feature on 

as a drummer. I feel like I couldn’t ask 

for more, get to enjoy the writing of it, 

and then let loose expressing myself 

on my main instrument. This is where 

playing many instruments helps a lot, 

when writing! It’s actually been such an 

ongoing battle with myself, sometimes 

I feel like I could stop writing and apply 

more time to my drumming to get better… 

but writing just takes me somewhere 

completely else and when I get 

back to drumming I just appreciate it 

that much more. It’s having a healthy 

balance I believe. To answer the question 

though, I’ve always written more 

for myself, but yes recently I have been 

working towards writing for others and 


the first projects should be launching 

shortly, can’t wait! I will also have some 

drum tracks released shortly. People 

can already go online and find my first 

track called “The Leap” which is an instrumental 

I wrote, drummed to, and 

then released the track with a drumless 

track as well for other drummers to play 

to it while making it their own. It was a 

feeling I can’t describe to be able to play 

one of my own songs while I was in China 

doing clinics for SABIAN & TAMA. 

I believe I am so used to playing other 

peoples music or remixes of some kind 

that to be able to play one of my own, 

meant so much! 

You are busy working on an online platform 

where you will have an online store 

and also offer consultations. Can you shed 

some more light on this? 

Yes! The store is up and running now! 

Super pumped about it… It’s pretty 

much a mix of a merch store and 

with time there will be more and more 

types of swag to come out being “indirect 

merch”, meaning not necessarily a 

name on it, but a branding like a clothing 

line. I’ve dreamt of doing this for so 

so long now so it’s pretty much a dream 

come true. There is also a “COURSES” 

section where I plan to release content 

for others in the form of educational 

vids. For the moment I don’t plan 

on making playing/technique videos 

but a lot more of the “business” side of 

the industry. Having mentioned above 

in a previous question the fact that I 

don’t consider myself a super technical 

drummer, I feel like I have experience 

regarding branding, promotion, social 

media, and all the “behind the scenes” 

work that goes into things. Unless you 

have the money to invest into hiring 

people to do that work for you it’s stuff 

you need to do yourself. That’s the situation 

I have always been in, growing 

up playing in bands, taking time off 

work to head on tour while making no 

money doing it, if I wasn’t going to do 

it for myself no one would be doing it 

for me. So, I put in the time and I feel 

like that’s valuable information I want 

to help other up and coming drummers 

with, to help them save time and save 

the trial and error phase. Right now, I 

am still working on those courses, so 

the only thing available at the moment 

is personalized 1 on 1 consultations. I 

feel like no matter how many videos can 

be created on different subjects there 

will always be someone out there that 

has specific questions directed towards 

their personal situation and goals, so I 

always want to offer that as an option. 

How do you handle all the behind scene 

things with still focusing on the drums? 

The above also comes down to having a 

good knowledge of music business. Would 

you agree that it is a vital thing to study 

while also practicing your craft? 

I would go out on a limb and say that 

both are equally important… and even 

hesitate to not say that the behind the 

scenes work is even more important! 

Think about it, you can be the best 

drummer ever… but if no one knows 

about you and you’re not getting your 

name out how will you ever find work? 

While out on tour earlier this year I had 

the chance to sit down with a friend, 

musician and musical director that 

I highly look up to and he said something 

that stuck with me. He told me 

you can replace the musician, but you 

can’t replace the brand. He didn’t elaborate 

on that, but it can be seen in so 

many different ways. The way I see it, if 

people want YOU for YOU… you’re set. If 

they just want a drummer, any drummer… 

well you better work extra hard 

to lock down your spot. So yes, I agree 

with you, it is vital to put in the work 

behind the scenes within the industry 

while also practicing your craft. If you 

can have both grounds covered then 

you’re pretty much unstoppable. 

Brand building is essential in our industry, 

and it is so important to be more than just 

a drummer. I love the way you build your 

brand with clothing, etc. Can you give us 

more insight into how important you feel 

this topic is and how you make your brand 

stand out? 

Definitely! I actually think I sort of 

answered this in a previous question 

while referring to the concept of how 

a musician can be replaceable but not 

the artist nor the brand. But that being 

said this also depends on your personal 

goals. Some people prefer being in the 

background, just doing what they’re 

told and doing their job. They rather be 

an “employee” rather than the “entrepreneur” 

or the “boss” which is totally 

fine. I’ve always had a different approach, 

maybe it’s from wanting to be 

like Elvis as kid, but I’ve always wanted 

to be the artist… to be an entertainer. 

There’s no right or wrong, we all have 

different dreams and visions and that’s 

what makes everyone unique. If you’re 

goal is to get noticed, and to build something 

of your own, then yes you will 

need to also work on building a brand 

while stepping out of the shadow. 

While on the topic of brand building, let’s 

not forgot the importance of showmanship. 

How important is it to you to look 

good and sound good while on stage? 

Again, this can change from one person 

to the next. Personally, I dislike 

watching a boring drummer. I feel like 

this goes for any type of musician, but 

the drums are the heart and back-bone 

of every song. Just as much as it needs 

to be tight and solid, watching it being 

played also sets a mood and energy 

to feed off of. I feel like my solo show 

“The Ryan Stevenson Show” originated 

from showmanship. I started this project 

years ago when my skill level was 

much less developed, and the show was 

mainly a high energy and visual performance. 

As time went on, I challenged 

myself to learn more and be a better 

drummer in general, so I’ve integrated 

that more and more over time. But Yes, 

the showmanship and entertainment 

aspect of it is huge I find. Though it is 

VERY important to note that one should 

only focus on the showmanship AF- 

TER they’ve nailed the parts and know 

they can be tight and on time. You don’t 

want to be a flashy player that’s all over 

the place… You don’t always need to 



“put on a show”, but there’s a minimal 

amount of energy needed to show that 

you love what you do and to make the 

crowd feed off of your energy. 

Thanks so much for the chat, man! Wrapping 

up, what advice would you give to 

the up and coming drummers out there 

wanting to get their names out there? 

I do believe there is no right or wrong 

answer to this… there are no rules nor 

secrets to success and getting your 

name out there. The general idea is you 

want to be heard, be seen and be the 

person people think about when they 

think drums. Back in the days I’m sure 

the solution was mainly/only getting 

out to shows, playing shows, doing the 

whole P.R. thing (still a super important 

thing). Now with social media, we 

are also lucky to be able to reach almost 

even more people if we do things 

right. A HUGE element though is to be 

consistent! The easiest way these days, 

I would tend to say it is simply being 

active putting out good content consistently 

on all platforms. Some people 

out there swear by Instagram, but overlook 

YouTube, while others spend their 

time on twitter and Facebook … if you 

haven’t yet built your fan base then you 

need to be everywhere to maximize on 

the visibility. 


PHOTOGRAPHY LEFT TO RIGHT: ANDY KEILEN, RYAN STEVENSON; 2

Entertainer 

Ryan enthralling a 

crowd with his stage 

presence. 

Rubbing Shoulders 

Anika, Simon and 

Ryan 

MAIN PHOTO: RYAN STEVENSON 


SHADOW MOSES 

BRING ME THE HORIZON 

Transcribed by: Louis R. Malherbe II 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.CO.ZA 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - PERSONAL USE ONLY 1/3

.CO.ZA 


Crash 

Closed 

Open 

Snare 

Floor 

Kick 

Hi-Hat 

 

Hi-Hat 

Tom 

Drum 

 

.CO.ZA 


SUCKER 

JONAS BROTHERS 

 

Transcribed by: Saul Nossel 

Edited by: Louis R. Malherbe II 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.CO.ZA 


.CO.ZA 


• OxlandBeats • OxlandBeats • OxlandBeats • OxlandBeats • 

By Warren van Wyk 

KEEGAN 

'OXLAND' 

MEET THE DRUMMER BEHIND THE MASK 


KEEGAN 'OXLAND' 

M 

oving back in history and looking at 

how Young Oxland got his start with 

regards to drumming; As a young boy, 

he would always bang on all the pots 

and pans he could find in the house, as 

kids do, constantly begging his parents 

for music lessons. Not having any other 

musician influences in the household 

meant that this was a first for his parents. 

Regardless, they supported him 

and sent him off to lessons at the age 

of 9. Shortly thereafter he received his 

first drumkit and was off into the world 

of music and drumming. “My first performance 

was in front of my primary 

school at a Friday assembly.” says Oxland. 

Oxland spent a large portion of his 

school years playing in the school’s pipe 

band. Giving him a solid grounding in rudiments, 

something which comes out in 


PHOTOGRAPHY PREVIOUS SPREAD: JUSS WENTZ

“The image came as a natural 

thing being a solo performer. 

I wanted a brand 

that stimulated a unique experience. 

It was essential as 

it created consistency.” 

his playing all the time. “We had to learn 

sheet music & practice for many hours in 

order to play in the drum corp.” Explains 

Oxland, when talking about his school 

days. 

One of the first things you’ll notice 

about Oxland when you come 

across him on the internet is the 

very apparent Hockey Mask he parades in 

most of videos. It gives a sort of surreal feel 

to his content, with you never being absolutely 

sure what exactly you are watching. 

It’s an intriguing concept that definitely 

grabs users attention. Oxland tells 

us that there was no real strategy behind 

it all, just a funny idea that came about. 

“I'm not sure how the mask thing started. 

I might have been looking for a Halloween 

costume when I got it. It looked dope 

and cost R25.” Explains Oxland. 

Even though the mask that got my attention 

immediately was a spur of the 

moment decision, Oxland is definitely no 

stranger to consciously building his brand 

and image in the music industry. His grasp 

on the importance of creating an identity 

that people can recognise immediately 

is paramount. Not having played for 

bands or other crews in quite some time 

meant that he had to get creative when it 

came to his brand. “The image came as 

a natural thing being a solo performer. I 

wanted a brand that stimulated a unique 

experience. It was essential as it created 

consistency & made my brand unique. I 

also have trademarked my surname 'OX- 

LAND'.” Says Oxland 

When following discussions and comments 

threads online, one opinion that 

keeps popping up, is that Oxland mimes 

the parts he plays in his tracks and videos 

PHOTOGRAPHY LEFT OT RIGHT: MICHAEL MINNIE, NHLANHLA SIYABONGA September 2020 | SA DRUMMER | 43


KEEGAN 'OXLAND' 


that he puts out. WvW: “I have worked 

with you, and I could see first hand that 

you are playing everything live.” “I don't 

fake it. My videos are all recorded live 

and synced to the video- No Edits for 

the drum track. Once the track gets produced, 

I remove all the single shots and 

load them directly to the device; this type 

of triggering reduces latency. The other 

stems, like Bass/Vox/Synth tracks, get 

run from Abelton.” Answers Oxland. 

On top of actually playing all these 

drum parts, He also produces a lot of the 

sound he works on if he feels it would add 

to the music. “If it's a cover, I will create 

samples to make the original beat thicker.” 

says Oxland. Having this knowledge 

of production and the understanding of 

how to apply it to your own craft is something 

Oxland deems invaluable. “It will 

make you a better musician and easier 

to work with in the studio. Collaborations 

are easier with musicians who can 

record themselves and send the files over 

the internet.” Elaborates Oxland. 

Sporting a very unique setup with 

similar ones being found very seldom, 

one being Michael Shacks 

standing drummer setup. Oxland had to 

build this whole custom rig himself even 

going so far as to create certain parts of his 

kit himself. “I designed and built my 'DJ' 

standing drum set using Roland Drums. 

Some of the clips and hardware I had to 

create with a 3D printer.” Says Oxland. 

The main idea behind the setup was for 

it to be visually appealing, another tip of 

the hat to his understanding of branding 

and image. “Tilting the pads forward 

and allowing space for stick juggling was 

vital. After many hours of practice, the 

standing setup became comfortable to 

play.” Explains Oxland. WvW: “When 

we were working together in the studio, 

you told me that some drummers 

think your setup is easy to play. I messed 

around a bit on it, and I can honestly say 

that it not easy.” Oxland: ”I had to spend 

so many hours getting used to it! The 

hardest thing is perfect timing. Also not 

to hit the wrong pad- it will make the 

wrong sound. LOL. One of the biggest 

difference between playing kit and my 

standing setup is also just the difference 

in size when it comes to the pads.” 

Oxland is always open to collaborating 

with other artists, regardless of the 

genre or scope of the project. “Yes, I am 

always keen to collaborate. Hit me up on 

my social media. 'OxlandBeats'. It's always 

fun, and we can learn a lot from 

playing with other musicians.” says Oxland. 

On top of being incredibly comfortable 

when it comes to the electronic side 

of drumming, Oxland is also a proficient 

Kit Player. Some of the names on his list 

of artists that he has performed with 

speak for themselves. “I have played with 

Locnville / Lakota Silva / Cara Frew and 

collaborated with V-Way/ Warren van 

Wyk amongst many other great musicians 

and bands.” 

Oxland has already done his fair 

share of travelling around the 

world. More recently finishing 

up a tour in India, where he was received 

with a lot of enthusiasm even. “India was 

an amazing experience. I took a filmmaker 

with me, and we shot some great 

unreleased footage. After the tour I got 

booked for more shows, even to headline 

an EDM fest. I will go back soon.” 

says Oxland. 

With his understanding of branding 

and his unique setups, Oxland quickly 

drew a growing audience. 

One of the benefits of these 

growing audiences is the 

interest of certain companies 

in his brand. 

One such company being 

Roland South Africa. 

“I couldn't be happier 

rolling with the best 

electronic drum company 

in the world!” says Oxland. 

Wrapping up our interview, 

Oxland had these final words to 

share with regards to his future 

plans. Oxland: “I plan on doing Collaborations/ 

Albums/ Workshops 

and More Content. 

Advice: Try something new. If you are 

an acoustic player- get some V-Drums. 

Record yourself and listen back. Learn 

how to produce music - don't just be a 

'drummer'. Thank you once again for 

this opportunity.” 

"I think my following 

grew quicker 

cause it was a new 

style of drumming. 

The bigger following 

will open endorsements 

doors." 

PHOTOGRAPHY: JUSS WENTZ September 2020 | SA DRUMMER | 47

ONLINE 

DRUMMING 

AS A CAREER 

• Ryan.Nunan • 


ALL PHOTOGRAPHY: KAYLA JADE KORTE

Online Drumming 

Welcome, Ryan! Please share your background 

and how you got started in the 

industry. 

My drumming journey began at the 

age of 3 when I received my first drum 

kit, and from that day onwards, I was 

completely besotted. I grew up watching 

drumming instructional DVDs, 

'Dave Weckl Back to Basics,' to be precise, 

instead of watching the average 

kids' television shows. I started taking 

drumming more seriously at the age 

of 7 when I performed for the very first 

time at my school assembly to Queen's 

– 'we will rock you.' I got recognized 

and complimented for my natural ability 

and my internalized even timing 

without playing to a click. I immediately 

fell in love with performing and 

learning songs. From a very young age, 

I dived deep into the industry, starting 

up bands with friends, and at age 13, I 

started my first band "21st Century", we 

entered and appeared on South Africa's 

Got Talent. 

When did you realize that drumming was 

what you wanted to do as a career? 

Throughout my teen years, I used 

drumming to escape from my academic 

school life and always knew what 

path I wanted to take. I was considered 

an outcast, a black sheep for wishing to 

pursue music as a career. From age 4, 

I attended a British International high 

standard academic-based school, but 

I never let the doubters stop me from 

having a tenacious grip on my dreams. 

During my final 2 years of school, a 

drum studio was implemented and set 

up with two Roland TD-11KV electronic 

drum kits, and that room became 

my second home. During Grade 11 and 

12, I hardly had any academic lessons 

during the day, so I decided to take my 

drumming more seriously and practice 

whenever I didn't have any lessons or 

homework. I had so much free time on 

my hands, so I created specific training 

schedules dedicated to learning various 

techniques, genres and perfecting my 

craft as I knew my time to start pursuing 

my passion was drawing near. 

How did you became an online session 

drummer and how long have you been doing 

this. 

I have always had an entrepreneurial 

mindset and have always been into 

marketing online, developing brands, 

starting up small income streams, and 

working for myself. It started with me 

asking 'Professor YouTube' how to make 

money online. I came across 'Fiverr,' 

which is one of many websites that allow 

musicians to offer/sell their services 

online, ranging from drummers to keyboard 

players to saxophone players and 

vocalists, etc. I then thought of starting 

up a profile for recording drums for 

tracks. I also watched a Gavin Harrison 

video explaining that he records session 

drums online for clients, and that 

sparked an idea. That was 2 years ago before 

online freelancer sites got popular. 

I have been persistently carrying this 

out as my career for almost two years 

now successfully, despite opposition 

from others. 

What does online drumming entail? 

The world of online drumming requires 

you to have many skills. You aren't just 

a drummer; you have to be many things 

bundled into one - A marketer, a competent 

professional musician with lots of 

musical experience in learning songs, 

and coming up with drum parts quickly. 

You must have basic sound design 

skills and, most importantly, excellent 

customer care and communication 

skills. Think of yourself as a musical 

customer support/salesperson specialist. 

I would suggest having a well-organized 

workstation as well as proper 

quality well-functioning equipment. 

Explain the process during and after receiving 

an order for an online project. 

When I receive an order, I get notified. 

The order requirements of what 

the buyer wants are filled out and include 

the tempo of the song, what style 

the song is, space for them to attach 

links for references, their song file as 

well as the reasoning behind what the 

drum track is getting used for. I then 

respond to the buyer almost immediately. 

Most of my clients are internationally 

based, so time zones are very 

different. I usually receive my orders 

from 3am to 5am GMT+2 (South African 

time). I then download all the necessary 

files and view the reference links. After 

the process of collecting all the required 

information, I proceed to learn 

the song. There is a deadline that must 

be met with every order, which means 

you must deliver the drum track before 

the deadline or your Fiverr account will 

suffer minor penalization. You have to 

make sure your work is up to a high 

standard, or you won't get chosen for 

the 'gig.' A deadline for a drum track 

typically ranges from 3-7 days, but people 

who buy online service sites love 

getting things quickly, and that's where 

I excelled. When I started, it took me 

up to 6 days to learn a song perfectly, 

and now I can deliver completed tracks 

within a few hours. After learning the 

song, the final process would be recording 

it into a DAW, exporting the files 

to your computer, and sending it off 

to the client. You then have to wait for 

them to accept the order or request new 

revisions, which are changes that they 

would like made. 

How do you market yourself to new or repeat 

clients? 

A big mistake I see a lot that new freelancers 

make when trying to break into 

the online market is expecting to make 

a ton of cash through online service 


sites by just creating a simple profile of 

the service that they offer and then just 

expecting the work to come in. I've always 

thought of the opposite. Searching 

for work, marketing, and connecting 

with people is my main factor in 

the online session drumming scene. 

You have to be creative; you also have 

to have many amazing tools at your 

disposal to advertise your services on 

Fiverr. You need an excellent attractive 

video no larger than 50mb and roughly 

30 seconds to 1 minute long. There is 

also an option to post up to 3 images 

and 3 audio examples on your service 

page. Pricing is also key to attracting 

more eyes to your service at the start: 

the cheaper, the better to build a solid 

base for your profile. Most online freelancer 

sites reward sellers for achieving 

“more eyes seeing 

you is the key 

to you succeeding, 

and that is what we 

drummers need to 

start realizing“ 

a certain amount of sales and high ratings. 

The more sales you get, the higher 

your account will be featured on the explorer 

page of the specific category that 

your gig is in. 

How detailed are the briefs and requirements 

for the jobs? 

It depends on what you offer first of all. 

Most clients will have a detailed brief 

of the style, genre, specific sound, and 

timestamps for where and what to play, 

but most clients are not drummers 

themselves, so of course, they want you 

to translate in your own musical language 

that will fit their song. Every client 

is very different. 

What type of gear do you use and why? 

Gear is probably the most vital aspect of 


Online Drumming 

becoming an online session drummer, 

so it is an area I take very seriously. I 

use two Roland electronic drum kits as 

they are, in my opinion, the best on the 

market and suit what I need to accomplish 

my profession. They have endless 

features and functionality, including 

the ability to layer samples and import 

them, allowing me to get the perfect 

sound for any track I need to work on. I 

also use one of the leading Roland Ambassadors' 

Michael Schack's samples. 

He has been a massive inspiration for 

how I use my gear to its absolute limits. 

Samples are available on his website for 

various models of Roland drumkits. I 

play on the TD-17KL pimped out with 

my own add ons and upgrades, and I 

also use the TD-50K with SPDsx Sampler. 

I am a Vater drumstick endorser. 

I couldn't have asked for a better allround 

durable drumstick that lasts and 

looks stylish when performing. They 

are my drumstick of choice tailored to 

my needs as a working session drummer. 

I use various models depending 

on what I am playing, including the 5A 

Nude, Matrix, and Classic 5A. 

What would your advice be to other drummers 

wanting to break into this market? 

I would personally suggest only going 

into the online session drumming market 

if you are strong at being clinical, 

have a report with customers no matter 

how right or wrong they are as well as 

doing it for the love of making music. 

It is an awesome process to collaborate 

with producers and musicians from all 

over the world. It's also awesome to get 

your name out there internationally 

and bring a whole new world of opportunity 

touring with musicians that you 

have simply done drum tracks for online. 

One simple click delivering a drum 

track could lead to a path of continuous 

success. For example, major online celebrities 

always scout the web for new 

content opportunities, and that is what 

you must always expect working in this 

line of work. It even happened to me, 

and it’s one of my contributing factors 

to success as an online session drum- 

mer. A big streaming celebrity with a 

sizeable YouYube following with over 

450,000 subscribers who goes by the 

name of 'Ludwig' created a video with 

the title of "So I Hired Fiverr Artists to 

make me a song” and it got over 190,000 

views. I then used the highlights from 

the video as an advert for my session 

drumming, and it went viral. Always 

give your best to any drum track you 

produce as you never know who it can 

end up with. One of my marketing 

strategies is also using current trends 

and tagging popular influencers who I 

love to watch in my videos. An example 

of this would be when Lockdown was 

still fresh during this COVID-19 pandemic. 

I saw an opportunity to use the 

very talented musical comedic icon David 

Scott from "The Kiffness" who has 

been creating parody songs relating to 

the difficult times we are in and decided 

to make drum cover videos on his 

parody videos. He featured me on his 

story multiple times. More eyes seeing 

you is the key to you succeeding, and 

that is what we drummers need to start 

realizing. If nobody is noticing you and 

you aren't making music that you love 

making whats the point of being the 

best. 

Who are your drumming influences, both 

locally and internationally? 

My biggest influences in the music industry 

would be my dad Sean 'STYX' 

Nunan. He has been the main reason 

I kept pursuing drums when I was 

younger and has continued sculpting 

me with all the knowledge that I need 

to succeed as a drummer and musician. 

He was my Yoda to my Skywalker. International 

influences would definitely 

be Luke Holland and Matt Mcguire 

as I love how they have approached the 

drumming industry in a completely 

new light, keeping the industry-relevant. 

Do you do other types of sessions/gigs 

with bands? 

I make sure that always perfecting new 

skills as I always strive to better myself, 

whether in the music industry or life. I 

am in a rock/punk original/local cover 

band by the name of 'James Cross' and 

we have recently released a single which 

has done very well. The members include 

the very talented established bassist 

in the local industry Christopher 

Wilson and the face of the band and a 

great songwriter Luke Pretorius. I also 

have a co-owned project called 'Lions 

and Wolves' with an amazing vocalist/ 

songwriter Dylan Farred AKA 'Dylan 

Red'. The band is a hybrid duo inspired 

by Chainsmokers and Twenty One Pilots. 

We are currently busy working on 

dance/pop originals. I am, however, 

technically in about 20 bands online 

all over the world which includes: The 

United States, United Kingdom, Canada, 

Norway, Germany, Nigeria, Russia, 

Philippines, Malaysia, Kenya, Greece, 

Israel and Australia from which some 

even have me working on their full albums. 

How much can you expect to earn doing 

online session drumming? 

You will only earn as much as the time 

and effort that you put in. The more 

you invest in yourself, the more time 

you take to perfect your craft, the more 

time you put in networking and finding 

opportunities, the more you find your 

path and success is what will count. For 

those who want less of a corny answer, 

you can easily make a living and have 

fun. 

Are there any negatives to performing in 

this environment? 

It is costly to save up for everything you 

need. You will need an electronic drum 

kit that can record internally. You will 

need to invest in a good DAW such as 

Logic Pro. You will need fast working 

Computer, and a VST such as Superior 

Drummer 3 if using an electronic drum 

kit. A USB 2.0 cable to capture MIDI recordings. 

An acoustic drum kit with 

professional quality mics for individual 

stems recordings, which is what the 

high-end producers and studios preferences 

are when ordering online. 


NAT 

SMIT 

By Louis R. Malherbe II 


E H

NATE SMITH 

W 

hat or who inspired you to start playing 

the drums at the age of 11? 

My earliest and most immediate inspiration 

was my older brother; he played 

drums in high school band. I watched 

him play and began to mimic his setup 

and movements behind the kit. When I 

started playing on my own, my biggest 

inspirations were the drummers I saw 

in music videos and concerts on VHS. 

My dad had a big collection of vinyl and 

VHS concerts, so I listened and learned. 

How did you learn to play the drums, after 

starting at such a young age? 

The biggest tools for me were mimicry 

and listening. I studied and studied, 

listened and learned as much as I could 

by ear. I used my ears and my brain to 

guess what the drummers were doing, 

and did my best to copy them. I also 

used a boom-box to record myself playing. 

I’d listen back to my playing and 

compare the way I played to the way the 

drummers I idolized were playing. I’d 

try to get closer and closer. 

Who instilled in you your interest in the 

rock and funk music that shaped your early 

years? 

It was mostly about what was happening 

in the house. My brother was 

checking out The Police and Peter Gabriel, 

Steel Pulse, Genesis. He had a really 

varied taste in music. My mom was 

listening to traditional and contemporary 

gospel. My sister was listening to 

contemporary R&B of the time: Atlantic 

Starr, Loose Ends, Midnight Starr. 

My dad was into instrumental r&b or 

soul-jazz, which would later become socalled 

“smooth jazz”. His interest in the 

genre was around the golden age when 

artists like Grover Washington, David 

Sanborn, Quincy Jones and Bob James 

were making really beautiful, textured 

records. 

Who were the drummers you looked up to 

within the funk and rock scenes? 

There were so many! My biggest influences 

at the earliest stage were Omar 

Hakim who was playing with Sting, 

Will Calhoun of Living Colour, Stewart 

Copeland of The Police, and Sheila 

E who was playing with Prince at the 

time. I was also way into James Brown, 

so of course I was checking out Clyde 

Stubblefield and Jabo Starks. I also really 

liked the way Stevie Wonder played 

on his own records. 

You developed a fondness for Jazz at a 

later age only? How did this come about? 

The fondness for jazz was always there, 

but I didn’t really appreciate the greatness 

of jazz drummers until I was a 

teenager, and I discovered an album 

by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers 

called “Album Of The Year”. Such 

a great album, and I loved the intensity 

of Blakey’s playing on it. I loved the 

groove in his swing. From that point, 

I discovered a couple of other albums 

with great drummers as well. Miles Davis’ 

58 Sessions album with the great 

(and recently departed) Jimmy Cobb 

deeply influenced my relationship with 

the ride cymbal quarter note. 

How do you feel the combination of these 

genres you were interested in, had a part 

in shaping your specific style of playing? 

Everything I loved about the drums 

came down to sound and groove. From 

Omar to Jimmy Cobb, it was all about 

how they made the drums sound and 

feel with the music. When I listened to 

Omar’s playing, there was this ghost 

note language in the left hand that filled 

up the music in such a beautiful way. I 

really wanted to mimic that. 

On that topic, you have such a refreshing 

style of playing, fewer chops and more 

groove. Yet you still manage to make your 

grooves incredibly involved with different 

feels and modulations. Why do you feel 

you didn’t gravitate towards the Gospel 

chops styles of playing we see a lot nowadays? 

Again, this is more of a product of my 

environment. I was raised AME (African 

Methodist Episcopal) and it’s a 

“quiter” church than most of the Baptist 

or Pentecostal church experiences 

in which a lot of musicians are raised. 

We didn’t have drums in church every 

Sunday; the drums only came out for 

special occasions. It wasn’t until later 

in my teenage years that I started playing 

at a Baptist church, and I started 

to learn the language of contemporary 

gospel drumming. Also, getting back 

to the idea of making sound and feel 

the most important parts of my playing, 

I’ve learned that the use of space 

is paramount to that. SO I’ve learned to 

use and appreciate a lot of silence and 

space in my playing. 

You use some crazy modulations in your 

playing regardless of the styles or complexity 

of the music you are applying it 

to. How do you find the best times and or 

places to use these modulations and have 

them serve the music as well as they do? 

A lot of my concepts around rhythmic 

modulation came from my time in Dave 

Holland’s quintet and Big Band. A few 

of the compositions, especially those 

written by (trombonist) Robin Eubanks, 

use rhythmic modulation as a compositional 

tool. The modulations serve as 

a way of telling a story, making a transition 

from one “chapter” to another. It 

also creates a lot of tension and “drama” 

in the music, as we listeners are 

trying to make sense of the rhythmic 

relationships. When I’m making these 

choices in real time, I’m thinking about 

it like telling a story. I’m always thinking 

“when will this modulation be most 

effective?” or “how can I prepare the listener 

for the modulation, or how do I 

surprise them with it?” 


PHOTOGRAPHY PREVIOUS SPREAD: DENEKA PENISTON

You have an incredibly distinct sound to 

your playing, what do you personally feel 

attributed the most to your personality 

as an artist and more importantly the 

uniqueness of it? 

I started programming music in my 

teens – I always had a fascination with 

MIDI sequencing and electronic composing. 

I think of ways to emulate the 

recorded and electronic drums sounds 

I hear, so I experiment with different 

ways of tuning and muting the drums 

to get the sonic flavour I’m looking for. 

This is an ongoing process, and the 

more I learn about recording, the more 

my sound and style evolves. 

I love your use of single stroke three rolls 

and similar groupings to create grooves 

that are reminiscent of drum n’ bass patterns. 

Something I used to only expect 

from players like Jojo Mayer. Was there 

any intentional thought behind playing 

these types of grooves? 

My rudimental approach to drumming 

is based in my experiences in marching 

band as a kid. I played concert percussion 

and participated in marching 

band all through my junior high and 

high school years and even into my 

freshman year in college. The building 

blocks of my approach to the drumset 

started with my marching band rituals; 

including rhythmic exercises we would 

use to warm up before band practice. I 

still use some of those rituals today. 

PHOTOGRAPHY: DENEKA PENISTON September 2020 | SA DRUMMER | 59

NATE SMITH 

You studied media art and design. What 

inspired this choice? 

After I started college, I realized that I 

wasn’t only interested in learning how 

to play and create music, I was also interested 

in learning how music is used 

in conjunction with other types of media, 

ie film, television etc. So I wanted 

to learn as much about songwriting, 

film composing and scoring as I could. 

I also studied advertising, and some of 

the concepts of messaging have been 

useful as I share my own music with 

the world. 

How do you feel this choice influenced the 

rest of your career? 

A lot of tools have been useful, especially 

in the social media age. I’ve learned 

a lot about how people use music, and 

the stories they attach to the music they 

love. I think people see music as a part 

of their identity, and they attach very 

personal stories and memories to the 

music that has shaped them. 

During your studies, you started working 

with the great Betty Carter. Apart from 

this initial start to your career, what other 

artist have you worked with? 

Betty was a huge, seminal influence on 

me (as well as many other musicians), 

"Be patient and 

be prepared, and 

strive to be a better 

person today 

than you were 

yesterday." 

and her Jazz Ahead program was a 

launching pad for me. She made me a 

part of a network of great musicians, 

including Jason Moran and Casey Benjamin, 

with whom I still have relationships. 

Dave Holland was another major 

influence on me as a musician, same 

with Ravi Coltrane, John Patittucci, Pat 

Metheny, as well as contemporary artists 

like Brittany Howard, Norah Jones 

and Childish Gambino. All of these artists 

have had an impact on my thinking 

as a creative. 

Who are some of the most influential artists; 

with regards to your drumming and 

style development, you have worked with? 

Again, I have to mention Betty Carter 

and Dave Holland as central figures for 

me. They were my biggest influences in 

terms of watching how music is made 

night after night all over the world. They 

taught me the value of consistency and 

discipline, two of the central principles 

I’ve taken with me into the bandleading 

phase of my career. 

What do you feel is the biggest difference 

between being the drummer of a band and 

being the bandleader? 

The biggest difference is the level of responsibility; 

when you’re a sideman, 

you just focus on showing up and doing 

the best job you can in service of the 

music. When you’re a leader, you have 

to think about all of the logistics that 

go into putting a show together: travel, 

cost, personnel, etc. And you still have 

to think about showing up and doing 

the best you can in service of the music 

(the difference being that the music 

you’re serving is your own!) 

Tell us about your time with the Vulfpeck 

gang (The Fearless Flyers). How did the 

writing process with them work and what 

were the influences that shaped the end 

result of that project? 

I really admire those guys, they have 

a relentless work ethic and they’re incredibly 

creative. The creative process 

with them has been really open ended. 

For two of the Fearless Flyers records, 

we just showed up and brought in ideas 

and shaped them in the studio. All of 

the takes are live, what you see is what 

we played. It brings a freshness to the 

experience and immerses the viewer in 

the moment. That’s why their fans love 

them so much. 

How has your composing career affected 

your drumming or vice verse when it 

comes to making stylistic choices? 

I go back to storytelling, and the idea 

of using sound to evoke feelings – I like 

to guide the listener through the experience, 

whether I’m writing a song or 

playing a drum solo. In the moment, I 

am thinking of the music as a fan. I always 

try to think of the music from the 

vantage point of a listener rather than 

the sometimes deconstructive vantage 

point of a musician. 

Any final words for our readers? current 

projects or advice you'd like to mention? 

I recently released an EP called “Light 

and Shadow” and its my most personal 

work to date. I wanted to write something 

that was evocative, and I wanted 

to write for strings. I’m proud of the 

music and I hope it resonates with people. 

KINFOLK has a new album which is 

wrapping production, I hope to release 

it in early 2021, and I certainly hope we’ll 

be able to tour in support of it. Advice 

I’d like to share --- be yourself. Be patient 

and be prepared, strive to be a better 

person than you were yesterday. 

• www.natesmithmusic.com • 

• NateSmithDrums • NateSmithDrums • 

• NateSmithDrums • 


COVER ART for his album; Pocket Change 

CREATION on top of playing and recording drums, Smith has 

composed and arranged many projects as well. As a composer 

and arranger, he received two GRAMMY nominations for his 

composition “Home Free (for Peter Joe)” for best instrumental 

composition and best arrangement (instrumental or a cappella). 

Of the KINFOLK: Postcards From Everywhere project. 


MMOFA MATJELE 

MMOFA 

MATJELE 

KZN HAS IT'S OWN HIDDEN GEM 

By Louis R. Malherbe II 

Tell us about when you started 

playing the drums? At what age 

did you start? What inspired 

you to get started? 

My parents told me I started at the age 

of 8 months - apparently I always played 

on pots with spoons. I would watch 

the drummers at churches and imitate 

them. I also always had the urge to sit 

behind the kit and play exactly how 

they did, and play the same songs as 

them. This was from a young age up until 

now. I was given my first blue kiddies 

drum kit at 2 years of age. At the age of 

about 5 or 6 I got my first adult sized 

kit which was a Century 5-piece kit that 

came with stock hi-hat cymbals and a 

crash cymbal. The kit was a light blue in 

colour. The reason I bought a big kit is 

because from my exposure to a 9-piece 

kit at a church I would practice at. I developed 

a love for big kits. I loved hearing 

the different tones kits could make 

and I found it to be more fun to play on. 

Starting at such a young age, you must 

have had some inspiration within your own 

family as well. What role did you parent’s 

play in your musical journey? 

In my family there isn’t anyone who 

influenced me to play any instrument. 

"it’s not about the 

size of the crowd it 

was about how I made 

people feel when 

they were listening 

to me play." 


PHOTOGRAPHY: JOSHUA LEBENON


MMOFA MATJELE 

My grandmother on my mother’s side did 

mention about my grandfather being a 

drummer when he was younger but sadly 

I never had the chance to meet him. Then 

my grandfather on my father’s side used 

to sing in a choir when he was a young 

man but he hasn’t really influenced me in 

my drumming. My parents have always 

liked the fact I love to play the drums and 

my mom has sent me to multiple people 

for drum lessons over the years My mom 

also encouraged me to do another instrument 

which I quickly turned down and 

now that I see it it’s kind of sad I didn’t 

take another instrument. My father also 

got me to Gavin Flaks for drum lessons in 

my younger high school years. 

What musical genres were you most influenced 

by when starting? 

As I mentioned before I was influenced 

by my mother’s RnB and hip-hop as well 

was gospel music from church and my 

father’s CD’s of people like Kirk Franklin. 

As I grew, I listened to jazz, rock, funk 

and other genres trying to always play 

along behind a kit, on my lap or play the 

beat with my mouth. To this day I listen 

to those old songs I used to listen to but it 

has obviously evolved in a way that I listen 

to the new artists in the same genres. 

From the old songs I still try to incorporate 

the old beats to the new, now and 

again in my playing. 

You were taught by an incredible drummer 

and good friend of mine, Gavin Flaks, from 

a young age. How long did you study under 

him and what were most important lessons 

you learned during this time? 

When I attended a primary school in Johannesburg 

by the name of The Ridge 

School I was first introduced to Gavin 

Flaks - an amazing guy who really knows 

how to shred on the drums. I studied with 

him from the age of 9 to the age 13. I learnt 

to chill behind the drum kit especially 

when I was learning new stuff from him, 

I would get very frustrated with myself 

sometimes even giving up and to always 

push myself. He taught me how to tune a 

drum kit properly. He told me that I need 

to learn how read music. One of the most 


PHOTOGRAPHY: MMOFA MATJELE

Frankenstein 

Mmofa loves big kits, 

he had built this one 

up from various different 

pieces, even 

though he would like 

to have one matching 

kit one day. 


MMOFA MATJELE 

important things I learnt was to have 

fun when I’m behind the kit. 

Which local and international drummers 

do you look up to right now? 

Local drummers I follow are Joshua 

Zacheus, Sabu Satsha these two drummers 

have influenced the way I play gospel 

as well as play local beats with some 

vibrant playing. Internationally: Tony 

Royster Jr, Aaron Spears, Sarah Thawer, 

Chris Coleman, Dave Weckl, Nate 

Smith, Larnell Lewis, Eric Moore. I’ve 

learnt multiple things from all of these 

drummers, from hip hop to gospel. 

They’ve influenced me playing crazy 

chops to keeping a clean tight groove. 

They’ve helped me explore more around 

the kit. 

You were quite active at school, participating 

in every single ensemble they put 

together. How did this help in your drumming 

development? 

I feel me being a part of all the ensembles 

at The Ridge helped me be able 

to play in multiple ways like playing 

rock, marimba band, jazz, orchestral, 

in choir settings, wind band. They all 

helped with my drumming today as it 

makes me more flexible when it comes 

to playing different genres, it enables 

me to think on my feet when playing. 

Did you have any input with regards to 

these ensembles? 

In grade 7 I was the head of marimba 

band. It was a lot fun being in a leading 

position. Marimbas is such a fun 

vibrant instrument with a lot of energy. 

Did you not feel immense pressure from 

being in so many bands at school? How 

did you handle this and also manage to 

juggle all your academics on top of this? 

I did feel a lot of pressure trying to juggle 

between academics and my music 

commitments but there weren’t any real 

clashes between timing as music was 

after school and performances were on 

Fridays and Saturdays mainly. 

I remember the first time I had to perform 

in front of an audience, and it was 

terrifying. You seem like you have it down 

pat, seeing as you have been playing in 

front of crowds for so long? Was this an 

issue for you at all? 

It was never really an issue for me to 

perform in front of a crowd as I liked attention 

from a young age. I always loved 

being around people so I was very much 

an extrovert. My mentality to crowds 

was treat them the same because it’s not 

about the size of the crowd it was about 

how I made people feel in their chairs 

listening to me play. 

I heard that you got into Michaelhouse 

through your drumming? Is this true? 

How did this come about? 

I do attend Michaelhouse and I’m in my 

final year. I applied for grade 9 and my 

drumming played a big role in getting 

into this institution. The previous head 

of music, Janet Fox, heard I wanted to go 

to Michaelhouse and her sons went to 

Michaelhouse and she loves the school. 

She had a lot of good things to say about 

me. On the day of my interview I played 

drums for the head of marketing and 

he was impressed. (Continues on page 71) 

"Always practice 

the basics, always 

build a strong foundation 

for your 

playing, always be 

persistent even 

when the going gets 

tough, start off 

slow and the speed 

and clarity will 

come with time." 


PHOTOGRAPHY: MAQHAWE HOOHLO

FOLLOW 

MMOFA 

MATJELE 

mmofamatjele.music 


~> LUCA DE BELLIS 

(Continuation from page 20) the entire company 

one or two times, I would either connect 

only the rim and get this small 

clack or I would miss the rim-shot and 

get a normal snare, after which the 

sound crew would always come up to 

me and ask how my little water pistol 

shots were.” Says Luca, laughing, as 

he thinks back on some of the funnier 

moments during his ‘Chicago’ run. The 

worst part about trying to nail these effects 

is the fact that you are doing them 

on stage in plain view of the entire audience. 

So if something goes wrong, it’s 

all on you. Maybe one situation where 

it would definitely help being in the pit 

instead. ”It’s really embarrassing when 

one of the actors is like ‘DIE!” and all 

you hear from my side is this tiny pop, I 

just wanted to crawl up in a ball, Haha.” 

Says Luca, laughing. 

With all the ups and downs of touring 

and the pressure it places on individuals, 

he always kept himself composed 

with his eye on the prize and 

the future in mind. Having the correct 

mentality and maturity for this lifestyle 

is a must and Luca is absolutely 

an ode to that. LRM: “You give all these 

grown-up answers, and you have your 

head on your shoulders right for this. I 

feel like you are doing it right and you 

won’t lose your mind.” ”Haha, thanks, 

let’s go with that!” agrees Luca. 

Jumping to the present, with corona 

affecting the entire music industry 

as badly as it has, we chatted 

about how it has personally affected 

him. He mentions how lucky he is that 

the entire industry lockdown came at a 

point where he was in-between shows 

and it kind of gave him some time to just 

get grounded again at home, have some 

valuable time with his family and also 

spend some well needed time behind 

his kit working on his craft outside of a 

theatre setting. We spoke about how his 

love for photography, which matured 

into a full-fledged passion during his 

tours around the world, is now becoming 

an additional source of income. It’s 

incredible how the one thing Luca was 

using to keep his mind set and ready 

for each show during his tours has now 

allowed him to expand his expertise 

and opportunities even further during 

a time where other people are losing 

income. ”Times like these, make you 

think about when there aren't tours 

anymore or the opportunity doesn't 

present itself anymore. So this is kind 

fear as a drummer is that I will get that 

“call,” the one I’ve been hoping for my 

whole life, the one that will take my 

career to the next level, and I won’t be 

ready for it. So I practice constantly, 

mostly on the weak areas of my drumof 

like a practice run for those times. 

That’s how the photography thing came 

up for me now, It’s something that I love 

and it’s something I hope to carry on 

even when I’m touring. And in fact, it’s 

something that is made more possible 

because of the touring and all the locations 

I get to visit.” Elaborates Luca. 

It just goes to show you that there are 

always possibilities and opportunities 

as long as you are willing to find them 

and work hard. 

Some final words from Luca on his 

plans for the future: 

“I would like to carry on with theatre 

shows for as long as it allows and as 

long as the opportunity presents itself. 

It is really something I am loving. I absolutely 

want to carry on travelling and 

I can do that when playing these shows. 

On that topic, I do have another show 

which I can’t elaborate on just yet, it has 

obviously been postponed due to Corona, 

but I’ll keep everyone updated on 

that as soon as I am able to. And then 

lastly Thank you to SA DRUMMER for 

empowering the whole SA Drum community 

and providing these platforms 

for some of us who would not normally 

have this opportunity. Really love what 

you guys are doing and can’t wait to see 

what’s still in store.” 

~> HOW TO STAY CREATIVE 

(Continuation from page 25) advantage and allow 

yourself to stay motivated until things 

get back to normal. I work in the Percussion 

Department at Berklee College 

of Music. I am in the unique position of 

working with our percussion students 

from the moment they step on campus 

to the day they graduate. One of the 

most important aspects that we work 

with them on is time management. 

Between school, work, gigs, learning, 

and studying, finding balance in life is 

complicated. Instilling a better understanding 

on how to prepare for life after 

college can be intimidating; using 

their time wisely is incredibly essential 

to being successful. 

One of the key points I try to impart 

on them is being ready for an opportunity 

when there isn’t one. My worst 

“The one area that 

tends to get sacrificed 

most often in 

their daily routine is 

practicing. more often 

than not it leads 

to a detrimental outcome, 

maybe even the 

loss of a gig.“ 

ming skills, but practice to ensure I 

can walk into any audition with confidence. 

I hammer this point home with 

the students: practice and prepare yourself 

for that opportunity because you 

won’t know when it’s coming. The one 

area that tends to get sacrificed most 

often in their daily routine is practicing. 

- why? because there isn’t enough 

time, and more often than not it leads 

to a detrimental outcome, maybe even 

the loss of a gig. 

This pandemic is not over, not 

even close. Stop for a moment to 

think about how to take advantage 

of a resource that is so invaluable 

and yet so fleeting, and use it to reinvent 

yourself. 

Now that we have had all the time in 

the world handed to us, how are you using 

it? 


~> MMOFA MATJELE 

(Continuation from page 68) Who teaches you now? 

My drum teacher is Lendle Lewis - a 

current teacher at Hilton college who 

has been teaching me for the past couple 

of years. I would just like to thank 

him for guiding me in achieving a distinction 

for my drum exam last year, an 

achievement I’m extremely proud of. 

You manage to walk a fine line between 

grooving and chopping on the kit, straying 

ever more into the groove side of 

things. Very similar to what I see in Nate 

Smith’s playing. Who taught you this discipline 

with regards to your playing? Was 

it a teacher or your own experiences? 

With my chops I learnt them from 

Gavin as well as a lot of YouTube videos. 

I would always play to videos where 

drummers would be doing chops and 

be grooving and I would listen and try 

interpret what they played and where 

they grooved, I did the same. 

Going through your videos that are floating 

around online, one thing is very apparent. 

All of your mix-and-match drum 

kits. I have seen videos and photos of you 

putting some amazing Frankenstein kits 

together. How did this start for you? And 

why do you do it? 

My drum kit is every interesting, it 

started with my mother buying me 

an electric drum kit because we lived 

a complex then when I moved to my 

father’s house my father bought me a 

drum kit but it was secondhand. I didn’t 

know the history of it and it was a mixture 

of a Pearl and a Ludwig drum kit 

and I found this out after I removed the 

wrap from the shells. 

I then got my PDP drum kit from 

my grandmother which is a 7 piece 

kit, I wanted a gong drum with it but 

couldn’t get it so I took my Pearl floor 

tom as a gong and made it a part of the 

acoustic setup and then added my electric 

kit to form a hybrid setup which I 

love because there’s an abundance of 

sounds I can get. I would prefer to have 

one colour kit because I’d like to say I’m 

pendantic so I would want to have a kit 

with one colour but that will come in 

the future. 

Can you tell us about all the different 

parts of your current set up? 

So with my snare drums I have a Tama 

Imperial snare tuned low for a rock 

sound which is positioned on my left. In 

a different genre I could use my Tama 

Piccolo tuned very high for gospel, 

funk, reggae or hip hop. My main snare 

is tuned at a medium to high pitch to 

suit most genres I play and it’s to my 

taste. I have two Yamaha drum pads on 

either side of the kit with the Yamaha 

bass drum on the left of the kit connected 

by a double pedal. 

If you could give a little bit of advice to all 

the other young up and comers out there 

today, what would it be? 

Always practice the basics, always build 

a strong foundation for your playing, 

always be persistent even when the going 

gets tough, start off slow and the 

speed and clarity will come with time.

Issue 14 - Nate Smith - September 2020

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