My third instrument I learned as a kid was drums. My parents forced my to learn piano and violin. Drums was my desire and sought out to play no matter what. I started playing when I was 13 and have never put my sticks down.
These days I play on an electronic kit, as I found many more benefits of playing an electronic kit than a real one such as:
- No microphones needed to record
- Real samples of expensive drums are available
- The pitch, sound, and timbre of any drum can be changed
- The velocity or force of notes can be adjusted
- I can play at 1AM without complaints
- Recording ideas is lightening fast
- Hundreds of sounds are available instead of just 1 kit
As a session drummer, I can provide quite a range of different sounds and styles. Some songs may require drum loops instead of actual playing. I welcome either style. As a producer, I’m impartial to the method of producing a good drum sound. Whatever the song requires should be what is delivered.
For clients who need “real” sounding drums, I have you covered. I have a library of real world drum “samples” that sound amazing. The drums sound simply real, because they are sampled sounds and not electronic wave forms. No one can tell the difference between sampled drums and real ones.
My drummer heroes include:
- Max Roach
- Jason Bonham
- Chad Smith
- Vinnie Colaiuta
- Keith Moon
- and more….
I listen to a wide range of music which influences my playing. As an example I often listen to these styles:
- Jazz
- Bossa Nova
- Classic Rock
- Funk
- Blues
- African Traditional
- Cuban / Afro Cuban
- EDM / Electronic
As you can see this is a varied taste in beats and rhythms. I’m not saying I can effectively reproduce all these styles, but I am influenced by and enjoy these different genres.
Check out my drumming demo / portfolio and let’s get to work.
Sincerely,
D.K. Mckenzie – April 26th 2024