₦airaland Forum

Hello present and future clients.

My profile says I am a freelance drummer,

True but I am also a copy typist.

Yes a freelance copy typist.

I enjoy typing a lot and i'm also really fast on the keys.

I type from printed and handwritten text,

I also amend documents until you are happy with the final products.

Documents I type includes:

•Books
•Manuals
•Statements
•Articles
•Poetry
•Manuscripts
•Simple copy and paste jobs
•Minutes of meetings
•etc.

If you are interested in my services please send me an email, comment or send me a Pm and before I forget I would love to say a big thank you to those who might consider hiring me now or in the future. I hope we can work together.

Playing in a band is one of the top most priority for all drummers (maybe some not all) and also the most important in a drummer’s “to do” list. Being in a band (especially the band with lots of playing Gigs) can be refreshing and exhausting sometimes, it is also crazy and mostly filled with a lot of experiences (the good, the bad and the ugly). Playing in a band with other musical instrumentalist, connecting with one another to make good music, going on tour with a top music artiste in the music industry and also having to get a lot of playing Gig as a band is what every drummer dreams of.

But this post is not about playing in a band and what it feel like being in one but it’s about the different type of drummers you see in a band. It is about the personality of the drummer, the relevance of the drummer and also the important contributions he or she adds to the band.

LET’S BEGIN, SHALL WE:

1)The new guy:  Being a fresh recruit in a band is not that smooth and easy especially if you are not familiar with everyone. The new guy gets to prove himself to the band, the artiste, the directors and everyone connected to the band. He knows that any little mistake from his side could get him evicted from the band, so he tries as much as possible to be a professional. As a new guy creating a bond with the other musical instrumentalist is necessary, playing smoothly and not just trying to show off is also needed. Your skill alone as a new guy won’t take you that far, you also need to spice it up with a good attitude.

2)The old guy: There is nothing much to say about the old guy other the fact he has been in the band for a very long time. Being the old guy may come from his extra ordinary skill as a drummer, his attitude, his contribution to the band or it might be that he is the leader of the band (he runs everything in the band), a close friend to one of the band leaders, a co-founder and a very important person in the music business. Whatever the case might be he stays in the band and it really doesn’t matter if he does much or not, if he contributes or not, as long as he is the old guy, he stays.

3)The quiet guy: The only reason why the quiet guy is still in the band is because of his excellent skill as a drummer and also the ability to execute and score every song perfectly. He doesn’t say much when it comes to the area of sharing of ideas and being creative with the music the band is creating. His being quiet has nothing to the do with his personality (introverted or extroverted) or his stay in the band (the old or new guy) but in his willingness to execute on every ideas laid down by his band mates. I won’t be surprise if his favorite quote is “Action speaks louder than words”. Lol.

Also note that being the quiet guy might also come from that he wasn’t given the opportunity to air his opinion and ideas due to reasons known to his fellow band mates. But whatever the case might be, the quiet guy will always remain the quiet guy until he is pushed or asked to contribute and share his ideas with the band.

4)The substitute: His stay in the band is temporary. He just like a substitute in a football match, he only gets to play when the main player is not available.  Being the temporary player doesn’t stop him from giving his all and being there when the band needs him the most. His is committed and tries as much as possible not to mess things up. He might not be interested in being the main player or taking the place of the main player (no one wants to be a temporary player for long) but he knows that being an extra ordinary temporary prayer with good skills can get him the position of the main player in the band.

5)The linchpin: Looking at examples from Seth Godin’s book “linchpin”, a drummer who happens to be a linchpin is indispensable (probably not). He sees things differently. He is productive, creative and full of ideas when it comes to making new music, performing in a big or small Gig, executing on a Gig and playing smoothly and perfectly on the drums. As a music artiste he is the guy you run to when you need someone killing it for you on the drums. He is not necessary the new or the old guy, the quiet or the substitute (if you are the main player in a band and you have a linchpin as a substitute, then you should be worried) but the one with the most value in the band. Anyone in the band, from the drummer to the bass player to the saxophonist can be a linchpin. A drummer with the trait of a linchpin stands out from other drummers. A linchpin drummer knows it’s not only about the skills but also about the useful, original and unexpected creativity he adds to the band.

I know there are still lot of different types of drummers in a band. So if you have or happen to know of any other type of drummers you see in a band, feel free to share.

Today I'll be dishing out facts about this amazing family. A family blessed with beautiful kids, a family that have impacted and invested so much into the music world, a family that have collaborated with other families to create good music, a family blessed with rhythms, rolls, fills, dynamics and rudiments. Ladies and gentle men I introduce you to the DRUM KIT'S FAMILY.

With no further hyping, let's go straight to the fun facts about this family.

DID YOU KNOW THAT:
*The female drum sticks don't mind you cheating on her with another, as long as the other is in a good shape and makes you happy.

*The beautiful drum pedal with the bad attitude is likely to break your heart, leg and vibe on a big Gig.

*The drum key might be the quite one in the drum kit family but he is always there to tune good rhythms into some of the members when they are out of tune.

*In a complete drum kit's family, the toms and the drum sticks are the only identical twins in the family.

*The cymbals and the bass drums both need each other to finish a roll, fill or dynamics.

*The bass drum is the only one in the drum kit family that doesn't  need the drum sticks to be relevant.

*No matter how high the hat gets, there is always someone in the drum kit family ready to snare him down.

*The drum kit is more likely to survive without the drum sticks but not the drum pedals.

*The closest one to the floor is the bass drum not the floor tom.

*The twins (toms) are the only members of the drum kit family that don't stand alone but depends on the other (bass drum) to stand.

And finally did you know the most beautiful drum kit is futile without the drummer Lol. I guess you already know that.

Today was a good day for me and I feel so good and proud about myself and I guess you all don't wanna know why but I'm still gonna say it.
   * I practised for hours today (doesn't happen often)
   * I learned new rudiments, rolls, fills, and dynamics and also applied them on the drum kit in a day (yeah I'm a genius)
   * I got a call back from the last Gig I had (one of the biggest Gig ever)
   * I'm gonna be on tour with one of the biggest artiste in Nigeria (I dreamed about it Lol, still waiting for it to become a reality. #Positive)
   *And I finally showed gratitude to the universe for making me a drummer.

But

None of my band mates was there to give me an high-five and tell me how good I am and also lie to my face on how I am the greatest drummer on earth but instead I sat there closed my eyes and I began to imagine things. And as you all know imagination is envisioning things that do not exist.

So let's just imagine you on your way to the studio or where ever you practice and on getting close to the door you hear voices, not just any kind of voice but the voice of each part of the drum kit saying good and bad stuff about you and how you treat them on a Gig, show and studio sessions.

This is what the drum kit had to say about me.

Drum sticks: Hey guys! What do you have to say about my boss. You know I literally spend more hours with him than he does with you guys.

Snare: No you don't

Drum sticks: Yes I do and I'm pretty sure you know he doesn't need a snare to practise his rudiments. Anything and everything works for him.

Snare: Yeah I do and that's why you look rough, broken and unused sometimes.

Cymbal: Enough. Can we get back to discussing what we like about Jamer the drummer.

2nd tom: He is cool, though he really doesn't use much of me but I do get to enjoy a single or sometimes a double stroke before he crashes on a cymbal and I also get to feature in some of his rolls.

1st tom: His fills are good and I love the fact that he shares a triplet between I and the snare. His rolls are cool but can be better.

Hi-Hat: He knows how important I am but still he doesn't use me in most of his rolls and dynamics. I have seen other pro drummers use my colleagues perfectly in a roll and to be honest it kinda hurt.

Floor tom: I play a crucial part in some of his rolls and rudiments and I ain't complaining but what I do know is I get to enjoy a stroke or two before he hits Mr cymbal.

Bass drum: He is kinda good with the double kicking and also knows when to use it in a roll but his speed is not that good, he needs to work on that.

Cymbal: Snare you got anything to say?

Snare: Nothing much. I like him and I also love the fact that he works on his rudiments, rolls and fills well and applies them smoothly on the drum kit. I also know for fact that I am able to handle a roll with the help of the bass drum alone but he shares triplets, rudiments, rolls, fills and dynamics with hi-hat, the twin brothers (1st & 2nd tom) and their big fat bro (floor tom).

Cymbal: I don't think I have complains but if there is one thing I like about him is the fact that he hits a stroke on me for a reason, I might come out as the most loudest and the one with the most noise but when he is on the kit I don't feel like the noise making cymbal you all call me.

Drum stick: I know he is gonna replace me the moment I get old or broken but what I know is, I am glad to be used by a drummer like jamer and to work with you guys.

Yeah I know I sound crazy right now but this is just me and my imagination.
If the drum kit could talk what do you think they'd say about you.

Every musical instrumentalist has a unique nickname. A name that makes them stand out from everyone else. A name that shows they are musical instrumentalist without you asking. A name that makes them feel like a pro. A name that makes them feel proud about being a musical instrumentalist.

I don't personally have one(not all instrumentalist have nicknames) but I have come across instrumentalist with crazy and funny nicknames and I realised there is a certain pattern to giving yourself a nickname as an instrumentalist.

There is a golden rule that must be followed : To have a unique nickname the instrument you play must come before or after your name( Lol I guess you all know that).

Here is an example or an idea on different instruments and different examples of unique nicknames:

There's nothing a drummer wants more than a good gig. Be it a studio Gig, a touring gig, a church gig, or the regular gig at a bar, every drummer wants a gig. As a newbie or a drummer who hasn't gotten enough recognition yet, we tend to take any gig that comes our way, not minding if the gig pays or not, we just want to play, build network and hope/pray that by doing what we do, we get the recognition and the gigs we deserve as drummers.

Getting the gig is one thing. Getting a call back is another.

There are two things that get you the gigs:
1) Your skill
2) Your personality

These two things work hand in hand to get you the gigs you want and deserve. Having a great personality or being skillful alone won't get you the gigs. You need the two.

So as drummers and musicians that we all are, we need to remind ourselves that:

5) Just like every human, Drummers do LIE. Lol.

4) We do mess things up "sometimes" Lol.

3) Drummers Don't do maths. The only maths we do is counting the quarter, eighth  and sixteenth note out loud.

2) We sometimes  love to show off, even if u have no interest in what we're showing you.

I have always known drummers to be humble, social and different with great personality, uniqueness and swag (I'm a drummer too, in case you are wondering how I got to know this) but there are few things most people don't know about drummers, making them look so perfect and also forgetting they are humans too ( we are humans but the special kind. Lol).

So, here are five(5) crazy things drummers do that makes us human but the special kind.

1) Drummers do get angry too. Lol who doesn't

*Na-water: when asked how the test or exam was, I end up saying na-water(very simple).

*Sket(skirt): first class womaniser. How I loved girls so much and still end up being in dah top 3 in class till now still beat my guys/teachers imagination .

There's a business card for everything.

A drummer's job interview

Director: So what do you do?

Me: I am a Professional Drummer

Director: What's the job of a drummer?

Me: My job a drummer is to musically give you the best of creative Arts full of Rhythms and Dynamics.



PS: I have been a freelance drummer for a while, now i think i'm ready for a full time job as a drummer


Churches, bands, musicians, etc in need of musical instrumentalist holla at me, i'd be honored to hook you up with the very best.

The 48 Laws of Power happens to be one of my favorite books, a book full of mind blowing historical stories, power, risk and influence but today i am going to share with you some of the laws and also a drummer's version or interpretation of the laws.

NB: DV--- Drummers Version
So here we go:

1)Never Outshine your Master
DV: If you still want to have gigs to play, if you still want to get connected to the big names in the industry never outshine your drums master.


2)Never put too much Trust in Friends, learn how to use Enemies
DV: Never put too much trust in your regular drum kit, learn to use the electronic drum kit.

3)Always say Less than Necessary
DV: We tired of hearing how good you are. Lets see what you can do on the kit.

4)So much depend on reputation - Guard it with your life
DV: If you are a pro drummer, be a better pro. If you are an amateur strive to be a better drummer.

5)Get other People to do the Work for you, but always take the credit
DV: Get the metronome to do the work for you, but always take the credit.

6)Infection: Avoid the unhappy and unlucky
DV: Avoid the unhappy band mates and the unhappy drum kit, they make you look bad.

7)Learn to keep people dependent on you
DV: learn to keep the band/lead singers dependent on you, if not you are gonna be kicked out.

Crush your Enemy totally
DV: Crush every Gig totally but in a good way.

9)Know Who you are Dealing with - Do not offend the wrong person
DV: Do not offend the music director or the lead singer, i repeat do not offend.

10)Recreate yourself
DV: Recreate yourself by reinventing yourself. Be a better person/drummer.

11)Enter Action with Boldness
DV: Enter every Gig with Boldness.

12)Make Your Accomplishment Seem Effortless
DV: Let people see the amazing things you can do on the drum kit. Conceal your tricks and routines.

13)Be Royal in your Own Fashion: Act like King to be treated like One
DV: Act like a pro drummer to be treated like one. Be the boss in the Game.

14)Avoiding Stepping into a Great Man's Shoes
DV: As much as you can, avoid stepping into the shoes of the guys that got you the big Gigs and connections.

15)Never appear too Perfect
DV: Sit down and be humble.

The main whatsapp doesn't work on my BB Passport. I am using GB whatsapp for the main time, works perfectly fine.

Watching a girl jam crazily on the drums its like watching lionel messi do his thing with the ball, its a feeling i truly can't explain .

I happen to be a huge fan of the football genius. The way he plays is amazing. The skills, the assist, the dribbles, the goals and the awards/trophies shows how good he is but this post is not about him but about the beautiful girl drummers all around the world.

All my life i grew up making music with mostly guys and i am sure most guys did too, so watching a girl jam crazily to a song for the first time was new to me and at the same time pretty cool.

Its kinda hard to see girl drummers or instrumentalist, especially here in Nigeria but with the few i have seen, i can proudly say its been an honor watching them do their thing.

Today is not a girl drummers day but a day i had choose to appreciate the girls, ladies and women who choose to play the instrument and make beautiful music. Be it the drums, keyboard, saxophone, bass guitar etc, it doesn't matter, what matters is that they are beautiful and amazingly good at what they do.

#Amazing-Girl-Drummers
#Amazing-Girl-Instrumentalist
#Love
#Peace

This is what I call S-B-E (Simple But Expensive).

4) Loud Play..., Scattered Rolls

3) Loud Play..., Clean Rolls

2) Simple Play..., Scattered Rolls

Some love it cool, others love it loud. Some love playing for a long time, others short time. Some can keep it simple without applying roll and fills around the drum kit, others can't.

We are all different and can't play and groove the same way, lol we can't, so It's our work as drummers to know who we are and what works for us.

So ladies and gentlemen I present to you the  four different style of play used by drummers (My version Lol):

1) Simple Play..., Clean Rolls

*We started as friends, watched you go on tour with other Guys(drummers). I kept my calm and then

*We became friends with benefits. I played you in exchange for anything you had to offer like free gigs, food, connections etc and then

*I became your side Guy(drummer). For what its worth, it was kinda a good place to be. Lol, at least i took the place of the main guy sometimes and finally

*I became the main Guy(drummer).

*LOL

I grew up attending a church with 1 keyboardist, 1 bass player, 1 lead guitarist, 2 saxophonist and 7 drummers. This is how a Sunday service is shared between the drummers. The earlier you get to church the better the number you get. Lets call the drummers D.

D1: Opening prayers......(depends on who is taking the prayer. If he likes to sing good, if he doesn't am sorry for you.

D2: Praise and worship.........(lucky champ. Its your day man. Enjoy)

D3: Choir's ministration........(5-10 minute of play is not that bad nah.)

D4: Hymn.......(1-3 minute of play ain't that bad too)

D5: Pastor's ministration.........(like the first drummer, it depends on the kind of pastor you gat. If he likes to sing, happy for you, if he doesn't, I'm sorry .)

D6: Tithe and offering......(its something lol. You should be thankful.)

D7: Closing prayer........(Lol, am sorry man but If it happens to be a thanksgiving Sunday, consider yourself a lucky man.)

Lol. In cases like this, knowing the probability of me failing is 1, i'd give myself a pep talk like "I will not let any fucking exam or its result decide my fate" and i'm good to go.

LOL. There is a quote that says man plans, God laughs but in this case we would say drummer plans, drum pedal laughs. At a point in our life as drummers we've come across situations like this and i can tell from several experience that its not something you'd wish on yourself or a fellow drummer. Having the pedal fail at the middle of a song would be the worst break up of all time, no girl can beat that lol. 

This is how you solve the problems of the pedals when playing on a gig:

(1)Floor tom: With immediate effect the floor tom becomes the substitute for the bass drum(thanks to the pedal). Since you can't bounce on the song and your band mates like that, you have no other option than to substitute and wait till the pedal get fixed.

(2)Extra: If you have an extra, which doesn't happen often, consider yourself a lucky child, because no pedal can take your shine lol.

(3)Beg: You stylishly beg the singer(with your eyes) to reduce the minutes. If it was a 10 minutes song, the moment the drum pedal fails, it becomes a 3 minutes song.

(4)Fix it: At this point you don't care if the song is still on or not just stand up, look for a corner and deal with the pedals lol.

(5)Sound check: To avoid using the first 4 solutions, make sure you do a proper sound check of all the parts of the drum kit before playing, to avoid stories that touch.

#Peace.

Lol. We all make mistakes but as drummers we ain't allowed to make one, especially when on a Gig coz every stroke, rolls and fills must follow a certain beat/tempo.

Going too fast or slow on a song can affect us as drummers, making us look like amateur players even if you are a pro drummer, changing the director's/singers mind on calling you back for a Gig and also making people second guess your true worth as a drummer.

And that is why it's important to master our craft, practice alone and with the band regularly and also try to keep things as simple as possible when on a Gig.

We are all humans not machines lol, mistakes are bound to happen and when it does, as pro drummers that we all are lol, we get back into the game like nothing ever happened.

#Mistakes-Are-Allowed
#Peace

A LETTER TO ALL THE LEAD SINGERS

Dear Lead Singers,

Hope you all doing well. I write this letter from the depth of my heart as a drummer to tell you how angry i am for leaving a pro-drummer like myself frustrated on the drums, i mean a "pro-drummer" not just any kind. You are a fine singer with a beautiful voice, fine but what's the point of coming up with the best of songs if you ain't going to follow the beautiful beats laid down by my humble self.

Drummers are the the pulse of the band, we serve you with the best of beats, we determine the pace of the songs and all you could do is go off key not once but five times in a row. WOW. To show how tired i am of you going off key, i am going to give you reasons why i get frustrated when you go off key.
(1)It makes me look bad. What if i can't come back or decide not to come back to that beat you pushed me off. What If?
(2)It kinda kills the fun.
(3)I am the one making the beats and you are busy doing the job of the drummer by setting the pace of the songs, going off key at the time it suits you the most.
(4)It affects at my style of play, making me loose focus/interest on the songs
(5)It weakens me.

I know you going to say i am a pro-drummer and i am able and capable of turning this situations(going off key) of yours into heaven, not today. I hope this rant, oh sorry, letter of mine meets you well and i pray you change your ways and learn to accept and follow the beats offered to you by a pro-drummer.


Yours Sincerely
Pro-drummer

Lol i can so relate with this meme. This is what i call the moment of truth. At this point nothing else matters, not the band, the audience, the girl i'm trying to impress with my crazy skills or the music itself or maybe they do matter too . At this point i just wanna play. I just want to smoothly and amazingly apply all the rudiments, rolls and fills i'd practiced for weeks. I just want to create an art full of rhythms and dynamics. This is not an opportunity to show off but to see how far i have come as a drummer and to impress myself and maybe the fine girl sitting in the front roll.
This is just me being grateful for the opportunities and praying for moment of truth like this.

Check out more crazy/almost boring drum tales on https://ejamer..com

Every musical instrumentalist has a unique nickname. A name that makes them stand out from everyone else. A name that shows they are musical instrumentalist without you asking. A name that makes them feel like a pro. A name that makes them feel proud about being a musical instrumentalist.

I don't personally have one(not all instrumentalist have nicknames) but I have come across instrumentalist with crazy and funny nicknames and I realised there is a certain pattern to giving yourself a nickname as an instrumentalist.

There is a golden rule that must be followed : To have a unique nickname, the instrument you play must come before or after your name( Lol I guess you all know that).

Here is an example or an idea on different instruments and their unique nicknames:

Check out more crazy/almost boring stories on https://ejamer..com

First i am going to ask, WHAT'S THE POINT?

Yeah.....what's the point of:
*Having an idea if you not going to execute
*Watching drum videos(lessons) if you not going to practice and apply what you learnt
*Practicing all 40 rudiments perfectly and not applying a single one on the drum kit.

Nobody is going to know how good you rolls are, how amazing your fills are or how crazy your dynamics are if we don't see you apply them on the drum kit.

You get better by playing i.e putting every rudiments, rolls and fills into use.

It feels good to be able to practice those rudiments perfectly, you also feel better knowing you can apply those rudiments on the drum kit but the best feeling is actually applying them on kit not just to yourself or friends but on a big Gig, show or studio sessions etc.

You don't have to apply all the badass rolling and rudiments lol, with the little you know and the ones you are comfortable with, just put them into good use.

#Apply-The-Rudiments
#Words-For-You-And-I

#Peace.