WorkshopLive interview with Pete Sweeney
When did you start to play? I started playing at the age of five. I got a drumset for Christmas from my Aunt Joan who thought it was
hilarious to have me banging away!
When did you start to notice that your playing was different from everyone else's? When did you find your voice as a player? When I was in
High School and we would trade drum breaks between myself and a few other drummers, including my brother. You had to find ways to make a statement on the instrument
that was immediately original.
How do you keep your playing fresh? I practice things that are difficult to do. I try new stuff all of the time. I also listen to a lot of very
creative music that's very inspirational.
What do you do when you get stuck? Keep at it. If I'm practicing and I have real difficulty I may walk away for a few minutes.
Eventually I'll come back and really work on it.
What do you still find hard to do? I find many things challenging. Playing fast requires chops that need to be maintained regularly.
Being fully attentive at all times as you are playing is every musician's challenge.
How often are you surprised by your playing, or what you're listening to, or music in general? I am often surprised by what happens on gigs.
There's a level of uncertainty to every gig that you may learn to enjoy. Some nights, you play great and not feel that good. Other nights you feel great and you play lousy.
You play great and the audience doesn't care. You play terrible and the audience thinks you're great. Always very surprising!
Do you have a regular practice regimen? Do you have a practice "tool-kit" - metronome, tuner, recorder, etc.? Do you have a special place for
practice set aside in your home? How do you practice on the road or when you travel? I practice regularly wherever I go. I will make a space to play on the pad for
a while which really helps to get loose. At home I have a designated room that has a metronome, drum machine, radio and CD player, and lots of books and papers. I
need to clean my practice room. It looks like a bomb went off in there!
Is there a piece of gear you just can't live without? No. I actually like to switch things up so I can play some other gear for a while. I do
have preferences about gear, but I am not that particular. Actually, I always would like a really good drum throne. With a good seat, I am immediately in business!
Are there one or two core ideas that are central to your teaching that you make sure every student learns? Yes! Learn about time. Not
only musical time but time in your life as well. Don't waste too much time in real life and you'll find you won't waste as much at your instrument as well. Also I think it's
important to learn how to learn. It's not enough to get a lot of information. You have to find ways that make sense for you to process all of that information so it becomes a
part of your playing in a relaxed and confident manner. A teacher can really help, but ultimately you are your teacher.
Do you find yourself returning to listen to the artists who inspired you when you first started to play? Who are they? I saw Buddy Rich
many times as a kid and I met with him and talked with him for a long time. He was absolutely the most natural musician I ever saw. Always stunning! Earlier this year
I got the chance to meet Roy Haynes who just turned 81 and sounded great. I also recently met another great, Jack De Johnette. I have always loved these people
because they are all truly great musicians, not just another passing drummer of the month.
Does your playing change when you switch instruments? Sure! Just to get in position to play, for instance, the floor tom, means you
have to make some kind of adjustment.
How often, when you're playing, do you find those moments of pure music, when your head is clear, your fingers are working, there are
no distractions, and it's just you and the music? Often enough that I chose to be a musician in the first place and that I continue to be. It's a real big challenge
under any circumstance to be fully present and attentive at all times.
We have a feature called "Big Ears", where we suggest interesting music to our members that they might not have heard before. What
would you suggest for them? "Actual Proof" by Herbie Hancock on the Thrust CD. Also the CD "Believe It" by Tony Williams Lifetime.
Anything by Allan Holdsworth is shocking.
What are you listening to these days? Do you search out music that's new and unfamiliar to you? I have an iPod where I have about 2,000
songs that I will flip around. Lots of jazz and creative music. I don't really listen to commercial music unless I absolutely have to.
Do you have a musical wish list - other instruments to learn, people to play with, artists or styles to explore? I have no wishes that have not
been unfulfilled. I am healthy and have played with a lot of great musicians over the years. I was fortunate enough to be a full time professional musician. I would like to learn
how to play piano. I guess when it comes to playing piano, I am shelf-taught. I buy all of the books and they end up on the shelf!
Have you ever had a really great teacher? What made him/her so good? I have had great teachers. My first teacher Dave Calarco is a great player.
He gave me discipline at a time when I really needed it. I studied with Joe Morello who is not only a great player, but also one of the world's best teachers. I learned how to teach
from Joe. Along the way I also studied with Mike Clark and Bob Moses. If I love someone's playing, I will try and get a lesson out of them.
How do you learn best? I learn best when I have to. For instance, I learned to read charts when I first started playing Big Band music because I had to.
It was learn to do this or lose the gig. There usually has to be some sense of urgency for me to get truly motivated.
Do you have any practice tips we can share with our subscribers? Yes! Practice what you will be heard doing. If you are in a band, practice the
songs, and your parts, as much as possible. Try hearing the tempos you have to play in your head. The technical stuff is great, but what you will be heard doing is the most important thing to work on.
The best way to progress, in my opinion, is to be fully present with little or no distractions internally as you are playing your instrument.
