The little drummer boy

"I want to play the drums," said a 10 year-old boy inside his beating heart. No one heard the dream that started in him, but as he stood outside the music shop staring at the drumset in the window, he started dreaming, fingers tapping on the window as if he was playing the drums, making drum sounds loudly with his mouth and stamping the footpath with his feet to keep the beat. Drums, drums, drums, I want to be a drummer. Then this dream began to drive the little drummer boy, at the age of 11, he started playing the drums, well they weren't exactly the drums, they were anything he could hit with his hands: the table, chairs, cups, plates, bottles, his old lady's pots and pans, pillows, cushions, the bed his younger brother and sister's heads. Then he made his first drumset out of some tins and played them by using branches and coat hangers which had thin sticks. He learnt by listening to music on the radio and his father's record collection by copying the drummers. In those days they had no TV. Then at the age of 12, He played in his cousin Kawe's band, everyone else was older than him and they played all over Auckland, South Auckland and Waikato. His cousin bought him his first drumset-these were magical times for him - he played and played and played.

Forty years later the dream still lives on in me, I have played for many bands and have never stopped playing them and still today I play in bands. The drums have been a lifelong passion that has allowed me to work with some of the greatest muscians I have ever known. One of the greatest pleasure has been to pass this dream on by teaching many young drummers to play the drums. To see the dream that started up in me all those years ago begin in the heart of a young drummer is sweet and beautiful.

So step inside my world - the world of drumming!!

STUDIO DRUMMER
I recorded the drums for Steve Apirana's album in Australia, 2009. The studio was in New Castle and was formerly owned by the famous Australian band of the eighties called: INXS.

This is my studio drums: a DW maple wood - with zildgian cymbols and high hats. It was a beautiful kit to play.

SESSION TIME
Laying down the drum tracks for each song.
You do this by listening to each other through the ear cans. Apparently this gives the engineer a better recorded sound on the tracks.

Okay...I look like I'm in agony! Would you believe me if I said it's sheer pleasure drumming in a studio and especially on an album. Awesome dude!!



...aaahh...yeah...more drums...once I'm on them I can't get off...



Hey, where's the drummer?

This is what we call live sessions. We play the songs by listening to each other through the ear phones. Studio muso's laying down tracks. It's such a buzz recording!!



MIXING ROOM
This is a mixing desk~~big, eh? All the music we play comes in here and mixed down to their own tracks each instrument gets a track each. Drum track, guitar track, bass track, bla bla bla...

That guy there is the engineer who does all the mixing as well as make us cups of coffees... cause were stars... yeah, right!



And this lady...is my wife.



Starting from left to right: engineer, producer, Steve, Donna, me.



MATECITO LATIN BAND
I have been playing in a latin band for the last 15 years. The leader is Gerrado Torres from Peru. He has taught me how to play authentic ryhthms on the drums like: merengue, salsa, pom pom, bossa nova and many others. Over the years we have played in latin fiestas in Christchurch which are often the highlights on the Christchurch entertainment scene. Gerrado is like a soul brother to me and I have been privileged to share his culture of music and ryhthm.

Playing latin ryhthms is one of my favourite styles of drumming. It's so fast, syncopated, and intoxicating to play. Awesome!!

Gerrado and me. Rehearsing in the Christchurch town hall before a fiesta night.
You can vaguely see my beautiful sonor drumset in the background. Awewsome kit to play!!



DONNA TAIRAKENA BAND
This is Donna's band. She plays a tasty mixture of latin, jazz, ethnic grooves and ballads. This is one of her concerts at the Christchurch Jazz School. Pretty awesome band!
That's my magnificent pearl jazz kit I'm playing. It's so sweet to play!!



That looks like me...oops

I use this kit for smaller gigs where the drumming is more delicate and ryhthmatic. It's a beautiful kit to play along with piccolo snare drum. Picolos are the sweetest snares ever and ever amen!





GO DRUMMER BOY !!!