Session Drummer!!!

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: I Played and Produced and Artist who was truly the real deal, I did all the drums arranging a produced and even played some keys - It was some of the best work that i did to that point - I had country labels here asking me about this artist and he wasn't even country!!! Was an alternative rock this very wide scoped in that genre. The kid Taylor was wonderful! The buzz was awesome - so when we had label meetings the kid (i say kid he was 24) literally went missing and decided he wanted to smoke pot on the beach in California and not do the work! So one of the most rewarding projects Ive ever did never saw the light of day. That the music biz Kids!!! Bless Tony Morra

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I have 3 country songs - a "jon mayer" type track - Then Im doing an all "AI" cover for an artist! Its an experiment live folks playing AI. Crazy!

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Luis Espaillat - Bass Phenomenal! we work in town a bunch~ Luke Sullivant - Guitar - plays with Kelly Clarkson - Hes a freak! Plays anything! Mark Prentice - Bass Chris Donahue - Bass Reed Pittman - Keys Phil Madeira - Keys

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I think I touched on this above - All my drums and instruments that I record go through analog before they hit digital! I truly believe there's a huge difference. Partly because all the air moving passed the mic gets picked up and all goes through the processing before it's converted to numbers - I have had questions why do your tracks sound so fat? I believe that to be the reason your processing analog - when you record direct and add processing afterward it sounds flat and a bit ....well.....digital not natural!

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: I can say that I will do the best with all I have to put the best drums or mix on a track. I can promise that but music is subjective and some folks might think what you did isn't the "best for their song". I really don't promise anything other than with the expertise and experience I have you'll have more then you need to have a great drum track or production if I'm producing.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Serving my clients and hearing that I helped their vision be realized! How great is that I get to do something I love that I'm really good at and work with folks to help realize a dream. Nothing better than that!

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: Can you do the song for less? Not all the time but happens quite a lot. If you're reading this you'll see I give you a lot! for what I charge. Also Soundbetter rightfully so takes a percentage so that makes it harder to do deals. Some have said 'there are guys' cheaper why are you what you charge whats the difference - Now I dont know every other drummer on the site - they are all wonderful players Im sure But sometimes the difference is that some providers have a "mic pack" and an interface right into their laptop. That great and "its gets the job done" My Room Is if not the best sounding drum room in Nashville its is one of them - again not ego - just what I'm told - Chris Lorde Alge (look Up if not familiar with) Told a producer "where the hell did you track these drums. I've mixed drums from all the Nashville studios?" Matt told him "Its this guy im his garage in Franklin TN" Chris told him "tell him to keep doing what he's doing"! Basically my room gets it more then done 😀 Can you do the song today? - I wish that I could sometimes if its a label deadline I can to my best to go to bed later and get it done. But Im working here daily in my room playing & producing or at another studio in town - so i try to do within 4-5 days - most times i get it done within 3 days. Can you shoot video too? Thats alot for work. See drums in a video have to be locked - it personally makes me crazy when you see a video and the drummer isn't playing what on the track - if I can read my chart its easier but that looks boring - so I have to memorize a song - then film it match it to audio its a lot of editing video - I do but I do charge $150 to $200 to do video

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That we don't know what the song needs. I know Im hammering that - and please let me state that its not ego! - Ive been there done that enough times that I have nothing to prove to anyone - the only thing I have to do is give you the best performance for your song. Ya know a recent prospective client - wanted me to call him so he could vet - me and see if I was the right fit for the song. Im the right fit for any song. but his point was he wanted to know If I liked his song. he never posted it. so i never heard it - Now I was giving him a deal - and i told him its not up to me to like the song! If i only played on songs I liked - I'd be working in a supermarket! I've been in bands that I didnt like half the songs but my job was to play them like they were and give them the best I have.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: If I hear the song ,if its posted - I will ask if they want the drums exactly like they are - I also ask for references from artist they like for sound of kit they are looking for or style. I'll ask what the songs is about lyrically - that's very important! I also ask for the sample rate they work at so I can deliver files with client having to do very little on there end to get to the next phase of their production.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Know that hiring me I'm going to do all I can for your song to be the best it can be and I would ask to trust me. Oh And please name you files more than "Audio" LOL

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: Ha! That's not fair that's not even a whole drum kit! A good wood kit could come in handy and some cymbals maybe I could fashion a boat out of them and get to safety! Not and Island or beach guy! LOL

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: My grandfather came over from Italy in 1915. he was with and Opera touring Company. My Father was a Big Band drummer. All my Great Uncles were all Musicians! 12 of them! SO....at 3 years old my mom used to plop me down behind my father's slingerland radio king drum set and put her records on (frankie valli & the four seasons, the beatles, tom jones, frank sinatra...) while she was doing the laundry so she would know where i was in the basement. After awhile she told my Dad "Joe, i think Anthony's actually playing the songs" - so that started it all really - My grandfather taught me note values with a candy bar! So I was off and running. By 13 I was in bands with guys twice my age! At 15 - my father got double booked on a wedding gig. The guys didn't realize till day of the gig. My father calls down stairs to me 'you still got that suit mommy bought you". I was like why? he said "Uncle Steve is picking you up and your playing a gig - don't embarrass me"! I was going to gigs with my dad since i was 5! Went to gig played it and that was that started subbing for my dad. That led to many other opportunities in NYC playing with all these pros at a young age - I was in cover bands all through HS. But soon after I was doing original band gigs at CBGB's, The Bitter End, The China Club, The Cat Club..... It was awesome! That led to me recording these artists demos and records. Im old enough that I was alive when midi wasn't a thing nor was a Drum Machine. When That all Happened I jumped on that - remember adapt or die! - so i got into the programming thing early and that opened a whole host of doors in NY - I was playing and programming drums for bands - artists and i did a ton of jingles - commercial music. That all led to me working in the top jingle studios playing engineering and producing! That all led to a couple world tours with some NY pop groups which got me to LA and worked there with amazing people - Diane Warren was one of them! Love her! I then made my way to Nashville - An Artist out of NY was also involved in the Nashville scene -I moved here in 1997 and been working in the studio since - I did some traveling because I love playing live! SO I ve been at this over 35 years! So when I say I know a thing or 2, I do! Mainly cause i made so many mistakes over the years but we all do - best thing is to is learn from them!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Chameleon - I can play the hardest dirty double bass metal track - then play the softest sweetest wispy song. I learned early on if you want to do what I do you can't be a one trick pony - you have to adapt or die.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Paul McCartney - Id like to work with such a fine craftsman of songwriting - also one of the best bass players on this earth. Ya know a well written songs plays itself! It's the ones that need work that are difficult. The other Artist would be Sting - I have always loved his music and his feel & emotion in his songs. I met him once he was an awesome fellow

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Read The Manual for your gear! LOL - Trust the players you bring into your session - if you're reading this that's great- get as much info on the players you want to work with. Also Have a plan but be ready to change directions - really try to learn the process from beginning to end. Most times sessions go off the rails is because there's a communication and respect issue sometimes - Producing music isn't just music - its understanding people and putting the right team together. The best producers always surround themselves with top quality player and PEOPLE. very important.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Seeing as I play live drums - there's a good amount of Rock - pop rock - Country - Singer Songwriter genre quite a bit. Americana has become big. I have a lot of clients that worked with in NYC still and that comprises alot of TV film music and a good amount of jazz.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I hate to sound like a broken record :) But playing and knowing what will make the songs better and bring it to another level. Im a strong reader and I have a knack to get it to feel good while reading a chart. My timing is excellent - playing with a click is second nature to me.My ideas for drum fills are not from some book I studied, I want to play musical fills that work best for the section and sometimes that fill is No fill at all!

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A lot of experience - with the amount of live touring gigs I've done with chart topping artists and the insane amount of sessions I've done (i'm over 3000 songs at this point) Ive pretty much played all the chord progressions there are! Every song ahs its own 'DNA', but when you do this everyday all day and when you have been produced by top producers for years you know what the songs needs before you even play a note. Does that mean its the "only thing' thats should be played, there's always room for ideas. As I mentioned above, the reason yopu hire a true session musician is because they know what will; be best for the song. That sounds a bit "ego-y" HA. I always say if go to a DR and ask - hey are you good at what you do and they say "im alright" Im out the door. if you hang the shingle out your door -you better bring it. If the client is very intent on their ideas - they are paying me so I do what they ask, but once they hear what a session guys does - its generally 'wow' i didn't even think of that. That is truly what you are paying me for - is the experience and expertise in my craft to take you song to the best place it can be!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I download the song from the soundbetter site or from wherever the tracks are coming from & load them into my Protools HDX Rig. First thing I do is check to see if the tracks are lined up with the grid. Most of the time its fine but there are times when they are not - I will ask the client. "are you keeping the instruments im playing to, if they are not i lean into the click and get the kit pretty tight to the grid. If they are keeping them the click is less in my mix and I play to the tracks. Once I have track all settled in - I listen through and put markers for each section of the song so that If I need to fix a few bars in the 2nd verse I can get there quick. After I have that mapped out - I start to chart the song. Sometimes the client wants what they programmed to be played to almost exact - that takes a minute but Ill do that and get those parts charted. When its not as detailed Ill write a chart writing in here and there my initial ideas listening down. Once the chart is written - I go to kit and figure out what Kit i need to use - snare and cymbals that fit that music. Then I start - I'll play the first take which is as I said pretty much what was given to me. Then I go to take 2 and take the "idea" client had a refine it. The third take is really a little over the top - extra fills different grooves on ride or crash cymbals - for some songs I might do a take with brushes! After the three takes are done - i move to percussion - it could as simple as a tambourine & shaker - or an elaborate performance of congas bongos - and all kind of perc! if the track has a leaning toward mor electronic percussion Ill get on my mac and work with my MPC to add loops create "beats" Or add FX. Once I have all of that done - If the client wants I will Beat Detect all three takes. Again some songs this isn't preferred because the takes im playing to are not tight to grid. I then make an mp4 mix of the track with all drums and perc and send to a folder titled the name of the song. I have a folder for the "rough mixes" with new drums. Then I send all the takes to there own individual folder marker accordingly - Drums Take 1, Drums Take 2....... Each individual drum track is labeled with drum name - and a tk1, tk2....in the name so you wont have to guess if a track isnt in right spot when you import, I also have a stereo drum mix (my headphone mix of drums) That's way you can bring the 2 mixes into your DAW and listen quick, lot of folks use that for a parallel drum effect, Some even use them for the Mix 😲. They are that good :) - 9.5 times out of ten the clients love the takes and will use a whole take or edit them together - I will sometimes do the edit iof client not comfortable doing. I do have a one fix session policy - if its a whole additional take - i do charge $50 for each new take. But like I said I do that Like.05% of the time

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Okay - don't know if we have enough room for this! best to look at the picture! LOL Its a converted Garage. The tracking room is 25'x25'. The control room is 10'x25'. Whats special aboput my room is that I have $80,000 worth of Mic pre's, Equalizer's, Compressors and limiters that the drums go into before they hit my interfaces which are AVID HD I/O's. I have 32 inputs and 24 outs. Gear ranges from Neve, Api, BAE,Vintech, Undertone, Orban, Dbx, Daking, Distressors, Avalon, SPL - It's pretty tricked out! The drum room is so special - its just one of those rooms that was made for drums not parking cars!! You want professional sounds you need the best Professional gear there is (period) I have 6 different drum kits DW (Endorser) Gretsch, Ludwig. Slingerland, Tama, Radio Kings, Remo Roto toms - About 30 snare drums and about 45 cymbals and numerous percussion items!

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: My inspiration musicians goes way back to the days of the 60's and 70's session musicians and producers - Those folks had n0thing like we have now. You had to be spot on on every take! Drummers like Hal Blaine, Jim Gordon, Earl Palmer, Jim Keltner and the list goes on - in the 80's it was Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro. I could go on for days. What I love about all these guys is they were mo0nster players but PLAYED FOR THE SONG! Its about be a solid foundation for a song - you can have the best players but of the drums are weak you are in trouble. My dad was a big band drummer - he wasn't flashy but played for the "singer & the song" The folks that do that are my inspiration

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: I do mostly drumming percussion and beats and I am a producer as well. But drumming is the main thing and Wow I wish I could say there was "ONE" type of music that I do and Have done on Soundbetter:) Having been a professional session musician for as long as I have you play a lot of different styles - Thats sort of the Job as a session guy. Having lived in NYC I have played everything from pop rock to metal to bebop - latin jazz and did a ton of programming know as beats now . Stints in LA and now in Nashville its a smorgasbord of styles I play on.