1. You’ve talked about wanting to be a versatile drummer. What does versatility mean to you?
I wanted to be able to play different styles and sound as authentic as possible, but with my own sound.
When you hear somebody like Herbie Hancock play a concerto, it still sounds like Herbie, but he’s also being honest to the piece he’s playing.
Or take Steve Gadd. When he plays Afro-Cuban, Paul Simon, funk or swing, it’s still Steve Gadd. He knows the language of what he’s playing.
That’s what I’ve wanted to do.
2. So how do you learn those different musical languages?
It’s like learning a second language.
You have to learn the vocabulary. You have to listen. You have to study. You have to transcribe. You have to understand where the music comes from. But you don’t want to become a cheap version of somebody else. If I’m trying to sound exactly like another drummer, I’m going to be a junior-varsity version of that drummer. That’s not what I want.
I want to play the song.
3. How important is it for a young musician to develop their own sound?
It’s everything. When I hear somebody play, I want to be able to hear their voice. Even if they’re just playing a groove, can I hear who they are? That’s more important to me than how many things they can play.
There are players who have incredible facility. They can do things I may never be able to do. I’m okay with that as long as I can play something that says something.
4. How do you find that voice?
You have to find out who you are. Study people. Pick up the dialect, just like you do when you’re speaking English. You pick up things from your mom, your family, your friends. But even though you pick up those things, you still have your own voice.
Music is supposed to work the same way. You can imitate somebody if you want, but you’re only going to be a junior-varsity version of them.
5. You talked about being afraid of making mistakes. Is that something you still deal with?
Absolutely. It terrifies me to mess up. I’m very heady sometimes because I don’t want to make a mistake. But the more I play, the more I’m like, “Forget all of that. Just be honest.”
Be strong and wrong if that’s what it means. When you get on stage, you have to be present.
6. What does being present mean to you?
Leave it all on the stage. When you get up to perform, you have to actually perform. You can’t be thinking about whether somebody is going to judge you. You have to be in that moment.
7. You’ve recently been working on your own record. Does that same fear come into play when you’re putting your own music out?
Absolutely. Musicians get caught up thinking, “What are my colleagues going to think? Are they going to think I’m wack [not good enough]? Are they going to like it?” Yes and yes. And no and no.
It doesn’t matter. Put it out. Then start looking at the next thing.
Everybody has a record. Everybody has somebody doing something.
But I just want to make sure that what I put out is honest. Whether people like it or not is not my concern. I want to be honest. Get your audience, and keep it moving.
8. What would you say to a young musician who is still trying to figure out who they are?
Learn everything you can.
Learn your instrument. Learn the history. Learn the vocabulary. Listen to different kinds of music. Study the people who came before you.
But don’t spend your life trying to become somebody else. Find out who you are.
You can learn all of these different languages, but ultimately, when you speak, people should still know it’s you. That’s the goal.