Hey everyone, thanks to all of those who have and continue to write in with your questions.  I apologize if it takes some time for me to respond, my recording and live performances are keeping me very busy these days.  However, I love all the questions that I'm getting, so keep them coming and I will respond ASAP!   Remember, send your questions to -  BigDrumsofThunder@hotmail.com.     Be sure to include your name (however you want it displayed, it must be G rated).  Thanks!

Q - Hi Mr. Flint, I am 9 years old and taking drum lessons.   But I have a problem.  I have some people that tell me that I won't be good, lessons or not, and that I won't amount to anything in life and I don't like it.  I'm only just started playing and taking lessons.  Are they right?  And did you ever have this problem? 

Jason Jr., Virginia

A - Hi Jason,

Yes, believe it or not, I used to hear "Oh, he's a dreamer", "loser", that sort of thing..

My first question is, are these grown up, accomplished professional drummers saying this?  My guess is probably not, and therefore, who are they to judge?

I tell you this, take a good look at these people who say these things. 99.9% of these people have never done anything extra-ordinary with their lives (the older ones anyway.  Kids of course have growing up to do). They (the older ones) sit back and watch life pass them by, and secretly resent people who do have a gift, work on it and do something extra special with themselves and their lives.

It's called jealously and envy!  (kids have plenty of it too!)

Don't you DARE EVER listen to any of them!!!!!!!!! I can't stress that enough. In fact, if they are saying those things to you, it's a good sign. You must appear to be having some kind of success or progress in your playing for them even to say that. What I used to do is get angry about it, and then take out that anger in playing and practicing more on my drums to make me even better. God taught me to take that energy and channel it into my playing.

And I did. So in a big way I have to actually thank all those people who tried to make me think I was a "loser" and that I would be nothing. It actually helped me to become something. Something wonderful and that I can be proud of. You can too.

Q - Hi Ken...... I just want 2 say I luv ur playing!  I have Kenny Baum's 'Rest of my Life' CD (that my father bought), and the drumming is so perfect!  What would you recommend 4 an up and coming drummer like me?  Should I strive to be a 'studio' or a 'live' drummer?  Which is better?  You ROCK!  And by the way, what kind of cymbals did you play on the CD?  THX Ken!

Ron from Long Island

A - Thanks for all the compliments, and I'm glad you like the CD and the drumming on it.  Kenny Baum is an excellent songwriter, and I was thrilled to have the chance to play on his CD.  And, I just happen to be currently recording some more of his music at Serious Mysterious Productions.   It's great stuff.  And if you wanted to get your own copy (of the CD your Father has), it's probably still available at www.CDBABY.com and Looney Tunes.  

As far as what 'kind' of drummer you should be, that really all depends on you.  If you are just starting out, I would practice until I felt I was ready for one or the other and then go try it out.  Play live any chance you get (open mics, parties for friends and family, etc.), make a band with some friends, etc.  Record with them, listen to it and see how you sound.   I used to every day practice to recordings of whatever type of music I wanted to get good at (rock, jazz, etc.).  Keep in mind to stick to studio recorded music, and not live.  The studio recorded music will most often utilize a click track, so you will have a dependable, unwavering speed and that way get good at keeping steady time.   Very important.  I also recommend taking lessons.  If you want to be a studio player, you will have to know how to read and execute drum music, often on the spot!

And of course live is great to get the feedback of the audience.  They both are great.  Why not be both?  I am!

As far as the cymbals go, those were Zildjian Titanium cymbals.  Glad you like them.  I do to.  I find they cut through almost any type of music (great for heavy metal), and sound nice and bright.   Unfortunately, I don't think Zildjian makes them anymore.  If you wanted to find them you might have to look on Craig's list or elsewhere on the internet.   Thanks for writing in!

Q - Wow, I'm so glad I found a way to contact you.  I saw you perform on the 4th of July at that big fair on Long Island, and you played great.   You played all kinds of music it seemed, and we all loved it.  Will you be there again this year (2010)?  And where can I find out where you will be playing next?  Oh, and what kind of drums were those you were playing?  Thanks!

Timmy from NY

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                fig. 1

A- Hi Timmy.  Glad you enjoyed the 4th of July show.  I don't know if I will be playing there this year, it all depends on whether the same band will be playing (it's a kind of jam band, where they have numerous people they call upon, depending on availability) and if my schedule will permit it.  Check the 'From the desk of Ken Flint' page every so often for updates.  I try to update that as much as time will permit. 

As far as the drums go (fig. 1 and 2), those are really old Tama drums from around 1984 (10", 12", 13" toms, 16" and 18" floor toms, 14" metal Tama snare (original to the kit), and 22" bass drum).  They are Mahogany wood, but sprayed with what they called 'Zola coat' on the inside.  I love using that kit live for numerous reasons - 1 - They are tough, tough, tough drums, great road drums.  The fact that they are still around is a testament to that.  2 - I had them recovered with Remo Black Prismatic covering to make it look like that.  Remo was awesome enough to run me a custom roll (they don't offer that drum covering anymore, and haven't for many years).  I knew they would look great under the stage lights!  3 - I found the Zola coat interior seems to make the sound of the drums project more, making them ideal for live shows.   Thanks for the question!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         fig. 2

(note - this question and answer taken from the www.Spoonful-O-Blues.com website)

Q - I've seen you play kind of up close and from far away too (Jones Beach, NY) and notice that you hit pretty hard, but don't seem to use much effort when doing it.  I'd love to play like that.  How do you do that?

Paul J. from NJ

A- Hi Paul, thanks for asking.  I see you're really studying my playing.  I hope I live up to your expectations!  My playing technique I credit to my early teachers and books on playing I got early on.  Paul Van Tom was my first drum teacher, and he was a STICKLER (no pun intended!) when it came to how to hold the stick and hit the drum. 

Firstly, how to hold the stick properly was (and still is) paramount.  For matched grip, the butt of the stick should sit in the crease of your hand where if you bring your thumb towards your pointer finger (with your palm facing up), the butt should sit comfortably between where the base of your thumb gathers and the rest of your palm, and the upper part of the stick should sit between your thumb and your pointer finger.

When you turn your hand over, you should always be able to see ALL your knuckles when playing (including your pinky knuckle).  This should encourage you to use as much finger power as possible, as this is where you will exert most of your effort from if playing properly.  If you need greater volume, add more wrist to your stroke (keeping in mind that as you do this you will take more time to get to the drum head).  Then if you need more volume than that, you can begin to lift your forearms a bit on the upswing of the stick.

A DVD I would recommend to anyone looking to find out more on great hand technique is 'Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer' by JoJo Mayer.   Now that man can play! 

(note - this question and answer taken from the www.Spoonful-O-Blues.com website)

Q - I saw Spoonful-O-Blues play the NY Pavilion Theater with another band, and I remember you blew away the other band, and just being blown away by you guys!  You did a drum solo that was out of this world, and I loved how you got the whole audience to join in with you and clap during one part...  I would love to learn to play like that, how long did it take you?

Rob Jacobs from Conn. USA

A - Hey Rob, well first let me say thank you, thank you for all your great thoughts and compliments!  One of the many things I love about this band is that we all love to put out 110% at every show. 

I should also mention that I've been playing for just over 30 years, so I've got some time and experience under my belt!  However, with that said, I started playing with my first band after 6 months of practice/playing of 4 to 6 hours a day (which included weekly drum lessons), and performed my first solo by the time I had been playing one year.   I was scared out of my socks!   However, everyone loved it (or at least acted like it! :-)).

I don't claim to be a world class soloist by any means, there are so many better solo players.  But since you asked, there are a few pointers that I've picked up over the years..

1 - Who am I playing for, myself or the audience?   The best solos I've found are the ones where I am playing for the audience (like the one you saw), and I get them involved.  The solo you saw was actually made up on the spot, as one of the other guys in the band had a technical problem, and the bass and guitar just dropped out, and there I was!  Instant solo....... so I just went with it and looked out at the audience and thought "What could I do to keep everyone entertained?"  Any true great drummer keeps the audience in mind when performing.  Because in the end it really is all about them, not about you (my humble opinion that is also shared by some friends of mine).

2 - A drummer friend Ansley once said to me "What is he saying?" when we watched another drummer do a solo, and it was very fast, but otherwise did not impress us.  Why?  In Ansley's word's, "He's not saying anything".  So what Ansley was saying is a solo needs to be light on ego, and heavy on soul.  People (everyone, not just drummers) should walk away saying "Wow, that was cool!"  Right?  You want to make a lasting impression (a good one I hope!).  To do that I believe you must add something that makes people feel something, not just hear or see something.  Don't just do your favorite fast lick, but make sure you lead up to that with a beat that feels good, then maybe something on the toms that feels good, that maybe then progresses and finishes with something fast, technical, and above all, CLEAN.  If you can't keep it clean, slow it down........

Thanks for asking, and I look forward to rockin' your world again at the next show!

Q - Who's your favorite drummer, and why?

Larry Varse, IN

A - Hi Larry.  Good question.  Well, there are so many great players, I can't just have one favorite!  But I remember when I first started out I wanted to be like Peter Criss from KISS.  I even saved my pennies and bought piece by piece his black Pearl fiberglass concert tom drum setup from the Destroyer days.  Very cool.

Then very quickly I got into Buddy Rich (who I met and hung out with as a kid), Louie Bellson, Gene Krupa, all the old jazz greats.  Then it was drummers from the 60's and 70's, and some today I love are Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Chickenfoot, and Adrian Young from No Doubt.  Great bands and drummers.

Thanks for asking!

Stay tuned for more questions to be posted....