Man these feel really really good. - Drum Workshop

4 QUESTIONS:
1 legendary music city, 3 in-demand players
The Nashville music scene is always
evolving. With the demise of a
traditional music industry, Music Row
has been whittled down to a select few
major labels and studios are going out
of business faster than you can say,
“Pro Tools”. Nowhere are these global
music biz changes more prevalent, than
in a music-centric city like Nashville.
It’s a city that synonymous with
American music, musicians and music
fans. So what’s a drummer to do when
record sales are declining, local gigs
are fleeting and it’s getting harder and
harder to make ends meet as a session
cat? Answer: you hit the road.
We posed the identical four questions
to Sugarland’s Travis McNabb, Tim
McGraw’s Billy Mason and Julianne
Hough’s Cactus Moser to see what we’d
come up with and the answers are both
interesting and enlightening. It seems
there are many ways to reach Nashville’s
lofty heights, but only a select few will
actually make the climb.
Travis McNabb • cacTus Moser • billy MasoN
1. There are so many talented
players in Nashville, how do
you manage to land big gigs on
a consistent basis?
Cactus: For me it’s been interesting. I
had my own band, Highway 101, for
many years and that of course has the
upside of being your own boss. So, I
only had to kiss my own butt to get the
gig...no wait did I say that out loud?
What I mean is you only have to worry
about making hit records in order to
keep yourself employed. Granted,
that’s a daunting task some of the time.
It’s great to know why you’re working.
I feel that a big part of being successful
in this business, is knowing why
some players are able to get and keep
themselves employed! I have worked
with other artists , at the same time
as being in Highway. I just am always
looking for situations that will let me
do what it is that I love to do, and that is
play! Studio work here in
Nashville is as tough to
get as it is in any music
city. So, I always try to
make sure people are
very aware that I am here
and not on the road all
the time so they will call
and give me the chance to
say yes or no to working
opportunities. I feel like
producing and finding
ways to create music, such
as writing, really are great
ways to stay employed.
Billy: I landed my gig because
I was willing to play any gig
Photos by Gregg Roth
in town for 50 bucks a night, or even
for tips. You’ve got to be humble and
willing to do whatever it takes. Then,
you’ll meet more players and get in the
circle.
Travis: It goes
w i t h o u t
saying that
y o u ’ r e
e x p e c t e d
to ‘bring it’
musically.
One thing
some guys
o v e r l o o k
is the fact
that A-list
artists can
afford to
surround
t h e m s e l v e s
with people that not only can play
at the quality level they need, but that
are people they actually WANT to be
around. If you couldn’t make the music
feel good, you wouldn’t even get a shot.
But on TOP of that, being a positive force
and being easy to deal with personally
makes it feel good on other levels, and
that goes a long way.
2. What’s the Nashville studio
scene like these days?
Travis: I’m relatively new to the
Nashville studio scene. The bulk of my
session work has been in Los Angeles
until recently. I will say that there is a
lot in addition to Country happening
in Nashville, and so far folks have been
very kind and welcoming.
Billy: The studio scene is tough here.
There’s so much music downloading
going on. Now, people are recording
at small studios and putting it out on
YouTube themselves.
Cactus: It’s still healthy, yet with the
recording world becoming something
we all do in our homes, it’s changed a
great deal. When I first came here from
Los Angeles there were drummers
working all day and every day, making
demos for song writers. Now many of
those demos are being done on Garage
Band or Pro Tools rigs in writers’ homes,
so there’s a lot more players trying to get
the same gigs. You have the guys that
were only doing master sessions, now
doing demos and the demo mill guys
doing live touring gigs. It’s still a “be
ready and be professional when you get
there world.” Maybe more personal PR
is required to keep you in the mix than
it use to be. Just talking to people opens
many doors.
3. Who are your Nashville
drumming heroes?
Billy: Lonnie Wilson, Paul Liem, Eddie
Bayers.
Cactus: Larry London is a guy that was
as creative a player and as diverse, as
any of those that have come from this
town. I came to Nashville from Los
Angeles and Larry was one of the
players that I had heard on Elvis, or
on Conway records, or even on a Steve
Perry record. Greg Morrow is a guy that
has a very similar playing style, being
able to play with root feel and chops
that match. Eddie Bayers basically
defined the session drummer of the last
20 years. He has played on so many
records, it really is amazing! Doing
that many master session dates in one
career…priceless!
Travis: More so than any particular
drummers, I think so much of my
musical voice was formed by my
surroundings. My dad played in
a Rock band in the 60s and his dad
played Bluegrass music in the 40s,
so I feel like so much of what I do
comes straight down the line from
those guys. I grew up with a healthy
exposure to so much different music,
which is reflected in my career, and
by my work in the Rock and Country
worlds.
4. What advice do you have for
young, up and coming players
that want a career in Nashville?
Cactus: Be as professional as you can
in your attitude and in your playing
ability. You have to look at yourself as a
product. Ask yourself, how can I present
my product in the best light possible?
Your playing has to be solid, you have
to be able to play with the click, and
be creative. Finally, know when and
how to interact with the people you
are working for and with! It’s not brain
surgery, just be polite and smart. That’ll
go a long way to having a great and long
career doing something that’s not a job,
but something you honor doing!
Travis: Character in one’s playing
matters. Machine-like ‘perfection’ is
BORING! Get your time together, get
your chops together, get your feel
together, and then play with PASSION.
Embrace your natural tendencies, let
them become your own musical voice,
and play like a human!
Billy: Young players need to work hard
to play every style of music out there.
Take as many gigs as you can, anything
that comes along. You’ll learn so much
playing with different players. That’s
what I did, and I guess it worked.
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