Reality Show Episode 3 - Ben Wendel and Montana

Each of these episodes has been "real" in every sense of the word, meaning very little happened the way I intended it, and the result was far better web TV. I thought I'd be able to knock out two of Ben's tunes on a quick jaunt to my home town. What happened instead was I learned a lesson on both the value of digging in and working hard, and the importance of sometimes not working.

Here's the final draft of the Frame cover.

And here's Blocks, the last cover recorded at venerable Flood Studios on Roebling Street before I moved to my new studio.

As usual, if you liked any of this and are dying to know how you can do your boy a solid, click the "share" button below and let the interwebs know.

I'll be back soon with another episode. Still to come, the finale of my bout against Evan Marien's tunes, and I go deep with the Alan Dawson Rudimental Ritual. (If you dug that second one you're officially a Drum Nerd.)

If you haven't checked out the previous episode, featuring Gilad Hekselman, do that here.

Extras - Gerald Clayton Cover

This is a tune I worked on during May, that never made it into a reality show episode. Sir Third is Gerald Clayton's serpentine opus from his new record Life Forum, which you should buy today if you don't own it. The entire record is a masterpiece. Some of the best writing in the last few years, and inspired performances from Gerald, Ambrose Akinmusire, Gretchen Parlato, and or course Justin Brown.

As you'll hear, the tune is angular and unpredictable. I practiced it the same way I practiced the upcoming Ben Wendel cover - using "framing" and 16th offbeat metronome placements. (More about that in those episodes.)

I'm conscientious of the laws governing use of third party content, so I'll make no sales pitches on this page, but invite you to check out other parts of the site if you want to see more.

If you haven't checked out the latest episode of the reality show, you can do that below.

Otherwise, please share this video (little share button on the bottom left) or leave a comment if you like it, and "watch this space" - the Ben Wendel/Montana episode releases early next week.

Reality Show Episode Two - Gilad Hekselman and the Bucket Kicker

Think you'll love this one. Had a lot of fun making it.

And here's the final draft of the Bucket Kicker cover.

Finally, Here's the "bonus track", the uncut cover of Eye in The Sky by the Alan Parsons Project, as Gilad Arranged and covered it.

As before, if you've enjoyed these videos, please share them, using the "share" button below.

If you haven't checked out last week's debut episode, you can do that below.

Reality Show Episode One - Beating the "System"

Hey guys. Without further ado, here's episode one of the 80/20 Drummer Reality Series.

And here's the "final draft" of the System cover.

Finally, a few tidbits that didn't make it into the video.

Why did I start this show? I'm the guy who's all over the internet saying it's possible to shorten the distance from A to B as far as getting great at the drums. Just as a personal trainer better be able to deadlift some serious weight and complete a combine in respectable time, I ought to be able to show my method works in the real world. How do I do that? By facing real-world challenges.

What did I do to learn the tune? Memorized it. Listened to it day-and-night until I could predict its moves intuitively. Or at least as closely as possible in just a week. If this seems to cut against the 80/20 ethos, think about this - I look for the few things with the highest impact. The time-savings comes by not spending time on things that don't matter, but that doesn't mean I don't spend a ton of time on the things that do. Hopefully one thing this video conveys is that there is a lot of time involved in this. It's just that it's about going deep rather than going broad.

Finally, if you've enjoyed this video and want to do your boy a solid, share it on twitter (#8020drummer) or Facebook!

Okay - coming attractions

Still to come this month, I cover Gilad Hekselman's The Bucket Kicker, plus the wrap-up of the Evan Marien Drum Cover Open Call.

Thanks, and Peace,

Nate