Dann Anthony                    Booking: 310.691.9933     dann@dannanthony.com
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Where The Heck...? - 6/11/07
...did that past year-plus go?

Well, that was a pretty good break.  Haven't come back to update here in a bit, but the timing is right to do so now.

Jen Getz, the soulful singer-songwriter with a bit of twang, got a backer.  Great for her, for me, not so much.  The new money opted to replace the entire section.  Now, I've been in and out enough that it doesn't ding my finish too much - I take my skills wherever, and know I've got them.  What I do miss whever I on the wrong side of a roster change is the chance to play new tunes, hopefully with cool people.  Jen Getz is very cool, and I'm glad I had chance to help her get to wherever she is now.  Good players, too.

TIP: If you can, get copies of any material you played on that was recorded.  If nothing else, it gives you another point of reference, another place where you can cop your own licks from yourself.  It also adds to your reel (the bits you would play for a potential gig-runner to check out.)  finally, it's nice to have a record of the work that goes into a final recording, even if it's just a high-level demo.

I also played with Al Polito one afyernoon, to see if a new bass player he had found would fit together with me.  The answer is no, not this time.  But because Al is a craftsman, and often swaps out players, this one had no sting at all.  Al's got my number, and if he calls I'll go wherever.

Both Jen and Al are, above all, amazing songwriters.  I learned much just being in the room with them.  I wish them well.

Now, a word about The Geezers.  As the remaining current band-oriented gig, I'm glad to have the chance to release energy drumming every two weeks or so.  No gigs yet, but all we need is a house party, and we're good to go.  For a bunch of cats around 50 years old, we are laying it down quite nicely.  And the three-player dynamic of our trio of humming pretty good.  We had one contentious rehearsal - just a bit hot under the collar, was I - but that's it on the friction.

I've spent the majority of my time working my own stuff, about which you can read elsewhere on the site.

Anticipation, baby - something is right around the corner...

Patter Archives
The Load In - 12/17/04  A history, from banging pots and pans to getting back in the groove.
Refurbishing the Ludwigs - 12/20/04  They cleaned up real nice. Plus, a few tips.
Auditioning As An Exercise - 12/21/04  Nerves? You bet! Getting out there and pretending to be a
Balancing Act - 2/21/06  Figure out this key element, and you'll have a much better time out there.

The Load In - 12/17/04
It seems fitting to be getting this web site up and running at the end of a year.  Especially since the last quarter of 2004 was really about getting positioned for 2005.  I look forward to playing as many gigs, with as many people, as my family and schedule will support, and tolerate.

A Brief History:
I was a pot and pan banger as a toddler, and we always had a piano in the house, as my mom could play.  (Her pop, Nicholas Dann, was a respected studio cat, playing woodwinds with many major artists in the 30's and 40's.  Next time you see "The Wizard of Oz, listen for the clarinet break in "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" - that's my Grandpa Nick.)

At the age of nine I was given a Ludwig set for Christmas.  (The same set you see in the "Gear" section of this web site.)  I took a few lessons, learned the basics, got into the orchestra in my elementary school, and practiced every day in my room.  When I was eleven, some neighborhood kids came and asked to borrow my set one day for their "band" rehearsal.  I said sure, if I could tag along and watch.  The next time the "band" got together, I sat in on drums, and have been playing in bands ever since.

Through my adolescence, through my early teens, I played every day, and with any number of bands and orchestras.  I did gigs large and small, lots of parties (because musicians belong to every clique - a cool perq!), a few recordings.  I met a few people along the way who would go on to become recognized, and sometimes even famous, players.  I played rock, pop, metal, jazz, and symphonic stuff.  I also continued to play piano and keyboards, and wrote a number of tunes for different projects.  And I sang as often as I could, lead or backup.

In high school I kept it up.  I also got more into dramatic arts, both onstage and off, acting in or running lighting, sound and scenery departments for plays and musicals at Palisades High and in community theater groups.  Both music and theater stayed important after high school and through college.  I started working with more serious musicians, often songwriters looking to flesh out their compositions for live gigs and recording.

Throughout my twenties I acted in commercials, movies, improv groups and in theaters.  And constantly played music, to the degree that I developed my own vocal style, composing style and playing style.  I got a pretty good rep going for myself as a dependable player with good chops, and would get referrals often.  I worked in several projects for multiple years, learning what it takes to keep a band moving forward.

During this same period I worked in music publishing, and as a stage manager for several venues in Los Angeles (including the "world famous" Troubadour - when Doug Weston was still alive and mostly crazy, and the late, lamented At My Place - hands down the best room for sound ever built in the city.)  I went around the country driving trucks for bands, working as a roadie and lighting designer and operator.  I played in lots of different studios, learning how to be a pro in that setting.  I made a bunch of money, and had the time of my life.

In January of 1989, just before my thirtieth birthday, I felt it was time to develop a better "social footprint", time to see what I could do to improve the human condition.  I put aside the lifestyle I had developed and went to work for non-profit groups which had these same goals in mind.  Later that year, during a YMCA camping trip, I met my wife-to-be, Christy.  We've been together ever since, getting married in 1992, and welcoming our son Chasen to the world in 1995.

About four years ago I was asked by my logest-term musician friend if I was interested in playing with him at his church on Sunday evenings.  Not having played live for many years, this was what got me back into the world of music.  I was amazed at how fast the old muscles recalled what to do, and how fun it was to sing and play.  This gig lasted until a new regime at the church dropped the Sunday service from the schedule a little over a year ago.  I fed my creative jones by doing a play with a local theater group, so that set of skills also got dusted off and put to use.

This past summer I got involved in a Pali High reunion event, helping to put together an all-star band.  Doing that gig is what really kicked my desire to play more into high gear.  I did some networking, pulled my old kit out of storage and refurbished it, started reading drummer's magazines - and most importantly placed an ad in a local musician's magazine and got back out on the circuit.  I went on a bunch of auditions for many different types of gigs, just to work out the kinks.  I was offered a couple of cool things, and missed out on a couple, too.

But the biggest thing to me was that I was fully back into music.  My wife couldn't be more supportive.  My son, now nine years old, understands that music is to me what Little League is to him - something you love, and because you love it you meet its demands for time and effort.  I'm not so busy that my home life suffers, and I coach my son's teams and sit on the board of directors for his league.  I have a day job that pays well and allows the freedom to make rehearsals and sessions as needed.

So there it is.  I figure I've got about ten to fifteen years to participate in the scene as far as bands and sessions goes, and will play on until I can't do it anymore after that.  I hope to be able to pass along some hard-earned knowledge to youger cats, if they ask for it.  I'd like to get myself on some new tracks for posterity's sake.  But mostly, I'm just stoked to be able to call myself a working musician again.  This web site, and these notes, are designed to capture the moments as they occur moving forward, if only so I never again forget how much I love this part of my life.


 Refurbishing the Ludwigs - 12/20/04
Several things fell together in 2004 that led to my musical resurrection.  (See "The Load In - 12/17/04" in the archives.)  But I sure wasn't gonna get far without a working kit.  My poor old set was in a bad way, literally in pieces, in storage, not in cases.

The first order of business was taking an inventory.  In the sunset of my first time on the scene, I had cannabalized my set to make percussion stands, synth-pad stands, timbale holders and other non-kit items.  (For a long time I did vocals and played keys and percussion at the same time in a number of projects.)  So I pulled each and every little part out of storage in order to see what I had available.  To my surprise, I wasn't starting as far behind the 8-ball as I thought.

The core of my 1968 Ludwig Super Classic kit was intact.  (Supraphonic 14 x 5.5" snare, Sky Blue Pearl: 22" kick, 9 x 13" rack tom, 16 x 16" floor tom.)  I also had a non-matching Rogers 16 x 16" floor tom, and a non-matching Ludwig 8 x 12" rack tom that survived.  Hardware-wise, I had three cymbal stands in varying states of needing repair, my original light-duty snare stand...and no high-hat stand at all.  (I have no idea what happened to that one - and I don't recall losing it.)  My original kick pedal was long gone, but the pedal I had picked up along the way (in about '82) was still good to go.  I also had my Ludwig double-tom holder: I had taken the rail mount off of my kick drum years ago.

I had no cymbals worth mentioning except for my original Zildjian high-hats (although the top one had a crack of about 1/2 an inch at the edge) and my original 20" Zildjian ride, which had proved pretty much indestructable over the years.

I immediately set about to cleaning and polishing all the hardware, chrome, steel and nickel pieces.  I learned, through trial and error, that acetone is the best for taking off old tape scum, but you must be mindful of the vapors.  Plain old metal polish did a fine job.  On the cymbals it was just a matter of  elbow grease and cymbal cleaner.  I repainted the hoops on the kick drum.  I hit all the wrap with some Windex.

I bought new heads off of Ebay, where I also scored a couple of cymbals for very little money.  Same with a new high-hat stand.  Finally, I found and purchased a new 10 x 14" Ludwig tom from the 70's, and rewrapped it in Sky Blue Pearl myself (thanks to Precision Drum for their invaluable customer service!)

When I was done I took the kit for a few test drives at WLA Studio Services.  It looked great and sounded terrific.  I felt ready to get into whatever the musical future held for me.


Auditioning As An Exercise - 12/21/04
Once I had a kit I could haul around, I needed a reason to haul it.  I had checked out Music Connection magazine often in the past, and once recently just for drill.  Logging onto their web site, I was pleased to see they offered free classifieds.

I responded to a few ads looking for drummers, and a couple looking for vocalists.  I tried to be as open-minded as possible regarding styles of music, as I was looking to use the audition process as a tool to deal with nerves and for networking purposes.  I also placed an ad - the tag line was "Vintage Drums + Vintage Drummer = Vintage Sound!"

I was pleased to get a number of phone calls and e-mails in response.  Among the funniest moments was when Al Polito first called me up, and asked, "Uh...exactly how 'vintage' are you?"  After our phone conversation, I looked him up on the web and found his site and his MP3s.  If I recall correctly, Jen Getz had an ad that I responded to, which contained a link to her site and her music.

One gig I went out for and didn't get was for a band called "Tribeca" - very high-quality jazz-inflected rock.  I downloaded their samples, and the leader sent me their tunes on a CD as well.  I woodshedded their stuff with absolute focus over the course of several nights.  The day of the audition (my first one since getting back in action) I found myself very nervous, but as ready as I could be.  The audition was at the lead guy's home studio, on a very sad little kit.  I played as well as I could have, and was genuinely disappointed when I didn't get the gig.  The whole way through - before, during and after - I took care to be a pro.  I knew the material, stayed loose in the process, and said thanks again even after learning they had passed on me.

On the same day I drove way out into the valley to audition for a power-rock outfit.  (If you imagine The Offspring mashed up with AC/DC, you'll have the right idea.)   A completely different vibe than the "Tribeca" cats, all grit, beer and attitude.  One of the few times I've been in a room where the drums were miked -  had to be miked - just to be heard.  These guys were loud!  I knew even before playing I wasn't going to be a good fit, but again I acted like a pro.  I did the full audition, and they liked what they heard, even though I did call the contact guy back the next day and passed.

Here's my little list of tips for the audition process...

- Woodshed: Get the tunes you'll be playing, and practice them as much as possible.  Start by playing them exactly as they were recorded by the drummer.  Then start making them your own.  Note the tempos (I use a little metronome.)

- Communicate: Be upfront about yourself and your skills, and be relaxed.  Be yourself - I tend to bring the funny, but that's just me.  Some cats dig it, some don't.  Be sure to double confirm appointments, locations and expectations.

- Be Gracious and Professional: Know what to expect, what to bring and how to behave.  Be polite, with lots of manners on display.  Be on time, with time to spare for set-up and tear-down.  After the audition, stay in touch but don't push.  If you don't get the gig, be sure to say thanks for the opportunity (as you never know if they'll end up calling back, or if you'll run into them down the road.)

- Learn From Each Audition: You can cop new licks, experience new styles and stretch your playing muscles and intellect with each time out.  I tend to tape everything, as I evaluate what did and didn't work in the audition. 

- Stay Open-Minded: Don't assume that what you hear and play in the process is the whole picture.  (I was pleasantly surprised when Jen Getz brought some new rockers into the rehearsal room, as her album was a more laid-back affair.)


Balancing Act - 2/21/06
Make time for family.  Make time for rest.  Make time for solo pursuits.

If I remember to do these simple things, each of my life's segments is better for it.  I have to remind myself that it's important to do the things that benefit myself as much as it's important to do those things that benefit others.  Somtimes choosing what to focus on and what to sacrifice is guesswork.  And often I find myself improvising in order to keep things smooth.

If I take time to create a new tune on GarageBand, which usually takes a few hours for each "session", it is best for me to take that time in the evening, when my family is asleep.  But if that creative workout goes into the early morning (I'll often write and record until 3:00 or 3:30 AM), then I have to rally myself to keep up with family activities the next day.  That's an example of planned balance.

Improvising, I find myself with a spare half an hour or so in the middle of a weekend day.  Instead of a nap, I surprise my son with an invitation to take me on in a pillow fight, one of his favorite activities.  That simple, silly time together (and other moments we spend together - at Little League, when I'm able to pick him up from school and help him with his homework) makes up for being gone for most of every other Saturday rehearsing with the Geezers.

I'm never able to maintain perfect equilibrium, but trying to be present for all the different aspects of my life - with family, with music, with work - means compromise and dedication in ever-changing amounts.
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