Category: Uncategorized
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Recording Session for Somewhere Records at Brickworks Studio, MH.
I don’t do a lot of recording session type work and when I do, it’s nearly always for people I know! Meeting up with Martin Whiteman after many years has been as much a joyous encounter as a crazy coincidence! We both spent our ‘teens playing at the Leicestershire School of Music: Martin on violin…
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Recording Sessions at St. Mary’s Space, Scotland
I have been lucky enough to be invited to record drums and percussion at St. Mary’s Space over the years. The studio is located in the beautiful Mid-West of the Scottish Highlands and is hosted by close and long standing friends, Jamie and Charlotte Smith. Jamie is a fantastic guitar player, composer and studio engineer…
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Meet Lulu! Gretsch Stop Sign Drum Kit Renovation
I bought this set of drums in 2023 as a potential practice kit to use at my studio. I hadn’t really considered renovation, as it was clear they would need a lot of work to get back to original. Leaving things ‘just as they were’ was my first consideration (complete with natural, *ahem* ‘characterful patina’).…
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You Don’t Have To Be Practising To Learn!
Lee Allatson of Dye House Drum Works on the difference between practising and learning: “You don’t have to practice to learn!” Even if you can’t get on the instrument, find other ways to develop your skills. Dye House Drum Works YouTube Channel
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Listen Critically To Help Discover Your Own Voice
Lee Allatson in a one minute video covering the importance of listening to music critically. Even with music you know and love – in fact, especially with that! Go further with your listening: ask exactly what things you like about it? This will inform the choices you make in your own musical development. Also, crucially,…
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Growing Pains: The Relevance of Adversity and Stress in Musical Advancement.
We all have ‘bad gigs’, difficult rehearsals or frustrating periods in our playing and practice (and this isn’t necessarily a cycle which fades with time, experience or wisdom!). We might resign ourselves to those ebb and flow phases of steady development – punctuated by exasperating periods of creative block, accepting them as ‘just the way…
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An Introduction to Rhythm and the Drum Set for Leicester U3A.
What a pleasure it was to host HHCiB (‘How Hard Can it Be?’) U3A group for a drum workshop in Leicester this week. Lee Allatson was on hand to facilitate a one hour workshop for seven participants at Dye House Drum Works. From the simple act of clapping together in unison, we explored rhythmic concepts…