Maybe they watched this and heard you say you don’t actually want to be in this band and are doing this just for fun in the first 30 seconds of the video and figured advancing you would just be a waste of everyone’s time. 😂
Your set playing has definitely gotten a lot better over time, but to me it feels like a weird uncanny valley where it's obvious you're not a set player from your feel and vocabulary, yet you're somehow way overqualified at playing the drums?
I feel as though there's a stark difference between being a drumset player, and being a percussionist who plays drumset. Drumset players aren't as afraid to make mistakes, and focus a lot more on having a conversation with the other musicians. On the other hand, a perc player having a go at drumset is very within the lines, and focuses a lot more of playing "correctly." Neither are bad of course, but it's hard to find someone who can truly do it all at a high level.
@@Nickwaldvogle I think there is a huuge difference between playing a drum set or percussions and playing in a drum corpse band. Playing drum corpse is a completely! different type of musical performance. And you can tell from this guy's drums set playing.
@@jonathanmellqvist2 You're totally right there. I am pretty unfamiliar with drumline style playing, so I can't really add too much to what you're saying here, but I definitely agree.
Sometimes it feels like he's overthinking and focusing on everything being perfectly on beat, which is fine, but I think a big part of feel is just letting go of everything being 100% perfect and letting yourself find the groove
I was pulsing 5's for the 1/4 notes, also. With good sticking it works out. I played it a hair faster than you did. 8ths were slightly crushed into pulsing 3's.
Waiting for the follow-up video after the following: Submit video Get called to live audition Go to live audition Email from Air Force: Congrats! You've been accepted to the Air Force Flub Drum Line!
I would actually like to see you attempt to do the live audition and put fourth your best in it and if you are offered you can always respectfully decline. But even if your heart wants to play for the USAF Band then do it. Also Yellow After the Rain is like so traumatic in my life 😅
Yes! See if you can get live and then if you get accepted say no. Because I need more of this channel! I'm learning to write for percussion, and this is great content!😄😄😄
You should try to reach out to the band and see if you can interview one of the evaluators. Do a video with them going through your video audition and critiquing it and your comments about staging, drum used, etc. I think that would be most helpful to aspiring AF Band drummers . . .get more detail on what they are actually looking for in drummers to join their band.
I'd honestly love to see this man succeed. I've been following this channel ever since the Chickens & Demons show, and even met Eric in real life a year after. I'd love to see him audition. He has the skills
I'm a veteran myself. I would see if you can do it. Even to see if you can get in the air force reserve or air national guard. And also ask them about your RU-vid life.
Send in the audition and get an in person audition and Come to California, bail on the audition... then make the short drive to Concord (about an hour) and crash a Blue Devils rehearsal.
Like pretty much everyone else, I too would like to see you try the auditions for real. Whether you'd want to join in the end is up to your personal decision. Go with your gut!
Definitely try to get to the next round, then come to California to do some sight-seeing after your audition. (I got an ad for 1 hour 36 minutes! actually a video blog!)
Go for it! I'd love to see if you made it into the Air Force band... Also, I think a behind the scenes of the live audition process would be cool to watch.
Talk about a trip down memory lane. “Yellow After the Rain” could reliably be heard emanating from somewhere walking through the band hall in high school.
I was gonna say, they upped the age to enter basic:-D You'd definitely make it! Even if blues don't hold a candle to the red and white uniform you wore in the Commandant's Own. My husband and I agree that is a pretty tough look to beat. Also, I have an uncle who was in the Army, then went into the Air Force, then back into the Army. You can do this:-D
Eric: "It's been years since I've played any of these, and I'm trying to get at least two videos a week here on RU-vid" Me: "I mean, there's always Yellow After the Rain" Eric: "But there's one I do remember: Yellow After the Rain" Me: Eric: "This thing is engraved into my brain forever." Me: "Yeah, buddy... mine, too..."
See if you make it, and if you do, fly out to California and show up in your marines dress uniform but keep the beard of course (it will look so ridiculous lol) and give ‘em you best hoo rah as you audition! Also I’m sure you wouldn’t mind a little trip to California.
"Fife and Drum," not "drum and fife." Drums were added to fifes as accompaniment, so fife and drum became the standard nomenclature. Bugles were added later, and so there were (and still are a couple) fife, drum, and bugle corps. Those splintered, and the order remained standard, hence "Fife and Drum" and "Drum and Bugle."
I liked your rudimental solo and your delecluze, on your drum set stuff the funk was ok. On the jazz one, it’s a language and you need to listen to more jazz , ie don’t hit the bell of the ride cymbal. It never swings. The Afro Cuban was ok, it was like you said it was kind of a lame track so you couldn’t do much with it anyway. For the bossa this is something my Brazilian friend told me he said “ You can always tell when it’s an American playing a bossa nova cause they do the same pattern the whole time with their left hand” you’re supposed to vary it up and have a conversation with the soloist just like the snare drum in swing. And also on a bossa you don’t need to just play 1 2 and 3 4 and 1 on your right hand the whole time. Just constant 8th notes sounds better. Overall I’m glad you’re not auditioning cause I love your RU-vid content and I think you’re hilarious!
Yeah I’m in jazz school and a trumpet player but even I can tell it’s clear this guy doesn’t listen to much jazz or latin music. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that and he killed his snare solos, but if he doesn’t pass the first screening I would say that is what they cut him for
Funnily enough sir, I am actually taking this audition, I'm working on my stuff right now. Military bands are very different than most people expect, grew up military and I hope I can hopefully make it past the screens.
Good luck. I won the audition they had in October 2021, but declined the gig as my wife is in a premier band here in DC; I felt like I needed some audition experience. Definitely do not submit you playing "yellow after the rain". Even if you crush it, all it says is "here is the only mallet piece I've ever worked on"
I played yellow this year for solo and ensemble and ended up with a perfect! You should send these in just to see what happens. (Also that was the tastiest funk groove I’ve heard in a while. Great job 👏)
For the swing, personally I try not to hit actual figures from the head on toms, they kinda get washed out by the bass and comping, going on in the track.
I retired from Travis, Go Air Force! So, yes apply and see if you get to the live audition. But, I hold a reservation to your drum kit 'sense' - there's a, how do I say, intuitive play connection that I feel you need to establish. Tommy Igo or Dave Weckl finesse. That would get their attention. The rest of your skills is without question, obviously. Hope you go for it! The AF band of the Golden West is a fantastic talented group. God bless
I attended a *Christmas Concert by the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West* in early December at Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. It was very good, however, I've gotten spoiled seeing *The Commandant's Own and The President's Own* in person! And, the *uniforms are not as flashy as the Chucks* *Yes, you should audition* Even if only to get a trip out here to California, then extend your trip, and see some West Coast sites.
Hey man so I'm a bass player with the USAF Band of the Golden West, I have nothing to do with the audition selection process but thought I'd maybe offer some of my own *unsolicited* personal feedback/critique since you've mentioned in past videos you've got cut and never really got any reason. Again, I will say these are my opinions and they are not coming from the drum committee so whatever I say is not an official statement from the band. And please take with a grain of salt (I am a bassist after all!) I don't know much about "classical" percussion so I won't comment and will mainly focus on the drum set. I always suggest to people sending in tapes to use backing tracks as a last resort if you can't get live musicians to play with. (I realize you were half serious in making this video so it's not a huge deal) To me, playing with live musicians best showcases your musicianship because it gives an idea of how you "feel" the beat and how you interact with spontaneous musical creation. With backing tracks, you tend to be a slave to the time and the musical structure (i.e developing a story in the solos, dynamics, phrasing, etc.) When I listen to drummers, I want to hear how they play with bass players. Is the drummer on top, in the middle, or behind a walking line/pocket and how consistent is their feel (This goes both ways for bass players) so hearing how you interpret the time with other musicians is important. Definitely check out great rhythm sections such as Ron Carter and Tony Williams, Scott Lofaro and Paul Motion, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones. One last point about the backing tracks, I would of rather listened to you play over an actual jazz standard or funk tune rather than random free ones you found online (I get youtube copyright stuff is a pain though) I say this because it proves somewhat that you know the Jazz and Funk repertoire. I thought your funk playing was pretty good overall. I think sometimes your open hi hat wasn't quiet in the pocket causing the groove to stumble (specifically in your fill at 7:39) at 8:04 I think you were trying to play a sixteenth note anticipation but it didn't land where it should of. But good job overall, I think this would be passable if not for those tiny things. The jazz portion is what got you cut. I can hear that you're not a jazz drummer which is important because most drummers in the USAF bands have degrees in Jazz Drum Performance so the standard is pretty high. Your ride cymbal feel felt rigid and you hit the bell one too many times for my taste. The fills didnt really use any bebop vocabulary and seemed to get in the way of the swing because they were so snare drum, rudiment heavy. I also think you could stray away from the 2 and 4 snare thing at 9:34 because to me it bogs down the feel and doesn't let the swing breathe (there are times and places for that though) A lot of the times you'll do a tuplet roll thing into different sections (9:38, which to me screams drum corps) Even though the usaf bands do ceremonial and marching band concerts at times, I'd say a good 80% of the gig is playing commercial and jazz music. I'd definitely check out the youtuber 80/20 drummer and watch this video about jazz drums ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JUe4r_XJQpM.html All I have to say about the Afro Cuban portion is that you need more jazz drum vocabulary in your solo because it did seem a little gimmicky (for lack of a better word) I'd suggest listening to Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Carlos Henriquez, Miguel Zenon, and getting deep into practicing claves. Also I've gotten advice to take dance lessons to really get into the culture of this music. I agree, the audition prescreen material is a little ambiguous in what they ask of you, but I think the standard protocol you should take is to play it like you would in a jazz combo setting. For example, in the swing portion choose a common standard such as Have You Met Miss Jones, or How High the Moon. Accompany a soloist for a couple choruses then trade 4's and play the melody out. Same thing with the afro cuban. Watch any high school grammy band audition tape and you'll get the gist. Anyways, I hope my feedback is helpful not just to you but any musicians looking to take auditions in the future. For this gig I'd almost say you have to the mindset and attitude of a jazz musician with classical chops rather than a classical percussionist who can sort of swing. So many of our performances (especially for percussionists) will be on drum set playing a wide range of genres from polka to country to jazz to pop. **Again this is not an official statement from the USAF Bands I am simply giving my own opinions in hopes it will help you and any other musicians.** Cheers! And no they didn't see this video beforehand haha
Take some time to listen to jazz drumming and blues drumming. You have crazy technique and ability, you're just missing a lot of the basics when it comes to setting up a solid pocket. I think this is just lack of exposure to those styles outside of a DCI type approach.
Okay so this is going to be a brutally dry review and opinion, and full disclosure, my main two instruments are sax, guitar, and piano so I may just be full of it! First off, everything is good enough for moving through the auditions, I'm just putting this one under the microscope :D. Amazing Rudimental and snare solos! In terms of the kit work. The funk needs to be tightened juuuuust ever so slightly, that's the biggest thing with funk, is the rhythm section as a whole being water tight, and nearly robotic while sitting in the pocket. For the swing, the call and response is good but what I'm looking for more in a swing drummer as a sax player is that hi-hat, that's the heartbeat of a swing band. The Afro-Cuban sounded good to me but like you pointed out, the track detracted a little bit hah. For the shuffle, It needs more snare, think of ghosting the upbeats off the ride a bit more with the snare, but the drive on it is there and that's a REALLY important part of a shuffle. The bossa sounded good, but the only thing I'd call out is the fills transitioning between the hat and ride feel just a little stiff. I don't have enough experience working with classical mallets so you called out anything I would have heard! Again, this is all super nit-picky stuff, it all sounds great and I think you'd have a great shot at getting in!
If I could give a bit of critique with the jazz portion, I think you could do more with the left hand. Often in the style, you don’t want as much of the backbeat on the snare, as it’s just naturally going to be heavy. Leave the backbeat to the hi-hat, and perhaps raise the top hat a bit to bring it out more, allowing more freedom with the left hand for comping and accents.
Audition for realsies, get some practice/progress/performance vids out of it at least! Definitely gotta step up the game if you want a free trip to Cali though
That’s a good idea someone mentioned to interview one of the evaluators. That would make for a fascinating discussion and could also greatly benefit those who are serious about auditioning. My dad was a drummer in the Air Force. I’m not sure if he was in THE Air Force Band or an Air Force band. I’ll have to ask my mom. I enjoyed your playing on these pieces and seeing your commentary on the process and your playing. I would suggest settling back into the groove a bit more on the swing and shuffle. Too on the nose, and it sounds stiff/regimented. Do you dance? If you haven’t tried it, you might enjoy the different perspective and understanding that dancing to the music brings. If your area is free of Plague and you can go out, most swing and salsa clubs have dance lessons before the open dancing for the evening.
LOL some of the people who are going to be judging the audition might be people who are subscribers or watch your channel and they might know you before you play anything. Afterall, your channel is famous in the drum/percussion world!
I love it! My recommendation would be to assemble a purposeful, serious audition, and take it as far as possible. And if you get accepted, but still want to do RU-vid, discuss that with Air Force personnel before signing on. See if you can convince them of the recruitment and positive PR that could come from someone highlighting military musicianship.
For the shuffle I would’ve rather picked a faster more upbeat shuffle in the style of “Rosanna” by Toto or “Fool in the Rain” by Led Zeppelin with lots of ghost notes on the snare.
Sounds good man! I was USAF Regional Bandsman from 06-16. Sorry that no one gave you any feedback back in 2012. When I was in the auditions shop for a hot minute at WPAFB, we always made sure to get feedback from the section to give auditionees. Just common courtesy IMO. You have a lot of skills and are a jack of all trades player for sure (a compliment). When I came in things were a little bit different in that they tended to hire either a classical player or a drum set player. I was in during the transition when many of us that were hired to be on the legit side of things were made to become drum set players. So, hats off to all you folks that are auditioning on both sides of the fence. Sting and Wynton Don't have me on speed dial, but if I could offer my two cents it would be to check out those Tommy Igoe books. I think you would get a lot out of going through all those different styles, They are are a great workout when I get a chance to get some practice time in. All the best Marine!
*Video 32* of Loopy Grandma asking Lil' Peanut dressed as a surfer dude to play -Wipe Out by the Ventures- -Any surfer song- !!! ... Video 2 since I said I was *Giving up* !!!!
Ill be auditioning for my first orchestra soon. It's my unis orchestra (and my uni has no music students) but I feel like the level is pretty high nevertheless. I have played marimba for a couple of years now and very actively, but only solo, and drums for 11 years. I have also played in a drum ensemble for 7 years, a rockband for 6 and a kids orchestra for one weekend (it was like a short project). But I have never auditioned anywhere and I don't have the slightest idea what they expect from me. I never did any competition either. Something that confused me is when applying they ask about if I have been in an orchestra before. Like I didn't really get the chance... I decided to play cool from west side story on vibraphone and afrocuban medley for drumset. Both of these aren't really classical but I don't really what else to play lol. Other things are either very boring, or way out of my league. I might just practice a year longer and audition next year, not sure yet. I could also apply for a big band, as percussion since they need that right now, but I think that is kinda boring. I would love to play vibraphone in a bigband, but I don't currently own an instrument. Oh and I also never played timpani lol.
Uh, for the Jazz. I get yelled at this by my professors all the time. Too much back beat, you just want to get the 2 and 4 with the hi hat and do a little stuff in between with the toms and snare but like yeah, back beat bad for Jazz.
