The Journey of the Desert Drummer

When I re-released my updated music memoir earlier this year it was commemorate my 30th year of being a professional performer. I was so focused on remembering the date of my first pro gig that I didn't take the time to remember something else: 2021 is also the 40th Anniversary of the moment when I started to play the drums....formally. 

Like most drummers I had my moments of banging on other things before I got my first set of drums. For me, it was wasn't pots and pans as it was mostly toys and then toy drum sets. Prior to that I had joined the drum corp at the beginning of my 3rd grade year at Dolores Street Elementary School in Carson, CA. before my parents put me in drum lessons with my first teacher in the spring of that school year (You can get the full story at: https://www.amazon.com/Speck-Sand-Music-Memoir/dp/1530550459). Of course, that year was the beginning of seeing what a drumming instructor can do for me. 

As time went on I continued to take drum lessons with my most influential drumming instructor being Greg Alban, who is my main mentor to this day. After high school I went on to earn an AA in Music from El Camino Community College in Torrance, CA, which allowed me to expand my horizons as a musician since I had to study music theory. It helped most when I began to apply my musical studies to other instruments as it gave me the tools to write my own music.

Like many musicians I was hungry to get out there and see what this whole music scene was all about. I learned a lot, I struggled quite a bit, I have many wonderful memories along with some bitter disappointments. I have flirted with the idea of walking away from music as the nonsense of the business is far from worth my time but music is not only in my blood as well as the spark that lights my soul. I feel this too as a fan when I listen to my favorite artists but that has never been enough to satisfy that craving within me: I have to feel the music that I am listening to and I can only do that when I am playing the music. I have to feel the groove as my sticks hit the drums while my feet kick those pedals. I have to hear my sound come off of the drums and feel that energy come both from my instrument as well as those who are playing with me. Without this it would be like being in love and never being able to express that love to one's beloved. 

 

Origins 

My goals and priorities have changed over the years. As a young teen I had dreams of rock stardom. When I hit my thirties I had a family and a home so making money was a priority for me and I used my musical talents to supplement my income. Creativity was still a part of my musical journey but it had to be redefined. 

I no longer had the time or desire to chase the dream nor did I care to be a part of that band culture that is needed to push one's original project forward. Still, there were some creative juices within me that had to come out and it actually led me back to the drums. 

For many years I chased the rock star dream in the Los Angeles music scene. In most cases I played in bands that valued my musical input so I spent a lot of time writing music with my focus on the drums being mainly the maintaining the skills needed to perform in a consistent manner.That actually led to a sense of boredom because I grew tired of having to focus on always playing a backbeat. 

I love world rhythms so I started to experiment with them on the drum set and before I knew I not only had a bunch of ideas that sounded great but had put them in carefully crafted drum solos/songs, which led me to start networking for gigs....as a solo drum set artist! I also started writing my own drumming compositions, which led me to recording and releasing my first solo release. The nice thing about all of this: I had not only had the satisfaction of working on my own music but was able to do it at home, which gave me more time with my family.  

My first few solo performances were in the Los Angeles area but it did take off once I moved to the Tucson area in 2006. The venues were a little more open minded with the idea and were willing to take a chance on something they had never seen before. Things went well until the economic crash of 2008. After that, venues wanted something more stable and familiar if you will so it was back to the working band situation. 

I continued to do solo work off and on, which started to include Master Classes as people would ask off and of for me to demonstrate how I do the things that I do. I loved each of the opportunities but I must admit that it was at times disappointing because it did not happen as often as I would have preferred. With that being said, I sort of let it go because I did not put in the networking effort as I had in the past because the lack of interest weighed heavily on me.

I have always known that the music business is tough and the key to surviving is to adapt to the ever changing scene. Therefore, I started to accept the realization that people didn't seem too interested in the things I had been writing and that maybe I should just focus on being in a working band. It's not like gigs aren't fun and I certainly enjoyed the monetary reward for my efforts. It seemed a lot better than putting in so much hard work in my craft and networking efforts only be ignored or turned down. 

I am not one to give up so fast but I am also not one to waste his time. By accepting this reality it sort of gave me what I thought was some sort of peace of mind because I was not only living in the real world but accepted reality for what it was. 

Or was I? 

As time went on I was now in my forties and was blessed to have been a part of multiple successful local bands in the Tucson country music scene. It was nice to play for packed clubs while making decent money in what had become a fun part time job. But it was a conversation I had with Angel Delallana, who is a long time friend, that forced me to look in the mirror. At one point she asked me a simple question: what are you up to lately when it comes to your own music? 

It was time for a true confession: nothing! When I was asked why my answer was simple: no one cares!  

I should have known that I was about to get scolded: it's not about what others think of your music nor is it about how money you make from it. You should do it because it's part of who you are and it makes you happy. 

She was disappointed with me but also hurt because as a close friend of mine she saw how I was allowing myself to settle into something that I was not. She could could also hear and feel that I was not truly satisfied with just being a working musician. Once the dust settled she encouraged me to rethink my decision to ignore that creativity that was flowing within me while offering to help me establish this brand of mine through the use of her technological prowess. 

I guess this is what I needed most. Not only someone to help me push this brand of mine with the skills that I don't have but also someone to push me when I need to do better. It also made me realize that I did not have the drive and motivation that I thought I had. I truly needed someone to hold me accountable during those moments in my life when I was not living up to me potential.  

The Return

It had been a few years since I had done any type of solo work. From my solo drum set performances and Master Classes to writing and recording my own original music, I had just let it all sit in the cellar while I focused on being a working drummer. Once I really thought about it I felt a sense of shame because it felt like I was wasting the talents that God gave to me.

Don't get be wrong, playing in a band is a great thing but such projects come and go and before you know it you're back to square one. As a drummer our progress always seems to depend on whatever groups we're playing with and while that is not something I can truly escape I started my solo projects in order to be able to do more than that. It was almost as if I was dating someone simply because I did not want to be alone, not because I truly loved them. 

As I began working with Angel we created Sun Mirror Productions and immediately we re-released my first solo album and then released my second one after realizing that I had enough material sitting around in my home studio that could make up another solo release.  Sad to say, that's how distracted I was by my lack of motivation. I had been writing and recording some songs during some breaks in my performance schedule and it didn't even dawn on me to think of putting out another solo release, especially since most of these songs showcased what I could do on other instruments. Yes, it is kind of humiliating to admit this but we live and learn and it's easier to do that when the people we work with are more concerned about lifting us up rather that kicking us when we're down. https://www.sunmirrorproductions.com/ 

Aside from that I got back into the Master Class world and was blessed to appear at events both in Arizona and Southern California to raving reviews. Aside from Angel's media efforts to promote each one I also made the point to go on local television and radio shows to speak about all of my solo efforts. Right away, people commended me not only for my playing but also for the way I delivered my teachings. I must admit that it felt different than it did in the past and that led me to start directing my attention more towards the educational route than just being a performer. 

Later on we released something I had been wanting to do for many years, my first drumming book. For many years I had been developing my own hand exercises as I was never one to want to do what everyone else was doing. Once I put together my own concept and documented all that this concept had to offer I began to share my book with other drummers. Thankfully, many of these drummers took the time to give it a look and commended my work. I was most surprised to hear how challenging many of the exercises were for many of them but was most moved by the remarks from those who told me to keep going because they felt that I had a lot to offer the drumming community. 

Wow! 

The key now was scheduling my time to not only continue working in the local music scene but to make sure that I give enough attention to the Desert Drummer brand as it was now not just about me. Someone else was now involved and if I did not pull my weight it would be disrespectful to all of her belief in what I was doing along with her efforts to help promote what I was doing. 

The Next Step 

The pandemic was a strange time for me. While I did work hard at getting out my original music and drumming book I also took some time to do some serious practicing. On the other hand, my personal life was impacted with many losses and grief, which led to moments when I just could not get myself to focus on things I should be doing. I felt that it was best to just process all that was happening to me as well as those around me knowing that I would eventually return to the things I wanted to do. 

First it was just performing again. After taking some time off to deal with some personal struggles I returned to the stage when there were still so many limitations. While it was certainly sad to see empty venues I was still grateful to be able to perform. As time went on the crowds returned and I was thankful to be able to relive certain experiences that we had all taken for granted. 

It was also time to start rebranding the Desert Drummer. First, Angel created a beautiful website to raving reviews. Right away it started to get the attention of the right people, which in turn led to more musical opportunities for me.  https://www.desertdrummer.com/

Second, it was time to expand my sound. I had been thinking that I had to do more than the world rhythm adaptations and leave it to my honest production partner to agree with me on that one. To paraphrase her words, the stuff you do sounds good but at times it kind of sounds the same. You need to do a lot more than what you're doing now. 

Honestly, she was right and it was something that had been on my mind as well. Still, I was glad she was so honest about it because this change needed to happen right now. She reminds me a lot of my daughter of all people so it was no surprise when she became my daughter's godmother in May of 2021. What does that mean for me? She is no longer just a good friend but now a member of my family, mi comadre!

So what changes would I make? I started to add backing tracks to what I do and in doing so I was not afraid to approach things in a different way (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvzLTpdYr7Y). Yes, there is that world rhythmic influence but I also love to work with odd meters and do some different types of arrangements so I am just going to go for it. 

Aside from that, knew I had to share the other kinds of drumming that I can do and love doing because I did not want to box myself into something I created when I am truly free to do my own thing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EKbQn_rng8). I love throwing down a good groove but I also love to experiment with rhythmic groupings that are not typical or Western music. Some say it's a waste of time but that means nothing to me because after all, as Angel reminded me a few years back, it's about doing what makes me happy as an artist.

And this is just the start. Angel is always quick to remind me that I am not just a drummer but a musician. So yes, there are plans to make videos of songs that I wrote and recorded, which was of course demonstrated on my last solo album. Since I have the resources to track these songs there is no reason for me not to think beyond just releasing audio tracks of these songs. I am going to not only play along to my music but also record myself playing these other instruments because after all, why not?

 

Wait! There is More

As things started to open in 2021, I began to do my networking and right away there was interest in more Master Classes both from places I had appeared before along with entities from out of state, including some from back east. Even though some of it may not happen until 2022 I still grabbed the attention of people I was not acquainted with just last week. This is certainly a exciting time when it comes to in person instruction. 

This time, though, I could feel that such opportunities were not enough. I wanted to share more of what I could do and there was a deep feeling within me that said that I had to do this. After all, those remarks of me having a lot of offer the drumming community continued to echo in my head while remembering that I am where I am today because of those who took the time to share what they know with me. 

And sometimes this came from drummers that I never met or took a lesson from. 

While writing and publishing a drumming book was a great accomplishment there was something missing and that was being able to reach drummers the way many great teachers have been doing for years, through the use of technology. The best way to do that would be through my own You Tube Channel. 

So many musicians do not read music so they would have no interest in a book even before the days of video tutorials. Still, they have always found ways to learn and it's not like I haven't learned a lot about music in ways similar to them. In my case, yes, I took private lessons and learned a lot my listening but I have spent and continue to spend hours watching great drumming performances on You Tube and other visual entities. 

I had already posted a few practice pad tutorials but this was just me doing my thing and having some fun with it. I did break down some exercises with many drummers telling me that they enjoyed such videos so now it's time to get serious when it comes to sharing what I know about drumming with others. That led me to give a short preview of what my drumming book is all about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do8Xc-Q5H7c&list=PL6fwA_nY0xBMeYacvOB3xU1sE2wJei_1T&index=1&t=1s

That will lead to the creation of the Desert Drummer Premium Channel, which I am working on right now. I am going to record and release video versions of the exercises from my book in a visual format for those who are unable to read the notation in my book along for those who would prefer to see me play these exercises in order to get a deeper understanding of each exercise. 

For now, my Desert Drummer You Tube is up and running and I have been so grateful for those who have supported me thus far: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarlosSolorzanoDesertDrummer

Aside from that, I am also working on my next drumming book, which is going to incorporate exercises for hands and feet. That will require me to do some formal videos of myself playing the full drum set, which most likely means I'll be heading to CA to record this project with Angel sometime in the near future.   

Meanwhile, I am still hitting the stage with a few Tucson based bands playing everything from country to blues, rock and jazz/fusion along with whatever else comes my way. I have also been contacted by a couple of recording studios who are in need of drumming tracks on future projects so we'll see what comes out of those experiences. 

Aside from enjoying and being grateful for the work I am also looking forward to what I am going to learn from these experiences and how they can be of use in future music education projects. How will I have to adapt to each situation? How will it challenge my playing, my musical approach and even my attitude? What will I learn about recording that I can apply to my own work? What will my failures and mistakes teach me to improve by musical presentation along with my business sense in order to improve my Desert Drummer brand? 

As you can see there is a long way to go but I am looking forward to the challenge.

 

Carlos Solorzano

https://www.desertdrummer.com/