Grateful for an Amazing Year: A Review of 2023

I am blessed to say that 2023 was one of my best years as a musician and as a performer. There were certainly challenges and struggles but the end results were more than worth it. Here is a review of the year and I am happy to say that it features a lot of new opportunities as well as memories of working with some amazing people. 

 

My drums at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, CA

A Great Start 

The year started with me working in the world of musical theater. I was invited back to Arts Express Theater to perform in the production Always Patsy Cline. I was thrilled to return just a few months after my first performance with this company and it was such a thrill to work with some of the actors and musicians that I had worked with before while also getting a chance to meet and work with more talented artists. The production was amazing and the audience at each show were really into it. 

A little more than a month later I was at the Cabaret Theater with the Arizona Theater Company taking part in the production Tick, Tick, Boom. Just like the previous production, I got to work with some familiar faces as well as some new ones in a new theatrical environment. Again, a great response from the audience so the work was well worth it. Each theater production was both challenging and exciting and I look forward to having more opportunities in the future. Unfortunately, due to my performance schedule, I had to turn down multiple productions later in the year but such is the life of a professional musician.  

The cast and musicians from Tick, Tick, Boom
at Cabaret Theater

In the midst of these productions I was back onstage with Badlands as we came out of the gates hitting each stage hard and with the energy that the band is known for. From The Maverick to Whiskey Roads. Eddie's Cocktails and America Eats Co. Whether it is a big or a small stage, we will give you a great show.  This also included gigs at resorts, private parties as well as some out of town performances, which gave us a chance to share what we do with a lot of new people. Each show went really well and it was always exciting to see those who had yet to see the band before react to the energy that we bring to the stage each time we perform.  

Badlands

I also continued to work with Richard Newell at Alegria Studios. We always have a good time dropping drum tracks at his studio as we have created a chemistry over the years that allows us to drop some great performances on each track. I am looking forward to his next album release as we are starting to create an impressive and extensive legacy of recordings. 

New Experiences 

One of the first musicians I met during my move to Tucson was RJ Cloud. If you are wondering if he is the one that gave the world Cloud Microphones then you would be correct. He had been quite busy over the years starting and building his company but those songwriting chops of his as well as his desire to perform never left. For the last few years he had been writing with Liz Painter, with them putting the band Cloud Painter together, and there list of songs is quite impressive. RJ hit me up to see if I would like to come in and work with the band and I was more than happy to oblige. The musicians who are also part of the group are some of the best in town so our rehearsals, recording sessions and gigs have been amazing. It's always a good time with RJ, Liz as well as Arnie Venture, Josh Sailor and Steve Smith. 

While we do play some songs I had done with RJ many years ago there are a lot of new songs and an updated sound. Some of the stuff can be tricky to execute on a consistent basis so I do have to bring my best when I work with them. I am always up for such challenges as it always feels good when it's a job well done by the team. 

One of the big surprises for me was when I was recruited to work with the All Nations Chamber Ensemble. This is a group of musicians from various ethnic backgrounds that perform classical selections along with some contemporary pieces that fit into that mode. The idea behind it is to feature under represented performers and composers in an intimate setting, which so far has been at local churches throughout Tucson. 

It had been a while since I pulled out my congas and other hand drums but this project has been a lot of fun and a bit challenging to play these hand drums in dynamic and expressive ways. The best part though is that I am working with some amazing musicians who are also amazing people playing music written by some of the best composers ever. 

Finally, and this was the best thing that happened to me this year. I was invited to participate in my daughter's dance production of The Nutcracker. She has been studying dance at Sahuarita Dance Center for the past 14 years and somehow my name was mentioned when it came to who could play the role of Drosselmeyer, the Magician. To even be mentioned was an honor so once I agreed to it I made sure to give it the same focus I give to my own musical projects.  

Thankfully I wasn't asked to do any actual dancing. Still, there were specifics in terms of choreography and I wanted to make sure that I followed all of the directions in order to get the timing as perfect as possible. Everyone was easy to work with and very encouraging. Aside from being part of the production I got a better glimpse of what my daughter and her fellow dancers go through in terms of their preparation. These kids work really hard and while I had always been amazed at what I had seen them do for years at performances and competitions it was really eye opening to see why we cheer so loud for them. Their hard work demands our recognition. 

Playing Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker
with Sahuarita Dance Center

The day of the performances came and I had a blast taking part in the production. Having to be engaged in the show the entire time reminded me of my musical theater performances. Feeling the lights shine on us along with the energy that came both from the stage and the audience was a thrill. It allowed me to get into the moment as I could feel it pushing me to perform with more emphasis and enthusiasm. The reaction from those in attendance as well as my fellow castmates was positive so I look forward to having another opportunity to do this some time in the future. 

The best part, of course, was sharing this experience with my daughter. There were a number of exchanges, conversations and moments of celebration between us and I will leave it at that. It is a moment I will treasure forever.   

Blessed...Twice 

Sometimes we have that feeling that something is worth another go. In my case, it was applying for a grant. I took some time to think about what I wanted to finance. Was is something educational or was it a project that I wanted to undertake? I realized it would be a combination of both as I ended up applying for and earning a grant from the Arizona Association of the Arts to purchase video & audio equipment for me to record and release drumming instructional videos. I am still in the midst of getting this going but the idea is to create premium content of me demonstrating all of the sticking exercises from my first drumming book (https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Drumming-Exercises-Accuracy-Endurance/dp/B08CG9WTWV) and then to demonstrate many of my drum set concepts. I guess it's safe to say that at my age I realized the amount of experience and wisdom I have to offer to the next generation of drummers. That and remembering and honoring those who guided me during my formative years. 

While celebrating the blessing I had received from one grant I came across another opportunity for another grant sponsored by the Arts Foundation of Tucson & Southern Arizona. Again, that feeling of giving it a try came over me so I decided to go for it. I was a little less certain about this one because in this case I was seeking new recording and musical equipment in order to write more music for licensing opportunities. In this case I was submitting songs I wrote and not drumming content and I am the first one to say that I a much stronger drummer than I am a songwriter. Low and behold, I got it! I was ecstatic, humbled and grateful to be blessed with two grants in the same year! But I must admit, to have this foundation believe in my music composition abilities really hit home. The next thing I know I am on the phone with my Sweetwater contact ordering gear that I really needed to move forward as a composer and that was exactly what I did. 

I am still in the midst of learning how to use a lot of this equipment but the creative doors it opened are astounding. There isn't a day that goes by when I do not feel a sense of gratitude for these beautiful gifts and once it happened I bowed my head and said in prayer: Thank you Lord. I see what you have given me. Now, show me what You want me to do. 

It started with Him telling me to focus on what YOU can do, not just on what you have to offer others. With that, I had more confidence in what I was about to do because in this case it was surrounded by God's grace.  

Returning to Me 

Summer arrived and while I increased my practicing and performance schedule my vacation time from teaching gave me more time to work in my home studio. As I worked away the desire to bring out the Desert Drummer again came over me but this time with more to offer an audience than just my drumming presentation.   

That's when it hit me: perform with backing tracks! Yes, do a couple of solos as the world rhythms orchestrated around the drum set are exciting, but not a full set. But, if I also performed my own songs as well as some cover songs that people recognized, it would really take the audience on a musical journey. Now it was time to get work. 

I started by creating new versions of songs that I had released on my first solo album. I looped a few basic rhythms and then used my electronic drums to overdub some big drum sounds as well as some other percussion parts. That allowed me to get a clean signal and to give the recording a more human feel. I would do the same thing with some new rhythmic ideas and arrangements that I had so I was not going to be just a solo performer of cover songs. 

Speaking of cover songs, I started working with versions of songs that had the drums wiped off. I chose Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson, Manic Depression by Jimi Hendrix, Carry on Wayward Son by Kansas, Right Here, Right Now by Fatboy Slim and It's My Life by Bon Jovi. This allowed me to offer my own interpretation of each song but I was far from done. I also added some additional percussion and in some cases, some sound effects or simply doubled the keyboard, bass line, and/or guitar in order to give it a bigger sound since I was going to be pounding my drums along with the track. 

Finally, I came across some rhythmic tracks of percussionists from around the world. I added a bit more percussion to those tracks and then found a way to add my own drum set playing to the tracks, which would allow me the chance to jam with masters from around the world on recordings that never had a drum set. 

I was very excited to say the least. 

Now it was time to get down to business. I had been in touch with a few booking agents at some local clubs here in Tucson and I was more than grateful when the good people at Thunder Canyon Brewery said that they wanted to give me a shot at debuting this updated version of the Desert Drummer. I topped off the night by bringing in my friends from the blues trio Javelina Blu and I was even happier when I was invited to perform with the band that night. It was going to be a lot of fun performing double duty. 

What made it even more exciting was that I had made plans to return to the Los Angeles area in the fall for another drumming Master Class at Los Angeles Harbor College, so I contacted some local venues in the area to share what I had to offer. I was blessed to receive an invite to perform at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach. This is a venue I had performed at years ago so I was excited to go home and show my family and friends what I was now doing as a solo performer. On top of that, I contacted by music buddy from CA, Michael Delarentiis to see if his band Jak Frost might be up to be on the bill and he was all for it. This was going to be a great night! 

Wow! Now I have two performance dates in two different cities in two different states! Rock on! 

It was time to hit the woodshed. Aside from finalizing my backing tracks I also had to review my drum set solos, play along to the cover songs and work on various exercises to make sure I had the strength and endurance to do my solo set, which is much more taxing than playing with a band, before doing a full set with a band. 

The day of the show arrived and I had a blast hitting the stage and performing for many of my family and friends in the audience. There were certainly some wrinkles to deal with, which was expected, but I learned a lot while also seeing what I did well in order to prepare for the next show. Still, it was a great night as people in the audience liked what I did, were a bit surprised by what they saw, and expressed an interest to see it again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNPsiRM6BoI 

Speaking to the crowd at Thunder Canyon Brewery in Tucson, AZ
during the return of the Desert Drummer.

A couple of months later I was back in the Los Angeles area. Returning to Los Angeles Harbor College was a treat, as I had the chance to share some of my drumming and musical insights with several college students, while also performing for some familiar faces from back home. It's always good to return to some familiar territory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAFOE0Edt68   

Leading a drumming Master Class at Los Angeles Harbor College
in Wilmington, CA. 

After a short rest in my hotel room it was time to head to Saint Rocke. It was so good to see more old friends and family members in the audience. That gave me a jolt to say the least. I felt great the entire time I was onstage and then hung around and watched by friends from Jak Frost put on a great set as well (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwxVm-wII3Q). Just like last time, I dealt with some wrinkles and learned many lessons, but I walked away feeling really good about my progress. That was solidified when the people at Saint Rocke told me that they wanted me to come back again sometime real soon. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBSStDjTpCk)    

The Desert Drummer returns home! Another solo gig at
Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, CA 

Composer 

Writing music in my home studio is nothing new but now I had even more reasons to really focus on what I was creating on my own. It started with what I call an accidental surprise when I decided to release 10 percussion loops that I wrote and recorded years ago. I liked what I had done but for some reason I never had any desire to release them as they were. One day, I decided to revisit them while adding more drums and percussion parts on top of what was already there and voila! A new Desert Drummer release! The thought was to make my loops available for anyone that might be interested in featuring them on one of the television shows or films. After all, I already have a working agreement with Universal Music who have already placed and continue to place some of my music on various television shows around the world. 

The cover of my third solo release that is now featured on
my composer page with Desert View Records. 

It was around this time when I met Michael Rizzio from Desert View Records with him expressing an interest in working with me. So, I sent him some of my drumming compositions and before I knew it, I'm signing a contract to be one of his featured composers. https://desertviewrecords.com/our-music/composers/carlos-solorzano.aspx This was certainly more than I expected and it was great to see my recently released loops on my own page as one of the a feature composers for Michael's company 

Michael was an interesting person to speak to and that led me to share some other music I had written. Music that was not drum driven and in some cases, music with no drums at all. He really liked what he heard and decided that he wanted to create a separate page for my non-drumming music. Wow! This was one of the most affirming musical experiences of my life. I have always felt more confident with my drumming compositions because drums and rhythm are my forte. Now my efforts as a composer were being rewarded with this new opportunity, so I was more than grateful. 

2024 and Beyond 

The future looks bright and the beginning of 2024 is already on the calendar. Badlands has already started filling their performance schedule and we are looking forward to many more exciting gigs. Cloud Painter is also making plans to record some new music while continuing to book more performances. All of this and filler gigs with other groups and hopefully, I'll have an opening in my schedule that will allow me to return to the world of music theater.

On top of that, there will be plenty of my time moments from writing music for my next album & sync opportunities, drumming educational projects as well as possible collaborations with other musicians. Once I started to make progress as a composer I realized more than ever that I have to make the same time to sit down and see what creative ideas I have to work with as much as I practice my drumming. One can't always wait for moments of inspiration, which is why it is important to study music because such knowledge can at times be the beginning of a new and great idea. For me, I can easily say that I love writing and recording my own music as much as I love drumming as both make me feel so alive!  

Now, it's time to get to work. 

Working in my home studio with equipment that I was
able to get from one of the grants I earned this past year. 

 Carlos Solorzano

https://www.desertdrummer.com/