I’ll never forget the first time I saw Dave Weckl play the drums. At the time, I had heard Dave on records, but had never seen him play live or on TV. One fateful day, I happened to have the TV tuned to PBS, and there was Dave playing with the Chick Corea Elektric Band. During the song “Rumble,” Dave did a drum solo, and in the middle of the solo, he triggered electronic drums from his acoustic kit. To say I was inspired would be a gross understatement. I was hooked, and that moment of how drums, electronics, technology, and music could all converge so powerfully—and in such an awesome and innovative manner—changed my life forever. In fact, it had a huge impact in forming what would become my life’s work in music technology.
Not every story about experiencing Dave’s playing will result in life-changing events, but you’d be surprised at how many do. He is a true, modern-day innovator, and he continues to evolve his own playing, as well as the art of drumming and education.
I’m really excited that Dave is making his sixth appearance on the cover of Modern Drummer, and sharing some very powerful insights on how to take one’s craft—in this case, drumming, but it applies to any art form—and continually grow. Dave’s online school—of which I’ve been a member since its inception—is a great learning platform for drummers at all levels.