How many of us drummers listen to the radio? Or how many of drummers listen to the same albums over and over again? The latter is certainly not a criticism but it strikes me that not enough musicians draw inspiration from outside sources.
I’m going to show my age now and sing the praises of BBC Radio 2! The menu bar on the website should inspire you: Documentaries. Honestly, the wealth of inspiration from documentaries about the music scene in London during the sixties – listening to Michael Caine talking about hanging out with Mick Jagger just before The Rolling Stones became massive – listening to Roger Taylor (Queen) talking about the impact of Live Aid. The list goes on.
Then there are the shows. Let me list a handful.
- Monday – Blues with Paul Jones and then there is Jools Holland a little later
- Tuesday – Jamie Cullum’s Jazz show
- Wednesday – Is Soul is your thing, you have to listen to Trevor Nelson
- Thursday – Bob Harris’s Country show and then Steve Lamacq’s rock show
- Friday – Huey Morgan’s show is just incredible
- Saturday – Bob Harris – I can’t tell you how many of Bob’s shows that I have listened to whilst driving home from a gig
None of the above take in to account the incredible shows that feature daily – Chris Evans, Steve Wright, Jeremy Vine and Simon Mayo.
My point is simple: If you’re serious about music you would do well to listen to as much of it as possible. If you’re looking for diverse inspiration, tune in and be inspired.