Welcome to "See You On The Bandstand", the monthly newsletter devoted to the news and events surrounding the students of Marvin Bugalu Smith's School Of Time.  Check back monthly as we talk about the world of jazz drums. the local scene, news, student progress reports and other exciting drum and jazz related topics. 

                The newsletters highlight the students experience on teaching and playing jazz drums, sharing their views on playing on the bandstand and much more.  This important information will make you play better drums.

"A newsletter for today’s people, written by the people, because the music belongs to the people."

Your teacher,

Marvin Bugalu Smith

THE TRUE VALUE OF THE JAM SESSION      by Andrew Greeney    
       
          Last week I was at our jam session, relaxing but focusing on the music, and I thought to myself, "Where else can you find a school like this?" The jam session is a source of great value but we all have to put in a lot of hard work to get the full value.
          Let's first look at the musicians that we have the opportunity to meet and play with every week. Marvin is our teacher and he is a true master of the drums. We can't take him for granted just because we are familiar with him and see him often. One of the best ways to learn is by watching the masters. Many of the great musicians, although they also studied privately, learned a great deal from observation and practicing on their own based on what they had observed with their senses.
          Without Marvin's connection we might not even meet, much less get the chance to play with, the great artists that we have every week at the Terrace. One of the first that comes to mind is Andy McCloud. Mr. McCLoud is an excellent bassist and he comes from the real school of great jazz musicians. You could definitely say he comes from line of Coltrane because he studied under Jimmy Garrison and he recorded several albums with Elvin Jones. Last week we also had a fantastic pianist named John Esposito. Esposito has great technical facility on the piano and he is a very serious musician. "Notables he's performed with are Thurman Barker, Nick Brignola, Roy Campbell, Santi Debriano, Carter Jefferson, John Lindberg, Erica Lindsay, Joe Lovano, J.R. Monterose, David "fathead" Newman, and Roswell Rudd. He has also recorded with Rashied Ali, Dave Douglas, Dave Holland, Franklin Kiermyer, Jeff Marx, Eric Person, Arthur Rhames, Sam Rivers, Pharoah Sanders, Michael Stuart, and John Stubblefield among others."(wikipedia) John is also involved in education and is one of the head music professors at Bard College where he teaches jazz piano, literature, and harmony.
Artists like Bugalu, Andy McCloud, and John Esposito are not only master musicians, but they are the younger generation's link to the great masters who have passed. If we all put in hard work and practice, we can make the most out of this educational opportunity. You can't get this real 'on the job training' with players that have been in music for such a long time anywhere else but the jam session. It is also very important to review the videos from the jam sessions. Until next time....SYOTB

The Gift That Keeps Giving      by Jan Jurgielewicz IV

     It has been another month and every time I drive away from a Sunday lesson or a Tuesday night jam, it hits me.  I was just given a musical gift from the master and the gifted musician himself, Bugalu.  There are times when the crew may think one way or another about my playing, amount of practice, etc.  but the un-deniable truth is that after every single lesson and jam session, I receive a gift, and the gift is:  A piece of musical knowledge, a skill, a spiritual emotion or feeling or  that I did NOT have before the lesson or the jam. 

     I don't think there are many people (except maybe for Andrew and Kesai) that could understand what I am talking about here, because of the gravity of the situation.  But I think I see it very clearly,  before last January, when I first met Bugalu and the crew, I knew nothing about drums, jazz or the real spirituality of music.  Today, 14 mos. later I have a little more knowledge but no where near the ultimate potential of information I can learn from Bugalu, Andrew and Kesai.  It goes WAY beyond the rudiments or the technique of hitting a drum, because there is an energy and spiritualness of what is going on here with us as human beings.  Sometimes, they bring me on an emotional rollercoaster, knocking me down but always willing to help me up, throwing me out but always taking me back in and no matter what anyone says, there has been a drastic effect on not only my playing, but my attitude.   Truth be told, I live and teeter within the "Status Quo", I am blessed in that my non-musical intellect, personality and the fact that I see "the big picture" in everything around m, has helped me forge an OK career, but in the past where I would maybe not appreciate what I have or get so wrapped within the corporate spiral of doom and bullshit, it would screw up my well being and artistic talents, upset the balance.   The years of playing guitar, singing, writing songs, then ultimately taking up drums 2 years ago, suffered as I did not have the mentor I have in Bugalu, I tell many people that if I did what I was doing now, when I was 18, I would definitely had made it in the music business as Bugalu has lived the life and through his playing and PERSPECTIVE of all things around him, have helped me grow not only as a drummer & musician, but as a person.   I notice new ways of thinking that did not exist before pre-Bugalu.  It was last Sunday when it really hit me, Bugalu lecturing me on the practice where he looks out the window, and states my shiny car or new motorcycle or other "Status Quo" associations he has of me. They may have been completely valid 16 months ago even 7 or 8 mos. ago, but are now fading away today.  Recently, I had to buy another car, my lease is up in 6 weeks and in the past, I may have gone to get a new BMW or Audi, cars I have had in the past, as maybe that is what a Status Quo corporate guy would do, flashing stuff around in my work parking lot, just to flaunt bullshit in front of other Status Quo people or even my stuff neighbors.  But, this did not happen, I did NOT want a new 50,000 dollar car.  No, not now, but what I did want was something that would get me from point A to point B efficiently, and that made ME happy, not caring what anyone (maybe except my wife) would think.  So, I go get a car from 1972, a Morris Mini from England, that full fills MY needs, makes me happy and I get to recycle something from the past, save money and not throw myself into further debt (further the control of me of the corporate banks and establishment), but give older things a new lease on life.  Same with my motorcycle, a beat up 1950 Indian, that no one on their right mind, especially the Status Quo of men that have to buy a new Harley Davidson with chrome or some fancy Euro bike, nope, doesn't matter anymore.  Even at work, now, I still play the game ( I took acting classes in collage) and will do what I have to, to get paid and provide for my family, but I no longer want the CIO or upper level promotion.  Those around me who work from 8am until 7pm or 8pm (like I used to) always checking their Blackberry and ignoring life, family and the inner half, for the Corporation.  They generally now repulse me, and I feel bad for them.   If I can keep the balance, never going too far one way (corporation vs. struggling wannabe artist),  being able to live solidly live OUTSIDE the Status Quo and enter "when needed" is a beautiful thing, I think I can do it, I really can, and maybe someday I can help others do it as well, just like Bugalu has done with me.  I probably shared too much this month, but I feel better for doing it.

      Now I may not know today where I'll be in the end of my musical and spiritual journey with Bugalu and the crew, which is fine now, 6 months ago it would have bothered me (not knowing the absolute), but now I follow a path, have faith, feel somewhat safe but never too ertain.  But I do know one thing for sure, in the end, I'll be better off as a musician and a PERSON than what I was before I started studying under Bugalu...   SYOTBS