Stebal Drums - Clinics

Steve Smith was originally drawn to the drums by hearing marching bands in parades as a child in his native Massachusetts. At age nine, in 1963, Smith began studying the instrument in earnest with local Boston area teacher Bill Flanagan, who played in big bands in the swing era.

Smith performed in the usual school band program and garage bands while in his teens, but also began to broaden his performing experience by playing in a professional Brockton concert band and even the big band at the local college, Bridgewater State. After high school, Smith began studying music at the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1972. There he received valuable instruction from such renowned teachers as Gary Chaffee and Alan Dawson.

In 1974 Smith's professional career began in full, at 19 years old, with his tenure in the Lin Biviano Big Band, which he toured and recorded with for the next two years. At that same time he also performed with bebopper Buddy DeFranco and was a member of free-jazz group The Fringe featuring George Garzone. In 1976, Smith began his association with jazz/fusion by joining violinist Jean Luc Ponty and recording the album "Enigmatic Ocean" (Atlantic 1977), which also featured guitarist Allan Holdsworth. However, it was while touring with rocker Ronnie Montrose a year later that Smith was asked to join the popular rock band Journey which brought his playing to the attention of a young rock audience.

With Journey, Smith toured around the world and recorded many successful albums including the immensely popular "Escape" (Columbia 1981) and "Frontiers" (Columbia 1983), both of which garnered the band many Top 40 hits. Smith's inventive timekeeping, stadium sized tom-tom fills and deep sense of the groove enabled him to produce some of the most critically acclaimed rock drumming while at the same time propelling the band to much popular success. The Journey catalogue has sold over 50 million records.

In 1985 Smith left Journey to pursue his original passion, jazz, and to continue his developing career as a session player. Over the past 20+ years, Smith has played on many hits with such diverse artists as Mariah Carey, Bryan Adams, Zucchero, Andrea Bocelli, Ray Price and Savage Garden.

Smith began leading his own fusion band Steve Smith and Vital Information in 1983 while still a member of Journey. Vital Information currently features Tom Coster on keys, Baron Browne on bass and Vinny Valentino on guitar. Vital Information's 2007 Hudson Music release, “Vitalization,” is a best seller and has gathered critical acclaim around the world.

Steve is also the bandleader of Steve Smith’s Jazz Legacy, a group carrying on the tradition of many of the great drummer-led jazz bands: communicating with music lovers of all generations, striving for excellence and playing non-compromising, burning, straight-ahead jazz. Jazz Legacy features Andy Fusco on alto sax, Walt Weiskopf on tenor and soprano saxes, Mark Soskin on piano and Baron Browne on bass.

Smith has also maintained an extensive touring and recording career, appearing with many jazz luminaries such as Mike Mainieri's group Steps Ahead. This band, which included virtuosos such as Michael Brecker, Richard Bona and Mike Stern, was one of the most successful of the '80s electric jazz groups and Smith contributed greatly to their tight, energetic sound for over ten years (1986-1993 and again from 2005 to the present).

Other high profile jazz touring and/or recording gigs that have filled the drummer's schedule include such artists as Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans, Randy Brecker, Zakir Hussain, George Brooks’ Summit and the Buddy Rich Big Band, with whom he has performed in many tribute concerts to the late drumming idol. He also rejoined Journey in 1996 to record the reunion album "Trial By Fire" (Columbia 1996). Smith's calendar often includes many drum clinics in which he is able to display his phenomenal techniques and concepts to drumming students around the world.

Smith's drumming, while always decidedly modern, can best be described as a style that embodies the history of U.S. music. His original love of rudimental parade drumming is evident in his intricate solos. Likewise, his command of jazz, from New Orleans music, swing, bebop, avant-garde to fusion, is applied with his powerful rock drumming sensibilities and allows him to push the boundaries of all styles to new heights. His musical focus is committed to the exploration of improvised music incorporating styles as diverse as Blues, Jazz, R&B, Funk, Cajun and the rhythms from the music of India.

In 1998, Smith began producing and playing on a series of driving electric jazz albums for the Tone Center label with a revolving cast of talented players such as Dave Liebman, Anthony Jackson, Frank Gambale, Stu Hamm, Tom Coster, Larry Coryell, Jerry Goodman, Howard Levy, Steve Marcus, Scott Henderson and Victor Wooten.

Smith’s explosive solos and intricate timekeeping served to gain him much acclaim from sources such as Modern Drummer Magazine, whose readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row. In 2001 Modern Drummer Magazine named Steve as one of the Top 25 Drummer of All Time, in 2002 he as voted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame and finally in 2003 his Hudson Music DVD "Steve Smith Drumset Technique - History of the U.S. Beat" was voted #1 Educational DVD of 2003. Steve latest Hudson DVDs are “The Art of Playing With Brushes” and “Steve Smith Drum Legacy.”

As a drummer, Steve Smith has worked for, and with, the best. With this work he is consistently pushing the boundaries of creative drumming and constantly expanding upon his strong and musical voice at the top of the international drumming community. As an educator, Smith is both the eternal student, and the perpetual teacher of the drums. As a bandleader, he is one of the very few drummers whose endless touring schedule brings world-class bands to all corners of the globe through an endless regimen of live performances.

For more than 30 years, SONOR drums accompanied Steve’s career. In 2008, SONOR celebrates this jubilee with something very special: the STEVE SMITH 30th ANNIVERSARY DRUMSET, and with more than 50 clinics in more than 18 countries across the globe.

Says Steve: “Sonor drums have remained my first and only choice as a high quality instrument for the past 30 years. My sound is the "Sonor sound," I can't imagine playing any other drum kit."

The drum kit is based on Steve’s original setup he currently uses for many occasions such as playing with his band Vital Information, just to name one. All shells are hand made out of Beech Wood with a Birdseye amber outer veneer in Germany by Sonor craftsmen and are constructed to make the drum kit a versatile Beauty. Whereas the 20x16” Bass Drum shell is made out of 6.1 mm, 9-ply Beech Wood, the 14x14” and 16x16” Floor Toms as well as the 8x8”, 10x8” and 12x8” Tom Toms and the 12x5” Snare Drum are made out of 8.1 mm, 9-ply Beech Wood.

The Bass Drum comes equipped with a removable Felt Strap on both the batter and the resonant side. Phonic Style Claw Hooks with wing screws gives the kit a Vintage look. The specially engraved badges on all shells just give a hint what this beautiful kit is all about. A Double and Single tom holder and a Multi Clamp is included to setup the toms.

But the most special part of the drum kit is the 14x5.5” Snare Drum, made out of an exclusive, 3 mm cast Steel shell. Again Phonic lugs were used for a Vintage look. Die-Cast Hoops and Fiberskyn 3 batter heads in Diplomat thickness give the drum the sound Steve was looking for, adding both crispness, but also a full bodied tone.

Furthermore Steve says: “The drum kit that I have designed with the Sonor engineers combines some of my favourite features of Sonor drums over the past 30 years: Beech Wood shells, a heavy-weight metal snare drum, slotted lugs, t-rods on the bass drum, felt strips on the bass drum and many other custom and personal features.”

Josh Touchton and the Evans Tune Up Clinic

1ST 10 DRUMMERS TO BRING IN THEIR SNARE WILL GET A FREE EVANS BATTER HEAD AND TUNE-UP. Josh Touchton started destroying drums at the tender age of eight. From that point nothing was sacred and the quest for optimum drum sounds started. Josh always took extra time in set up and tuning, getting great drum sounds was key to stage and studio performances. In 1993 Josh’s tuning was taken to the next level when he met and studied (or ate copious amounts of Mexican food to be more exact) with legendary Billy Cobham and John Bonham drum tech, Jeff Ocheltree. Jeff accepted no less than perfection of sound for the drum, room, or song, and even less for the complete understanding of what it took to get to that level and the same was demanded from Josh. Also that year Josh began working in tandem with Gibson Custom Shop guitar tech Ryan Futch, working on the southeast festival circuit and getting to work with such acts as The Band, Wilco, Fishbone, the Bottle Rockets, P-Funk, Jeff Healey, Willie Nelson, B.B. King, the International Blues Festival and the W.C Handy Awards. In addition Josh has gotten to tech in tour, studio, and in clinic settings for Bernard Purdie, Gregg Bissonette, Nick D’Vigilio, Big Country, Wilco, and Emmylou Harris and has built drums for Saliva, Wilco, Dwight Yoakham, Smashmouth, Gregg Bissonette, ELO, Mark Schulman, Mark Brzezicki, Gary Husband, Brady Blade, and Steve White and has had his drums heard commercials from Honda and Sears and several Grammy nominated albums.

The Evans Tune up Clinic is a great way to learn about keeping your drums in tiptop shape through following several simple steps. It’s a great way to make your sound heard in studio or live settings. More than anything it help develop the drummer’s own personal sound so that he or she will stand out.

As the Southern Regional Sales Manager for J. D’Addario & Co., Josh does over 30 drum tuning clinics a year with Evans Drumheads, focusing on ways to optimize any drum’s sound. Josh’s approach is one that makes tuning understandable for the beginner to the professional and takes the time to make the clinic attendee comfortable with tuning, drum head selection and ultimate optimization of their own personal drum sound

Ready. Set. Rock Tour.
Events are open to all guitarists, bass players, drummers, keyboardists and singers ages 7 to 17.

INTERACTIVE CLINIC: During the clinic, Camp Jam’s pro music instructors will give young musicians a “backstage” look at what they can expect when attending Camp Jam this summer, offering up music instruction, sharing tricks of the trade, helping them hone their rock ‘n’ roll chops and teach young musicians about being in a successful band. A limited number of instruments will be provided for this interactive clinic.

NATIONAL ROCK SOLO CONTEST: Rockers, ages 7 to 17, are invited to play their best 30-second rock solo for a chance to win a free session to Camp Jam. The contest is open to all guitarists, bass players, drummers, keyboardists and vocalists. Instruments will be provided although guitarists and bass players can bring their own instrument if they like. The winner in each city will win a free week at Camp Jam in their city and the national winner will win a free week to Camp Jam overnight in Atlanta or Chicago (flight included) and some free gear! Register now! (go to "LEARN MORE ABOUT CAMP JAM'S SPRING TOUR DAY LIVE CLINIC...")

NAMM'S WANNA PLAY? GUITAR PROGRAM FEATURING GUITAR HERO™ III- LEGENDS OF ROCK: The program is open to the first 40 rockers, ages seven to 17. Those with the top five scores will advance to compete against a real-life rock legend. The young rocker with the highest overall score will win a $100 gift certificate to the music store. Register now!(go to "LEARN MORE ABOUT CAMP JAM'S SPRING TOUR DAY LIVE CLINIC...")

MIKE CLARK gained worldwide recognition as one of America's foremost jazz and funk drummers while playing with Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters in the early 1970's. He became known as a major innovator through his incisive playing on Hancock's album Thrust which garnered him an international cult following. He has performed extensively throughout the US, Europe and Asia, and at all the major jazz festivals of the world.
A faculty member of Drummers Collective, Mike has appeared at college clinics throughout the world, and has been featured in Downbeat, Musician, International Musician & Recording World, Modern Drummer, Jazz Times, Guitar Player, Jazziz and many jazz history and method books.
Regarded as one of the most sampled drummers around, Mike's beats are respected by producers, deejays, musicians and audiences of all generations. His tracks have been sampled by musicians as diverse as NWA, Grandmaster Flash, Janet Jackson, De la Soul, Christine Aguilera, Prince and many others.
His touring band Prescription Renewal debuted in the winter of 2000 and electrified audiences across the country with an eclectic core of cross generational multi talents such as Charlie Hunter, Fred Wesley, Skerik, Robert Walter, and DJ Logic. Special guests were often featured such as George Porter Jr. of Funky Meters' fame, Kyle Hollingsworth of String Cheese Incident, Les Claypool, Will Bernard, Larry Goldings and fellow Headhunters alumni, Bill Summers. Touring concurrently that year and the next was the Roots Funk All Stars, another hot ad hoc association that paired Mike with James Brown trombonist Fred Wesley, former Headhunter cohort and bass legend Paul Jackson, organist Dr. Lonnie Smith and guitar virtuoso Robben Ford.
As a leader, his release Give the Drummer Some was very enthusiastically received, earning a rare four and a half stars in Downbeat, as was The Funk Stops Here a joint effort with Hancock alumni Paul Jackson. In 2001, Mike released the jazz-funk album Actual Proof and followed up with an acoustic jazz endeavor in February 2003 with Summertime, (featuring Chris Potter and Billy Childs), which spent several weeks in the top ten jazz charts.
Mike remains active with The Headhunters, Prescription Renewal, his jazz band and as a special guest with many of the best musicians in the world. With his vast contributions to music and drumming, he continues to influence yet another generation of young musicians as he has in the past while working to constantly further the evolution of music.

Jerry Z joined Mike Clark on organ. Jerry has worked wth Melvin Sparks and toured with the most recent incarnation of the Headhunters. After a recent Headhunters gig, Glide Magazine wrote of his "super sized keyboard skills.

Mike's Website

In the last fifteen years Billy has toured and /or recorded (among others) with jazz artists Jim Beard, Bill Evans Supergroup, Leni Stern, B.B. King, George Russell and Living Time Orchestra, pop artists The Knack, Jimmy Webb, Carly Simon, Richard Marx, ex-KISS star Ace Frehley's Comet, and unclassifiable talents like Bill Champlin, Robbie Robertson, Yoko Ono, and Chris Whitley. Most recently Billy completed a year and a half tour with singer Joan Osborne.

STEBAL DRUMS CLINIC HISTORY

Steve Smith

Josh Touchton and the Evans Tune Up Clinic

KENNY ARONOFF

MASTER CLASS ,PRIVATE LESSONS

“The Metal Meets the Road” Cymbal Showcase Visits 12 Midwest Cities