Collaboration in the Covid Era
The Covid-19 pandemic has essentially decimated the live music industry. Unable to create and perform in person, musicians and artists had to seek alternate paths to continue producing music, connecting with their audience, and earning money. As a result, various forms of collaboration bubbled to the surface, potentially changing how artists connect and create moving forward.
Collaborative Composition
Many bands and musicians continued writing and composing songs, just remotely. Doing so is quite easy with the internet and today’s technology (almost everyone has a smart phone by now). If, for example, a guitarist in a band comes up with a cool riff, they can record the idea and send it off to their bandmates, who can build their own parts around the initial idea. It requires a bit of back and forth, and maybe a couple group Zoom calls to further arrange and develop the idea, but at the end of the day, songwriting through the internet provides a viable workflow for creating new material. One of our instructors, Blaize, participated in the recording of an original tune with seven other musicians from around the country. The song was obviously inspired by the social measures brought on by the pandemic.
A Friendly Shed Session
Sometimes, it feels really good to just shred. The physical release of playing fast and loud has therapeutic qualities for a lot of drummers, especially during stressful times. And other times it’s fun to push the extremes by participating in a good old shed session with some of your drummer buddies. If you’re unfamiliar, a shed session typically refers to when several drummers, all playing in the same space, take turns busting out some of their fastest, craziest, most technical chops. It’s the drumming equivalent of a slam dunk contest, except there are no winners or losers. They’re quite wholesome, actually, and a great way to test drive some new ideas without the fear of infuriating your bandmates. One of our other instructors, Josh, was able to partake in a virtual global shed session, featuring drummers scattered throughout the US and Europe.
Exchanging Grooves and Fills
Shed sessions can feel a bit competitive and might be a little much for some people, which is understandable. If you prefer an even more wholesome approach to pushing your drummer friends’ abilities, a simple exchange of grooves and patterns works just as well. A few weeks ago, Josh and Kyle (the owner/operator of BDL) exchanged a few beats and fills with one another. But there was a catch; each tried to create two patterns that were easier to play than they first seem, and two patterns that were more challenging than they appeared. In doing so, both Josh and Kyle got a glimpse into the others’ thought processes behind composing grooves and approaching drum fills. The below video depicts Josh deconstructing and rebuilding two deceptively challenging patterns sent to him by Kyle.
Genre-bending Covers
Another common form of distant collaboration is covering another band’s music, but as a different style than the original. With the current situation, it’s totally understandable that your creative juices might not flow the same rate as usual. But putting your own spin on something that already exists may pull you out of a rut, or, at the very least, give you a little project on which to work. Covering a song is also a great way to produce something new without starting from complete scratch. Blaize got asked to lay down some drums on a cover of a Bent Knee tune, but instead of attempting to replicate Bent Knee’s signature cinematic style, they inject a healthy helping of metal into the mix. The result is a fresh take on an already excellent work, but taken in an alternate direction than the artist initially intended.
Virtual Group Classes
Another way to connect with others during these times is by taking an online class. For the past few months, Kyle has been hosting a live group class, affectionately known as Hand Shredder. The class functions similarly to a yoga class; the exercises can scale up or down in difficulty according to your own abilities. The class focuses on pushing your speed and endurance so expect to sweat and feel sore by the end. Thankfully, you won’t suffer alone since all of your classmates are enduring the same regiment. Kyle keeps the mood light by providing upbeat music, words of encouragement, and unpredictable gags that are guaranteed to keep you engaged. Check out the below video to get a little taste of a Hand Shredder session with Kyle. Give it a try and turn your hands into the beasts they are destined to become!
These past few months have been incredibly difficult for everyone and it’s important to stay connected for the sake of sanity, even at a distance. While people may not be able to perform and create live for who knows how much longer, the internet allows musicians to collaborate with one another from anywhere in the world. Imagine how bleak the arts would be during this time without the internet to bring people together…