The Technique Tool

From time to time, we invite a professional creative artist to answer the question, “What should creative artists know?” The artist can discuss any aspect of artistry – creative, emotional, intellectual, physical, spiritual – anything is open for discussion, anything is fair game. (With that said, of course, the opinions stated here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Greenhouse or its staff members, but are solely those of the Guest Artist.) – The Editor

Our Guest Artist is professional drummer Matthew Tobias. Matthew has played drums all over the world for several national artists. He owns Empty House Studio, where he records musicians and drums on records for a number of artists across the country. Matthew lives in the Midwest with his wife, Carolyn, and their three children. Here's what he had to say:

“What’s the one thing artists need to know?” you ask... Wow, no pressure, right?

In my case, it is actually pretty easy to not only narrow down to a single concept, but also to remember when and where I came to be aware of it. I have played the drums for over 30 years, professionally for about 15 of those. I left college, where I was a Music Performance major, to take my first full-time gig. I came out of college having spent four years learning about the possibilities of my instrument and working hard to eliminate any technical obstacles that might hinder my relationship to any of those possibilities. That first gig was working for a songwriter who traveled the world and gave me a fair amount of responsibility. Great? Not so much. He was interested in songs; I was interested in playing drums. About six months in, he gave me two choices – play his songs, or continue simply playing drums. One would keep me hired; the other would not.

That was the very first time I was ever really confronted with what I was “doing to” the music I was involved in. I can honestly say that conversation changed my focus and started me down a path of re-prioritizing, re-thinking and to some degree, re-learning my instrument and its role. Today, my favorite drum related quote is this: “Songs on drums, not drums on songs.” I spent most of my formative years as a drummer much more interested in what the subject (the song) would allow me to do on the drum kit, when I should have been learning to discern what the subject needed from me in order to really communicate what it needed to. Songs are more important than my involvement with them!

I am not saying that technique doesn’t matter, but without a selfless, musical approach to that technique, I am just playing notes, not music. You are just painting strokes that don’t add up to a painting, writing words that don’t communicate a story, framing a shot that doesn’t result in a beautiful scene. Technique allows us to wisely steward our gifts and opportunities and is the vehicle that enables our subjects to come to life, but it can also be the obstacle which never allows our subjects to be seen, heard or read for all their worth.

Go work on your brush strokes. Learn to frame shots better – or to light those shots well. Perfect the way your body moves. Arrange words well. By all means, please drum well. Then, fall in love with what all of this can communicate beyond the stuff itself! “Songs on drums, not drums on songs.”

God Bless,

Matt Tobias
Empty House Studio

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