Today we’d like to introduce you to Louie Palmer.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Louie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started playing the drums around age five after an introduction to music from my father, who’s also a drummer. There were always drums around the house and I was just drawn to them. After hassling him to let me play, he set up one of his small sets for me and the rest is history. 28 years later and a move to the US, I’m still doing it.
I spent many years working in London and around the UK and Europe with some of the great musicians there such as Gary Husband, Jason Rebello, Laurence Cottle and many others. In 2004 I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston on an international scholarship. I spent a few years back in London and then in 2013, I decided it was finally time to make the jump I had been dreaming of since I was young and move to LA.
Since being here I’ve had the honor to play and record with some of the great US Jazz artists including Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Luis Conte, John Patitucci, Bob James and many others. It’s been a great ride! In addition to performing, I also run my own online drum school – PlayBetterDrums.com.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I consider myself lucky to have been given the opportunity to pursue music and for it to have become my job as well as my passion. There are many positive things that have come from this but it has been far from a smooth road. Pursuing anything in the arts is fraught with worry and uncertainty; it’s just the nature of the beast. I started so long ago and was lucky to have my father, who had experience in the industry, advising me. I feel I was somewhat prepared for the general uncertainty of the industry but what no one could foresee is how much it would change. It’s now unrecognizable and changing on a monthly basis. This has forced me (and everyone else) to diversify and learn new skills.
It caused me to setup my own online drum school – PlayBetterDrums.com – which has turned into a labor of love and grown to be a huge online resource for both professional and ameteur drummers around the world. This has been the main ‘work’ struggle – to find ways to navigate through the ever-changing music business.
Then there are the personal struggles that can come with a career in the arts. I moved to Los Angeles from my home in the UK in 2013 and having a very close family there, it’s been tough being away for so long. Touring for long periods is also difficult; it’s a challenging aspect of the business to be away from home and loved ones.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
First and foremost I’m a ‘player’. I perform around the world with many different acts in a variety of musical genres. I’ve been fortunate to play with some legendary artists such as Mike Stern, Luis Conte, Mitch Forman, Tim Lefebvre and many more. In addition to my performance work, I have my own drum recording studio here in Los Angeles where I record tracks for clients around the world. I’ve recorded for huge companies like Disney as well as renowned jazz, rock and pop artists. Other recording work includes collaborations with legendary artists such as Nelson Rangell, Randy Brecker, John Patitucci and many more.
Alongside this playing work, I spend a lot of time running my online drum school – PlayBetterDrums.com. I’m very proud of how this has grown into a huge online resource for thousands of drummers worldwide.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
LA is a great place for musicians and creative people in general. There is definitely a unique environment here with so many driven people aspiring to achieve great things. I personally find the beautiful weather adds to the positive vibe and it helps me stay motivated to push forward every day.
Pricing:
- $29 / Monthly Membership
- $149 / 6 Month Membership
- $299 / 1 Year Membership
- $995 / Lifetime Membership
Contact Info:
- Website: www.playbetterdrums.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/louiepalmerdrums
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/louiepalmerdrums
- Other: www.youtube.com/louiepalmerdrums
Image Credit:
Marcus Wolf
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