Pour les anglophiles j'ai trouvé cet interview sympa de Cindy :clic:



Cindy Blackman has been declared "one of the hottest drummers in the business" by the Star-Gazette, and is considered by many to be one of the top drummers in the world. Her styles range from straight-ahead jazz to rock to funk, and she has played with a "Who's Who" of jazz, including Jackie McLean, Joe Henderson, Don Pullen, Hugh Masekela, Pharaoh Sanders, Sam Rivers, Cassandra Wilson, Angela Bofill, Bill Laswell, and Buckethead.

From her beginnings as a New York street performer, Cindy's rising star has been seen by millions of people all over the world performing with her own group, as well as providing the percussive backbone for retro funk rocker Lenny Kravitz. She has recently completed her first drumming instructional video, entitled Multiplicity. Mary Destri of Music in Schools Today recently interviewed Cindy.

MuST:
How old were you when you started playing music, and what prompted it?

Cindy:
I started playing when I was about 8 years old. I was inspired to start by my love of the drums & music, which I remember having even before age 8.

MuST:
How did you decide upon the drums as your instrument of choice?

Cindy:
I really think that the drums chose me! But every time I heard drums, I was attracted to them & whenever I saw them I got really excited & always wanted to play them!

MuST:
Growing up, who influenced you musically, in the way of teachers, mentors or role models?

Cindy:
My grandmother was a classical pianist, my mom used to play the violin, my uncle played vibraphone & acoustic guitar, my older sister sang & my dad was a huge jazz fan as well as my brother. Everyone in the family loved music & my younger sister did too, and of course I still love music!

MuST:
Have you experienced any roadblocks along the way as a result of being a female in a male-dominated business?

Cindy:
Sure, there are potential roadblocks for anyone, but I don't concentrate on that stuff, because it's negative and the only thing that any negative thing can do is slow down or stop your progress. So I look for positive people and situations.

MuST:
You play everything from jazz to funk to rock. Was there a progression as you were learning music, from one type to another?

Cindy:
Yes, I was lucky because there were a lot of different styles of music in our house. But I learned funk stuff first because that was popular. Then one day I heard jazz drummer Max Roach and everything changed!... Wow! I was so excited because the music & the drumming was a great challenge. The overall control of your limbs & technique, texture and overall musical sense were (& still are) very interesting to me.

MuST:
What would you say is the biggest difference between drumming for jazz versus rock?

Cindy:
In jazz you play with all four of your limbs -- your 2 hands & your 2 feet at the same time, but they are all doing something different! And you play many more textures in jazz. In rock you only play with 3 limbs -- your 2 hands & bass drum foot.

MuST:
What gigs stand out in your mind as most memorable?

Cindy:
A gig in Washington DC with great trumpeter Wallace Roney & his group. A gig in Spain (my 1st time there) with great pianist Don Pullen, a gig in Washington DC at Blues Alley with my own group, and with Lenny Kravitz opening for the Rolling Stones in Boston & also opening for Aerosmith in London at Wembly Stadium.

MuST:
In addition to playing and recording with some of the best known rock and jazz musicians in the world, you've released several successful CDs of your own. What is the recording process like when it's your own project?

Cindy:
I like to be comfortable in the studio so now that I have my own band we play most of the music before the sessions so that we have opportunities to experiment and try different things.

MuST:
Your commitment to music education is evident through your workshops
and your instructional video, Multiplicity. What inspires you to contribute to music education?

Cindy:
I think that music education is so important because our children are our future in music & everything else too! And even if a child doesn't want to play music it's still good for them to have an appreciation for it as it will enrich their lives with the pleasure of sound and inspiration. It also inspires creativity.

MuST:
What advice would you have for young drummers, particularly the girls?

Cindy:
Stick with your goals, practice & learn a melodic instrument like the piano even a little bit so that you have an understanding of how music is structured.



Following are music student Erika's questions and Cindy's replies in italics.

Hello Cindy,

My name is Erika and I am using my dad's email for my questions. I play piano, clarinet, and have good rhythm and I play the drums too. I started playing drums when I was nine, now I am ten. My questions;

1. What type of drum set should I buy for a starter set? I want to stay small.

Hi Erika, Thanks for your questions & I wish you luck with your music! Anyway, staying small at first is a very good idea. I would suggest a bebop kit: 18" bass drum, 8"x12" mounted tom, 14" x 14" floor tom and a 5 1/2" x14' snare drum. For cymbals you could try a 20" ride, 15 or 16" crash & 13 or 14" hihats. I love & play Gretsch drums. I suggest Gretsch to you too also because most importantly they sound great but also because they have starter kits and you can upgrade to a higher level Gretsch kit as you are ready. It's nice to upgrade with the same company as you will have many sound similarities.

2. How hard did you have to practice to get so efficient?

Being efficient at any craft takes lots of dedication ... I have practiced A LOT! In fact as much as possible and i still do. It's best though to build up your endurance to be able to play long hours by starting with lets say 20 minutes & then building to 30, to an hour and eventually to hours & hours. When I had time I would often practice for 8 hours. But, always stay in tune with your body so that you don't injure yourself by over doing it... Build up to playing long hours slowly.

3. How should I compete with all the boys playing drums?

Don't compete with boys or anyone. Just go at your own pace & push yourself at your own rate. If you are not doing something on drums that you want then figure out why it's not working. If you have an issue with strength the work out so that you can build up the muscles needed to execute the techniques that you want.

I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions.
Thank you, Erika.

You're very welcome & take care,
Cindy Blackman

merci arkan.

:coucou: :coucou: :coucou:
Merci pour l'article ARkan !!! mais j'avoue que je n'ai pas eu la patience de tout lire !!!!
bisouilles, je m'y remettrai plus tard !!!

merci arkan you are the :+king: :love:

tu las trouvé cette interview??? arkan et c'est ki erika???? reponds moi bye peace arkan and peace