10 May 2026
A Fresh Perspective!
Time!
What do we do with it?
How to make the most of it?
Best use of it for Success!
Here are my thoughts for today.
Managing time, Practice and Life!
How many times have you thought "My time is not my own" or "How can I fit everything in today?"
Its an enduring challenge I must say.
We listen to people suggesting we need to "Make time" for what we want to do in life, but that is not so easy.
Speaking as a single Dad its hard to get everything done the way we'd like to but it's not an insurmountable challenge. It just means we have to get specific to what the topic is at hand that we want to exceed in. In my case I need to practice Drums I also need to practice Guitar but at the end of the day I realise there's only much so much time. So what do I do how do I approach practice and live in life? Well it's fairly straightforward I decide what is most important at the time as a professional drummer sometimes that's a particular gig. Some times its a particular song, a groove or fill within it. That does then give our work context. We know the melody, the feel should be obvious so we spend valuable time getting things right!
So when are things right? This is the question we often face in evaluating how well we have done. Its right when you have the idea "Feeling great" within the song.
Often times we look to perfection as a result. But it is true to say we ALL make mistakes, big ones, little ones and it seems so important at the time, but in hindsight we may wonder what all the fuss was about.
In life to, it might be the case that we are running for the bus and we miss the bus so we are left a little bit flustered about whether we're gonna make it to the appointment or to work on time. However as long as we managed to get to our destination on time there's no harm done, there was a mistake but we found a way around it, doesn't matter what number the bus is as long as it takes you from A to B. Then whoever you're meeting does not know there was an issue so you need to be calm, that then comes across as you've been in control you don't wanna turn up for the meeting and tell everybody about the drama that ensued on your way to the meeting, cos nobody really cares!
It becomes a case of too much information being shared.
This is the case in music, if you go for that big fill and make a mistake, nobody but you really knows so we put ourselves under stress which was completely unnecessary. Just as we wanted to get the bus on time and we wanted an even flow to the journey, getting on one bus and get to the destination on time. Its basic and simple I think you will agree.
It is true to say that we learn more from failure then we do from success, consequently that's what we aim for, success. We just don't realise the failure is the thing that focuses our mind and our attention on being successful.
So...
if we have a short amount of time to practice it should be focused on relevant fills or grooves.
On Guitar it might be scales or chord combinations. We don't need to do hours of it we can actually do a focused 30 minute section or even 15 minute section but at the end of the day it will all add up!
We look for a flow in everything we do, it's just the music it's much more obvious. Playing guitar requires you to get fluent in chord shapes And that way the song flows from beginning to end.
In my limited experience with Guitar I have found taking a piece of a song that is troubling me and going over and over it helps me to develop that flow. I might have 15 minutes just to get a particular phrase with maybe a couple of bends so I practice that and I know my time has been well spent. I do recall being on the road with Steve Hacket, and needing to practice a drum solo, as I wanted to make some changes to it. The problem is when you're on the road nobody wants to hear the drummer doing a drum solo in sound check. The other musicians don't and the crew certainly don't. So I had to be careful with my practice. I would generally have a practice pad backstage which was a quiet way of practising. I would also have that set up in my hotel room so that I could do 45 minutes just to stay fresh on days off. My point is nothing is perfect so we snatch 15 minutes here and there to make things work.
It is my opinion we do this in life too.
So when time is tight don't worry just focus in on what's really necessary !
You've got this!
TTFN
Gary
3 May 2026
On the 12th December 2016,
I added a blog about development. As I re start my blog I want to use some of the old ones to make people think!
We were touring quite a bit at this point and I had time to evaluate what I was doing. It might be said I seemed to be disappearing a bit but I was trying to improve with every gig.
So here are my musings for that time!
My experience began at 2!
Forming who you are as a musician
I realised my earliest recollection was at the age of 2, going in a taxi with my Dad to see my new born sister Sue.
We have always been a close knit family, with my youngest sister Jai. So it was that we would step on stage, each of us in turn as we had a song to sing.
Having the opportunity to grow and enjoy music together was an inspiration, and one that would lead me to being a professional drummer at the age of 25. There were earlier gigs, and cruises, but they all dwindled as I had to develop some sort of expertise in business – I also had to grow up!
I was fairly sure of myself, but it was nothing more than bravado, as in gig situations I really didn’t understand how you got from earning £25 per gig, to the astronomical figures of hundreds back in the late 70s early 80s.
In truth there is no secret, you get offered a gig, told what the money is and take it or leave it. If you don’t feel its enough you tell somebody what you feel, and that often meant that was the end of the gig for you!
I would, and still will, do a gig for nothing, if it’s with somebody I want to work with that much, or its for a good cause! It all needs to be considered as this is the Music BUSINESS.
Very often people don’t want to be told this is the case, but if you are trying to earn a living, you must believe your time is valuable.
How valuable is up to you!
Oscar Peterson
In the early days I would listen to Mum and Dad’s music, and what was on the radio, or LPs on the radiogram in our front room! That thing was an amazing piece of furniture, and it sounded great for the time, though not stereo.
I would listen to a complete mixture of music, from Classical to show tunes, to music hall.
Artists from Mario Lanza to Val Doonican or The Dubliners, The Hi-Lo’s, The Four Freshmen, Oscar Peterson and Les McCann. I would later find out about Miles Davis from my Uncle Mick, and more great jazz artists as he was a real fan. He eventually led me to love Prog starting with Genesis and particularly Yes, ELP and Gentle Giant.
The thing I notice is, by listening to such a vast range of artists and styles, it all helped to shape what I loved in music. I feel there is a vast array of music available, but as a lot of it is computer generated and hip, people miss out on the Classical control of some singers and the musicians of the Orchestra, as its often not deemed hip! That is plain wrong! As well as getting into the ‘Bass wars’ some producers have had over the last 18 months, you should be aware of how Classical Orchestra can move you emotionally with melody and harmony.
It honestly will make you a better musician!
Nuff said for now!
TTFN
Gary
26 April 2026
On the 20th July 2017,
I added a blog about development. As I re start my blog I want to use some of the old ones to make people think!
We were touring quite a bit at this point and I had time to evaluate what I was doing. It might be said I seemed to be disappearing a bit but I was trying to improve with every gig.
So here are my musings for that time!
Find out how good you are!
Here I am once again with little or no time to spare!
This is where you find out how good you are! “Why?” I hear you ask, well its simple.
A Doctor goes to school for years and learns his/her craft. Goes into hospital to help people and learn on the job. Then may decide to change from the hospital environment to a Practice, be it private or NHS.
The point is they are professionals who go through the whole process and then are said to have or be involved with a “Practice”.
This was a point lost on me until my wife mentioned it in conversation the other night, and it really set me thinking.
We all wonder how much practice is enough, and is it good enough quality to maintain the best level. Yet as musicians we also go through this process, with gigs increasing in expertise and importance as we learn and go from free gigs to paid gigs. Then we focus on whether the end result is enough, did we play well enough and do we deserve the praise we are presented with.
It all very often helps us to doubt ourselves as we maybe don’t have enough time to get the same result as one of our hero’s, in our opinion we are not worthy. Its here we should realise our best is all we can do, and be proud if we get told nice things.
I had to listen to the lovely Sarah telling me I didn’t take praise well, and often shied away from it and didn’t respond. This just comes off as me being rude, so I started to pay more attention to the compliments and say “Thank You” quite clearly.
All of this actually goes in to the mix while we are on the road, and I find myself reading about Drums and many other things to improve not only my playing but also my business and my personality. So I make more and more time to learn.
There does however come time to play, and often I would start from a standpoint of doubting I would be good enough in this single performance until I realised what the bigger picture is.
This is good stuff honestly!
The big picture is this. Once we have begun to develop our skills we are honing them. We are getting to the point where every time we play we sound a certain way. We often don’t recognise we have our own sound. That we create our own “Atmosphere!”. THAT is what we get booked for.
I recall, on this day of the funeral of one of my mentors Bobby Armstrong, that he would say to me after I had mentioned I wondered if I was any good as I didn’t feel the guys in the band I was currently working with were happy enough.
“Did they tell you you were playing badly? No!
Did they express concern over your performance that night? No.
Have they sacked you? No!
Sometimes that driving force in us to do a great job and analyse what we did makes us better. However if the gig isn’t great and the guys, or some of them, are not used to someone caring as much about the gig, they think everything is ok because your doing a better job than they expected.”
That made me think! I do care about every gig I do, even if the guys I work with didn’t. You are only ever as good as your last performance, but you can always make your next one better. The thing is every time we play we put across our groove, our fills, and there are rarely times these days to re-do it, or re-record our performance. We can make it all perfectly quantised and balanced and EQ the character out of it, but you will know if its good, then move on and play the next song!
You see the whole point is, once we practice hard and get to this level, we create an atmosphere in the band which is not only tied in with our playing, its also about our personality. Its often said you can get a gig without being the best technical player, if your face fits with that group of people, your in.
As Bob used to say to me, and had the quote in a frame on the wall of his studio.
“Its nice to be important, but its more important to be nice!”
This particular quote made me realise how all these things were linked and I should consider looking at How they were interlinked, but that is for another day.
This was a bit of a long one but I hope it makes you all think!
Stay tuned for more in the next few days.
TTFN
Gary
WELCOME HOME!
After a long journey, I'm back where I belong — in the studio, teaching, and creating music.
For the past few years, life took me in directions I didn't anticipate. A significant change in my personal circumstances — becoming the primary caregiver for my two children following a divorce — meant stepping away from the touring life that had defined my career. No more month-long stints on the road with international acts. No more living out of a suitcase. Instead, I chose to be present for my kids during their formative years. It was the right decision, even if it meant putting certain dreams on hold.
But here's what I've learned: stepping back doesn't mean stopping. It means redirecting.
My Journey
Over four decades, I've been extraordinarily fortunate. I've recorded with artists most musicians only dream of working with. I've played prestigious stages across the world. I spent nineteen years as drummer/singer for Steve Hackett, touring extensively and recording multiple albums. I've been part of legendary West End productions, deputising for the Cats orchestra for two decades. These aren't just credits on a CV — they're chapters of a life lived in music at the highest level.
But credentials alone don't make a great teacher. Experience does. Understanding does. Caring does.
Recently I've been reconnecting with this work in a new way. A complete beginner walked into my studio last week — someone with natural talent but zero drumming experience. Within one lesson, she was playing four different grooves, executing fills, and playing along with music. She booked six more lessons immediately. That's when I knew I was ready to fully embrace this next chapter.
What's Next
I'm now teaching privately from my professional studio in High Wycombe — a space I've carefully designed for focused, effective learning. I'm also continuing my work with local primary schools, where I've watched students discover their musical voices year after year.
This isn't a retirement from music. It's a different expression of the same passion that's driven me since I was young enough to pick up a pair of sticks.
I'm also creating again — something I haven't had proper time for in years. Short teaching videos, blog posts about rhythm and technique, explorations of the music that's shaped me. I want to share what forty years of playing has taught me.
Your Welcome Here!
If you've followed my journey over the years, thank you. If you're discovering me now, I'm excited to meet you.
Whether you're a complete beginner curious about drums, an intermediate player wanting to break through a plateau, or someone simply looking for creative outlet and community — there's a place for you here.
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