9/1/2010

I'm thinking about starting a new project which would involve my studio, a video camera, and a bunch of old tunes that get me pumped. I need to step into the digital realm a bit more and ditch the mini-DV and get into the HD video world though. Since I'm not knee-deep in any project right now I might almost have time to actually buckle down and get creative! 

My high school drumline (Harpeth High School in TN) is starting to have some pretty sweet moments involving clean beats that dominate you. It's the first high school line I've taught since 2003 when my ears got really bad (ringing, I still hear fine) and I'm having fun with it. Maybe I'll get some videos up on youtube as the season gets going! They play more than a few beats.

Skype Lessons are in full effect, though I'm still ready to take on some more students. I have a student from Denmark who wins the long distance award. It's fun watching people totally redefine their technique and start playing with better sound and doing less work to get it. I love those "clouds parting" moments I get from teaching.

Here's yet another typical review: "I received the Remote Speedy Hat today and was able to put it together in no time. It feels great and allows me to place the hats at exactly the right place so that I no longer have to cross, I can now play the hats both right handed and left handed with ease. The Speedy Hat allows me to position the bass and snare drums at positions that make my overall playing more comfortable. The enhancement in ergonomics will help me improve my technique without a doubt.”

 I have a few more drum clinics in TX to round out the year, many of them tied to competitions that I'm judging. I seem to get to TX a lot and love it! The band programs out there are well funded, it's no wonder that there are so many talented players in the state. November and December are still wide open, I'd love to travel somewhere to do some drumming & teaching. We shall see...

 

8/1/2010

The KOSA Percussion camp was amazing! There's incredibly warm family atmosphere and the attendees hang with the teachers and it's a non-stop sharing of inspiration, ideas, and good stories. There are attendees of  all ages and skill levels and you pretty much smile the whole time you're there.

I taught two classes a day as well as doing a workshop and a couple of other performances. (I even got to do a classical duet with the legendary John Beck!) The attendees to my classes were all psyched, I would do a bit on the formalities and culture of a drumline and then we would dive into the mechanics behind even the most basic strokes. Everyone seemed to have that moment when the clouds parted and they saw how they could play with way better sound and do less work. (That's the stuff that makes me love my job.) I had one guy attend every single class of mine except the very last one.

Aside from all the masterclasses held in the morning, I was able to attend a few classes while I was there: frame drumming with Glen Velez, drumset with John Riley, and brazilian with Marcus Santos. Keep in mind that most classes have 3-8 people in them so they're practically private lessons. 

I can't say enough good things about KoSA, if you have the opportunity you should definitely go next time around!

Recent feedback from a speedy hat customer: "The remote speedy hat is one of the best investments I've made to my drum kit yet.  It has completely re-written the way that I play my set and the way that I use my left hand.  If you don't have one, you should buy one.  Right now." It's funny that when people send me those reviews they think I'll be amazed, but it's actually just typical. There are some magazine reviews in coming months so be on the lookout for those. If you don't own one yet, shake hands with progress and order up!

The moderately top secret new book is pretty much done, all I need to do is submit the pictures. It's going to rule. The idea is focusing on only the techniques and hand motions at you really need which will allow you to play anything and everything. Either in November or January 2011 it should make it onto the shelves at your local drum shop.

My clinic schedule is filling up and has me quite busy these days. I'm low tech so the schedule page does not display them correctly (and many new ones have not made it onto the page), but they do exist! I'll even be heading down to Mexico! November and December are wide open, hopefully I'll get some invites to do some cool drumming clinics events while it's cold outside.

 Baby Sophia is now 9.5 months old and is crawling all over the place and pulling up to stand on her own two feet. The progress is amazing, if we could learn at her rate for our whole lives we'd be geniuses off the charts. She likes to watch drumming videos with Daddy. Yesterday she responded with 4 quarter notes after the guy on TV counted it off. He only played four and she only played four in perfect time! I think she has a gift...

7/1/2010

My home studio is done!!! I actually just finished laying down a track for a project while my baby was asleep upstairs. It's amazing--it's like my personal disney land. I've got sweet drums and cymbals recording through pro-level microphones into a pre-sonus fire studio tube audio interface into the Logic program in my Mac G5. Yeah that's right, it's high tech. And awesome.

Check out the latest review on the speedy hat here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbDOQfyXhJA. The remote speedy hat sales are picking up and there are even more reviews in the works with magazines. Everyone who buys one becomes a disciple!

I'm almost done with my new book project. There's only 1.5 more chapters left for me to tweak and then it's off to the publisher. I've been nearly finished for a while now, but it's just so hard to find time when you're self employed with multiple could be full time jobs and a baby to watch. The book is going to be awesome though, I can't wait for it to get on to the shelves at your local drum shop!

The latest Modern Drummer article from my "Chops Builders" series is on same hand flam accents, check it out! I recently submitted my tenth article in the series and that marks 20 MD articles so far. I'm stoked that the response has been so positive on the articles. I love it when the clouds part and someone can play much better almost instantly.

 Baby Sophia is now 8.5 months old and is sitting up on her own and almost/sort of crawling. She's really amazing and my favorite little girl in the whole world. We've already had a couple drum lessons and she seems pretty into it (I'd like to think).  

6/1/2010

The Remote Speedy Hat was a hit at the Chicago Drum Show and will be getting even more press and reviews from drummers who are excited about what the speedy hat offers. It's also in the new Modern Drummer magazine's "New and Noteable" section. There will be many more converts as the good word spreads!  

The clinic business is really good these days, my schedule has been filling up pretty well. It looks like I'll be leaving the country again, this time to drum in Mexico! I'm excited since I haven't been to Mexico in a very long time, last time I was really excited to take home some Mexican jumping beans. This time will probably not be all that different. 

I'm working hard on a pretty serious new book project. That's as much as I can say right now, but I can tell you that everytime I finish up a writing session (which is always about 3 AM) I'm really stoked on it. I believe that many drummers will really really dig this and benefit greatly from it.

Rock stardom is closer than ever! I normally give myself a 1% chance of "making it," but right now I feel that I'm at a solid 4% chance. That's a 400% increase folks! Seriously I've been gigging around these parts and am really excited about a couple musical projects I'm involved in. 

 My home studio is actually done! All that's left to do is treat the interior with baffles and bass traps, or basically "tune" the room. I'll be able to get back to practicing! I haven't really gotten to practice in 7.5 months, I know because that's how old my baby girl is! I'll be able to record professionally with the push of a button or two.

 5/1/2010

I'm getting ready to take the Remote Speedy Hat to the masses at the Chicago Drum Show! Legacy Percussion Gear will have a booth where everyone can test drive the speedy hat and take one home with them for $249. Of course, they can still pay a lot more for a normal cable hat that doesn't work nearly as well if they'd like.

My clinic schedule is gradually starting to get filled in. I just had a great one in the Atlanta area, I love getting drummers fired up with good information and fresh inspiration. Contact me if you're interested in setting something up, it's surprisingly do-able and everybody wins!

With some college students leaving for summer I have openings for lessons both locally in Nashville and over Skype from anywhere with an internet connection. If you're ready to take your hands to the next level hit me up! 

WGI (indoor drumline finals) was a blast, it was great to meet a bunch of young aspiring drummers and hang with old friends. I did a lot of drumming at the Vic Firth booth where I got to hype up the Heavy Hitter Pads and new Billy Club drumsticks. 

 My home studio is actually almost done, somehow I've actually found some time to work on it lately after knocking out a few other gigs. I'll be able to record professionally and rehearse there anytime. Freedom!!!!

4/1/2010

The Remote Speedy Hat just got another incredible review on Michael Barton's Ambadextro.com website, everybody who buys one becomes a disciple. Check it out here. Also check out Bart Elliott's Drummer Cafe review here: drummercafe.com. Check out remotespeedyhat.com for more details & ordering info.

I've been recording a lot of music recently for potential movie & TV placement with Sean O`Bryan Smith and Groove Therapy. These guys can really play & it some really greasy stuff! I've been in the studio a lot recently and have more and more live shows getting lined up.

Win a Remote Speedy Hat! The new Drumhead magazine features a fun & exciting product give-away post NAMM show. It's a great magazine so pick it up and enter to win!

The SKYPE online drum lessons may soon go international since I'm running a classified ad in Modern Drummer. I have slots available for Skype lessons as well as locally at Fork's Drum Closet in Nashville, TN. Hit me up if you'd like some lessons, there's no time like the present for getting good!

 I'm trying to find time to actually practice since I'll be playing in the Vic Firth booth at WGI. We're trying to come up with some fun stuff to do while hyping up the Heavy Hitter Pads and new Billy Club drumsticks. This year I'd like to be in decent shape and not get blisters! Stop by and say hi, I'll certainly be milling about and playing some beats.

3/1/10

The Remote Speedy Hat just got an incredible review on Bart Elliott's Drummer Cafe website, check it out here: drummercafe.com. It's time to step into the now and throw away your old straight stand, get in on the better performace and easier access! Check out remotespeedyhat.com for more details & ordering info.

THE OTHER I (my band) now has 2 songs released to the public! Check out theotheri.net to hear some groovin tunes. Check out the billbachman.net video of the month  to see the drum cam in the studio.

I'm working on a video for the VicFirth site to promote my "Billy Club" signature drumstick. I think I may record the 1996 University of North Texas quad break for it, maybe a few other old quad breaks as well. The problem is that I'm old and don't have my `96 vintage chops, maybe 1 of 25 attempts will be perfect though, we'll see...

The SKYPE online drum lessons still have slots available as well as my local teaching at Fork's Drum Closet in Nashville, TN. Hit me up if you'd like some lessons, there's no time like the present for getting good!

 My clinic schedule still has openings, I Iove traveling and putting on clinics! It's fun to watch people's eyes get big and see the clouds part as people really learn some good stuff. Feel free to contact me for information on the clinics, it's more do-able thanmost people think with support from my endorsing companies.2/1/2010

The Remote Speedy Hat is getting out there more and more, everyone who's tried it loves it. There should be a review on Bart Elliott's drummercafe.com among other places. If you don't know of that site yet, check it out! One of my first customers just ordered 2 more in order to have one in studio, practice shed, and gig bag. Everyone should buy three! Check out remotespeedyhat.com for more details & ordering info.

THE OTHER I is the name of my band and we just recorded our first 4 song EP with the grammy nominated Denny Jiosa lending a hand in the production. It turned out pretty darn sweet if I do say so myself and the final mix isn't even done yet. It took me about 4 years to assemble the band so each player is killer. Soon we'll have it up on the web where you can buy it & get your groove on.

The gigs are gradually starting to roll in for a couple other projects I'm involved with as well. Sean O`Bryan Smith and groove therapy is one and Watson & Nash is another. Sean's thing is really groove jazzy funk goodness and the W&N thing is just really good straight ahead country tunes that make you smile. Good folks and good tunes, you just can't go wrong here.

The SKYPE online drum lessons now even have their own page on the site with all of the pertinant information. I'll be running a classified ad in Modern Drummer magazine in an upcoming issue so it'll be fun to get students from all over the galaxy. Good hands are beautiful things.

1/1/2010

Things are about to blow up a bit with the Remote Speedy Hat, I have an ad coming out in Drumhead magazine and there are a handfull of potential endorsers checking it out. I've also just developed a tilting brace for those of you who are interested in having your hats tilted towards you. It's really the best thing ever. Check out remotespeedyhat.com for more details & ordering info.

The "Top Ten Rudiments" series in Modern Drummer magazine has run its course, but now I'm starting another series. "Chop Builders" is the name and it's going to be good. The first one just came out and it deals with accent patterns and the coordination there of using Moeller. If you want good hands, get on it!

My soundproofed home drum studio is gradually getting closer to completion, hopefully next month's video will be filmed & recorded right here in my studio. I'll do Skype lessons, videos of the month, full band rehearsals, and a lot of drum tracking for different folks in different places.

I don't have a specific new year's resolution, but it looks like I'll be doing more gigging than ever and I'm excited. Between Neal Morse, Watson & Nash, Sean O`Brian Smith's project, the "AndBand" (set group for backing singer/songwriters) and my own band "The Other I" there's a lot of potential for making some music. I like to play. 

12/1/2009The new Remote Speedy Hat is out! It was a huge hit at PASIC and seemed to be the talk of the show. Check out remotespeedyhat.com for more details & ordering info. There's even a page there dedicated to the feedback from people at the It uses a patent pending design that eliminates the lag and drag of the traditional cable remotes. Now you can move your hi hat over so that you don't have to cross over while still playing a lightning fast hi hat,  it opens up the whole left side of the kit too so you have new set-up options. You never know just how bad it is to play the hi hat crossed over until you don't have to do it, then you can never go back after your left hand's taste of freedom!

The Vic Firth Billy Clubs are officially out and people are digging them, every quad player I've had test them did not want to give them back! Very soon stores should be stocked, check them out and let me know what you think. They combine the big sound and maneuverability of mallets with the quickness and rimshot abilities of sticks. You just can't lose with the Billy Clubs!

I will soon have classified ads running in a couple drum magazines for the Skype lessons. These are the wave of the future I believe, hit me up if you want to improve your hands and play more smooth and relaxed with more flow & speed!

This isn't really news, but I want to say THANK YOU to so many folks out there who support what I do. I came away from the PASIC convention really amazed at how many people are on my side and are supportive of my efforts. It's true that I work my butt off, but still none of it would be possible without you drummers out there buying my products and spreading the good word. So, thanks!

11/1/2009

Bill has a baby girl!!! Sophia Grace Bachman was born on October 15th at 1:56 PM. She weighed in at 8 pounds 2 ounces and is perfectly healthy and perfectly beautiful. My wife Vita made childbirth look relatively easy. She's a champ and is recovering well.

My home drum studio is getting nearer to completion. The sad thing is that I haven't had anywhere to drum and therefore haven't drummed at all since having a baby. It's a bit frustrating, but I've had some good friends helping out occasionally when I have time and it's getting closer to completion. Soon I'll be able to professionally record anything for anyone anytime from the comfort of my own home. It will rule, oh yes, it will rule.

It's about time to fess up about my new invention, it's a remote hi hat that doesn't suck and it will debut at the PASIC convention November 11th. It uses a patent pending design that eliminates the lag and drag of the traditional cable remotes. Now you can move your hi hat over so that you don't have to cross over while still playing a lightning fast hi hat,  it opens up the whole left side of the kit too so you have new set-up options. You never know just how bad it is to play the hi hat crossed over until you don't have to do it, then you can never go back after your left hand's taste of freedom!

Website updates: Look for new products on the Bill's stuff page about half way through this month, I'll be adding the "Remote Speedy Hat" (mentioned above), my new "Billy Club" signiture Vic Firth drumstick, and the new TapSpace book, "Violent Tenor Cream" which contains my new solo "Ubiquitous Illin-ness." The hi hat and sticks will debut at the PASIC convention November 11th and probably be up on the site very soon.

I still have openings for SKYPE long distance lessons.  Hit me up if you want to improve your hands and play more smooth and relaxed with more flow & speed!
10/6/2009

Sorry I'm 6 days late with the news & video of the month. The big news is that I'm having a baby girl in 3 weeks!!! I've been extremely busy working overtime to take care of the house a baby preparations as well as preparing multiple big deal projects.

I'm getting more & more SKYPE long distance lesson students. Things are progressing really well with that, I love getting feedback from students as I watch their hands transform. I'll have a classified ad in the back of Modern Drummer before too long to really get the word out. Hit me up if you want to improve your hands and play more smooth and relaxed with more flow & speed!

My new invention will debut at the PASIC convention in November. Even though I'm patent pending I've kept it top secret for a while as I've been testing & refining the design. I'll give you a clue: it's a piece of drumset hardware that changes the game. There's nothing like it anywhere, this thing really works. This project is taking a lot of time and effort, but it's worth it--the product will be beautiful!

Bill's new "Billy Club" signiture Vic Firth drumstick is finished. According to my friend Romo who helped with the testing, "This stick gives the quads their (you know what) back." I like the short length and big sound you get from tenor mallets, but not the rimshots. I like the quickness and rimshots of sticks, but they sound thin and lack presence. The Billy Club fixes everything right up, you get a big fat sound that's actually darker and louder than tenor mallets with the quickness and great rimshot sound of a stick. That's all I can tell you for now, these will debut at the PASIC convention in November.

The Modern Drummer magazine articles will keep on coming! I recently submitted my final article in the series of ten and we started talking about what may come next. It looks like there will be a column called "Chop Builders" which will include more and more insights and exercises to sweeten up your hands. I've gotten some really good feedback on the articles, I'm glad that you guys are diggin` them!

Bill's home studio is getting nearer to completion. I've learned that contractors are incredibly flakey, they're up there with graphic designers. (If you're a contractor or graphic designer then of course I'm not talking about you.) I'm working on it myself and am pretty empowered with a sweet set of tools. Soon I'll able to professionally record anything and everything right from my very own home. It's going to rule.


9/1/2009

I'm finally empowered to update the site! Seriously this time, there will be a video of the month, news updates, schedule updates and so much more. Oh yes, high-techness abounds.

Bill is now offering long distance SKYPE lessons. I've gotten started with the long distance lesson thing using SKYPE (the live video/chat/drum back & forth on pads program) on the computer. So far I have a student in NY that's been on this program and his hands have been practically re-invented, it works great! I've never had a student (drumset or marching focused) who's hands didn't need loosening up, hit me up if you want to improve your hands and play more smooth and relaxed with more flow & speed!

My home drum studio is nearing completion. I'll now be ready to record tracks for anyone and everyone who needs some groovin` drums with some extra spice for their demos, CD's, & just about anything else. I'll also be set to record cool new videos for this and other websites. You see, I'm about 2 months away from having a little baby girl--Praise the Lord! Of course, when you're trying to drum the sound of a baby crying can be quite disruptive so a soundproofed drum studio is now a must.

Bill's new quad solo is published in the new tenor solo book "Violent Tenor Cream." Seriously, every quad player should get this book (once you've started on the right path with Rudimental Logic and Quad Logic of course). This book has some legendary quad beats from some of quad drumming's founding fathers, the guys from the 1992 Santa Clara Vanguard quadline! If you want to see the roots of modern day quad drumming and see what's possible around the timp-toms then this book is for you. The solos (like my "Ubiquitous Illin`-ness" solo) are also available a la carte at Tapspace.com.

Be on the lookout for some projects I've recently recorded: I recently tracked an album for Levi Weaver (that he's releasing about one track at a time) and some tunes for bass guru Sean O`Bryan Smith's  upcoming jazzy/funky album. Check out LeviWeaver.com and Myspace.com/SeanOBryanSmith. Good folks, good tunes. I also have a band of my own that is finally complete! Hopefully we'll have some recordings for y`all to not steal pretty soon. (Get behind good music with your $'s so that good music will survive!)

The Modern Drummer Magazine Article series is near complete. Yup, I'm about the write the tenth and final one. If you've been following along and practicing correctly you should have some pretty relaxed hands that are well trained with key hand motions. Once we (yup, we're in this together) finish with the tenth rudiment then the hands should be ready for anything and everything. Oh yes... 


2/5/2009

Welcome new & improved billbachman.net! I really can't believe that it took so long to get this thing updated, nevermind the facelift. Now I'm even enabled to update it all by myself via a "content management system" (think Chris Farley on the quotes). There's the video of the month, newsletter, F.A.Q. and oh, so much more. Hi-tech trickery abounds! So much has happened since the last news update on here (from Dec 06--ouch!). Here are some top stories that come to mind:

Bill is drumming for Neal Morse! Oh yes, my prog rock drumsetting roots are really paying off here. Neal Morse (formally of Spock's Beard) has started doing some shows in the US and I'm lucky enough to lay down the beats, and lots of them! If you dig amazingly deep & powerful music with lots of styles, odd times, solos, and "What the heck was that?" then you'll really dig Neal's music. Hopefully we'll have a gig near you at some point. I might even twirl, but probably not.

I'm now writing for Modern Drummer magazine. Check out the "Strictly Technique" section for a series of articles that I wrote which should be popping up pretty regularly for the next year or so. I'm excited to help the drumset community see the real value of their rudiments and debunk some misconceptions.

My Rudimental Logic DVD came out and drummers all over the globe have given it rave reviews! This DVD is for everyone who plays with sticks. Some of the topics are: Matched Grip, Traditional Grip, Full Stroke, Alley-oop Stroke, Down/Up Stroke, Moeller Stroke, Perfect Practice/Muscle Memory, Speed, The Grid, Rhythm & Timing, Bill's "Get Good Quick Plan," as well as breakdowns of the ten most important rudiments to know. It's perfect paired up with my Rudimental Logic 3.0 book for anyone who wants smooth overly-competent hands. (I think they call that a plug.)

I've gotten to travel all over the world doing drum clinics over the last few months. I've visited China, Ukraine, Belarus, Taiwan, gone all over the US and even got to play drumset behind a Jeff Queen & friends drumline in the Canadian Football League's Superbowl half time show. There were 63K screaming Canucks in attendance, pretty cool eh? There are a couple stories about my various travels on the Dynasty drums website, check out my media page for the links.

I now have a house and a cat. I'm becoming pretty domesticated & I wouldn't change a thing! Happy New Year! One of my almost resolutions is to practice every day in 2009. We'll how long that'll last...