Others I play with (depending on the venue) include Kurt Huget, Curtis Long, Tom Pierce, Cindy Browne, Fred Zimmerman, Jef Labes, The Clark Kentfields, Steve Schuster, Kenan Malak, John McClellen, and Fred Ross-Perry.
The picture above was taken in the summer of 1979. I'm 18.
Influences
Well-known musicians who have influenced me are too many to count. Standouts include Max Roach, Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey, John Bonham, David Garibaldi, and David Olson.
I have been even more influenced by my teachers and professors, Jim Edie, Duane Carroll, Scott Latham, Frank Sumares, Greg Sudmeier, Elliot Charnow, George Marsh, Jim Munsenrider, and Gene Graves, and my parents--scientist Hyron Spinrad and guitarist Bette Spinrad.
Listening critically to good music has done the most to develop any G-d-given talents I have. Here's a permutation study I'm currently working on.
Sounds Like
My teachers: George Marsh, Greg Sudmeier (my drum teachers), Bill Evans, Frank Sumares. My recordings contain bebop, latin jazz, piano trio, pop music, and drum solos on all sorts of percussion instruments. Hopefully, of course, the rhythms are exciting, my melodies sound attractive and the changes are interesting. My recording, It's Morning, is popular in the East--a special thanks to my supporters in Japan!
I hope you enjoy the drum solos above and on the left side of the page. Check out my CD on Itunes.
My Payplay link is http://payplay.fm/mikespinrad
I've been playing professionally and composing music for 20 years. I am a composer and freelance drummer and percussionist and teacher. I have written drum books "Crib Notes" and "Short Performance Pieces for the Advanced Beginner to Intermediate Percussionist" and have published percussion-related articles in periodicals. I teach percussion privately in the San Francisco Bay Area in a space I share with two marimbas, two dumbeks, drums, vibes, and assorted percussion toys.
I currently record and perform with Moonlight Rodeo and Kurt Huget (please go to www.moonlightrodeo.com) and play roots music with Jump to It, a traditional outfit. I raise money for the Kentfield Schools Foundation by performing with the Clark Kentfields, a seven-piece pop band. We raised about $10,000 for the schools last year. I play bebop with whoever's willing but especially enjoy working with Steve Schuster's trio.
Publications :
Paradiddle Madness, Drum Instructors Only, V.3, No.1, April 1999
East to West, Drum Instructors Only, V.3, No.4, January 2000, Expanding on a Three-Over-Four Beat Idea, Percussive Notes, Vol. 42, No. 2, April, 2004, Paradiddle Accents on Drumset, Percussive Notes, February, 2008.
Mike Spinrad Discography:
Marshal Fields (Marshal Fields, Three Square) 1987
Mike Spinrad (Its Morning, Spinradical) 2000
SkyJazz (Light and Easy, SkyJazz) 2001
Moonlight Rodeo (Rio Lindo, Santa Venetia) July 2003
Moonlight Rodeo (Mississippi Sunset) July, 2007.
The Moraggots (Performing as the Sodermen) August 2008.
Education: AB, UC Berkeley; MA, St. Mary's College of California; teaching credential, Dominican University of California
It was great to hang with you and Mac. Thanks for your work on the tunes. Now I just have to get that fraggleshegged lap top to the shop. It crapped out that same night!
Well, my 6 year old could use a kit.. hehe! As for the mags...dunno! Are you playing much these days? Finally starting to do a bunch of corporates and weddings but the last 6 months have been SLOW!
Hi Mike! Happy New Year! How've you been? How's music? Indeed, that view up in the Sierra is something else - I thought I'd died and gone to heaven in getting to ride my favorite horse of all time in such a beautiful area. Hope all is well with you!
Just enjoying college. Loving it at Sonoma State! Kinda miss San Marin though, and of coarse your ferret calendar. Are the APUSH kids anywhere near as smart as us?
