Although he couldn't
have known the impact music would have on his life back then, Donn was
influenced by music at a very young age. His Mother was a back-up singer
and played both guitar and accordian, so needless to say growing up with
no TV to watch, music was a constant from day one.
Donn's musical tastes are almost as diverse as his erratic upbringing,
listening to everything from Classical music, Jazz, Afro-Cuban Jazz,
Latin, punk etc.
Influenced by life itself and the reality of his surroundings, when Donn
moved from the country to the city, he found the natural city noises
that constantly surrounded him were like music to his ears. People
talking, jack hammers, babies crying, waitstaff dropping dishes on the
floor - it's all music to Donn, adding to an awesome array of tools he
keeps tucked away in the deep recesses of his mind.
Donn's been a professional drummer for the past 15 years, playing
everything from Ska, Jazz, Blue Grass, to Rock, Pop, Punk & Classical.
From touring to recording it's been great learning from engineers &
producers all over Toronto and the surrounding areas.
Touring & recording with bands like Skaface, Spinecracker, Chrome,
Spacecraft # 7, He has always played in multiple bands since 93' the
bands he currently plays in are ( Rick Temporao, I an EYE, FactorFiction.
Donn also does private in-studio work and life shows for bands, just
recently recorded 9 songs for a debut CD for Morningstar @ Metal Works.
Through his years of experience, Donn's learned two valuable lessons
from older musicians that he looks up to:
 How
to LISTEN
Very important, easier said than done, but easier if you just shut up.
There is a certain validity to everyone's perspective and it's the
drummer's job to take, in some cases, multiple ideas and combine those
into one or more variations to make a smooth underlying pattern.
DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE SONG
NOT what you think is right for you. So many people think that you just
go in and make a shit load of noise and let the engineers worry about
it, but the feel of the song the temperament of the vocals even the
slight intonation of the guitar or guitars that gives you the overall
impression of the song it's self. In some cases you’re the time keeper
and in some cases you’re the lead instrument that drives the whole song,
again it's up to you to find that happy medium
So the road ahead for Donn is the same as it has been for the last 15
years. Always have an open mind, rehearse like you're playing a live
show and always keep learning. You only get better with practice and
age...... |
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