Nick has been taking lessons at our studio with Roy King for nearly 3 years now and has been playing the drums since he was 4 years old! Now a freshman in high school Nick has participated in the Tri-C High School Rock Off at The House Of Blues 3 times with his band Copykat Crisis. In his drum studies he has expanded into afro-cuban and jazz rhythms. He has also been working on producing some techno music on the side.
How long have you been playing drums?
I first picked up the sticks when I was 4 years old. I played consistently for a few years then I was a bit on and off with playing around the age of 9. My interest was re-sparked by avenged sevenfold when I was 11 years old and I have been working hard since then.
Which performance at the rock off was your favorite?
I've enjoyed all of my experiences at the rock off. All of the staff are friendly and willing to help, and it's always fun. I have to say my favorite experience was my second year there. The crowd turn out was strong and I felt that our setlist gave me the opportunity to get to play on the intricate side of things at points and at other times it let me relax and keep the pocket flowing. This year certainly had it's improvements, but I think the year before was much more enjoyable.
What does your kit consist of? Do you like an elaborate set up or are you more of a minimalist?
at the moment, my drumset consists of 3 crashes, a pair of hihats, a splash cymbal, an effect cymbal, 2 chinas, and a ride when it comes to cymbals. I have 5 toms and a bass drum that are all DW collector's series, and 2 snares. Both the snares are made by Pearl drums, one being a Jimmy Degrasso signature brass snare, and the other being a Joey Jordison signature piccolo snare. I like to switch up between a minimalist setup and a more elaborate set up. One reason for that is that Since I'm a more stylistically versatile player, I can never really find a "perfect" set up. The other reason is I find more topical uses for everything on a larger kit after working on a minimal kit, and I use more parts of what is set up on a minimal kit after playing a larger kit.
How long have you been taking drum lessons with Roy King, and what have you been studying recently?
I have been taking lessons with Roy for roughly 2 1/2 years now. Recently, I've been studying Afro-Cuban drumset, jazz, and drumset coordination.
Tell us a little about some of the techno music that you've been producing lately.
I've been recently dabbling trance and dubstep. Ever since I had seen Pinn Panelle's live cover of Skrillex's "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites", I've been very interested in the whole fusion of rock and dubstep. I'm hoping to develop a better understanding of dubstep so I can properly integrated with other styles that I'm already familiar with. It's been quite tough so far, but I've been having a blast with it. It's a whole different side of music than drums and I think that's what I like most about it.
