Of course the headspace for the young musician is whatever the guy who is paying you says, is right, but that's all.

I feel qualified and competent to try anything that's thrown my way because I don't have to be a success. I can just try.

I just want to make music on the drums.

I'm very grateful to be where I'm at and be able to play. That's really the bottom line for me. Survival and being able to play.

Sometimes I feel like a one man crusade against the devaluation of music in America and culture in the arts.

I'm happy doing what I do. That's ok. Some guy could appear tomorrow and do it much better than me, and so be it, but right now I'm just happy to be who I am doing what I do.

From the time I started playing solo drums, doing clinics and stuff, you know I think one of the largest selling clinics I ever did was in Chicago.