Summer, 2021

Although playing the drumset involves more of the body than most other instruments, it would be a mistake to assume that it takes less of the other parts. Drummer’s Insight, The Meta Pursuit of Musicianship and Meaning, takes an ontological and epistemological look at playing the drumset in light of the player’s internal and external aspects, while empowering drummers to close the gap between them. Readers explore their roles in that important process through themes in line with Buddhist philosophy and research in contemporary cognitive neuroscience. Recognizing that musicianship is the flexible cognitive convergence of what makes us human, drummers are tasked with creating and connecting their internal cognitive characteristics – they become masters of their own development. We uncover the convergent nature of the drumset, as well as its potential for the development of self-determination and well-being by exploring disciplines of inquiry, creativity and mindfulness.

Drummer’s Insight establishes creative musicianship as a state of being. The work emphasizes how a practice based on inquiry and presence of mind enables comprehensive musicianship. We recognize the ways in which a musical discipline has the potential to create a life of personal integrity, realizing our highest human virtues. We examine the true meaning of education, to educe, and discover pathways to develop our own potential in all areas of life. Importantly, Drummer’s Insight goes deep into the neuroscience of improvisation, its relationship with critical thinking and problem solving, and the useful neurological transfer of these skills from music to other complex cognitive tasks.

Drummer’s Insight is a 79,000-word prescriptive non-narrative work, with no illustrations or music notation. Books categorically related are The Inner Game of Music, by Barry Green (Doubleday, 1986), Bill Bruford’s Uncharted: Creativity and the Expert Drummer (University of Michigan Press, 2018), and jazz pianist Kenny Werner’s Effortless Mastery (Alfred, 1998). Drummer’s Insight is unique, timeless and necessary, drawing serious interest from the curious musician-drummer seeking to make a profound internal connection. The manuscript was enthusiastically reviewed by 10 beta readers, all of whom fit the intended demographic for the work. It has recently received support from famed editor/producer Dan Thress, industry leader Don Lombardi, Hudson Music’s Rob Wallis, and pro drummer John Ramsay.
 
I have had a drumset attached to me for 58 years, and have led my own private lessons and mentorship practice since the late 1980s. With over 1,000 gigs behind me spanning the vast trove of American music and beyond, I remain a life-long student. As educator and mentor, my role is to educe, to draw out potential. Musical and life experiences both deep and wide have given me the courage to venture outside the comfort zone, and explore the creativity which results from uncertainty. The transformational wisdom I’ve gained has culminated in a life where passion, experience, vocation and mission converge. I’ve recently returned to New England after living in China for the past 9 years.

Drummer’s Insight, The Meta Pursuit of Musicianship and Meaning reflects and shares discoveries made through decades of learning, teaching and improvising. Establishing an empathic knowledge of where students are at every moment helps me to guide them where we want to be. The choice to live in East Asia was intentional to challenge my perceptions, continually question assumptions, and hone my perceptive skills to see with clarity, free of filters of emotion, motive and experience.

This piece of writing is the culmination of my life’s work - 40+ years of self-reflection, risk-taking and improvement uniting the personal, spiritual and professional realms. Working with Buddhist philosophy through clarity of perception, meditation, and compassion sparked the realization that all of  my work followed similar discipline and principles. The work is my contribution so others may be empowered to take up this important journey in their own way.

​-- Brett F. Campbell

Contents:

Introduction

1. An Artful Pursuit

• A process of continuous inquiry
• State of being
• Convergence
• Our role in learning and in the development of our sensibilities
• Responsibility

2. Responsibilities / What We Do

3. Practice
     Section One | Pulling it All Together

• Why practice
• A personal connection
• Prioritizing / Integrity
• Scheduling
• Where can we practice?

     Section Two | What’s Behind Practicing?

• Perceptions of practice (ugh)
• Talent
• Deliberate practice and cognitive capacity
• Goals

     Section Three | Internal Tools

• Focusing
• Clear a path for clarity
• Mindfulness
• Breath and voice

     Section Four | Practicalities

• Slow practice
• Releasing muscle tension
• Time and subdivisions
• The metronome
• Making it feel good
• Mental habits for smart practice / Go beyond simple repetition

4. Orientation / Alignment

• Setup
• Throne position and height

5. Technique

• Rudiments
• Fulcrum
• Wrist / hand / fingers – how wrist position affects energy transfer
• Preparation
• Unconventional thinking

6. Syncopation

• Compositional relationships

7. Drumset & Context

• Consider all variables collectively
• Searching
• Origins

8. Cymbals - Kinetic Intermediaries

9. Listening

10.Collective Purpose & Diversity

• The collective elements present in the drumset

11. Creative Wisdom

• Cognition, synchronicity and improvisation
• Text-in-context

12. Potential

• Learning
• Connection and growth
• Fear and Uncertainty
• Harmonic resonance

13. Eudaimonia

• Context as a catalyst for personal responsibility and growth
• Eudaimonia

​References

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