196 – Gregg Bissonette & Kennan Wylie: Writing & Creating The Hal Leonard Drumset Method

Gregg Bissonette performing and recording credits include working with Ringo Starr, David Lee Roth, James Taylor, Santana (on his Grammy-award winning Supernatural), Don Henley, Joe Satriani, Andrea Bocelli, ELO, Maynard Ferguson, Spinal Tap, and countless others. 

He has recorded for many films—including The Bucket List, Finding Nemo, Best in Show, For Your Consideration, The Bourne Supremacy, The Mighty Wind, The Polar Express, The Devil Wears Prada, Waiting for Guffman, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The 40-Year-Old Virgin as well as TV shows, including the hit NBC series Friends.

Gregg exclusively uses Zildjian Cymbals, Dixon Drums, DW Drum Pedals, Remo Drum Heads, Vic Firth Drum Sticks, Samson Audio, Audix Mics, the Gregg Bissonette Signature Stick Bag by Kaces, XL Specialty road cases, Beato Drum Bags, LT Lug Locks, and LP Percussion products.

Kennan Wylie is in his 22nd year as the Director of Percussion Studies at Marcus High School in Flower Mound, TX. Kennan is a free-lance performer in the Dallas-Forth Worth area and a member of the Dallas based jazz group Fingerprints.

His previous publications include the book “Simple Steps to Successful Beginning Percussion”, through K. Wylie Publications (www.kwylie.com). With a Bachelors and Masters degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas, Kennan is active as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the Southwest, as well as serving as the President of the Texas PAS Chapter.

Kennan endorses Yamaha drums, Zildjian cymbals, Innovative Percussion, and Evans drumheads

In this episode, Gregg and Kennan talk about: 

* Gregg and Kennan’s presentation at PASIC 2018

* Describing the book – Hal Leonard Drumset Method book 1 and 2 & it’s many features 

* Unique challenges teachers have these days / private lessons vs YouTube

* The importance of performing with other people

* The “Flow Sticking System”

* The growing popularity of open handed technique

* Setting goals and a rough plan for teaching so students reach the goals you’ve set for them 

* Things that educators can offer that can go beyond just teaching drums?