INTERVIEW WITH!

CLAUS HESSLER
Words : Sina Najaou

LAUS HESSLER

Besides being an "in demand" clinician and performer; Claus is writing educational columns for the German Drums & Percussion magazine and iPad App. He is also a member of the Modern Drummer Educational Team contributing articles to the famous US magazine. His first book Open Hand Playing Vol.1 (co-written with Dom Famularo and including a foreword by Billy Cobham) has been released worldwide with Alfred Publishing and earned international recognition including a 4-star review in the Modern Drummer magazine.

www.Claushessler.com

He is the first world-class musician who has Launched workshop/masterclass in Iran.! The act is supported by Alireza Tabatabaie who Is one of the pioneers of Drumming/Education In Iran, and Sponsored by Sorna Music Store. During his 3-day workshop at Sorna MusicStore, He had a Drum & Percussion duet with Hoomayon Nasiri from the band Darkob. For me, as a person who was fortunate enough To be in contact with some great drummers in The world, Claus Hessler wasnt just another One. He is a great player but his skill as an Instructor is unbelievable. Ive learned many Things from him in this short period of time, His edication is impressive! You cant catch up to Claus without Drumsticks and Pads! I Cannot wait to see him again, trust me if he is coming to your country go and see him! - Sina Najaflou
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HERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOU, WE WOULD LOVE IF YOU WOULD FILL US IN ON SOME IMPORTANT THINGS! WHY DID YOU START PLAYING DRUMS? CAN YOU SHARE YOUR STORY WITH US? CLAUS : I BASICALLY STARTED PLAYING DRUMS AROUND THE AGE OF 4, MOSTLY BECAUSE THERE WAS A SET OF DRUMS AT OUR HOUSE. BOTH OF MY GRANDFATHERS WERE INTO MUSIC, JUST AS MY FATHER AND MY BROTHER, SO IT WASN'T THAT STRANGE TO BE INTO MUSIC AS WELL - NO BIG STORY TO TELL. HOW DID YOU SIGN WITH MAPEX DRUMS ? AND HOW DID YOU GET TO KNOW JIM CHAPIN? CLAUS : BEFORE I MADE THE SWITCH TO MAPEX. I WAS ENDORSING PEARL FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS. AT A CERTAIN POINT IT APPEARED THAT THROUGH A MIXTURE OF CERTAIN CHANGES IN THE PRODUCT LINE AND ALSO CHANGES IN DISTRIBUTION I WAS READY FOR A CHANGE. WITH MAPEX I SAW THE MOST POTENTIAL, THE COMMUNICATION WAS VERY COOPERATIVE RIGHT AWAY AND OF COURSE I LIKED THE DRUMS. TODAY I CONSIDER IT TO BE ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS THAT I HAVE EVER TAKEN. I FIRST MET JIM AT A MUSIC SHOP IN FRANKFURT AND THEN AT A PRIVATE MUSIC SCHOOL WHERE I WAS TEACHING AT THAT TIME, THAT WAS IN 1991.

YOU HAVE RELEASED 4 BOOKS, OPEN HAND DRUMMING VOLUME 1 AND VOLUME 2, DAILY DRUM SET WORKOUT AND DRUMMING KAIROS.! WHAT WOULD BE THE NAME OF NEXT BOOK ? DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR THAT ? CLAUS : AT THIS POINT I AM WORKING ON DIGITAL VERSIONS OF OPEN HAND PLAYING 1 AND DAILY DRUM-SET WORKOUT AND THE SECOND PRINTING OF THE COLLAPSED RUDIMENTS POSTER - THESE WILL DEFINITELY COME FIRST. THE NEXT PUBLICATION WILL BE A RUDIMENTAL PLAY-ALONG BOOK WITH ORIGINAL VERSIONS OF TRADITIONAL RUDIMENTAL PIECES AND PERSONAL VERSIONS OF MYSELF. I AM ALMOST THROUGH WITH THE WRITING, SO IT MIGHT BE I CAN ALREADY RELEASE IT IN FALL/WINTER 2014. IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT IT WILL APPEAR JUST IN IBOOK FORMAT, NO PRINTED VERSION AT ALL ... OR MAYBE LATER, WHO KNOWS. YOU HAVE RECENTLY RELEASED YOUR LATEST DVD, DRUMMING KAIROS, WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK HAVE YOU RECEIVED SO FAR FROM FANS, BEFRIENDED MUSICIANS AND STUDENTS? CLAUS : SO FAR I AM GETTING LOTS OF GOOD FEEDBACK, PEOPLE SEEM TO LIKE IT A LOT.

INTERVIEW WITH CLAUS HESSLER SINA NAJAFLOU

I THINK IT REALLY MARKS A PERSONAL BREAKPOINT IN MY CAREER SINCE IT REALLY TIES TOGETHER WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING AS A TEACHER SO FAR PLUS IT ALSO BRINGS MY BOOKS INTO A LEARNING CONTEXT. THE DVD REALLY MAKES CLEAR WHAT MY VALUES AS A PLAYER AND A TEACHER ARE, I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THAT. YOU HAVE DESIGNED A CYMBAL WITH SABIAN, WHAT IS THE MAJOR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CYMBAL YOU CREATED VERSUS AN ORIGINAL SABIAN CYMBAL? CLAUS : I HAD BEEN USING A SIMILAR CYMBAL LIKE THE GARAGE RIDE THAT WAS CUSTOM MADE FOR ME SINCE A COUPLE OF YEARS. WHEN WE DEVELOPED THE CYMBAL, WE BASICALLY STARTED FROM THAT POINT.! FOR ME, IT HAS A UNIQUE BLEND OF STICK DEFINITION, DARK AND RAW TONE AND MOST OF ALL IT NEVER GETS TOO LOUD WHEN I AM PLAYING IT WITH THE SHOULDER OF MY STICK. I ALSO HAVE A 20" VERSION OF IT, MAYBE THERE IS AN OPTION ONE DAY TO ALSO BRING THIS ONE OUT. THAT HOWEVER IS STILL IN THE FUTURE ... AS A TOURING MUSICIAN, WHATS YOUR BIGGEST PROBLEM ? ALTHOUGH THERE ARE TOO MANY ADVANTAGES, IF YOU COULD TELLS US 3 BAD REASONS ABOUT BEING A TOURING MUSICIAN , AND 3 GOOD ONES , WHAT THEY WOULD BE ? CLAUS : THERE USUALLY IS NO ADVANTAGE WITHOUT A DISADVANTAGE, I THINK. IT COMPLETELY DEPENDS ON HOW YOU SEE THE WORLD I WOULD SAY. THE ONLY THING THAT CAN DEFINITELY BE A PAIN IN THE REAR IS A LACK OF ORGANIZATION THAT CAN GIVE YOU A REAL CHALLENGE. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE YOUR PERSONAL STUFF WHILE YOURE ON TOUR ? CLAUS : WELL, ANYTHING THAT I CAN MANAGE TO DO WHILE I AM ON THE ROAD - I TRY TRY TO GET IT DONE. IN CASE THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR ONE OR THE OTHER REASON THINGS HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL I CAN GET BACK TO IT LATER. YOU JUST HAVE TO PUT THINGS IN A PROPER ORDER AND MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHAT CAN WAIT AND WHAT HAS TO BE DONE, THAT PRETTY MUCH IS IT. AS I AM WRITING THIS, THE FIRST PART OF IT WAS WRITTEN IN THE AIRPORT IN BARCELONA, THE SECOND PART ON E PLANE.

THE DVD REALLY MAKES CLEAR WHAT MY VALUES AS A PLAYER AND A TEACHER ARE, I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THAT.

CLAUS HESSLER
YOURE A VERY BUSY MAN, HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND PRACTICING DRUMS ? WHAT DO YOU PRACTICE ON THE TOUR ?! HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND ON PRACTICING (RUDIMENTS ESPECIALLY) IN A DAY? CLAUS : USUALLY THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TIME I SPEND BEHIND THE DRUMS AND THE TIME I SPEND PRACTICING. WHEN I AM ON THE ROAD, I AM USUALLY PRACTICING ON STAGE SO TO SPEAK AS FAR AS HAND TECHNIQUE AND RUDIMENTS GO, I ALWAYS HAVE A COLLECTION OF EXERCISES, RUDIMENTAL ETC. WITH ME ON MY IPAD. THE TIME I SPEND WITH THAT ON THE ROAD MAY DIFFER BETWEEN 1 OR 2 HOURS IN THE HOTEL ROOM (IN CASE THERE IS TIME) TO 10 MINUTES BEFORE A PERFORMANCE, AND ANYTHING IN BETWEEN.

INTERVIEW WITH CLAUS HESSLER SINA NAJAFLOU

WHICH EXERCISES DO YOU PRACTICE TO IMPROVE YOUR SKILL IN DRUMMING? CLAUS : I CANNOT ANSWER IN ONE SENTENCE. SOMETIMES OLD STUFF FROM MY PERSONAL COLLECTION OF EXERCISES, SOMETIMES THINGS THAT I AM DISCOVERING NEW, THAT IS REALLY HARD TO SAY ... MANY TIMES CLASSIC STUFF FROM "STICK CONTROL" OR "ACCENTS & REBOUNDS", COULD BE ANYTHING ... THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHICH EXERCISES CAN HELP US IN ORDER TO IMPROVING OUR WEAKER HAND , WHATS YOUR APPROACH FOR MAKING THE WEAKER HAND BETTER ?! ARE THERE ANY MAGICAL EXERCISES OR TECHNIQUES ? DEREK: I WOULD NOT SAY THERE IS A MAGIC EXERCISE OR A CERTAIN TRICK. FIRST OF ALL YOU HAVE TO USE YOUR BRAIN AND THEN YOUR WEAKER HAND THAT IS PRETTY MUCH IT. THE BRAIN IS IMPORTANT AS FAR AS YOUR PERSONAL SELECTION OF EXERCISES GOES, BE IT FROM ANY OF MY BOOKS THAT MANY TIMES FOCUS ON EQUAL USE OF BOTH HANDS, FROM "THE WEAKER SIDE" OR WHATEVER. YOUR BRAIN SHOULD ALSO TELL YOU

IF YOU ARE STAYING ON COURSE OR IF YOU LOSE FOCUS AT CERTAIN TIMES. THE REST IS JUST USING YOUR WEAK HAND AND MAINTAINING A HIGH DEGREE OF DISCIPLINE. WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE ON DRUM TECHNIQUES IN ORDER TO IMPROVE OUR STAMINA? CLAUS : FROM MY POINT OF VIEW THE KEYWORD HERE IS STAYING RELAXED. I THINK THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS STAMINA WHEN THERE IS TOO MUCH TENSION AND EFFORT IN THE GAME. MAKING THE MOST MILEAGE OUT OF THE LEAST AMOUNT OF EFFORT IS MY PERSONAL MOTTO. DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC REASON FOR USING THE 8 TOM ON THE RIGHT SIDE ? AND WHY DONT YOU HAVE A 12 ONE ON YOUR SET UP ? CLAUS : I LIKE THE FACT THAT THE 8" ON THE RIGHT SIDE ALLOWS FOR A MORE COMFORTABLE POSITION OF MY RIGHT RIDE CYMBAL. 12" TOMS I DO ONLY USE WHEN I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE,MOSTLY I JUST DO NOT GET THEM LOW ENOUGH.

MAKING THE MOST MILEAGE OUT OF THE LEAST AMOUNT OF EFFORT IS MY PERSONAL MOTTO.

CLAUS HESSLER

INTERVIEW WITH CLAUS HESSLER SINA NAJAFLOU

ON THE OTHER HAND, I JUST LIKE THE SOUND OF THE 8" SIMPLY MUCH MORE, THAT HOWEVER IS JUST A MATTER OF PERSONAL TASTE. IVE LEARNED FROM YOU, AND MY DRUM TEACHER, THAT IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER HOW FAST YOU CAN PLAY, THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS CONTROL. BUT HOW CAN WE IMPROVE OUR CONTROL? CLAUS : THERE IS NO CONTROL WITHOUT RELAXATION. WHENEVER YOUR MOVEMENTS HAVE A TENDENCY TO BE STIFF AND NOT "ROUND" YOU CAN USUALLY FORGET ABOUT CONTROL. IF YOU COULD SUGGEST ONE DRUM METHOD FOR BEGINNERS, WHAT WOULD IT BE ? CLAUS : WELL, THAT'S AGAIN HARD TO SAY SINCE IT ALSO DEPENDS ON THE AGE OF THE STUDENT (SIX OR SIXTY?). FOR DRUMSET OR JUST SNARE? FOR SURE ANYBODY SHOULD HAVE "STICK CONTROL", THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT I WOULD ULTIMATELY RECOMMEND. WHAT STEPS SHOULD THEY TAKE TO BECOME A PRO DRUMMER THROUGH THE YEARS ? WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE FOR THEM ? CLAUS : AGAIN A HARD ONE. THE ANSWER COULD FILL A BOOK I AM AFRAID. FIRST OF ALL YOU SHOULD SEEK ADVICE AND ASK YOURSELF IF BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN IS REALLY SOMETHING YOU CAN IMAGINE TO BE. IT MAY TURN OUT TO ALSO BE A LIFELONG, DEMANDING JOURNEY AND CHANCES ARE THAT YOU ARE NOT ALWAYS HAPPY WITH THE DARKER SIDES OF THIS PROFESSION. BE AWARE, THAT ONLY BEING A GOOD DRUMMER IS NOT THE ONLY IMPORTANT ASPECT. REMEMBER THAT YOU HAVE TO SELL A PRODUCT

THAT SHOULD HAVE MANY DIFFERENT FEATURES: YOURSELF. WHAT CAN YOU BRING TO THE TABLE THAT MAKES YOU SPECIAL? BASICALLY THIS IS ALSO A LOT ABOUT MARKETING YOURSELF, FINE-TUNING YOUR PRODUCT AND GET READY FOR A LIFELONG LEARNING PROCESS. WHICH IS ALSO FUN! BUT NOT ALWAYS. CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHY THE OPEN HAND PLAYING CAN BE OUR FUTURE WAY OF DRUMMING ? CLAUS : I BELIEVE IT JUST MAKES SO MUCH SENSE TO NOT CROSS HANDS WHEN YOU ARE PLAYING THE DRUMS BECAUSE YOU CAN USE ALL FOUR LIMBS IN THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY. PLUS IT HELPED ME TREMENDOUSLY TO FIND MY PERSONAL VOICE ON THE INSTRUMENT. WHATS YOUR PIECE OF ADVICE FOR PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS IN IRAN OR ELSEWHERE WHO REALLY WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE WORLD OF DRUMMING ? HOW CAN THEY CONNECT WITH OTHER BIG BANDS IN THE US OR EUROPE ? FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE A SESSION PLAYER NOT ONLY IN IRAN OR THEIR COUNTRY, BUT RATHER THE WORLD. CLAUS : THE MUSIC BUSINESS IS ALWAYS AND CONSTANTLY CHANGING. MAKE SURE YOU NEVER JUST HAVE YOUR FOCUS ON ONLY ONE CERTAIN ACTIVITY. TEACH. PLAY. COMPOSE. WRITE. NETWORK. ARRANGE. FEEL FREE TO ADD MORE ... WHAT DOES YOUTUBE MEANS TO YOU IN THE EYES OF SUCH AN SUCCESSFUL MUSICIAN ? CLAUS : IT CAN BE MANY THINGS. IT CAN BE A GREAT WAY TO COLLECT INFORMATION. IT CAN BE A GREAT WAY TO LET THE WORLD KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING. IT CAN ALSO BE A GREAT TOOL TO WASTE TIME OR TO COLLECT MISCONCEPTIONS. YEARS AGO, IT WAS JUST HARD TO ACQUIRE CERTAIN INFORMATIONS. NOWADAYS THAT IS EASY.

INTERVIEW WITH CLAUS HESSLER SINA NAJAFLOU

MAKE SURE YOU NEVER JUST HAVE YOUR FOCUS ON ONLY ONE CERTAIN ACTIVITY. TEACH, PLAY, COMPOSE, WRITE, NETWORK, ARRANGE. FEEL FREE TO ADD MORE ...

CLAUS HESSLER

INTERVIEW WITH CLAUS HESSLER SINA NAJAFLOU

DO YOU HAVE ANY PERSONAL PROJECT OR BAND ? DO YOU WANT TO BRING ANY OF THEM BACK ON THE TABLE INSTEAD OF DOING WORKSHOPS AROUND THE WORLD ? WHICH ONE IS THE PLACE THAT YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE ? CLAUS : YES, THERE IS A COUPLE OF PERSONAL PROJECTS THAT I ENJOY. SEE THE FOLLOWING LINKS: INCREDIBLE BASS & DRUM DUET - STEFAN HERGENRDER & CLAUS HESSLER ! CLAUS HESSLER - INCEPTION - HAMMOND B3 ORGAN! JAN BEILING SAX THERAPY BAND - EL NINO JUST FRIENDS & JULIANA DA SILVA: LIVE @ ARTBAR FFM! WHAT BANDS, MUSICIANS OR MUSIC GENRES ARE YOUR LISTENING TO AT THE MOMENT? CLAUS : RIGHT NOW, I ENJOY LISTENING TO OZ NOY'S ALBUM "FUZZY", THERE IS ALSO A FLASHBACK TO TONY WILLIAMS SOLO PROJECTS AND GOLDBERG VARIATIONS WITH GLENN GOULD ON PIANO. CAN YOU NAME 3 OF YOUR FAVORITE TUNES FROM THE ANY OF THE MUSICAL PROJECTS YOU HAVE PLAYED? CLAUS : A NIGHT IN TUNISIA - PAUL GEHRIG SUSPENDERS EX LIBRIS - EXULTATIO! AVIAO - JULIANA DA SILVA WHO WERE/ARE YOUR HEROES AND INFLUENCES ON DRUMMING ? CLAUS : BILLY COBHAM - BUDDY RICH - NEIL PEART - PAUL VERTIGO - VINNIE COLAIUTA ... JUST TO NAME A FEW. HOW YOU CAN DESCRIBE IRANS DRUMMING COMMUNITY ? CLAUS : THAT REALLY IS HARD TO SAY SINCE I DO NOT KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT THAT TO BE QUITE HONEST. I MET OPEN MINDED AND VERY FRIENDLY PEOPLE HERE WHICH ALWAYS IS A PLEASURE. IN THAT SENSE, THERE ARE ONLY GOOD WORDS TO SAY. WHICH CITES YOU HAVE VISITED BEFORE TEHRAN, HOW IS YOUR TRIP IN TEHRAN SO FAR ? DO YOU WANT BACK AGAIN OR STAY HERE LONGER ? CLAUS : I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO IRAN BEFORE, HOWEVER AT THE TIME THERE ARE PLANS FOR A RETURN

Highly recommended to watch Claus Hessler at Pasic 2011 :

http://youtu.be/GhRcLVvRf6c http://youtu.be/ZaGck6FYUJY http://youtu.be/SD3CslT9P4E

IN DIFFERENT FORMATES. SO WE MIGHT MEET AGAIN SOONER THAN YOU THOUGHT! TO BE HONEST, YOURE ONE OF THE COOLEST GUYS AND ONE OF THE BEST DRUM INSTRUCTORS THAT I HAVE EVER MET, I THINK YOURE VERY DOWN TO EARTH AND YOUR DEDICATION HAS IMPRESSED ME AS A DRUMMER. WHATS BEHIND THAT SMILEY AND LOVING FACE ? WHAT HAS MADE CLAUS HESSLER THE PERSON THAT WE KNOW TODAY ? WHATS YOUR IDEOLOGY IN LIFE ? CLAUS : WELL, MAYBE IT IS THE FACT THAT I DO NOT REALLY HAVE SUCH THING AS A FIXED IDEOLOGY. I TREAT PEOPLE THE WAY I WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. EVERYBODY WHO IS SERIOUSLY TRYING TO FOLLOW SOME GOAL IN HIS LIFE HAS MY RESPECT. I CONSIDER MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS BEING A VERY SPECIAL SOURCE OF ENERGY. I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR WHAT MY TEACHERS HAVE SHOWED ME AND IT IS MY OBLIGATION TO NOT HOLD BACK THAT INFORMATION. AT THIS POINT I WOULD RECOMMEND TO SEEK OUT DOM FAMULARO'S BOOK "THE CYCLE OF SELFEMPOWERMENT". IT IS NOT ABOUT RELIGION OR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. IT IS NOT ABOUT CERTAIN POLITICAL SYSTEMS. IT IS SIMPLY ABOUT THINGS LIKE HUMANITY, HONESTY, DIGNITY AND RESPECT.

INTERVIEW WITH CLAUS HESSLER SINA NAJAFLOU

Words : Sina Najaou Edit : Lisa LaFountaine! Graphic & Design : Sina Najaou Photos : Siamak Mohebalian - Saeid Abdollahi Special Thanks to : Alireza Tabatabaei Sorna Co.
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for sharing and publishing please contact to me.! SinaNajaou@outlook.com http://Sinamusic.wix.com/sina#!interviews/c10fk!

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