#251 Ed Jarusinsky- Drummer, Educator, Author and More!
Photo of Ed by: Todd Wolfson
This episode is sponsored by Dream Cymbals. Check out their Tasting Tour Dates.
Ed Jarusinsky is a versatile drummer and percussionist with a lifelong passion for music. His sensitivity, diversity, and experience create a musical blend that is both modern and traditional. He received a Jazz Studies Degree from the University of North Texas where he had the privilege of studying with Ed Soph, Dr. Robert Schietroma, and Ron Fink. He is endorsed by Smith Drums and Vic Firth drumsticks and is the author of a drum set method book and CD entitled Rock Solid: The Art of the Groove. A Guide to Becoming a Musical Drummer. Ed has toured the U.S. as well as fifteen other countries and has performed and/or recorded with Kevin McKinney, Robyn Ludwick, Max Frost, Bob Schneider, Ephraim Owens, Charlie Robison, Bruce Robison, Kelly Willis, Nakia and his Southern Cousins, Suzanna Choffel, The Nightowls, Dave Sebree, Van Wilks, Tommy Shannon, The Stingers, Alex Coke, The Guy Lombardo Orchestra, Joel Guzman, and many more.
Ed teaches Drums and Percussion Instruments to students of ages 10 and up. His teaching style is relaxed and fun with a strong emphasis on musicianship and individuality. He has been on the faculty at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Upper School for over a decade teaching music theory and rock band classes. Ed Jarusinsky is honored to perform and teach for a living and is eager to share his knowledge at the Austin School of Music.
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday to Makaya McCraven who is a beat scientist. The cutting edge drummer, producer, and sonic collagist is a multi-talented force whose inventive process & intuitive style of performance defy categorization. French-born, but raised in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts by expatriate musician parents, McCraven went on to develop his chops in Chicago and now represents a rising generation of globally-minded, genre-bending music makers as an artist as well as band leader. Through his unique, rarified performances and collaborations he unapologetically affirms our right to re-think and re-write the rules, any rules, and affirms other artists in their own exploratory evolutions. The song playing behind his intro is ‘Suite Haus’, from his newest album, “Universal Beings”.
Happy birthday to Josh Dion. Josh is 50% of the band Paris Monster, where he plays drums, keyboards and also sings. Josh Dion was born at the tail end of the disco funk era, when popular radio bore the sounds of Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, and 'four on the floor' drum beats! Raised in Storrs, CT, Josh started playing his father's drums before he even started kindergarten. He grew up playing drums to the simple and beat driven sounds of Nick Mason and Ringo Starr. He also lived across the hall from his older brother, who not only followed the Grateful Dead, but introduced him to Cream at the tender age of seven. Rightfully so, Cream, Zeppelin and the Stones led Dion to Willie Dixon, Robert Johnson and beyond.
A prodigious talent, Josh started playing professionally at age eight and was invited to shed with the UConn Jazz Studies program by the time he was twelve. While he was impressing people with his percussion skills, he was playing piano and singing in his local church, developing talents which would eventually help him stand out even among the world class drummers in whose company he has now found himself.
After a stint in the music program at New Jersey's William Paterson University, he has made New York City his home. Josh's college days were greeted by an immersion in the Jam band scene with NYC funk band Ulu, who toured the Eastern half of the US. Josh was soon noticed by jazz guitarist Chuck Loeb, who offered Josh an opportunity to be seen and heard by a whole new level of the music audience. From that platform, he has gone on to work with some of the major brand names of the music world: Candy Dulfer, Spyro Gyra, Will Lee, Pat Martino, Jeff Kashiwa, Jason Miles, Anthony Jackson, Edgar Winter, Randy Brecker, Bob James, Eric Marienthal, Til Bronner, Jim Beard, Ivan Lins and on and on.
Happy birthday to Dr. Julie Hill. She is the Department of Music and Faculty Evaluation Coordinator at the University of Tennessee-Martin, has received worldwide recognition as a performer and scholar. Hill has presented workshops, concerts, and lectures extensively throughout the United States on Brazilian Music and the topic of music and social transformation for black women and at-risk children in Northeastern Brazil. As a member of the award winning Caixa Trio and X4 quartet, Julie has performed in Peru, Poland, Mexico, Brazil, France, Puerto Rico, South Korea, across the United States, as well as the Percussive Arts Society International Conventions (PASIC). Hill is also principal percussionist with the Paducah Symphony Orchestra.
Julie is a winner of the University of Tennessee at Martin's Cunningham Outstanding Teacher/Scholar Award, the Hardy Graham Distinguished Professorship Award, the UT Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Award, and the inaugural recipient of the University of Tennessee President’s system-wide Educate Award. Julie has also received Member Laureate distinction from the Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity. She is a Past-President of the International Percussive Arts Society.
Hill is the co-author of an audition method book entitled All Inclusive Etudes (Row-Loff Productions) and a collection of solos/duets entitled Music for Multi Percussion: A World View (Alfred Publications) and has numerous percussion ensemble publications with Innovative Percussion and Row-Loff Productions. Her scholarly research has been published in Percussive Notes and the Garland World Music Encyclopedias.
She holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Kentucky, a Master of Music degree in Percussion Performance from Arizona State University, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin.
Gig Alerts
The International Festival of Cajon and Percussion is going on right now. On Oct 30th, there is a full day of masterclasses by LP artists. Diego “El Negro” Alvarez (friend of the show) will be doing a Flamenco masterclass, Tony Succar will be doing a masterclass on folkloric rhythms of Peru and Damon Grant will be doing a masterclass on the use of the cajon in a Pop/Singer-Songwriter situation and how he has adapted the cajon into his hybrid cajon kit.
The masterclasses start at 11am EST on Saturday October 30th. You can watch by clicking on the FB Live link.
Social Soundbyte
This week’s social soundbyte features friends of the show, Marcos Lopez and Jessie Caraballo. It was recorded at Congahead Studios by Martin Cohen and Javier Raez.
Educational Spotlight
The Percussive Arts Society Solo Artist Competition is the only one of its kind in the U.S., happening every year, with the instrument category alternating between Drum Set and Solo Percussion. The 2022 PAS Solo Artist Competition category is Drum Set. Applications will be accepted through November 30, 2021, with final live rounds taking place June 2022.
Requirements
Entrants must be 18 - 30 years old on or before June 1, 2022.
PAS membership is not required.
There is NO entry fee for PAS members and a $20 entry fee for non-members.
Deadline to apply is November 30, 2021.
The Percussive Arts Society invites you to the PAS Awards Banquet at PASIC 2021. The Banquet will be held on Thursday, November 11, 2021, from 6 – 8 PM in Sagamore Ballroom 1.
Heavy hors d’oeurves will be served, vegetarian options available. Hosted bar with wine, beer, and soft drinks.
$60 per ticket
400 Tickets Available
Product Review
You can purchase items from the concept shop, directly from the Zildjian Website.
Iconic Recording
Today’s guest, Ed picked two albums for the iconic recording this week. Stevie Wonder’s ‘Innervisions’ and Paul Simon’s ‘Rhythm of the Saints’.
Damon picked two songs, one from each of the albums. “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” from Stevie’s album and “She Moves On” from Paul’s album. Since Ed was at the Paul Simon concert in the park, Damon chose the version of “She Moves On” from that recording.
Music News
Adele will debut songs from her new album 30 in a CBS Special with Oprah next month. The two-hour special will also feature an interview conducted by Oprah. Adele will open up about the stories behind her songs, life after her divorce, her weight loss, and raising her son. Adele’s next album, 30, drops on the Friday after the special airs – November 19. -Article
Adele’s “Easy On Me” is now the most-streamed song on Spotify over a 24 hour period. Other streaming platforms are also likely to report similar records. -Article
Play Like Mum turned to Spotify to analyze playlists containing words like ‘Halloween’ and ‘spooky’ to see what people are playing at their Halloween parties. The result was 226 playlists to trawl through, with more than 30,000 songs. -Article
Damon and Ed met at a music store called Norwalk Music in Norwalk, CT.
Ed is from Shelton, CT and attended the University of North Texas to study with Ed Soph. Shout-out to Tim Callahan and Ralph Dimasi, Ed’s teacher before Ed Soph.
Ed talks about the 1977 Kiss concert on HBO, as well as other bands that influenced him.
Some of the drummers that Ed crossed paths with at North Texas include Keith Carlock, (friend of the show) Rich Redmond, (friend of the show) Blair Sinta, Matt Chamberlain, Jason Sutter, Jim Riley, Jim White, and more!
Damon counters Ed’s juicing story with one from “The Dirt”. Ed talks about some of the autobiographies he reads. The book Damon brings up is called “Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead” by Neil Strauss. Ed mentions the Beatles’ engineer’s book, “Here, There and Everywhere”.
Ed took lessons at D’Addario Music in a mall as a kid.
After college, Ed returned to CT and re-joined his band and taught lessons.
Ed and Damon talk about moving to a new city.
Ed talks about some of the “off the stage” stuff that is as important as how well you play.
Ed wrote a drumset book called “Rock Solid: The Art of the Groove”.
Ed taught in person pre-pandemic, but has since included online lessons.
Two of the apps Ed talks about are Live BPM and Vanishing Metronome (with downloadable tracks).
Ed and Damon talk about re-entering back into live gigs and touring from being home during the pandemic. Also, building your mental and physical endurance.
Ed has multiple income streams. Live gigs, studio work, the book he wrote, teaching privately and online, as well as, teaching at the Austin School of Music and a couple classes at St. Andrews School (Rock Band and Making a Living in the Arts).
Ed talks about taking business classes while in school on his own.
Damon brings up this article about how the education system was designed.
Ed talks about investments and retirement. He mentions the Investopedia Stock Simulator.
There are 9 States with No Income Tax.
Austin has free healthcare for musicians. It is called HAAM (Health Alliance for Austin Musicians).
Damon brings up (friend of the show) Ari Herstand and his book, “How to Make it in the New Music Business”. He also mentions the Donald Passman book, “All You Need to Know About the Music Business”.
Ed mentions “The Obstacle is the Way”, “The Daily Stoic” and “Outliers”.
Damon mentions “The War of Art” and “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing”.
Here are two articles to help you set up a vinyl and/or listening room in your space. Article 1 - Article 2.
Ed mentions a few bands in his rotation right now, including: The Black Pumas, The Strokes, Spoon, and Tyler Childers.
Damon piggybacks on Ed’s Stevie Wonder comment with this tweet about a group that includes Stevie and The Meters.
Ed tells his Steve Gadd autograph story. Damon tells his Paul Simon/Steve Gadd story.
Shout-out to Ed Soph, Dr. Robert Schietroma and Ron Fink. Also, shout-out to Vic Firth and their pitch pairing.
You can follow Ed on Facebook or at the Austin School of Music. You can also pick up his book HERE. Feel free to email Ed at: edjarusinsky@gmail.com for lessons with him.
The song leading out of the interview is “Rock N Roll Shoes” by Robyn Ludwick from her “This Tall To Ride” album (with Ed on drums).
