Its the last day of August 2007, we\'re driving West in The Netherlands to The Hague, nearby the sea. P!nk is going to perform the next day on the yearly city festival Beatstad. And we are anxious to see her drummer\'s clinic. This guy rocks, grooves, hits the pans like it’s his last time and is keeping it going relentlessly behind his drum kit. Later on we meet Mark Schulman in his dressing room. He is a nice guy, a very nice and open personality actually, and while talking with him we get to know a professional on the highest level. We get even more anxious to experience his clinic.
click all images (12)
What Mark Schulman does is getting the crowd to go along with him. An amazing experience to see and energetic as you want to be on stage yourself. From start till end this drummer is an energetic force, who takes you on a drum trip that you are most unlikely to forget.
Schulman plays, talks and moves you on different levels. Starting off with creating a relaxing sphere, \'getting started on the party\', and keeping and taking the drums serious continuously during his clinic. There is plenty of space for jokes and fun, but when Mark is talking about drums he pulls everybody’s attention right back at where Mark wants it to be.
Let us stick for a moment to what Mark covers in one and half hour clinic time: his references, having fun, being a musician, playing professionally, studying, teaching, performing, technique, hand an feet patterns, and so forth. All within a schedule of 1.5 hours without forgetting a beat.
In the videos with this article you\'ll see Mark playing his Tic Tacs, a medley of songs of artists he has played with - and performing on most of the tracks himself on vocals and other instruments. But also giving a serious lesson in hand and foot patterns on different levels, and also just having fun in what he does.
The red line in his clinic must be the positive force of energy he tries to pass along. As a musician you must have a positive attitude, and with hands on tips he explains how you can improve your playing. Even boys from the audience get the credit they deserve when they sit down behind Mark\'s drums. But he doesn’t let them leave with at least one stimulating advice that will improve their playing. During the clinic, every item he wants to discuss is being touched with straight forward explanations and valuable life-lesson-like-advice.
Videos and photos Check out the videos and photos with this article. We added five videos in which you can see Mark soloing and teaching hand/feet patterns up to speed. On Mark\'s artist page you also find an extensive photo album of the clinic.
Mark has provided us with some amazing videos of him performing at the Paderborn festival 2005 and the Plymouth Seminar. Check them out on his artist page!