{"id":1451,"date":"2019-11-10T15:21:29","date_gmt":"2019-11-10T15:21:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/platinummind.net\/?p=1451"},"modified":"2019-11-10T15:21:29","modified_gmt":"2019-11-10T15:21:29","slug":"blog-interview-ralph-rolle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/2019\/11\/10\/blog-interview-ralph-rolle\/","title":{"rendered":"Blog Interview: Ralph Rolle"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone  wp-image-1453\" src=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2018-06-02-23.03.38-300x183.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"575\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2018-06-02-23.03.38-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2018-06-02-23.03.38-768x468.jpg 768w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2018-06-02-23.03.38-1024x624.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2018-06-02-23.03.38.jpg 1480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 575px) 100vw, 575px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>What made you want to start playing drums?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>I started playing drums because of my brother. He was the drummer. To my amazement, a drum set showed up in my brother Howie and my bedroom. The room was already small enough but there it was. My mother was a very strict woman. I know she was always concerned about the neighbors and us making too much noise, but she allowed this. My brother would let me play but not change the drums around. I\u2019m left-handed. The drums are set up for a righty drummer, is the reason why I play open handed. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>You are the drummer for Chic, and it looks like you are constantly having a whale of a time on stage. What\u2019s your favourite song to play in the set?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>I have to tell you. It\u2019s the best place to be is on that stage with my friends (family is more like it) playing some of the greatest musicians and singers I have ever worked with. My favorite song to play is I Want Your Love. Kimberly Davis takes that vocal to a place that is beyond just a performance but a place that is emotional and deep. She\u2019s living the lyrics and the band is giving her the best canvas for her amazing brush strokes. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"CHIC featuring Nile Rodgers - I Want Your Love\" width=\"1020\" height=\"574\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UpBvRybm-RU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>You have been all over the world with Chic, what for you was a big wow moment?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>The big wow was my first professional gig. I\u2019d never been on a plane before. Never had a passport. Never been to a foreign country. The group was Musique and the hit disco chart topper in 1979 was Push Push in The Bush. It was very exciting and so much fun. After that, I worked locally with my band, Indigo. To me\u2026all of it, from then until now has been exciting. Good, bad or indifferent. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>What equipment do you use on stage?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Yamaha Absolute Custom Nouveau or Maple (black sparkle finish) + REMO &amp; Evans heads<br \/>\n01 &#8211; 22\u201d kick drum (Remo Power Stroke Pro head)<br \/>\n01 &#8211; 14\u201d x 5.5\u201d Yamaha Dave Weckl snare (Remo Ambassador coated head)<br \/>\n01 &#8211; 14\u201d x 3.5\u201d brass piccolo snare drum (Remo Ambassador coated head)<br \/>\n01 &#8211; 8\u201d x 7\u201d tom (Remo Ambassador coated head)<br \/>\n01 &#8211; 10\u201d x 7.5\u201d tom (Remo Ambassador coated head)<br \/>\n01 &#8211; 12\u201d x 8\u201d tom (Remo Ambassador coated head)<br \/>\n01 &#8211; 16\u201d x 16\u201d floor (Remo Ambassador coated head)<br \/>\n01 &#8211; Roland SPD-SX Drum pad<br \/>\nCymbals-Zildjian<br \/>\n01 &#8211; 10\u201d A custom splash<br \/>\n01 &#8211; 14\u201d A custom Z combination hi hats<br \/>\n01 &#8211; 14\u201d ZXT trashformer<br \/>\n01 &#8211; 16\u201d A custom fast crash<br \/>\n01 &#8211; 16\u201d A custom medium crash<br \/>\n01 &#8211; 17\u201d K custom hybrid crash<br \/>\n01 &#8211; 17\u201d K china<br \/>\n01 &#8211; 20\u201d A custom ride<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Nile Rodgers &amp; Chic - Let&#039;s Dance &amp; Le Freak\" width=\"1020\" height=\"574\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_VsicaEc5tY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1457\" src=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2017-02-11-17.35.10-300x180.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2017-02-11-17.35.10-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2017-02-11-17.35.10.jpg 750w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1456\" src=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2017-08-28-20.05.18-300x284.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"284\" srcset=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2017-08-28-20.05.18-300x284.jpg 300w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2017-08-28-20.05.18-768x727.jpg 768w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2017-08-28-20.05.18-1024x970.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2017-08-28-20.05.18.jpg 1544w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>You also have your own cookie company and restaurant. What made you start this, what\u2019s your personal favourite and when will you start selling them in the UK??\ud83d\ude02<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Yes\u2026I do own a cookie company and a restaurant. The Soul Snacks Cookie Company and The Soul Snacks Caf\u00e9 are both located in the Bronx, New York. One is in the Port Morris section of the Bronx and the other in the Westchester Square area. I am proud of this achievement. It\u2019s very important to strengthen all communities. I feel very honored to have a chance to do this. The cookie company started in 1996 and the restaurant opened this year. My personal favorite cookie is the Ebony and Ivory Almond Cookie. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>You host workshops and seminars, what\u2019s your best advice you\u2019d give to musicians starting out?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Learn about business just as much as you learn about your instrument. Many forget that it\u2019s called the music business. I tell my audience, \u201cThe day you get it\u2026the day you really get it is when you realize that you\u2019re NOT in the music business but in the BUSINESS MUSIC.\u201d They\u2019re always going to be musicians and singers but will they know about the business? That\u2019s the big question. Most of my friends are great business people. They understand the ins and outs of most dealings. That extremely important. Just as important as being amazing players and singers<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>You have recorded at Abbey Road, what\u2019s it like recording there?<\/p>\n<p><em>What\u2019s it like recording there? How about\u2026what\u2019s it like to walk in the building without passing out? I don\u2019t know what I did to deserve the gifts that I\u2019ve received. Recording at Abbey Road is more than a dream come true. I literally lost it when I stood in the room that the Fab Four recorded in. And, to go back there and do some teaching and more recording and greeting with so much love has almost completed my musical journey. It\u2019s an energy in the building that you cannot describe. I\u2019m very, very lucky. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>What new artists are you listening to at the moment?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>I like Adam French. Great singer and amazing writer. Not very well known but he will be. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>What drummers are you enjoying at the moment?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Harvey Mason, Steve Gadd, Dennis Chambers, Elvin Jones, Robin Russel, Bernard Purdie, Questlove.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s the plan for the next year?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>My plan is to teach a lot more. More masterclasses. I love teaching. I started teaching before I started touring, Also, I\u2019m doing more with my other businesses. My cookie company and my restaurant. My Bronx community means the world to me and the more I can do, the more I can enrich other people\u2019s lives, the better our world becomes. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1455\" src=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2018-04-29-11.44.23-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2018-04-29-11.44.23-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2018-04-29-11.44.23-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2018-04-29-11.44.23-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1454\" src=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2018-05-01-15.53.02-214x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2018-05-01-15.53.02-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2018-05-01-15.53.02-768x1075.jpg 768w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2018-05-01-15.53.02-731x1024.jpg 731w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2018-05-01-15.53.02.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Website: www.ralphrolle.com<\/p>\n<p>Instagram: @drumrolle<\/p>\n<p>Twitter: @ralphrolle<\/p>\n<p><strong>Soul Snacks<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Instagram: @soulsnackscafe<\/p>\n<p>Twitter: @soulsnacksnyc<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; What made you want to start playing drums? I started playing drums because of my brother. He was the drummer. To my amazement, a drum set showed up in my brother Howie and my bedroom. The room was already small enough but there it was. My mother was a very strict woman. I know &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1455,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,32,41,40,39,30,76],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-band","category-chic","category-chic-organisation","category-dance","category-disco","category-music","category-music-industry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1451"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1473,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451\/revisions\/1473"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}