What Every Drummer Should Know About Subbing On Your First Broadway Show On Drums
Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance - The five P's of successful subbing as a drummer on a show.
Derrick Rose was recently asked why he's been doing so well on the court since his return to the NBA. He responded by saying he tries to live by the five P's: proper preparation prevents poor performance.
More often than not, it's a lack of preparation, which stops us from performing at our best rather than a lack of ability. When it comes to subbing as a drummer on a Broadway show, you MUST be ready. Preparation builds confidence, and confidence increases the probability of success. There can be few, if any, mistakes. I learned that fact very quickly when I started subbing on shows several years ago.
My first show as a sub was in the musical Rent. I was incredibly nervous, but I was beyond ready. All I wanted to do was get past the first drum fill of the show, and I knew I'd be ok. The show starts with guitar, but the show gets going with the drum fill that leads to the first full song.
I nailed it and was off and running. It was challenging but thrilling. Of course, the feeling is similar to any new, high-pressure event, but my preparation paid off.
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I've learned a few things subbing on shows over the years. I've done many. It's one of the ways people get to know you can handle work in this business. If you sub around town and show people you can play, you're on time, pay attention to detail, and you are a cool person to hang out with, you'll be working pretty regularly. Hopefully, this will lead to you landing your own chair down the road.
The thing about subbing is this; it's incredibly intense. One of my friends once told me, "It's like a two-and-a-half-hour heart attack!" It’s best if you’re prepared. I've seen some of the heaviest hitters in NYC go down hard because they think playing Broadway is easy—and these are some of the greatest jazz musicians in the world! Playing shows and subbing requires a specific skill set. I'll discuss that in a future post.
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Here are a few things I'd recommend for getting ready to sub on a broadway show.:
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