Caleb Sartain

Keep up with Caleb here:

www.myspace.com/ophiuchusband
www.myspace.com/thehartfordcircusfire

My drumming history began at the age of three with my earliest  memory, when I received a Mickey Mouse plastic toddler kit and beat the tar  out of it. My parents knew I had music in my blood from an early age and have supported me ever so graciously. In my pre-teen years I would use a practice pad  on a stand as my snare and a metal sheet music stand as my high hat. The practice pad fell apart and the music stand was in shambles, but my hunger was not quenched, it only grew.

I received my first drumkit for x-mas when I was 12, an old 80’s carbon fiber Tama Swingstar. My uncle Steve, (who used to drum against Dave Weckl in high school jazz competitions in Missouri) was heavily influential in shaping my musical persona. He taught me all the marching band rudiments he  knew, flams, triplets, para-diddles, rolls, single strokes, you name it I
learned it from Steve. He also got me into the finer arts of jazz, blues  and fusion. Eventually I outgrew the carbon fiber rustic kit and traded it  towards a Tama Starclassic maple addition, which I have been toting ever since.

Apart from my uncle Steve and a brief period in an elementary school band, I have taught myself by watching and studying other drummers I view as phenomenal. Aside from all that I am currently involved in the Columbus local metal scene with Ophiuchus,  and the Hartford Circus Fire. Now I am actively working at making my musical dreams a reality!

Caleb Sartain Interview:

SD.com: How old were  you when you started playing?

Caleb: Three years old on a plastic  Mickey Mouse toddler kit, although I wouldn’t call it “playing” as much as  banging incessantly.

 

 

SD.com: Did you play in a  school band or any drum corps?

Caleb: I had a brief stint in school  band in the third and fourth grade between trombone and percussion  instruments, such as the timpani, triangle, bass, and snare. I learned sheet  music and basic musical theory, but decided I was more of a feeling player and  decided to begin my own musical quest for knowledge separate from the  established knowledge.

 

 

SD.com: Who are your top 5  influences?

Caleb: Danny Carey of Tool, Dave Weckl, John Longstreth of Origin, Thomas Haake, JoJo Mayer

 

 

SD.com: Assuming that influences doesn’t  mean favorites, who are your favorites?

Caleb: Thomas Haake, Hannes  Grossman, Inferno, Kevin Talley, Benny Greb, Vinnie Colaiuta, Marco Minneman, Dennis Chambers, Akira Jimbo, Steve Smith, Brann Dailor, Thomas Lang, Mike  Mangini, Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Billy Ward, Dave Lambardo, George Kollias, Haracio “El Negro” Hernandez, Carter Beauford, Mike Portnoy, Shawn Pelton, Matt Wilson, Derek Roddy, Marco Pitruzzella, to name a few.

 

 

 

 

SD.com: Let us know 5 CD’s that are in your  current rotation

Caleb: Meshuggah “Obzen”, The Black Dahlia Murder “Nocturnal”, Behemoth “The Apostacy”, Necrophagist “Epitaph”, Tool “Aenema”

 

 

SD.com: What do you do to warm up before a  show?

Caleb: I do simultaneous rudiments between hands and feet. Triplets, paradiddles, flams, swiss triplets, rolls, single strokes, anything  I can think of to get the blood flowing and get my fast and slow twitch  muscles firing properly.

 

 

SD.com: Can you remember a  night you think was your best playing ever? If yes, when and  where?

Caleb: It seems that all the times I have felt like that have  been by myself in the basement. Which sucks, because you want people to watch  you when you are killin it, but I am happy just have experienced it. In the comfort of your own home you’ve had time to perfect the arrangement and positioning of your kit to the maximum benefit for you. Live to me the kit  just never feels spot on.

 

 

SD.com: Do you have a  favorite brand of drums or cymbals?

Caleb: I play Zildjians but would  be playing Meinl or Paiste if I could afford them haha. Favorite shells are Tama, Favorite heads are Remo , and favorite sticks are Vic Firth. I don’t  have a favorite kick pedal, I currently play DW 5000 double chain drive, but I love Iron Cobras and Axis.

 

 

 

 

SD.com: If you could give one  piece of advice to young drummers, it would be…

Caleb: Do not allow yourself to become frustrated, stay persistent, keep patient and your fortitude will pay off! We all wish we could just sit down and bust out the  most disgusting chops on the face of the planet, but the truth is it takes time to build proper technique and muscle memory so you have to stay  dedicated. Also if you begin to think drums are boring, look at the beats in a different way and don’t be afraid to mess up or try new styles, keep it interesting for yourself. The slower your start off the better, get your technique clean, stay loose and relaxed. When you are drumming and it just feels right, take a mental picture of that feeling and always try to duplicate such. If you are having trouble with left or right hand or foot, take the hand/foot that feels smooth in technique and mentally copy that feeling, then transfer that feeling to the weak hand/foot until they feel like they are producing the same result or technique.

 

 

SD.com: Who  gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?

Caleb: Unfortunately most of the live performances I have seen have been on dvd’s but I was fortunate enough to see Necrophagist while they had Hannes Grossman on drums. Hannes floored me when I saw him play. He’s quick, but his chops are  tasty, and his musicality and dexterity are impressive. I could tell he came from a jazz fusion background due to his fluid off time motions and smooth poly-rhythms.

 

 

SD.com: If you had to stop  drumming, what would you want to do with your life?

Caleb: End it.