Paul Wandtke

Keep up with Paul here:

www.paulwandtke.com
www.myspace.com/paulwandtke

 

 

Paul Wandtke currently resides in Chicago where he teaches and is an active performer with various groups, he is also an active studio drummer. Paul was accepted and is attending the Berklee College of Music, Boston, in May 2008.

Paul began his drumming career at the age of eleven performing around the Chicagoland area with numerous groups. He has performed/recorded in all types of musical settings including jazz, latin, blues, rock, progressive rock, metal, fusion, dance, punk, ska, musical theatre, and electronica.

Paul has studied percussion at the Joliet Junior College (an accredited school of NASM), and during percussion ensemble performances, Paul would often times be featured as a soloist artist on various percussion instruments including the xylophone, marimba, and timpani. Paul understands that both drumming and percussion can go hand in hand, that’s why he has studied both art forms. Paul’s ultimate goal is to help push the art of drumming forward by continuing to learn, perform and teach.

 

Paul Wandtke Interview:

 

 

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

Paul: 7 was when I fiirst laid my eyes upon a kit, but it wasn’t until I was 11 years old that I started playing around Chicago.

 

 

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

Paul: I always hated the concept of learning how to read and what not, but that all changed when everyone around me in highschool was starting to become better than me; so I decided that maybe there was a purpose for reading. After I realized the importance of reading, I decided to join Jazz band, and after two weeks I got kicked out because the teacher hated me, and I couldn’t read. After being dropped from jazz band, I decided to just hang around with all the local drummers in my town so that I could pick their brains for free. This ultimatly led to the idea for me to study percussion, and here I am preparing to transfer to Boston’s Berklee College of Music as a Junior.

 

 

SD.com: Who are your top 5 influences?

Paul: Danny Carey, John Bonham, Tommy Lee, Thomas Lang, and Virgil Donati.

 

 

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

Paul: Max Roach, Billy Cobham, Johhny Rabb, and Elvin Jones.

 

 

 

 

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

Paul: Max Roach’s: 4 plus 4
Thomas lang’s: Something along those Lines
Nirvana: In Utero
BTBM: Colors
SRV: Greatest Hits

 

 

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

Paul: This is going to sound funny but I do Jumping jacks, push-ups and lots of stretching.

 

 

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

Paul: Never, not really, I always look back and say, “wow I’m way better now”, but in the mean time check out some clips of my new drum performance DVD at www.paulwandtke.com

 

 

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

Paul: Trick Drums are awesome, and I use a mix of cymbals.

 

 

 

 

SD.com: Your grip on your stix is traditional, can you tell us why you favor this  style? Do you ever change your grip?

Paul: Actually, I use more matched than anything, but on my drum video I used alot of traditional becuase it creates a whole different mind-set for me; to use more dynamics and to be more creative.

 

 

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

Paul: I have been shut down from some established artists in the past mainly because they despised the fact that I was in school. Don’t let occurances like these stop you. Simply, keep an open mind and don’t get hung up in only one style of music. Also, I find it a must to learn how to read, and to also be able to play other instruments.

 

 

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

Paul: Thomas lang just destroys when he does clinics, he makes me want to puke everytime I see him perform; he’s a monster!

 

 

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

Paul: Learn how to build a Time-machine?