PERCUSSION
Jodi Dunlop is the drummer of Winnipeg-based garage-pop band Mise en Scene and an endorser of Murat Diril cymbals . www . miseensceneband . com .
By Jodi Dunlop
Listening , Learning & Borrowing
The Product of Our Influences
The setting is the very small , snowy town of Gimli , MB , and the date is December 25 th , 1998 . Christmas Day . Little did I know that morning that this would become the most important day of my life ; this is the day that I became a drummer .
Early Influences At 5 a . m ., my eight-year-old eyes shot open with excitement as I waited for the rest of my family to get out of bed . I ran into the living room and looked under the tree , only to feel an immense bout of disappointment pour over me . I had realized that there were no 20- , 18- , 16- , or even 14-in . barrel-like shapes wrapped up beneath the elaborately decorated spruce . I felt totally ripped-off , and decided to eat my sadness in stackable chips … when I noticed a pair of Vic Firth drumsticks popping up out of my stocking . Holy smokes ! Who gets sticks with no drums ? Not this Zach Hanson-loving , wannabe drum girl !
My parents led me down to the unfinished basement with my 5As in hand , and there she was . My very own set of shiny white CB drums . After signing onto my dad ’ s email account to let Zach Hanson know of my newfound drummer status , I began looking for that limb independence that is so crucial for every new drummer to obtain . After a few solid years of working through the basics alongside Hanson ’ s Middle of Nowhere , I was ready to start a band . Travis Barker was my new hero .
Further Inspiration What drew me to Blink 182 was the angsty , energetic rawness that I think all pre-teens crave , but what me kept inspired as a musician was the drumming of Travis Barker . His drum parts were so unique – especially for a pop-punk outfit – and his playing was technically flawless . Barker drew inspiration from every genre – jazz to hip-hop to marching band . He taught me the importance of having a stylistic voice within a band , and very early on in my playing , he made me realize how important it was for me to find mine .
Cue my next drummer obsession : Keith Moon .
Keith Moon was one of the best rock ‘ n ’ roll drummers of all time . To me , what separates the goods from the greats is when you can hear a drum part on its own and immediately identify who is playing it . No guitar , no bass , no vocals , just drums . Moon was such an original that he could play less than four bars in his signature style and you could instantly recognize that it was him . Keith Moon showed me that drumming is not solely mechanical ; it is incredibly imaginative , colourful , and fun .
A Whole New World Sometime after that , I ended up in the very unfamiliar world of jazz . I was the only drummer in my high school , so I played in all three jazz bands . I was extremely underqualified . I couldn ’ t read music , so I spent hours upon hours playing to the recordings of Duke Ellington and , in turn , to the drumming of Sonny Greer . This was probably the best thing that has ever happened to me . Playing along to the Ellington recordings really illuminated the importance of feel , and demonstrated the drummer ’ s major role in establishing the mood of a song . Greer had a way of listening and responding , supporting and never overstepping , that I admire so much . He knew when to be flashy and he knew when to sit back . His playing was so elegant , tasteful , and classic . I owe my sense of feel and ability to listen to the time I spent playing alongside Sonny Greer .
Full Circle After 19 years of listening , learning , and borrowing from my favourite drummers , I ’ ve transitioned from an eight-year-old Zach Hanson-loving , wannabe drum girl to a 27-year-old serious musician .
Now , the setting is sunny Austin , TX . I ’ m there to play the SXSW festival for the fourth year in a row with my band Mise en Scene . I ’ m standing inside the Oklahoma tent , patiently waiting on Hanson to hit the stage for Middle of Nowhere ’ s 25-year anniversary , and I reflect on everything that ’ s happened since I picked up that record so many years ago .
Thank you , Zach Hanson .
28 • CANADIAN MUSICIAN