Tell us a little more about yourself. How and why you started playing, who and what inspired you etc?
Music has always been a central focus in my life.  I started playing drums at 9 years old.  Some of my first music memories are listening to Kiss, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles with my older cousin.  Eventually, I toured the entire east coast with various rock bands in high school and college.  The first time I discovered midi was when I bought my first set of Roland Octopads.  I was 15.  When it  comes to drums, I have always been inspired by the classics - John Bonahm, Neil Peart, Ginger Baker.

What songwriters and musicians inspire you today and where do you see your musicianship in five or ten years from now?
I am inspired from songwriters and musicians that span several genres - everything from Keith Urban to Prodigy. Looking into the future, while the prevalence of technology in music continues to grow, the need for musicians and their talents will never be replaced. The technology will just continue to replace itself - rendering obsolete some of our most trusted programs and systems that we use today. With my current projects, I spend equal time working in a home studio and in large console studios. However, in five to ten years, home studio projects will largely outnumber the large format console studios without a doubt. Let’s just hope that music continues to be a collaborative effort and not a computer driven one.

What is your relation to electronic drums?
I first started with the original octopads. Then graduated to a drumkat and later a KD7 set. Currently I use a trigger finger, alesis drum control, and a few Roland pads.

Any new exciting projects coming up in the next year that you can tell us about?
I’m currently working on some very different new material for Dolly Parton. I am also remixing The Commodores’ “Brick House” which is set to debut at the winter music conference. I always have several indie projects in the works as well.

/ Allen Morgan