all things drums

ABOUT DARREN MCCLELLAND

Darren brings to the drums over 38 years of playing, recording, and songwriting
experience plus over 15 years of teaching experience. He has been an integral part of
various bands and songwriting/recording projects in a wide range of styles ranging
from rock and pop to jazz and blues, and in the last 11 years, has played drums and
provided vocals in many gospel and contemporary worship projects, both in a church
setting and in the studio. Darren is passionate about encouraging people through this
instrument while developing their full potential to be skilled and expressive in any
musical setting. Having studied closely the concepts and styles of drummers ranging
from John Bonham (rock) to Dave Weckl (jazz/fusion), Darren brings to his teaching a
very open stylistic approach, while holding fast to the importance of the fundamentals
of drumming. He also brings with him a passion for the instrument that is contagious,
with lots of humour and personality that help make learning to play the drums FUN!

PRIVATE DRUM INSTRUCTION

Star drummer Gregg Bissonnette once said "no one is self-taught". He was referring to
the fact that we all learn, and we all study, from watching, listening, and absorbing the
music, and the musicians, around us; that is, we do not learn and grow all by ourselves.
And even with all of the many resources available today for drummers - DVDs, book/CD
packages, Internet lessons, etc. - there is still no substitute for one-on-one inspiration,
encouragement and guidance from another drummer/teacher. Darren is committed to
helping you grow in the fundamentals of drumming and beyond, into studies of
different players and styles, ranging from rock to jazz. He will come to you and teach
you on your own practice pad or drumset, in the comfort of your own home or church.
If this is not possible, alternate arrangements can be made.

GROUP WORKSHOPS

"Playing contemporary music is like building a house - you build from the bottom up,
beginning with the strong foundation of a solid, steady, and musically sensitive
drummer..." The drummer is the foundation for most contemporary music. Whether your
church drummers, worship teams or music group need training and encouragement, or
whether it's just easier for a group of drummers to learn together, Darren can help.
With over twenty-two years experience as a drummer/vocalist in rock, top 40, jazz,
and contemporary worship groups, Darren understands well the drummer's role in
different styles of music, and he understands how to build music from the bottom up.
His workshops are fun, informative, energetic, and hands-on, with an emphasis on the
drummer as a "team player".

DRUM TUNING

With over twelve years experience as a drum technician in music retail, and more years
caring for his own drumsets, Darren is able to help you tune your drums to any style, or
to any acoustic situation, be it in your basement, community centre, or church building.
As he tunes, he teaches you to tune and know your instrument from both sides of the
kit.

DRUM MAINTENANCE

Drums are not a high-maintenance instrument, but neither are they a no-maintenance
instrument. To keep your kit sounding and looking great, occasional maintenance and
repair is required. Let Darren do a total cleanup/repair/reheading/tuning on your kit
that will be a "breath of fresh air" to your drumset! Darren is also available for
technical consultation and support relating to drums and/or percussion in your home,
church or studio.

PERFORMANCE

"My grandmother bought me a child's drumset from the Sears catalogue when I was
six...it never occurred to me until much later in my life what a blessing that gift was."
"Drums are an expressive and powerful instrument, meant to be played from the heart."
And so, all these years later, Darren is still grateful to be playing, and playing from the
heart. He is able to bring a solid, sensitive, musical groove and deep musicianship to a
variety of musical situations whether playing live or in the studio. Over the past seven
years, he has focused on playing contemporary worship styles in various churches, and
recording situations.

RECORDING

Darren's adventures in recording began humbly on a Canadian Tire tape recorder,
recording his own drumming and singing as a kid. From there, home recording and
songwriting became a serious hobby in the early 1980's as he formed songwriting
partnerships with friends and bands, which would continue for many years. Darren has
also had the privelege to play drums and sing on several rock, jazz, and gospel projects
throughout the years. Darren's drumming style has been heavily influenced and inspired
by great studio players such as Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro, J.R Robinson, among many
others. Darren is available as drummer/vocalist for selected live or recording
situations.