Interveiw with Akron/Family's Drummer

Here's an interveiw I did over a few emails with the fabulous percussionist of Akron/Family, Dana Janssen. It was originally for this little zine I wanted to start called INDIEana Drummer, but that never happened. Now I think It might appear on a more pro blog called Headphones sometime, I don't know.
But I wanted to interveiw him because, well, he's pretty good. I don't know how to exactly describe his style, but there's a real organic sense to it. When hearing and watching him play you can really see the heart and soul he brings into it.
Rereading this I remember how bad of an interveiwer I was, but I he handled it pretty well I think.
Enjoy!

7/24/07
first name : Dana
last name: Janssen
city, state: brooklyn, new york
age: 27
years drumming: 12
drum setup: kick, snare, floor, hi hat, ride
discography: akronfamily: self titled, akron/family angels of light split, meek warrior, love is simple, angels of light: other people, ak/fam angels split, we are him


-What made you decide to be a drummer?

i was in a band in high school and we all played guitars but wanted to have drums in the music so i conned my mom into buying us a drum set that lived in my basement. originally intended for my friend to play i kept playing it every day and started another band that i played drums in. so i guess it was necessity that drove me to the drums.

-Did you have a teacher or were you self taught? How did you get your first drumset?

i am self taught for the most part. i did take lessons for a brief time and that was good for me as my teacher got me into jazz. i read alot of books and went to alot of shows. thats where i learned the most from watching other people play.

-What drummers would you say are your biggest influences?

although it probably doesnt reflect in my playing, some of my biggest influences are tony williams and elvin jones. i've been listening to these guys play for years and i'm always geeking out to you tube videos. i was also really inspired by the drummers from deerfhoof and need new body. those cats are great.

-If you could describe your individual drumming style as one of the planets in our solar system, which one would it be and why?

i would be the earth because i like to invite life to breed within what im offering.

-What are some different kinds of auxillary percussion that you play with?

i use a glockenspiel, haitian voodoo drums, all types of shakers and whistles, bells, junk.

-What are some of your favorite songs to play live?

there are a few tunes on the new record i really enjoy. one of them is "ed is a portal". its a lot of fun and we invite the crowd on stage to shake their booties and dance around with us. its really fun.

-What do you try to accomplish when playing live?

to connect with the audience. live shows have alot of energy going on between the audience and the performer and when you connect them you have a relationship that grows throughout the night in a way that is unique every single night. alot of times you get an enthusiastic bunch that can sort of tempt the rest to join and celebrate. other times everyone is with you from the start. some times its tough to get people going, especially when we first started touring and werent known at all. but often times it works out.

-I've seen ak/fam and there was a part when all of the band got in a circle off the stage and sang a'ccapella. That was pretty neat, do you enjoy singing?

i love singing. its a great part of music. i've always been a fan of harmonies and when i see bands do it it always sounds unique, the different voices together and the way they blend. also with the a'ccapella thing it adds a different dynamic to the show which is really affecting both sonically and emotionally. i feel it adds more depth to a show and enhances the experience.

-On many songs there is little or no percussion. How do you decide when percussion is needed and when it isn't?

trial and error works. some times all the tune needs is the rythm, or lack of rythm, of the guitars. it all depends on what your trying to achieve. and we have four brains that have different production ideas so we have alot to work with. its not always my call as to whether or not we have percussion. in any situation i can add something to the music. i play a variety of different instruments so if its not percussion it may be something else.

-What do you think is important when practicing by yourself?

i dont really get much time to practice but i think discipline is very important. i dont have very much of it so i know i could be better if i did. also keeping in mind that often times you're gonna be playing with other people so knowing how to leave space for the music to happen together is a big thing. i learned a lot about simplicity and spaciousness listening to ringo. some of his beats are real simple but they feel good and make room for the song to happen. he plays really well. also jorge rossy uses space really effectively. he plays with the inbetween spaces so well and leaves alot of room for the other instruments to work. its nice to hear his approach.

-What kinds of bands/projects have you been in prior to a/f?

i was in a hardcore band in high school. we were into the san diego sound like drive like jehu and rocket from the crypt. then i played with a group that was, um, sort of jammy. after that i played with a jazz trio. none of these bands really did much. we mostly just had fun playing.

-If you were a drum teacher and you could tell your students one thing to remember, what would it be?

wear velcro shoes or slides. too much time is wasted tying shoes.

-Who/what other influences do you have?

coffee is a big influence on myself and my bandmates. we're all pretty nerdy about it. every town we go to we seek out the best coffee in town and spend most of our time in town there. we found a place in copenhagen where the world champion barista worked and had some shots. it was great. we put him on the guestlist for the show in trade for a couple of freebies.

-What do you think makes a great drummer?

i like seeing drummers who listen to their bandmates. and i like to see a certain attitude while they play. when their character comes out. i used to watch this guy from my hometown play and he was such a performer. he had the ability to really perform a song and it was so magnetic. i couldnt take my eyes off of his part of the show. it takes alot to internalize your knowledge of music and your knowledge of what you practice and then really perform the music.