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Steve Smith Trivia Contest

New DrumsOnTheWeb.com Contests!...

Your chance to win FREE stuff!

Steve Smith Trivia Contest...

Here's your chance to win

drummers Karl Perazzo and Raul Rekow

Steve Smith 2-disc dvd set
Drumset Technique / History of the US Beat...
signed by Steve!
from

The most in-depth study of drumming technique ever done on video or DVD as well as a thorough and fascinating survey of the evolution of the primary drum set pulse in the music or the U.S., from Ragtime to Fusion. Features two bands, including the great Vital Information. Steve Smith: Drumset Technique/History of the U.S. Beat is a virtual encyclopedia of drumset techniques, concepts and styles.

This contest has ended. Click here for current contests

Congrats to the winners...

Tom Wellander, IL

Dan Hickey, NY

Frank Iacovazzi, IA

Correct answers in bold...

not sure of some of the answers? check out Steve's website...

see bottom of page for contest rules and info... or click here

1. Steve, at age 9...

started taking drum lessons - "In the fourth grade, I studied with Bill Flanagan, a Big Band drummer in his 60s who played throughout the 1930s and '40s. I only played a drum pad."

started taking klezmer lessons - "I just loved that funky klezmer sound!"

started taking candy from his local supermarket - "I had a real sweet tooth then..."

2. In 1966, Steve got his first real drum set for Christmas - "My first real drum kit was ...

a Rogers Champagne Sparkle with a 20" bass drum, a 12x8-inch mounted tom and a 16x16-inch floor tom. No cymbals yet."

a Sonor Babinga wood kit with 3 bass drums and power toms!"

a Remo Junior kit with a 14" bass drum, 4" mounted tom, and 6" floor tom... with LOTS of pots and pans for cymbals"

3. In 1967, Steve bought his first cymbals - "I worked my first job...

as a paper boy and bought my first Zildjian cymbals: 14-inch hi-hats and a 24-inch A ride."

as a drummer at the New York Playboy Club and bought my first Nuvader cymbals: 15-inch hi-hats and a 26-inch ride... it was a big club!"

selling Modern Drummer subscriptions door-to-door and bought my first Zildjian cymbals: 11" Scimitar Hihats and 24" China cymbal that I flattened out to make a ride."

4. Steve's first band was...

the Road Runners - "We played Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, and some swing tunes. The instrumentation was drums, two trumpets, alto sax and clarinet ...the BEST players in the concert band, with no bass, guitar or keyboards! What were we thinking?..."

the Acme Anvils - "We played remixes of Saturday morning cartoon theme songs. My instrumentation was big wooden crates for drums, anvils for cymbals and sledge hammers for mallets... I even painted the mic holes in my bass drum head with the "special tunnel-making paint". It sounded great!"

Steve and the Hot Rods - "We played cool motor-city tunes like Mustang Sally and Little Red Corvette..."

5. 1971: Steve joined the local college big band at Bridgewater State College, where he met original members of Vital Information...

sax player Dave Wilczewski and bass player Tim Landers

sax player Charlie Parker and bass player Flea

sax player Sonny Rollins and bass player Bootsy Collins

6. 1972: Steve's high school graduation photo

**

7. At Berklee, Steve was playing with cats such as...

Jeff Berlin, Mike Stern, Bill Frisell, and Neil Stubenhaus. My drummer pals included Vinnie Colaiuta, John Robinson, Kenwood Denard, and Casey Scheurelle."

Sharkie, Noir, Beauty, Phipps, Tigger, Carrot Top and Dickens. My drummer pals included Animal, Thrasher, Basher, and Crasher."

8. In 1975 Steve joined...

The Fringe - "The Fringe was an avant-garde jazz trio with George Garzone on sax and Rich Appleman on bass."

The Clash - "The Clash was an avant-garde punk trio with Cannonball Aderley on sax and Paul Simonon on bass."

Chic - "Chic was an avant-garde disco trio with Jon Coltrane on sax and Bernard Edwards on bass."

9. In 1977 Steve recorded his first album...

'Enigmatic Ocean,' with Jean-Luc Ponty.

'Mysterious Sky,' with Jean-Luc Picard.

'A bout de souffle (Breathless)' with Jean-Luc Godard.

10. In 1978 Steve ...

left Ponty's band and moved to LA. "The first month I was there, I auditioned with Ronnie Montrose and Freddie Hubbard, and got both gigs. I decided to play instrumental rock with Ronnie Montrose, and we went on a three-month tour that featured Journey headlining its first tour (after five years as an opening act), a new band, Van Halen, and Montrose performing in between. In September, I joined Journey".

left Ponty's band and moved to Memphis. "The first month I was there, I auditioned with Waylon Jennings and Elvis Presley, and got both gigs. I decided to play instrumental rock with Waylon, and we went on a three-month tour that featured Journey headlining its first tour (after five years as an opening act), a new band, Van Halen, and Waylon performing in between. In September, I joined Van Halen".

left Ponty's band and moved to Detroit. "The first month I was there, I auditioned with Iggy Pop and Alice Cooper, and got both gigs. I decided to play instrumental rock with Iggy Pop, and we went on a three-month tour that featured Journey headlining its first tour (after five years as an opening act), a new band, Van Halen, and Iggy Pop performing in between. In September, I joined Van Halen".

11. In 1979, Steve...

recorded his first Journey album, 'Evolution.'

recorded his first Journey album, 'The Journey Is The Destination.'

recorded his first Journey album, a remake of the Beatles 'Revolution.'

12. In 1983, Steve...

recorded the first Vital Information album, 'Vital Information'.

recorded the first Vital Information album, 'Informal Vitality'.

recorded the first Vital Information album, 'Trivial Ignorance'.

13. In 1987, Steve's video...

'Steve Smith Part One' came out and won the 'Billboard' award for Educational Video of the Year...

'Steve's Drumstick Twirling Basics' came out and won the 'Majorette' award for Blindfolded Baton Twirling Video of the Year...

'Paradiddles For Dummies' came out and won the 'Don't Drive & Do This' award for Defensive Driving Video of the Year...

14. In 2002: Steve was voted

into the Modern Drummer Readers Poll Hall of Fame..."

most likely to moon the audience during an encore..."

best buff head at NAMM (Kenny Aronoff and Dennis Chambers were tied for 2nd)"

Contest rules...

No purchase necessary to enter or win. Entries must be received at DrumsOnTheWeb@aol.com by 12 midnite (EST) June 30, 2003. Only 1 correct entry per address will be accepted.

Winners will be randomly chosen from the correct entries received. Winners will be notified via email and announced in the July, 2003 issue of the DrumsOnTheWeb.com free monthly email newsletter.

3 winners will receive 1 autographed Steve Smith 2-disc dvd set, Drumset Technique / History of the US Beat, to be shipped in July, 2003 by Hudson Music. Customs duties, if applicable, to be paid by winner.

Be assured that all information is kept strictly confidential! Your info will not be shared with anyone.

This contest is made possible by the great folks at

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