 Ray, is currently the official drummer for multi-platinum rock legends Iron Butterfly, who have sold over 30 million records to date. A 30+ year veteran of the British pop scene, Ray began his drumming career studying with the legendary Scottish drummer George McGowan as well as London great BobArmstrong, whose former students include such luminaries as Oasis's Alan White, and The Who's Zak Starkey.
Ray began playing professionally in Glasgow and at the age of 20 made the move to London to join the Scottish band Contraband who had been signed with Transatlantic Records. From then on he became a fixture on the London scene, playing and recording with such greats as Robert Palmer, Tom Jones, Big Audio Dynamite, Wishbone ash, Bjork, Bill Wyman, Andy Summers, Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden), Mick Jones (The Clash), Gavin Rossdale (Bush), lulu, Ultravox, Belinda Carlisle, Peter Green ( Fleetwood Mac) Del Shannon, Right Said Fred, Rolf Harris, T'pau, The Bay City Rollers, Steve Howe (Yes).
Other career highlights include:
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"From my perspective as a very experienced professional performing drummer, I have learned numerous practicalities from playing thousands of live shows and recording over the years. This is where my teaching has stemmed. The importance of being a good drummer starts with time - understanding and learning how to play in time, then practicing with the many ( or less ) notes that formulate one’s own groove!
On occasion, my self taught students that start lessons like to improve on technique or reading. Drum rudiments are vital to having a more comprehensive understanding towards drumming and technique on the drum set. There are so many things that make good drummers. Getting the best sound from your drums too, understanding drum tuning. These are just some of the thoughts and studies I like to bring into my teaching." -RW |
 You see it more and more, the likes of Dave Grohl, Pharrell Williams, Steve Jordan, Simon Phillips, Butch Vig and many others have taken their drumming experiences and transferred them to the producer’s chair. What do drummers innately possess that makes them great producers? Their ability to listen intently. That’s the drummer’s role on the bandstand and in the studio. They sit in the back, offer up the groove, listen to all the musicians and play what needs to be played to pull the music together. The drummer’s skill at listening, mixed with some engineering chops and some business acumen, gives them the insight to be great Record Producers. After all, what is a Producer? A person who can listen to a song and make arrangement and sonic changes that will enhance the music. So throw out the old jokes about drummers not being musicians. That’s being silenced by their growing role behind the mixing console. |
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