Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: I appreciate you all being here. Everybody that's attending here is volunteering their time to give back to the community. And we all stand on principles of just really taking a stance of professionalism on and off of the court, if you will. So every one of these guys are devoted their time and energy to just give back to you. Also, a bunch of people submitted a few questions. The panelists have had time to look through some of them. But also, you guys did not dedicate anything to anyone individually. So We're going to allow the entire panel to chime in on things that they feel passionate about or have some insight on to help you guys out. And also anyone that's live, if you want to participate in the Q &A into the chat, if we have time, we will get to them. But we will prioritize the people that submitted early. First of all, what's up, guys? Everybody good. Living the dream. Where's everybody at in the world right now? I we got people to send L.A.
Q. Robinson: Yo, what's goody?
CP4: Wassup?
Al Cleveland III: What's happening, what's happening?
Jermaine P.: What is up? Yes sir!
Q. Robinson: Yessir!
CP4: Yes sir.
Al Cleveland III: Yes, sir.
Jermaine P.: Yeah, man.
CP4: Made it to another week.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Tony's Chicago brother, Joseph.
Al Cleveland III: Yep.
Q. Robinson: I'm in New York.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Love that. Was everybody working on right now? I know everybody was on the hunt to do some stuff, which I got going on right now.
Jermaine P.: New York. ⁓ I guess I'll start. I leave tomorrow to officially start back up with my LMA camp. ⁓ We're about to do, yeah, yeah, yeah. We're about to ⁓ do a festival in Miami. So we're gonna rehearse out there and then yeah, we're gonna get it popping, man. So that's what's on the books for me, man. Just getting it ramped up, you know. Yeah.
CP4: everything.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Let's go! Yes sir!
Q. Robinson: Heck yeah.
Tony Taylor: Bye!
Al Cleveland III: Yes, sir.
Q. Robinson: Yes, sir.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sir. So they.
Tony Taylor: So I am in limbo at the moment. I've gotten like a crap ⁓ ton of calls recently, but they haven't been solidified yet. But I just got off the Blackpink tour as everyone knows.
Jermaine P.: Hehehehehe
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Grassman.
Tony Taylor: that was a dope little situation. yeah, patiently waiting to see what's next. So yeah, that's what I'm at.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: of.
CP4: Praise the Lord. have a little bit of everything going on right now. I gotta show at the Mint tomorrow with this artist. I don't know how to say her name, but it's, it's very Nicker, very Jickers. I don't know. ⁓ Yeah, I'm sorry. I'll post it on my story. I'll post it on my story. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Praise the Lord, Saints!
Tony Taylor: You
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Don't bro, don't do it. Don't do it. Don't. Hey, hey, hey, hey, just artists. Just artists.
Tony Taylor: You
Jermaine P.: It's all good fam.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: What's going on, man?
CP4: I apologize sir if she sees this, but it should be a good time man. Absolutely, I will show it up. ⁓ yeah, I know the titles, I know all the everything, all the staffs and it's crazy. yeah, yeah man. And then I've been involved heavy in my church life as well too, so that's been cool to be there. We're also about to start up.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: He said I did learn the music though, so you
Q. Robinson: know the music that's the most important thing. That's funny.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: There you go.
Jermaine P.: hahaha
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, those clips are fire.
CP4: Praise Connection Underground at the church. So if y'all ever in LA, it's gonna be a nice vibe where musicians can come hang out, play, sit in, hear some people play, hear some people sing. There'll be food, vibes, and of course the networking aspect. So yeah, man, stay tuned for all that. And I'll post that on my page as well.
Q. Robinson: Nice.
Al Cleveland III: ⁓ yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's dope.
Tony Taylor: fire.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Amazing, man. Q.
Al Cleveland III: Yes, sir.
CP4: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: Man, so here in New York, ⁓ still playing Hamilton a bunch. Also ⁓ playing in great Gatsby now and in about a week, in about a week I start MJ and ⁓ something that just happened this morning Jarvis, like last time we talked, I just got the book for Lion King. So I'm starting to learn Lion King. So I'll be playing.
Jermaine P.: oooo
CP4: Amazing.
Al Cleveland III: Wow. Wow.
Jermaine P.: Wow
Tony Taylor: you
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: sane. Let's go. Okay. Yeeee!
CP4: ⁓ my goodness. ⁓ my goodness.
Al Cleveland III: That's wild.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's insane, man.
Q. Robinson: So I'll start playing Lion King and maybe about a month. It takes me about four to five months to learn the book to be able to play the show on Broadway. But yeah, like, I just got that call from none other than Carter McLean himself. So like, he's the one that's gonna like put me through the paces and get me ready. So ⁓ I'm happy about that. yeah, that's an off the script ⁓ exclusive that just happened this morning. So.
Jermaine P.: That's crazy.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sheesh. Eesh!
Tony Taylor: Yeah, you're stank.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Congrats, man, that's massive.
Al Cleveland III: Incredible.
Jermaine P.: That's amazing. Yes sir!
Al Cleveland III: Yeah ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Ready here first?
Q. Robinson: Yeah, thank you, man. Appreciate it. Thanks, bro. Thank you, man. Thank you. Thank you.
CP4: Congratulations, ma'am.
Tony Taylor: So fire bro, congrats dawg.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's major, major. And Brother Cleveland.
Al Cleveland III: Yes, sir. ⁓ Man, so as usual, I'm doing a ton of recording from here at the studio, as well as ⁓ some of the major studios here in Los Angeles. ⁓ As far as road stuff, I got a couple of irons in the fire right now that I can't quite stay exactly what it is, but waiting for them to see if they exactly going to stick or not. ⁓ But know, stuff is always, y'all already know how it goes.
Jermaine P.: Hmm
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: For For sure.
Q. Robinson: Right, right.
CP4: ⁓ yeah.
Al Cleveland III: try to choose the best situation for yourself and your family and see what it does. So stay tuned for that. And I'm also ⁓ taking the leap of doing more live arranging, live production ⁓ and arranging. So ⁓ I'm music directing this new girl, this new artist named Shelby Carter. Go check her out. We'll be getting ready to do, I'm not playing, but she's got like a string of shows. She's got a string of shows coming up this spring. So just putting our show together and just trying to.
Jermaine P.: Yes, sir.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes
Al Cleveland III: grow with her and as she grows with me and just trying to, you know what saying, build off that. That's really what I'm trying to do. yeah, man, just keeping the foot on the gas for 2026, you know? Yeah. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: That's dope. Absolutely. All gas, no brakes.
Jermaine P.: Yeah, yes sir. Thanks.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah. Yep. Yeah, gentlemen. Amazing. So people are listening. If you're wondering where Josh was, Josh is doing a live taping right now. He may decide to join us in a bit, but he did let us know that he was doing a couple of things. But anyway. Your snare drum specific.
Q. Robinson: He's somewhere still in snare drums.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: specifically.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: The whole the whole idea for this is that every one of these drummers that are up here has an incredible resume. Right. They've done things that from openers to headlining stadiums. You know, everybody up here has an incredible resume with a wealth of knowledge. So here we are to talk to everybody. So first question that was, ⁓ go ahead, Clem. What's up, baby?
CP4: Yeah, but you can't can't skip you can't skip over yourself. Will you tell the people what you got going on? Come on man. Trying to be a smooth criminal and get through that now. Ain't no transitions man. Come on back.
Q. Robinson: Exactly. Get them right, Clu.
Al Cleveland III: Right, right, right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: ⁓ man, ⁓ I'm just hosting, but I. Yeah, it's not about me.
Jermaine P.: This guy.
Q. Robinson: You've been hit by... ⁓
Al Cleveland III: Ha ⁓
Jermaine P.: Hey, y'all say how swift he was. He was so swift.
CP4: Come on, come on back. From the top.
Tony Taylor: Wait, hey, it's all about Clem's church hand like yo, yo, yo.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: You know, he said, I cannot, I cannot, I cannot.
Tony Taylor: Okay.
CP4: I wasn't trying to interrupt, I waited till he paused to get in there. I was supposed to be... All right, come on.
Q. Robinson: That's hilarious.
Jermaine P.: Yeah
Q. Robinson: Ha ha ha ha ha.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Whoa, to get OK now for myself. My bad.
Jermaine P.: The hands up.
Tony Taylor: Ooh.
Q. Robinson: Wow. Wow. Wow.
Jermaine P.: He said, I like that one.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: I hate this piano. I hate everybody. I know I couldn't think of a better. What is what is this?
CP4: Ahahaha!
Q. Robinson: You put it together. This is your fault. You blame yourself.
Tony Taylor: Intro 2, 3. Yes! Yes sir, dawg. had to intro, bro. My fault.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's how we close it. And I don't like. If we must. Yeah, I just wrapped the tape McCrates or Miss Possessive. That was a beautiful world tour. We have a couple of things with her and like many of my friends up here, there's a few things tentative. You know, everybody has tentative work. But one thing I think we all know is we don't post anything, say anything until show one.
Jermaine P.: Oh my God. All right, man.
Tony Taylor: That's That's a doc.
Q. Robinson: Ha! That's so good.
Jermaine P.: Yes, sir.
CP4: Yes, sir.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
CP4: There it is. Bingo. Bingo.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: You're really into a show and it's that's how. Do you all take the same approach? I got. OK.
Tony Taylor: Very much so.
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Yeah.
CP4: Absolutely, absolutely.
Q. Robinson: Bro, I don't even unpack my bag until after the first week. Like I, yeah. Yeah, bro, like I don't, like if you see me posting something, it has already happened. Like it's done. Like I might be back at the crib by the time y'all see it.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yo, okay.
Al Cleveland III: I'm about to say, don't say nothing until I'm deep into that shit.
Tony Taylor: You
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Yeah.
CP4: you
Jermaine P.: Look, we all know rehearsals can definitely get spooky too for real, real, man. So like, guys think even because they're in rehearsals, it's sweet. It's like, man, that's when they really go down for real. So y'all know the vibes, man. Y'all already know,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Al Cleveland III: You
CP4: Hehehehehe
Al Cleveland III: Hahaha! ⁓
Q. Robinson: Boy listen, boy you can meet your replacement while you walking out. Boy you like, ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: no!
Tony Taylor: I on everything I love, that is the worst feeling. It's the first few weeks.
Q. Robinson: Bro, you see, like...
Jermaine P.: Get like that.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah
Tony Taylor: Especially for me?
Q. Robinson: Why be sitting on the edge of the bed like this? Just waiting on the phone to ring.
Tony Taylor: Man, what? Man, what? And I'm the new guy.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Nervous. You're right.
Al Cleveland III: Now, one I run into is, you you getting ready to do rehearsals and all of a sudden they're like, ⁓ we actually going to record and do it, ⁓ like record and do the band in the box type shit. So you just just like, that's, you just don't say nothing until you get out there.
CP4: They call it going a different direction or going for a different approach. That's what they call Creative direction.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Alright? Yeah.
Q. Robinson: That's it, man.
Jermaine P.: Hey, look,
Q. Robinson: We're going to different, yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: The air quotes. Creative direction. No.
Q. Robinson: Yeah. Or, or, or, or he just wasn't the right cultural fit. He wasn't the right cultural fit.
Tony Taylor: laughter
Jermaine P.: You're a cultural fan? They went there with it?
Al Cleveland III: ⁓
Q. Robinson: Bro, listen, you know what world I live in. You know, you know, like it ain't a lot of us that look like me where we are. And so they will definitely hear, yeah, he just wasn't the right cultural fit. And so it's just like.
Tony Taylor: ⁓ God.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Jermaine P.: Right. Right. That's bad.
Al Cleveland III: Right, right, right.
Tony Taylor: that word.
Al Cleveland III: HAHAHAHA!
Tony Taylor: Hey, while looking down, no thumb up.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right, right, right, right, right, right, right!
Q. Robinson: ⁓ yeah, cause you are-
CP4: Yeah, that's crazy. ⁓
Al Cleveland III: You
Q. Robinson: Listen, I'm just kind of like, yo, like really? That's what we, okay, got it. Her, Q, we love you. Like, ⁓ okay. Nah, no, you love me today. ⁓ I've seen it happen, man. It's just like, that's why I like, don't, you know, I don't let my left hand know what my right hand is doing. If you find out some stuff, you find out on your own, but you know, and then it's the other side of it too. Like if we gonna be real, if we off the script.
Jermaine P.: What?
Tony Taylor: Word.
Jermaine P.: Hahaha! Yeah, you already know.
Q. Robinson: You know, you start talking early and then you got people that are not have as much integrity, integrity as ourselves. And then they try to go behind your back, sabotage or undercut, which is a thing, you know, and you know, a lot of times production doesn't necessarily care about that as long as they saving a couple of hundred dollars, you know. So like I really try to be on the low key about what it is that.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
CP4: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Alright.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Man.
Q. Robinson: I'm getting ready to do because once I'm locked in, I'm locked in. It's like, I don't care who you are. If I'm locked in, just like any of y'all, if y'all sit on the, once y'all sit down and they understand the professionalism and the skillset and the personality, you're not, you're not coming out of that chair, but like everything up until that point, man, it's, it's up until it's not, you know, so yeah.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
CP4: you
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Facts Yes. ⁓
Q. Robinson: Mm-hmm.
Tony Taylor: No, for real, bro.
Al Cleveland III: hearing it.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: But let me ask y'all a question. I know this is not on the thing, but we all script, right? Like, so what do y'all think that comes from? Do you think that's a level of clout chasing to be the first ones to announce that you getting ready to do something? Because I think that goes into a bigger conversation of like, you know, I'm out here for the work. It's like the
Tony Taylor: Very much so.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: You
Jermaine P.: Hahaha! ⁓ Alright.
Q. Robinson: Like I don't even look at the notoriety as a perk. Like it just kind of comes with the territory, but you have so many people that be so quick to announce that they getting ready to do something or try to build it up to be something that is not even, it's not even that, but trying to make themselves seem bigger than it, what it is instead of just going out there to do the work. Like, what do y'all think that comes from?
Jermaine P.: ⁓ whee!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Being green.
Q. Robinson: Mmm.
Al Cleveland III: I think it's being green and it's an artificial dopamine release. It gives you a sense of an accomplishment before you did anything. You know what I'm saying? By saying, oh, I'm about to do this. I'm about to do this. You haven't gone out there. You haven't done it. You know what saying? But you've got to let everybody know. I think in a lot of times, it can be cloud chasing, but it can very much be for yourself more. You just hyping yourself up, getting yourself jacked up for it.
Jermaine P.: Mmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Hmm
Q. Robinson: Yeah. Wow. That's a great perspective. Yeah, man. I just never understood that, Yeah, that's good, Al. That's really good, bro.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: Nothing else to be said.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, there's nothing else. Yeah. Beautifully said.
Jermaine P.: It was good.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, that's it's one of those things. I think when you get to that space where you're like, oh, I'm finally doing something, you finally get a call that you've been yearning for. You got that that desire to be seen again. I get it like I really do get it, but the experience hopefully once again, this is why we're here to let y'all know. Hold on for a second. Just be patient. Just slow down for a second. Get through rehearsals, get to your first couple of shows. And then it's totally fine to post and say what's going on like
Jermaine P.: Right, right. Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: That was so funny. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's the proper way to do that. But we've everybody up here once again has been an opener up to stadium situation. We're telling you, chill out. Like, it's not that deep. Yeah, just take a breath. Yeah, it is. Go ahead and chill out now because we've all been replaced and we've replaced people. Everybody up here has that testimony. So it's one of those things where this hold on for a second. ⁓
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Relax.
Jermaine P.: Alright. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Jermaine P.: and put all that hypeness into learning the material. You know what mean? But like for real, real, like let that drive like all of that, like I'ma go in on prep. You know what I mean? I'ma get right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: ⁓ What's going on?
Jermaine P.: What?
Q. Robinson: You know the other thing about that though like like real talk like I prefer I prefer like for other people to tell that story You know I prefer other people to be my herald like I'll let me concentrate on the work and if I'm doing something that y'all feel are dope or a company feels that is dope or even the Production themselves feel like it's dope like let them push that narrative that I'm doing something
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: You holding an eraser? Okay.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: or something that they're proud of. And yeah, I'll chime in, but I don't want to be the first one talking about what I'm doing because all y'all like I know all y'all follow all y'all like, and I put myself in there. I'm not a braggadocious guy. Like I don't care about the me, my, and I, right? You know, I care about the us and the we, you know what I'm saying? And like, so like if a cunt, when Hamilton says something, ⁓ Q Robinson is doing X, Y, and Z that feels a lot better to me than me going out there saying what I'm doing.
Al Cleveland III: Mm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: sure.
Q. Robinson: You get what I'm saying? Like, because it just feels really like I was saying, self-serving to like, you know, talk about the things that's getting ready to happen or even while it's happening. It's like, yeah, we all have, ⁓ we all have obligations to these companies to rep the gear and all of that stuff. But like outside of that, man, I like Jermaine said, man, just concentrate on being a great player and a good person offline and all of that other stuff that they looking for and that you're looking for. It'll be added.
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Bye.
Q. Robinson: but like I think a lot of times we concentrate so much on the perk and not the actual work, you know? And so now you get a house built on sand. So, you know.
Jermaine P.: Right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right. Yes. Well, I think that's a perfect segue to question one. Speaking of endorsements and representing your companies, first question was, I have a question related to endorsements usually for endorsement contracts. Do brands reach out to you or is it must be for ourselves to reach out to initial?
Tony Taylor: Wait.
Q. Robinson: ⁓ Let me, I think I'm older than everybody up here. Let me start.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Anybody want to take that one?
Jermaine P.: you
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Let go.
Tony Taylor: hahahahah ⁓
Q. Robinson: And the only reason why I say that is because I've seen, I've seen the shift in the industry, right? Like April will be 20 years that I've been with Sabian, right? So like I've been here since like the early 2000s up until now. And I was there. I started with them before social media was even a thing, you know, and to see how social media has now infiltrated itself in and it's become the main marketer. And for Anybody that's gonna listen to this, let me tell you something. If you are not affiliated with a company, stop tagging these companies in your videos. Because you are already giving away what they are going to pay you for.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Why do you say that?
Q. Robinson: Like why would they, why would they give you a free or discounted gear or cut you a check to do what you're already doing for them? They're not going to look at that as, he's already representing the brand. You represent the brand by just playing the drums or whatever it is. It's like stop tagging these companies because where you think you might be helping them out and they're going to see that and retroactively sign you, they're not going to do that. I don't know too many people that have done that and it's come back to help them. So I think it's a little, think social media plays a part in it. I think it's also how you meet people. Like I've been there, like when I've been on, you know, playing a gig and you see a rep on the side of the stage and you guys meet and then, ⁓ man, we would love to work with you. There have been other situations where I have had to put in an application. You know what I'm saying? ⁓ and then there are times where I've had a colleague of mine that I'm friends with like, Hey, you put an application. Yeah. I'm gonna tell such and such about you, you know, and then you start a company conversation from there. And I think the bigger question is make sure you have a legitimate reason for reaching out to these companies. Like if we don't talk about it, that, well, I think we get to that answer. If we
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: What does that fall under though?
Q. Robinson: we define what it's not, right? ⁓ The goalpost moves specifically for us. The goalpost always moves, right? Like it's a social media following, it's visible artists, it's, know, you know, prominent studio musicians, you know, ⁓ the acts that you're affiliated with, all of those different things. Like you can have a little bit of all of them, or you can have one big thing. However, if you're already getting drums,
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sure.
Q. Robinson: Because I don't know one tour that goes out that production doesn't make sure you have a drum kit. Right? So you can't be like, well, I need drums. Right? So why are you going after the endorsement? You know, I'll tell you why I do it. I'll tell you, I do it simply because I like the, the comfort of knowing when I get to the venue, my gear is going to be the same. Right?
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: All
Jermaine P.: Right.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: I'm blessed right now at the point where I'm playing the same gear every night. So it's not a big deal. But even when I was doing spot dates, this like that consistency of knowing that my stuff is going to be taken care of is great. But outside of that, like you got to really ask yourself before you reach out to these companies, because I've been in the board rooms with these people. I hear how they talk about certain guys. Why are you going after them? If you don't need it, it's not going to legitimize you as a player.
Jermaine P.: right.
Q. Robinson: It's never legitimized anybody as a player. Back in the 90s, back in the 80s, what they used to do, they used to find drummers that had potential and pioneer their career. I think the last guy that we saw like that was maybe Tony Rooster Jr. Where like he was like eight, seven or eight years old and these companies kind of latched onto him and they pushed his narrative simply because he was a phenom. Like they're not doing that.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mm-hmm.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: Like, so don't think because you signed with a company, you're going to automatically start getting these calls that you weren't getting before. So like it doesn't legitimize you. You reach out to these companies when you have a legitimate need and legitimacy is subjective to whoever you're talking to. But I'm just telling you right now, most of the, most of the things that y'all are reaching out to these companies for, they're looking at your email and they're laughing.
Tony Taylor: Okay.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: See
Jermaine P.: So
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: How do you structure the deal, though? Let's say you receive in or Pearl or anyone else that you guys may have on your roster right now. How do you talk to your reps? Are you asking for certain things out of the gate? Are you looking to build a partnership? How are you structuring this relationship? Because it is a relationship, right? Everybody up here has endorsements from drums, cymbals, sticks. Everybody up here is well taken care of. Thank God. But we all have different deals, right? My deal is not going to be the same. as cues or Al's or Jermaine or Tony's, right? It's all going to be very different. So how are you all navigating that space? We're talking to your reps, talking and dealing with things like that. Like, what's the conversation like for you all?
Q. Robinson: It's a, I think it's going to be different for everybody. think everybody gets a boilerplate deal. Like depending on where you are in your career, you know, but I think then this is something Jarvis that we were talking about last week.
Jermaine P.: Right.
Q. Robinson: If we start looking at ourselves as small businesses, you know, as opposed to just a person, I think it structures things like as a business owner, there are certain things that I know I need. And those are conversations that you have from the outset. And those things might not necessarily happen immediately, but having the conversation of, if I'm coming to your company,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mm.
Q. Robinson: and you're going to use my name likeness and image to push your brand. These are the things that I need to make me comfortable in you using my name, likeness and image. And then you start from there. Like stop just getting whatever deal just to say you with this company. If it's not serving your need, if it's not serving your need, you're doing yourself a disservice and you're not only not helping yourself, but the guy that comes behind you is going to get a even worse deal than you have.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Got you.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Jermaine P.: Right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: So does anyone else take a different approach with dealing with reaching out to companies or do you have people reach out to you? Or does anyone else have a different approach of how they got their endorsement?
Tony Taylor: I'll talk in a second, but somebody else answer.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: worries. I know Tony's on daddy duty right now, so he's handling.
CP4: ⁓ I guess I'll talk. my majority of my endorsements started ⁓ of course from me liking and enjoying the products, but it started off me really like Jarvis says, starting a relationship, wanting to build something and not just going in there asking for stuff. Yes, I was on the road at the time, but like you said, Besides tours, lot of the stuff, especially in my case, a lot of the stuff was spot days, back line, rentals and all the stuff where I didn't have to use my own personal gear. So like you said, I'm low maintenance in regards to endorsements, but I don't always harass my reps or hit them up.
Jermaine P.: Yeah
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: Mm-hmm.
CP4: just for any and everything. I only reach out when it's absolutely necessary. And the other times that I do reach out, it's really just to check in or try to grab food or do whatever it is. Because of course I know I'm busy, but they are busy as well because I'm just one artist. And of course I know everybody's needs and wants are different. But me and mine, it literally started as building relationships, actually being personable with these people because all day, every day.
Al Cleveland III: Right.
Q. Robinson: Yes.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sorry.
CP4: there's people that are being disingenuous and just reaching out and just talking to them and we're just trying to be close to them or just doing whatever. And it's like, they get tired of that. They are still regular people. They still have regular lives and all the things. So yeah, that's the angle I come from because ⁓ I care about the people and the people you care about and the energy you give out and all those things, they give it right back to you. And when it is time to finally
Q. Robinson: Yeah. Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: Right, right, right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm. ⁓
CP4: order stuff or need stuff, there's no issue. But if you're that guy that's always hitting them up, always in their face, always demanding stuff, not asking, but demanding all these things, then it gets a little tricky. that's why I say people should absolutely build relationships. Build something of your own, your own brand so that way if it doesn't work out, you can go anywhere or just separate in general.
Jermaine P.: Right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
CP4: and still just be you as your own thing, especially now social media does all the work for you. You get enough people to look at your stuff and say, hey, look at this. I mean, there you go. And then stuff ends up paying for itself. So ⁓ that's my view and take on it.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Q. Robinson: 100%.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: ⁓ Tony went ahead.
Al Cleveland III: 100 % Tony, go ahead.
Tony Taylor: Yeah, I can. ⁓ So my situation was a little different from most people's. So most of the endorsements that I ended up getting kind of started from the drum off. So ⁓ that's basically part of one of your deals. Like one of your prizes, like you get to pick what company you want and they can't say no. So literally like.
Q. Robinson: Hahaha ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: ⁓ that's a dope, okay. That's a vibe.
Al Cleveland III: Wow.
Tony Taylor: You pick drums, drum heads, sticks and cymbals. And pretty much the mainstream artists. So DW, Tama, Pearl. DW, Tama, Pearl, yes. Sabian, Zildjian, Mino, Remo, Evans, Promark, Vic Firth. I'm trying to think, am I missing something? But basically the main that everybody uses. ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah!
Jermaine P.: So fired. That's perfect.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, I mean, sure.
Jermaine P.: BLEH
Tony Taylor: basically they take you to ⁓ they take you to NAMM and you basically get to talk to everybody and they literally like some people may try to convince you to go and some people may not they'll just be like hey this what we have and it's cool and then there some people it's like yeah I think you were really like this so it's like for me it was a little different like I got to choose and then after that year term it was their choice whether or not they were gonna keep me or not so like so like with DW
Jermaine P.: Thank
Q. Robinson: Mmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: I didn't.
Al Cleveland III: Wow.
Q. Robinson: Whoa, that's tough. That's tough. Whoa, that's tough.
Tony Taylor: No, no it is! It really is bro! And it's so crazy because like when I think about it back then like DW specifically like during the drum off they take you to the DW factory so that was the only thing I got to see now granted I've always been a PDP and DW head but like when I got to see it firsthand I'm like oh yeah I'm definitely going so
Jermaine P.: Hahaha, right? Right? Haha, right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's brutal. Yeah. Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Right.
Tony Taylor: Off-Rip, knew I was going to DW and Off-Rip, I knew I was going to Sabian because that's just, that's what I grew up on. But like, one of the companies that I was dealing with, it wasn't exactly like one of those situations where like it was kind of sweet for me. And ⁓ after that year term, it was like they did exactly what they was supposed to do based off of Guitar Center's contract with them. That was it. And literally like...
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, as wraps
Jermaine P.: Hehehe.
Q. Robinson: That's tough.
Tony Taylor: Literally like over time like I developed relationships and really got to talk to these people and ⁓ you know like like you was saying and ⁓ Clem like it's really about relationship because like one thing that I'm heavy on is like no matter what where who people are still people regardless of whatever
Q. Robinson: Yes.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: ⁓ Status that they have like like truth be told like it took me a while to really understand this and I'm not one of the ones to like Really have this conversation about endorsements because I'm still learning how to like really deal with this from a people standpoint instead of a business standpoint and ⁓ I know y'all know this better than I do but like for me It it took work. It took me being intentional Like DW
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sorry.
Q. Robinson: Hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Wow, okay
Tony Taylor: so happily kept me. I'm not gonna lie to I really thought they was gonna let me go after that year. literally like, they reached back out to me because I had reached out. Because I was doing something.
Jermaine P.: Space-time-stupid.
Tony Taylor: ⁓ I was doing a halftime show ⁓ for the NBA All-Star Weekend and I reached out to get a snare to see like if they were willing to give it to me. They literally sent me another application. It was like, here, this first. And I'm like, ⁓ y'all trying to re-endorse me. Literally. Bro. Man.
Q. Robinson: Okay. Woo, woo, woo, safe.
Jermaine P.: Yes, sir. Right, right, right, right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Don't mind if I do
Jermaine P.: My man just wanted to snare. He just wanted to snare.
Al Cleveland III: Don't mind if I do.
Q. Robinson: Safe.
Tony Taylor: And they was like, okay, well sign this. And I'm like, all right, cool. Well, how much? It was like, no, we're gonna give it to you. And I'm like, ⁓ cool. That's when you, that's when, you know what I'm saying? But literally like my situation was very like interesting. Like even to this day, like there's still some other endorsements that like I have to test through.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Yes sir.
Q. Robinson: That's when you put it on your website. We good.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Okay.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Tony Taylor: because I don't want it to be based off of, ⁓ well I won the drum off and y'all know who I am. Y'all dealt with me for a year, but literally, in a sense, starting over. You know what I'm saying? Really trying to create that real standard between person to person, not even just company to artist.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: And I feel like that's where it kind of gets iffy with most people because, you know, like you were saying, everybody is just demanding stuff all the time. And I actually have conversations with my friends about this all the time where it's just like, yo, are you even working? Stop. Like, and this is so crazy to me because like a lot of people are looking for something because it's free.
Jermaine P.: Tell my best the first question.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mmm.
Q. Robinson: Bruh, bruh.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mmm.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Tony Taylor: And I'm like, y'all already have the wrong mindset from the jump. Like, this is a partnership. This isn't a one way street where it's like, ⁓ you get me free stuff. And it's like, yeah, cool. I'll talk to you in six months.
Q. Robinson: That's the reason why I don't have these cards. I don't have them because I always get called the gatekeeper or the hater because the first question that's asked is like, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, I hate on you. Listen, I hate on you. I love everybody, but you, you're a different case. But no, the first question I ask is like, what you do?
Jermaine P.: Thank you.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Well, you are a hater, Q. Let's put that on the record. Let's let's just put that on the record. All right.
Tony Taylor: you
Al Cleveland III: you
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Fair enough.
Q. Robinson: what you doing? Like what are you doing? And automatically, because it's not what they want to hear, I'm gatekeeping. It's like, bro, I'm not gatekeeping. you can ask, and there's nobody's business who these people are, but you can ask anybody. if I see you doing something, like right before we started recording, what did I do? Because you guys hold that epitome of player personality and professionalism. Not everybody holds those three.
Tony Taylor: and
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes,
Q. Robinson: And you can be a great player with no personality and no professionalism, you're to get a no. And there are very few people that can be these all world players and not have professionalism and be a jerk and still get that nod simply because you can't ignore that type of talent, but that's not everybody. You get what I'm saying? Tony, I agree with you, man. It's like...
Jermaine P.: Right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: If you're not working, why are you even asking for it? That's a pat on the back and you're trying to, I feel like they're trying to fulfill something within themselves because they don't, they're trying to compensate for not having the work. You get what I'm saying? It's like this. if I'm not, if I'm not working, at least if I got this, so you can go, had one, one guy going is going his Instagram, his social media. has like 200 followers and like, yo, I just signed to this particular company.
Al Cleveland III: Right.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: I called him, was like, take that down, you know that's not the truth.
Jermaine P.: Toothpoo.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yikes. But respect for being real, though. That's a real that's a real friend. ⁓ it's a real friend.
Q. Robinson: No, I'm serious because
Jermaine P.: I'm sorry for laughing. I know, I know, I know. I know it's real. It's real. No, that's real. That's real,
Al Cleveland III: Ha ha ⁓
Q. Robinson: No, but I'm saying, because you're not doing, no, I'm serious because it's like, also being an ambassador of a company, it is also our job to protect the roster that we're on, right? If we're talking about being an ambassador, right? But then also the other side of it is like, bro, you don't even know how much damage you're doing to yourself because you're lying about something you really think they gonna sign you now?
Tony Taylor: No, no, you really are a real friend for that. Golly.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's a real friend. Man, that's real too.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Q. Robinson: So you can get a pat on the back from your 16 followers to tell you good job and congratulations? Hey, I'm gonna shut up. Anyway, I'm done, I'm done.
Jermaine P.: way.
Tony Taylor: Bro, no, hey, hey, when I tell you, that is the absolute truth, like, on the highest of levels for me. Like, because I can't tell you how many times that I've had so many conversations with different people where it's just like, hey, like, just be patient. You don't need it right now. And truth be told, like you said, you're gonna hurt yourself in the long run by trying to force something.
Al Cleveland III: You're telling the truth,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: It's true.
Jermaine P.: ⁓ fuck.
Tony Taylor: And then they look up and like, yo, you're actually fake. Now we really not gonna talk to you.
Q. Robinson: And then also, and then I don't care who they work for. All of these reps know each other. They all hang. They all hang.
Tony Taylor: I was just about to say that! That's next thing I was about to say!
Al Cleveland III: Right, right. They do. They do. They do. They do.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Man, that's a word. They hang out, like they get drinks together. They all know each other. Yes. Yes.
Tony Taylor: Bro they talk
Q. Robinson: Yes, they go to dinner. Like it ain't gang, nobody, like it's gang wars for them. It's not gang wars for them. Like they go to dinner, they go to lunch. Like, and if you don't think your name is being cross referenced in a text or email and your name comes up in multiple databases, you can cancel Christmas. It's over with.
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Bye.
Tony Taylor: every single time.
Jermaine P.: Hehehehehe
Tony Taylor: Every single time. Also, I do want to say this too. ⁓ If it's not what you love, don't endorse it, please. Like, I'm not gonna lie to you, I do not like, I do not like when people are diehards for one company and then they switch.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes.
Tony Taylor: and then completely disregard the fact that you had a relationship with one and because you went to the other now it's like, F you. I hate it. Like, no, no, I'm so serious. I'm so serious because it it goes back to the data. It goes back to the database aspect where it's like these people, like I saw it firsthand. I met a friend in, while I was on tour.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Q. Robinson: Hey listen, hey man stop, hey man. Hey you gonna get some hate mail, you better stop. Tony you better stop.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's all script. We get the real truth now. Yeah.
Tony Taylor: that literally knows everybody. And mind you, like, I wasn't trying to get anything out of it, but like, he literally started reaching out to these companies. during NAMM, he was texting me left and right, like, hey, I'm talking to this person. Hey, I'm talking to this person. Hey, I'm talking to this person. And I'm like, ⁓ y'all really talk. Like, and I didn't know how close these people were until like, he really like sat with me and was like, yo, like, I want to help you. And literally like,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, y'all really close. Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Ho ho ho ho ho ho.
Tony Taylor: I just hate when people are just mindset switch all of a sudden. Like I'm never going to say that like I like this person just because I'm endorsed with them now. Like I play what I play because I actually like it. Like every endorsement that I've had, even the endorsements that I don't have, I'm still going to play that company because I like it.
Al Cleveland III: Hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Talk about it.
Tony Taylor: And it's like, that's also another aspect that I feel like a lot of people don't understand where it's just like, hey, like if you're not even willing to invest in it yourself, why are you asking for them to invest in you?
Jermaine P.: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, hey, cuz look, cuz look, cuz look, cuz then also, I think one of the biggest things I used to always hear was people just wanted the full 100 % thing, right? But then it's that thing of kind of like,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Oof. ⁓ no. no.
Q. Robinson: You talking good, Tony. You doing your good talking today.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mmm.
Jermaine P.: Why would they give you 100 % if um... Bruh I just lost my train of thought y'all.
Tony Taylor: No, no, no, no, no. Hey, hey.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: But I like what you at though. I like what you at because I like where you at though.
Al Cleveland III: I'm following you, Jermaine.
Jermaine P.: Cause it's so much, like it's so much, like it's so much. There we go, there we go, there we go. No, cause I want to piggyback on what Tony was saying because then it's that thing of if they don't get a hundred percent from that one company that they've been playing all their lives, then they go and switch companies. But then it's that thing of like my big dog, Chris Johnson, drummer, he always said, play what you like. And I feel like that kind of always kept me like,
Tony Taylor: Take your time.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: It's all good.
Jermaine P.: you know, like focus on the thing of like, yeah, it don't always got to be a hundred, but you know, stuff gonna sound good. It's like you used to it and then you build up the relationship. then I was going to say, as we all know, we may not have a 100 % deal, but because we have great relationships with our reps, we're getting so much stuff still for free. You know what I mean? So that's just like the gym right there. Like, so even when you get that contract and it's a 60 or 70 % off,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Jermaine P.: That don't mean that you're about to be paying that for everything, you know what mean? Like especially more so once you build the actual relationship. So I think that's just my biggest thing. Like just don't let the, don't let you be driven by like the free stuff, know? Truly just play what you like. And I feel like that's when it all really just fall into place.
Q. Robinson: Also somehow people be capping too, cause not everybody's getting a hundred percent. Let's be real about it. Let's, let's, let's, let's I am cause I do. I'm serious, bro. I'm serious. Cause I didn't, I don't see so much of it, bro. Like it's frustrating, bro. I feel like dream on green about the crash out right now, bro. Like, but now like, no, but it's like, it's like people want to use that as a level.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Most people don't.
Jermaine P.: Yeah, yeah, mostly good though.
CP4: I mean Q is really outdone with this topic. He is outdone.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Hahaha
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Thanks.
CP4: hahahaha
Q. Robinson: When you think about it, not putting anybody on the pedestal, but like when we talk about the greats, when we talk about the Billy Cobham, when we talk about a Dave Weckl or Teddy Campbell or, you know, a Dennis Chambers, a Will Kennedy, Omar Kim, those, those guys get a hundred percent, right? Then what do all of those guys have in common? Longevity. You get what I'm saying? It's like you, you, right. You did one tour.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Bye.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: Mmmhmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah. And they were pioneering stuff too.
Q. Robinson: and all of a sudden you want everything for free. Like there is no relation. There's no relationship in that. I will tell you this as someone that has been
Jermaine P.: So.
CP4: One tour as an opener.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: ⁓ no, Clem, come on baby. Come on, Clem. Come on, Clem.
Jermaine P.: But look though, but still doing arenas though, but they still doing arenas though, but they doing arenas though still, you know what I mean? look. Is that the first one?
Q. Robinson: Exactly bro, exactly.
CP4: Sorry.
Al Cleveland III: The opener of three, first of three, first of three.
Tony Taylor: But they doing arenas though! But they doing arenas!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Maine and Clem, y'all gotta relax. Y'all have got to relax.
Tony Taylor: Alright bro, that's why you brought us over here.
Q. Robinson: Yo! ⁓
Jermaine P.: Hey, hey, hey, I'll say a one to three. I'll say a one to three. ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's fair. I didn't do this.
Q. Robinson: Hey, no, yeah for real bro, like yo, like stop bro.
Tony Taylor: We mean love with all of this, but we gonna tell the truth.
Al Cleveland III: Not direct support. One of three. ⁓
Q. Robinson: But you're like, you're not even the opener. You playing during the DJ set. You playing during the DJ set, why they walking in?
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: One of three is crazy.
Tony Taylor: ⁓ God. Not even getting backstage passes. Not even getting some backstage passes. You can't even bounce nobody in. ⁓
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Before the DJ is crazy.
Al Cleveland III: ⁓
Jermaine P.: No cons, nothing. Oh my God.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yo, y'all about to get me canceled, all right?
Q. Robinson: All right, bro. Listen, no, we need to cancel this mindset, bro. We need to cancel this mindset, bro, because it's all love, bro. It's all love. And I want to say, man, like, just, I just want everybody to be better about this kind of thing because these reps, they talk and they, hear it. And the thing about it is what we set today is going to be the next Jermaine, Tony, clam, Jarvis, Q and Al of tomorrow. And it's like, if, if we don't set it right, they ain't got a chance, bro.
CP4: That's a nice segue to the next joint.
Al Cleveland III: Hey, we didn't all been there. We didn't been there. We didn't all been there.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, we all been there.
CP4: Let's move to the next one.
Tony Taylor: 100%.
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Yeah.
Q. Robinson: You know what saying? Like, so like I, man, I love the way this conversation is going simply because like, if we don't set it right, like we all have OGs that have set us down and told us, yo, like this is what it is and this is what it isn't, you know? So like, I, I, yo, yeah, I appreciate the conversation. I'm sorry, dog. I'm crashing out though, I'm crashing out, bro.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Respect. Well, now you're good. It's perfect. Well, that question is checked off. This was shouldn't shouldn't take as long. All right. The question was, do I need to move to L.A. or another major city to work at a high level?
Al Cleveland III: No, I love it, I love it.
Tony Taylor: People need to hear,
Q. Robinson: Dead. Next!
Jermaine P.: Okay.
Al Cleveland III: Dead. ⁓
Q. Robinson: Ooooo
Tony Taylor: I'm gonna answer this. I'm gonna answer this.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, you're a good one to answer this one.
Jermaine P.: Ha ha ha ha!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, go for it.
Tony Taylor: Yes and no. The only reason why I'm saying both is because there is a major, so I'll just speak for me. have been begged to move to LA. I don't want to pay that rent. I'll just go be rich. I kid you not, have had, now mind you, I've grown up with Jermaine and Clem. I've had these conversations multiple times, where it's like, yo, if it's not for you, you ain't gotta come. But I will honestly say that there is not a lot of opportunities where you're living outside of LA and you get the work.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's fair. That's so fair, bro.
Tony Taylor: I will say that. So I feel like it's really a heavy thing right now about your relationships with people, as well as your relationship with just life itself. Because anybody that's getting called outside of LA, they're taking a gamble on you. Like I was taken as a gamble.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Hmm.
Jermaine P.: Hell.
Tony Taylor: not gonna lie to you. Now mind you, I've never worked with any of these people that I've worked with on this tour. And I literally took it, I've been taking the gamble from the MD all the way to the artist. It was rough. It was rough. But like literally at the end of this tour, I know for a fact, like the people that I've worked with literally want to work with me again. And I feel like the moment that you get it, cause I've been telling people a lot.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Corn.
Tony Taylor: you don't have the opportunity yet, just take that opportunity to actually get ready for the opportunity so that when you actually get in it, you ain't trying to fumble your way through. So like for me, like I was prepped for this situation and because I prepped for the situation, not just from past situations, but also I prepped within myself. Shout out to Clement May. Learn that freaking music. No matter how last minute it is either.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sorry.
Jermaine P.: All right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: There you go.
Al Cleveland III: Mmm.
Jermaine P.: No matter how last minute because they totally do not care they do not care My care, bro
Tony Taylor: No excuses. No matter. ⁓ my God. No matter how last minute that music is.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: no matter how last minute.
Al Cleveland III: They don't care. They don't care.
Q. Robinson: No one ever gets the benefit of the backstory. Learn the music.
Jermaine P.: They do not care Q. They do not care about that backstory.
Tony Taylor: Hey, man, what? Some people.
Q. Robinson: No, no, when you got it, you should have said no. If you couldn't handle it, you should have said no.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: No.
Jermaine P.: No.
Tony Taylor: bruh and there is grace for last minute situations but there is still no excuse that you don't know at least 80 % of it in some shape form or fashion because at the end of the day like I said like they're taking a gamble on you every single time that you step into that ⁓ place so to answer the question you don't have to be in LA but if you aren't in LA make sure that you know your stuff like the people that get called from outside
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Tony Taylor: are people that like have been talked of highly like CJ Thompson.
Jermaine P.: And I want to say this too, it also goes back to the relationships aspect of it. I think that's like the big thing, y'all. It's truly the relationships because then you could be so good at what you do. You know, you could know your triggers, you know, could know tones, you could know all this, but nobody know you fam. You haven't gone to NAMM, you haven't gone to Nashville, whatever it is, you haven't gone, you haven't visited.
Tony Taylor: And B.
CP4: You haven't even visited. You haven't even visited.
Jermaine P.: You haven't visited and went and sat in those rooms and you know, like you just haven't done it. So I think that's kind of the biggest thing is truly, it's all about relationships. You know what mean? So Tony, you answered that well. You know what I mean? Just relationships.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mmm.
Q. Robinson: ⁓ I'ma ⁓ come from a different place. Jarvis asked the question again. It says what?
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Do you need to move to LA or another major city to work at a high level?
Q. Robinson: So first of all, working at a high level is not about the gig you're on. It's about your own mindset, period. Because if you got poor skills, whether it be technical or professional, I know a lot of people that move from one place to move to another and they were doing the same type of work from where they left, right? At the same level.
Al Cleveland III: Mmm.
CP4: Bingo. Bingo.
Tony Taylor: same level.
Q. Robinson: So it's more so about the mindset of the person. Now you're talking about somebody I'm originally from Miami. I moved to Atlanta, did stuff there. And then now I'm in New York. Each one of those places I visited and started making my own network in those places prior to moving there. Because just because it's LA, Nashville, New York, Atlanta, wherever the fact of the matter is, like Tony said, they got to be for you.
CP4: Bingo.
Q. Robinson: And if you're just moving out there, I think a lot of times we move or we do things based on the end result that we want to see, not counting the cost of everything that happens on the journey going. You know what I'm saying? Rent is just one side of it. know, how people respond to you is another side of it. Like what is it that you want to see out of your own career? Like, so before we start talking about moving to LA, cause you get an influx of people that move out there and they say, ⁓ it's not for me.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mm-hmm.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
CP4: Ahem. how you adapt.
Q. Robinson: Well, if it's not for you now, it would have been not for you if you would have visited a couple of times before you decide to move your entire family out there. You get what I'm saying? So like, I always say focus on being the best where you are. And then once you hit that ceiling and you still want to do more and you can't, then you need to start thinking about moving. just because you moved to LA or New York don't mean you're going to get put on.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: So
Tony Taylor: Yeah?
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: It's like, if you only doing marginal stuff where you at, it ain't just like, there's a lot of people that don't live in LA, don't live in New York and getting those calls because of the relationships. But it's also because they've put the groundwork into have networks and pipelines to those places. It ain't just you going to jump in LA. Cause guess what? It's a million and one people out here trying to do the same thing you're doing. And if you're not dealing, yeah. And if you, if you're not doing, if you're not
Tony Taylor: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Jermaine P.: Yeah
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's a fact. And that are proven.
Q. Robinson: If you don't have the relationships and you don't have the work ethic, you know what saying? And you don't have the network, you might as well stay where you at until you build those things up. So.
Tony Taylor: Yeah, also, ⁓ No, go ahead, Clint. Go ahead, Clint.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-mm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Perfect.
CP4: And the last thing, ⁓ my bad. No, you started talking first. Go ahead, I'll wait.
Tony Taylor: Also, I'm gonna make it quick. Also, don't confine, this is gonna sound spiritual, but I'm trying not to be spiritual. Do not confine yourself to the thought that the only big thing is in LA.
Q. Robinson: Hahahaha! ⁓
Al Cleveland III: Hey, Stan Clements.
Q. Robinson: Mmmmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mmm.
Tony Taylor: There is a lot in this world for every single musician to work through. There are cruises, there are massive churches, there are bar gigs that will just pay you constantly throughout the week. Like, truth be told, like, like, and...
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes. Yep.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, yes.
Jermaine P.: Yeah, Al.
Al Cleveland III: We did that.
Jermaine P.: ⁓ Lately. You're there. ⁓
Tony Taylor: Like please do not think that the only place that you can work in or you can thrive in is in the arena in LA.
Q. Robinson: Nah, but Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony, I got an ego, bro. Like I got to be on stage, bro. Like they can't see me on stage. can't, no, no, they can't, no, they can't see me. They can't see me if I'm playing in the bar. They can't see me if I'm playing in church, giving my reasonable service. They can't see me on the cruise ship. Like I got to be on the stage, you know, going second or the third, the three openness. Like I got to.
Jermaine P.: Hahaha!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: You had a red bull today and he's feeling delightful.
Jermaine P.: Are you back to the openers?
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Back to it. It's as safe as you want it to be.
Tony Taylor: Is this a safe space? Is this a safe space?
Al Cleveland III: This is.
Q. Robinson: Absolutely.
Jermaine P.: You
Tony Taylor: That's some of the best places to be in. If as a man, I'm just being real with you. Like, like people that are trying to be seen, now granted it should not be that, but I'm just saying like, as like a mindset space, where it's like, if you're, if you're in a space of like, you really want to be around good people, those bars.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Good morning.
Tony Taylor: those cruises, those be some of the best vibes that you could ever be a part of. These tours, you don't see a thing. 98 % of the time, it's a 2 % chance that you may be able to see it and or feel it if you got if you got a good spiritual awareness. But like most times, you're not seeing none of these people. It's a slim chance. It's work.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Al Cleveland III: Right, right, right, right, right, right, right.
Q. Robinson: Yeah, it's work.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Tony Taylor: It is like for me personally like and this is also something to kind of think about where it's like if you even want to get to that big stage you got to treat that small gig as if it was that stage and if you're not if you're not treating it that way you're not even gonna position yourself to even be inside of that arena so yeah all right play on go i'm sorry
Jermaine P.: Yes sir, yes sir.
Q. Robinson: Yes, Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: 100%.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, I'll claim what close it on and we'll pivot to the next.
CP4: I was about to say a quick reprise to Tony's. ⁓ Mugs just have to be real with themselves and just figure out what it is they actually want to do. Because... But no, there's literally a lane for everyone and everything. so figure out what it is you want to do. If there's something specific you want to do or good at, go somewhere.
Jermaine P.: Mm-hmm
Q. Robinson: Tell me you from Chicago without telling me you from Chicago. ⁓
Tony Taylor: My fault, my fault, my fault.
Jermaine P.: Mm.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
CP4: that that thrives on. Or if you wanna go and do everything, then that's when you go to major cities that have everything, like LA or New York. Or if you just wanna play at church, or if you wanna do all the festivals or all that, then move to these areas where all of this stuff is happening. Meet the people, network, and go from there. But if you're not knowing which line you're trying to go to, there's the visit before you move.
Tony Taylor: Mmm.
CP4: Especially while you're figuring out just visit first and then you go from there. So yeah, that's all I want to say.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: There you go.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Love it. I think we have great explanations here. We're good. This was really really quick. Did you all have any other jobs before drumming or before drumming was your main occupation? Show of hands. Yes. No. Tony said no. Q said yes. Out. Out. What was that? Clem. Yes. OK. So Jermaine and Tony know everyone else up here has. OK.
Jermaine P.: Mm-hmm
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Bye.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, yeah, Right out of, I mean, I guess it was like the same time, like right when I graduated, I was doing some touring, but like when that got slow, I was working at Guitar Center. You know what saying? I was doing a Guitar Center thing, because I didn't know if I would ever go on tour again. I was still doing the bar thing, but I need to make, I just got a girlfriend. I was trying to be able to take out to eat. So I did Guitar Center and then,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: A lot of people don't know this. After I'd already kind of like established the beginning of my career, the pandemic happened and my ass was at Starbucks straight up. I was slinking coffee for like six months, you know what saying? And as soon as I got that first call, was like, all right, we back in the mix.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Jermaine P.: Slinging, call me instead of slinging. It's crazy. That's crazy, huh?
Q. Robinson: Slinging coffee is crazy.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sling in the bee!
Jermaine P.: I'm
Al Cleveland III: To answer the question, think like, if you can make music work, like I feel like everybody here has been blessed to be able to figure out how to make music work ⁓ exclusively, but if you need to supplement with a regular civilian job, do not feel no shame about that. Cause the last thing you want is to be good and talented and one month away from being on a street. You know what I'm saying? Like it's not, you do have to struggle a little bit as you're trying to.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Al Cleveland III: You gotta have that hunger, like, you gotta have some, make some money. Especially if you over 22, 23, like you should have some bread, you know what I'm saying? So, but like, I get it, but yeah, I don't see no shame in working on regular job if you gotta do it as you getting up.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep, I agree. Take care of your houses. That's that simple. There's no ego in providing for yourself.
CP4: Bingo.
Q. Robinson: I always playing drums, but I was a high school math teacher. I taught high school math for five years. ⁓ So I did that while I was in Miami. around that time, I started visiting Atlanta and just like.
Al Cleveland III: Wow.
Jermaine P.: Well...
Tony Taylor: Fire!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right, right.
Jermaine P.: That's crazy.
Q. Robinson: I felt like I was at the top of my step in Miami as far as like gigs and opportunities and opportunities that I wanted just weren't necessarily originating in Miami. Everybody comes down to Miami to party and record, you know what saying? But I wanted to do like more live performances and stuff like that. So, but my fifth year, I decided to step out on faith and do music full time. And so my last year teaching was 09 and then I moved to Atlanta in 2010. And so, you know, it's definitely been some ups and downs, you know, some struggle, like having to figure out how much gas is in my car and do I have enough to make it to the gig to get that little $65 so I can put gas in my car and potentially have something to eat. You know what I'm saying? So it's a struggle. Y'all don't know Jarvis and I just talked about it, but I was homeless for a couple of months when I first moved to Atlanta.
Tony Taylor: 100%.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah?
Tony Taylor: To get back home.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Jermaine P.: right
Al Cleveland III: Wow.
Q. Robinson: because the dude, long story short, I was renting a house and I gave the guy like six months worth of rent upfront. So I wouldn't have to worry about that while I was still in Miami. And that house was in foreclosure, unknown in the rule at the time. Like he just got away with murder. So maybe like two months into me living in that place, the marshal's knocked on the door. He's like, yo, like you gotta leave. And at that time I had no legal recourse. So like, what was I gonna do?
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Cheers.
Jermaine P.: Wow. Wow.
Q. Robinson: It was like for me, that was like rock bottom. And I think I had to go through that too. So that. I could prove to myself, it wasn't proving to God because God had already had given me everything I needed, but for me to be able to prove to myself that, you know, I could do this, you know, because anytime you move Clem, Jermaine, if you've moved from one place to another, you have a lot of people that tell you, ⁓ yeah, this is dope. You should go and do that. But it's going to be some people that are like, you'll be back. You stupid for leaving. Why would you leave? You got all of these things happening. You know what saying? So who's reporting you going to believe?
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah. Yep. Right.
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Yep.
CP4: ⁓ yeah.
Q. Robinson: You know what saying? I'm not going to preach like Tony said, but like I just choose to believe that the same guy that gave me this gift is the same guy that gave me the mindset to move and also work in his timing. And I think a lot of times we take off our blinders and we're looking at, well Tony moved or Clem moved, Jermaine moved. So now that's my, that's my, that's my cue to move as well. Don't put yourself in a situation where, you know, Once again, also Al, I think sometimes it's ego driven to be able to say, ⁓ yeah, I'm just doing music full time and you'd rather struggle doing music full time than going to get that job, you know, until you don't have, sometimes you got to do what you don't want to do, sacrifice what you want to do so you can do it later. You know what saying? Everybody's timing is different, but we look at social media and we look at everything somebody else is doing.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: And we can't even find joy in our own careers because we're looking at what other people are doing in comparison to the Thief of Joy. Like I look at all of y'all and I draw inspiration from each one of y'all every time I see y'all play. By no means, or form does it make me feel like I need to be doing more because I see such and such as killing it right now. No, it makes me want to go and get in the shed, but it's not going to make me feel bad about where I am in my career.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: You know what saying? And I think so many times we're motivated not by what God has put in us, but we're motivated by jealousy and envy and ego. ⁓ well, I play better than him. Like I should have that opportunity. And if he can do it, I can do it. And then you move out here and you see it's not the same thing. So, yeah.
Tony Taylor: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: So summarize there, people have gotten jobs and will get jobs if we need to. Okay. 100%. We will take care of our houses. But if you can cool, if not, it's also no, no shame.
Q. Robinson: Tell them about your job Jarvis.
Tony Taylor: Yep.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: What job is that?
Q. Robinson: Yeah, you'd be walking down Hollywood Boulevard chest naked, you know what saying? With a tip.
Jermaine P.: With the baby oil together
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: OK, yep, might have to mute Q. Q, Q, gotta get out of here.
CP4: NNNN ⁓
Q. Robinson: Baby all is crazy ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: you to me. I thought we was good. I thought we was good. I thought we was good. Wow. The experience is crazy. I hate you. All right. This is one I want to know, actually, because I'm very curious. Always when you all get a gig and you get called for for some work, right? We get guys, we got a tour for you all. How do you guys go?
Jermaine P.: Hey.
Tony Taylor: Ayyyy
Jermaine P.: I was just trying to add to the experience. I was just trying to add to the experience. ⁓
Tony Taylor: ⁓ haha!
Q. Robinson: Hey Jay, you did it though. You did it. You did it. I appreciate you, bro.
Al Cleveland III: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Tony Taylor: Mercy.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: What's your process for learning the material? Because we all just said out the gate, most of the time we get this shit last minute. Right. That's just what it is. Right. And the reason just so people know creative has to make a decision. Andy's got to make a decision. Management's got to agree. Artists has got to agree before you even get the song to you. So that's usually why we get it so late. Not because an MD doesn't want to give it to us. It's just they have a lot of, you know, layers to this before we get to it. So. What is you all's process for learning this material at a short notice and getting through to being as prepared as possible?
CP4: I'll go first. I'll answer for Jermaine and I, because we do the same thing. One, of course, it depends on how much time you have. That's where you start with that. And then once you do get the songs, the late, great Kahari Parker taught us that you break the songs up or down into how much time you have. So if you get a call and let's say you have two days to learn 15 songs.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Let's get it
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
CP4: That first day, of course you can listen all the way down, but that first day you're doing five to seven songs. Don't start trying to get to the end in the outro. Then that second day, that first day you learn them, you chart them, you do whatever you need to do to get comfortable with them. Then the second day, the next five to seven, or however many, or if it's eight, or however many you got through the first day, you do the rest on the second day.
Jermaine P.: I'll file to seven, and you eat.
CP4: And then you go from there. And then if you're blessed enough, if you got a third day, then that's when you finally go through everything. And don't put your hands on it. Don't initially just go to the drums to put your hands. No, you have to actually listen orally, not orally, orally. Of course, my accent is different, but you have to listen first. You have to listen first to actually know what you're playing, understand what you're playing because...
Jermaine P.: ⁓ fuck!
Q. Robinson: Yeah, talk to him. Talk to him, Clem. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, come on
CP4: Jermaine and I all the time, and I'm sure y'all can say this too, we'll listen to some songs that we've heard for years, but never had to play them or play them not in a serious situation. But then you listen like, that's what they've been playing this whole time? I had no idea. So you have to listen and process what it is first. Then if you have the time, then go put your hands on it. Cause of course not every song takes as long as the next or not every show involves that much. just all depends on what it is. And then the next thing,
Jermaine P.: Stop it.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: The whole time, yep. ⁓
Q. Robinson: Yeah. Yeah.
CP4: that goes with that, knowing your personnel, knowing who you're working with, knowing the artist, knowing the MD. If the MD likes all of this, cool. If you know the MD does not and only wants you to play the music or the artist only wants to hear their stuff, then you prepare for that as well too, AKA learning the record, learning the feels from the record, learning why they play what they play because of course, yes, we're hired or called to be ourselves.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Hmm. Mmm.
Jermaine P.: ⁓ weeee!
Q. Robinson: Boy, look, boy.
CP4: But ourselves can sometimes be a distraction or just not correct at all because we didn't listen and do our proper research and study. And that's all I'll say because y'all can go from there.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Yeah, man. Yes, sir.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: I would love also to hear from from Al not to interject before you guys, but I particularly want your insight on this because you've successfully crossed a wide variety of genres. Like you have successfully crossed a wide variety of genres and to the point where he's playing arena shows for a country and then going on playing stadiums for BTS. That's how wide this scope has been and all the way in between. So I would love to hear your insight.
CP4: Literally, literally.
Jermaine P.: ⁓ Literally.
CP4: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
CP4: Mm-hmm.
Al Cleveland III: So, okay, funny piggybacking off of what Clemen said. So I've always had a process, but I was getting ready for something. I don't remember what it was. And Clemen's actually gave me his process on how he got ready for songs. And I straight up ripped it. Like the part where he talks about just listening and not even putting your hands on it. Because before I used to just learn the song.
Jermaine P.: Hahaha! ⁓
Al Cleveland III: and be like, I gotta be prepared, I gotta be prepared. But I kind of morphed into, my process basically now is like, I get the music and let's say I got a week to get everything straight. The last thing I'm gonna do is play the drums on the songs. And if it's simple enough, I might not actually play it into rehearsal. But what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna make a playlist, I'm gonna listen to it, just listen to it like I'm listening to my own regular music.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Moo!
Jermaine P.: Lately though.
Al Cleveland III: and just get it ⁓ in me, try to get it in me as much as possible. And then from there, I'll decide how do I wanna play it and I'll start listening to stuff like my own music that fits that, you know what I'm saying? So like when I was with Melanie, when I first got the music, started listening to the songs and then I started listening to a bunch of Nine Inch Nails. And I was just like, cause this how I wanna come at the gig. So just kind of trying to like connect it, connect it.
Tony Taylor: ⁓ huh.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: oooo
Al Cleveland III: Like the country stuff, I would listen to stuff that, listen to Brad Paisley or Dirk Spintley, like old super stuff to just kind of give it like stuff that, ⁓ try to give it a feel that I connect with so I can, I'm gonna still play the parts, but I just want to connect the dots in my brain. That's how I can sell the music. And then the last thing is, and this is lot, this is putting in a lot of time, but like, I don't care. If you only have four days, I'm gonna.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Al Cleveland III: You got 24 hours in a day, I'ma do it. I'm going to give myself a roadmap of every song, ⁓ just so I know I might not use them. I might not be staring at it in rehearsal, but I've given myself every opportunity I can to win because I'm not the... I I'm confident in what I can do, but I'm not the craziest drummer, you know what saying? A part of my superpower is I'm gonna know the shit, I'm gonna be able to play it. consistently down every time. if I need to look over and see, oh, this, these hits is coming up. I'm not finna whiff those hits. You know what I'm saying? So like listen, study, connect the dots in your brain, however you can. And then if you want to jot it down, jot it down. But if you got one extra day to go and just kind of shed over them, then cool. I personally, like everybody here can play. Like if you're doing things at a certain level, you know, you can play the drums. So I don't think you, actually saw an interview
Jermaine P.: Yep.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Al Cleveland III: by when I was, I might've been in high school, was the interview with Ronald Brenner Jr. And he was like, he was about to do a drummer live performance, something like that. And they asked him how he prepared. He's like, I just listened to it. And then I just went up there and played it. And like, he oversimplified the hell out of it. But like, understood it. He was like, I don't want to go practice it and come up with all this stuff. And now I'm thinking about that on stage. Like, he just went up there and flowed. Me.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Al Cleveland III: fills and stuff like that. If I'm going to do something flashy, you better believe I did it already in this room. Because like I can't, I'm not Ron, you know what saying? Like I need to know, I at least need to know how I'm a start it and how I'm a land it. Everything in the middle, that can be fine. You know what saying? Some drummers don't need that. But if you need that, like if you need to come up with the different gates and how you going to stick shit, do whatever you need to do. But you just got to...
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mmm.
Jermaine P.: Hahaha.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: or
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: be self-aware and know what type of player you are. And at the end of the day, it's all about coming in there and trying to, like I try to come in first rehearsal, ready to play a show, as close to ready to play a show as I can. You know what saying? Knowing it's not, you're not going to get there, but I try to come in. So it just puts everybody at ease. puts everybody like, especially if you are doing a situation where you just stepping in for a once or a couple of days or something like that, you know.
Jermaine P.: Yep.
CP4: Bingo. Bingo.
Al Cleveland III: And then, you know, if you're a soft road, if you're listening, then you don't prepare at all. I show up late. I'd play everything I want to play.
Jermaine P.: Hm-hm.
Q. Robinson: You
CP4: You play all the splashes. You play all the splashes.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Idiot.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: No, I'm just playing, I'm just playing. But yeah, that's my process, man.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Tony, do you want to add something to that?
Tony Taylor: just want to make sure that we are not gonna walk away from the fact that Al is one of the craziest drummers in the world right now. I just want to make sure. I just want, I don't want you to undersell yourself because you Cleveland's are a problem. And no, no, like so serious. Like you may feel like you can't do the craziest chops, but the simplest crap you're doing on these posts that you put up, these people are still trying to figure it out. Me included.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That is a fact. That is a fact.
Q. Robinson: Come on, Come on, come on.
Jermaine P.: Thank you. Thanks
Al Cleveland III: I appreciate it,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Come on.
Q. Robinson: Alright.
Jermaine P.: You ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's a fact. That is a fact. That is a fact.
Tony Taylor: But that's neither here nor there.
Al Cleveland III: ⁓ man.
Q. Robinson: I'm one of them. I'm one of them.
Al Cleveland III: ⁓ man.
Tony Taylor: like like on some real stuff bro like if you're a real musician a lot of people would say like you are one of those goats like like on some real stuff bro because like the the way that you approach music
Jermaine P.: Yep.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes.
Al Cleveland III: ⁓ I appreciate this.
Jermaine P.: Yep.
Tony Taylor: Yeah, I'm not gonna get into that.
Jermaine P.: Yeah, yeah.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, man. That means a lot coming from you guys, man. I'm a huge fan of every, like you heard, Clemens has changed my, like I'm always looking at what everybody on this screen is doing and like, you know, and just trying to take the fuel. So I appreciate the support guys.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Tony Taylor: Yeah, nah, I just had to say that. ⁓ I guess I can answer the question. ⁓ So, me, Clem May, we all grew up together. So, yeah, I learned the same way. I did change a little bit recently though. ⁓ It's a little more in depth because I wanted to become a... Okay, I'll just start like this. Once I saw Sean Wright and Darion do all the YouTube live arrangements, that's what I wanted to do. So like...
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: And I
Q. Robinson: For sure.
Al Cleveland III: Mm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: you
Tony Taylor: At one point I was just making stupid crap but then over time I actually started taking it seriously. So ever since I started taking production, arranging, all of that stuff seriously, I actually started listening to what else is happening within the song. So because I'm extremely picky and because I listen to what everybody else is doing now, I typically take a little long.
Q. Robinson: Hmm.
Jermaine P.: Yes, sir.
Tony Taylor: It's bad, I'm really trying to process through all of this, but like I actually care about what everybody else is doing. So like the way that I'll approach the music is based off of what's happening in the song itself. And then once we get into the actual rehearsals and I'm actually listening to what everybody else is doing, then my approach actually becomes what it really is once I hear everybody's part to play. So for me, I will listen to the stuff in the car while I'm asleep.
Al Cleveland III: Mmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Respect.
Tony Taylor: Like I'll just listen to it as much as I possibly can. Like, and one thing somebody told me, ⁓ listening to music while you're asleep is actually one of the best ways to learn music because that is, that is the time, that is the time where your body is actually like processing without all the chaos. So when you're listening to that stuff, you're retaining it a lot easier. So I started doing that where like I'll sleep on it. And then this is also a weird way to think about it. Like,
CP4: Absolutely. Absolutely.
Al Cleveland III: I don't. Yeah, 100 % 100 %
CP4: Yep.
Q. Robinson: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mm.
Tony Taylor: Live what you play. And the reason why I say that is because like when you look at some of the greatest actors, they actually take on what's going on. And it's like, and granted, I'm not saying, I'm not saying, you know, turn into the thing, but like come into a mindset of like, like I was saying, like you want to be in that genre. So like actually taking time to study. What was their last show sounding like?
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, 100%.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Whoa, that's good, Tony.
Al Cleveland III: Right. Mm-hmm.
Tony Taylor: like what is the artist, what is the artist like if it's like, well for me, like it was a group, but they were all individual artists. So like they all had different vibes. Like I had a whole conversation with Mayne because he played with one of the artists and I asked him about his input and literally because of the conversations that we had, it helped me to be able to understand how I need to be playing this music. So yeah, like really like, yeah.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: That's 100 % bro.
Q. Robinson: ⁓ think especially you five guys, cause I've watched y'all, know, like I'm probably the biggest fans of all of y'all. The thing, and I've seen y'all play multiple genres with different artists. And I think the one thing that I've always been a fan of is that you don't bring your ego into what it is. Like you never come in with a preconceived, I'm going to approach it this way because this is my sound, you know, and we see a lot of guys crash and burn in that way. Instead of Tony, like you said, allowing the music to dictate how you approach the music, right? And not just trying to fit what you do into this or try to make the music fit.
Jermaine P.: Wee! Yes sir. ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
CP4: Ingo.
Q. Robinson: into what it is that you do. And I think that's bigger question when we start talking about metaphysics. It's like the reason why we practice is not to shed or to get better, it's to exercise those tenets so that music can speak to us, speak through us any way it desires to. But I think a lot of times if we just put these blinders on and just only going at it one approach, you're
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Tony Taylor: Yeah. You
Q. Robinson: only going to sound good in that approach as opposed to being able to play behind a legacy artist versus like a K-pop artist versus the country artists. It's like any one of y'all can do anyone's gig simply because of the mindset of like, I'm here to service the music. anyway, ⁓ but ⁓ my, my, my thing is a little different. Yes. I'm definitely listening all of the time.
Jermaine P.: Mmm.
CP4: Yep.
Jermaine P.: Yes, sir.
Al Cleveland III: It's about the music.
CP4: Thank
Q. Robinson: 24 hours a day, even when I don't want to listen to it, definitely in my sleep. But mine is a little different simply because I got sheet music in front of me. Right. So ⁓ for me, it's always listening. Like my process, if I'm lucky, especially with these productions, you you get a little time. Like, so I'm never in a situation where I got to be ready to play a show in three days. Right. I've done that, but like not on the specifically the Broadway stuff.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Q. Robinson: So my process is about maybe like three to five weeks. And the first, those first three weeks, am listening. I'm listening every day, all day. And then from there, at the end of the third week, I pull out the music. Because by that time I know where the transitions are going, right?
Jermaine P.: Thank
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: And so now at that point, now I'm listening to see exactly what the drummer actually played. Cause I know something's coming up, but I don't know what he did. So now I'm looking at the sheet music to read and annotate and see what he did. The audio versus what's written because sometimes what's written is very old and there is an update and whoever's in the chair can play something different. I pulled out this so I can show y'all anything that you see in red.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sorry. Mm.
Q. Robinson: is something, let me see, there we go. Red is what's being played now, right? If I get rid of that and ⁓ that's the original, right? Because it's also not about what I wanna play. It's what, because the drums a lot of times are the linchpin and what automation does and what lights do.
Al Cleveland III: Mmm.
CP4: Mmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Got you.
Al Cleveland III: Ah, I don't know.
Q. Robinson: and what choreography does. like they're depending on me to, and I could do something even better than what the drummer did in my opinion. But if it pulls focus for a minute, that split second that the lights are like, ⁓ yo, like what was that? That's dope. He's just missed this cue. And now it's just like a domino effect of things not working well. Right. And the last thing you want to do is be on that note. What happened? ⁓ Q did this fill. And you know, I was listening, you get what I'm saying?
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Al Cleveland III: you
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, facts, big facts.
Q. Robinson: So, ⁓ it's definitely about listening. ⁓ it's definitely about knowing what's going on. But I think the other thing that all of you guys have in common is that you never listening from the drum chair. You're always listening from an architectural view, right? You're always listening. And that's what Tony's talking about. Listening to what everybody else is doing. Like as if we, if we're talking about architect, like if I'm just a drywaller and I'm only looking at drywall,
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: I'm only concerned with the drywall, but if I zoom out and go to the top, like I can see everything. I can see what the plumber is doing. I can see what the electricians are doing. And it allows me to do my job better because if I know that the bass player is doing something that's going to like an eighth note bill, maybe I not do the crazy 32nd note triplet thing. That's going to get me all of the pats on the back, but it's going to clash with what the bass player is getting ready to do. Or you get what I'm saying? It's like that. And sometimes that's why I think like you guys, you know,
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Tony Taylor: Yep.
Q. Robinson: ⁓ you guys are so inspirational because when I hear you play, it's like, it's y'all make the simplest thing feel so good because you're thinking from a musician standpoint and not a drummer standpoint. And that's a whole nother conversation, right? But, ⁓ yeah, but for me it's, it's, it's, it's the, it's the audio, but also for me, it's the video, the visual, you know, and then on top of that also having the conductor cam.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right. I think that's perfect.
CP4: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: Right? Because I got to know like how the conductor and we all grew up in church. like, it's like watching a choir director, right? Just like understanding, understanding the act is the bottom of that instruction or this person counts faster than the other conductor that may be on, you know, or when this actor is on this actor back phrases more than the other actors. like also understanding that thing. like for me, it's, it's always audio.
Jermaine P.: Yes sir.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right, yep.
Tony Taylor: Crazy.
Q. Robinson: And then it goes to visual from a sheet music standpoint. And then the last thing is like, when I know those two, then I can watch the conductor cam. And after I do all of that, then I can actually sit behind the kit, use Moises or Ableton, strip out the drums, put my iPad up or put my screen up and literally play through the show with all of the notes that I've had. like the biggest thing that I can do because like, Hamilton has maybe like seven or eight different drummers that can cycle through the show at one particular time. My job is to be as invisible as possible. Like I want to be concrete foundation. And the thing about concrete foundation, you never walked into a house and be like, man, this is a strong concrete foundation. You might say that you may say that the carpet looks good or you may say that the tile or the wood looks good, but you're never looking at the concrete foundation unless it has a crack in it. So I rather them not even know that I'm there.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mm-hmm.
Jermaine P.: you
Tony Taylor: Nope.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sir.
Jermaine P.: Uh-uh.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: Like it's drums that, ⁓ yeah, like that's Q. He's solid and keep it moving, you know? So yeah, so that's that.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Respect. Oh, do we have a beautiful spectrum? But everybody starts with listening because we're playing music. Don't forget that you're playing music. So listen to understand where your part falls in the music versus being so focused on. am the drummer. I'm going to cherry pick a couple of things because I know we were pretty over it. I don't want to hold you, gentlemen, But this is a really great question is I'm in high school and considering going to college for music.
Q. Robinson: Yeah, 100%.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Would you suggest going to college or giving it a professional go in the work?
Jermaine P.: to this one. Yeah, yeah. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, went to the same place. So that's why I'm like, you can go bro. Go out. Go. Yeah, go ahead.
Al Cleveland III: take a step at that. ⁓ yeah, go ahead. No, go ahead, Jermaine. Jermaine. We're probably in the same. ⁓ It just depends on what you're trying to do. If you're just strictly trying to play, play the instrument.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, man.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: I would give it a shot in the real world first. If that's all you're trying to do is play, just get out there, get the experience, get your ass kicked by a bunch of professionals and just go for it. If you're looking to do something else in music industry, definitely go to school. I definitely went to a conservatory along with Jermaine and I enjoyed my experience. I definitely learned a lot. ⁓ I didn't think I was gonna be, I didn't think I was gonna work in the drum set world at the time, which is why I went. So yeah, I don't got nothing better. Like if you want to go to conservatory, do it. But I can't imagine what life would be if I knew I wanted to play drum set and I moved out here at 18 years old and just started going for it. So.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah. Go ahead, man. I would love to hear you say.
Jermaine P.: Right. Yeah. Yeah. I think for me, ⁓ I realized everyone's situation is just different. Right. So then because it's like I knew homies more so that was at school with me. Like they were from, you know, Alabama, Florida, just like you name it. And I realized quickly how blessed I was to be from Chicago. Right. Chicago has its own industry ⁓ of its own. ⁓ from the networking, know, but just whatever it is, I had such an advantage living in Chicago. So then when I got to my college, I realized, like I said, my guys from Alabama, you know, just like certain things where it's like, oh man, they didn't have the opportunities, they didn't even have some of the professionals or the professionalism. You know, I literally was able to watch guys that still work to this day, just like. Like it was just nothing, you know what I mean? So like once I realized that like, man, like my big bros are guys that they're looking at and looking up to and all, you know what mean? So I think, I think for me, it just depends on your situation because what I liked about college was the networking aspect of it was me being in a different environment. You know, I lived in Boston before I even moved to LA. So I even learned how to maneuver, you know, and how to. ⁓ rebuild myself and my connections and you know how to more so do it the right way. So then when I came to LA, it was a little easier. It was honestly like the same thing. I know you can attest out it felt the same way. We you just had to go around and just do what you had to do, you know, so I say I say for me, it just depends on like your situation, you know, like if you actually are working like it's some people that
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Jermaine P.: like like like Clemens, for example, he was working in high school, like heavy heavy high school. So he necessarily did need to go to Boston. I wasn't working heavy ⁓ in high school. So it made sense for me to leave and go do something else and blah, blah, blah, blah. So I think just everyone's situation is different. But ⁓ I say
Al Cleveland III: Right. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right, right.
Jermaine P.: I'm gonna say do it, if you don't have much going, and especially if you get some kind of scholarship, I say do it if you just want to just gain something new. then just I'll say, then it is the place where you can actually maybe teach later on down the line. I say if you're working, but if you aren't working, man, do it.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, I'm going, I gotta go with Jermaine on that too. Like just to piggyback on him, he's bringing up Clemens was a perfect example. It's like, like if you already like, I mean, we're always obviously growing as players, but like if you already doing stuff and like you can play and you doing gigs, stuff like that, maybe Berkeley is not the, or any music school to teach you how to play is not the best option. But like, you know, like Jermaine said, if you don't got a ton going on and like for me, it definitely helped me because simply it immersed me in music. It just immersed me in music culture, you know what saying? And being around people that, like I was not in a place where I could have just moved. If I had moved to LA right out of, I would have just got swallowed up, you know what saying? So yeah, definitely everybody's situation is different.
Jermaine P.: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right. Perfect. Next question is, go ahead.
Q. Robinson: I'd say, hold on one second. do want to say something about that simply because, know, I, you know, went to went to university, Miami or whatever. and Jermaine said something very, very, very, ⁓ pointed and he said that you gotta know what it is that you want to do. ⁓ and I don't know if a lot of high school kids actually know what that is. They only know what they see, right? And so sometimes I know even for me going to college, I just knew I wanted to play drums. I had no idea I would be sitting where I am right now. Right. But what college allows you to do, like Al said, it's like you meet other people from different walks of life and then it shines a light on, ⁓ I may want to do that or I may want to do that. And then that, that helps you chart the path to get to that point. ⁓ I get a lot of people, ⁓ established professionals and you know, startups that are like, yo man, want to, I want to, I want to do what you're doing. I'm like, cool. How's your reading? Well, I don't really know how to do that. You know what saying? Okay, cool. I'm not saying that you have to go to school to learn how to read, but if this is something that you want to do, or if you want to, you know, do something that's going to use more than your technical vocation, I would say go and get the help even now as an adult, if it's something that you want to do that you know you need a skill for, like what's shutting your life down for six to eight months to go and get that certification so you can do it. You get what I'm saying? Like, because it only opens up ⁓ a world for you. You guys live out in LA and it's like, I don't want, what I don't want is to let the youth know, like, because there are certain guys
Tony Taylor: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sorry? Yep.
Q. Robinson: They can just play and it doesn't matter if they know how to read. It doesn't matter if they understand different genres. They have some MDs that will allow them to figure it out simply because that personality, they want that personality in the room or they want that skill set in the room. Not everybody is like that. So what I don't want to do, I don't want to miss this opportunity. If you have the opportunity to go to school, whether you can play or not, I feel like you should at least go and get the other side of it.
Tony Taylor: No.
Q. Robinson: so that you can do other things later. You know what saying? Because I feel bad about some guys are like, man, I really want to do that. I was like, cool. You can go and take a night course and take a music theory course online. But you know what saying? You can go.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sure.
Tony Taylor: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: sure.
Jermaine P.: I'm sorry for laughing literally literally no no but but but people don't want to hear that though bro that's why I'm laughing people don't want to hear that yeah
Al Cleveland III: Hahaha!
Q. Robinson: No, they don't. And that's why I'm saying it. Because it's like, you tell me you want to change your life, if you tell me, yo Q, I see what you're doing, I want to do it, I write, how's your reading? Well, I don't really read. Go and get the certification. And so many guys that hit me with that, and I was like, when you get to reading, come back and talk to me. I can count on one hand how many of those guys have come back and said, yo, I'm actively working on this, this, this, this, this, and this. And so part of that is also an ego thing, especially,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, for sure.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: They just want this.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Jermaine P.: Right.
Q. Robinson: Like if you're like Clem, who was already got, he already had motion. It's hard for some people that have motion already to put themselves in a situation where.
CP4: ⁓ phew.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Come on man.
CP4: I didn't know where he was going with that.
Jermaine P.: hahahahah ⁓
Q. Robinson: Like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: I didn't know either I say yo, what is about to happen?
Tony Taylor: We've been doing good, bro. We've been doing.
Jermaine P.: Thank Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Q. Robinson: to expose yourself into not necessarily knowing what it is. And it's like, I'm going to just stay over here. I'm going to just stay over here and play over here because I know what this is as opposed to putting yourself in a position like Jarvis, know, you, you, you lift out, you work out, you live, you get stronger at your weakest point. A lot of us don't want to be weak. You know what I'm saying?
Al Cleveland III: ⁓ yeah.
Q. Robinson: It's like, so I would say like take the opportunity, especially if somebody is going to pay you for it, you know, go and get that education. And if you don't want to use it, don't use it, but like, don't, don't forfeit what you don't even know is coming around the corner. You know what saying? So yeah.
Jermaine P.: Right. Yep. ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: So very valid.
Al Cleveland III: I that. I feel that.
CP4: And if you like your arms, if you like your arms, don't work out with Jarvis. He lifts a thousand pounds. So stay away from him if you like the, yeah, yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: as Not true. Everybody survives. Everybody survives. I'm going to ask one more. Right. I'm ask another question just ⁓ to keep it moving here. then depending off, we if you guys have things to do, we can tip off if we have the time to school, But the one thing that I think a lot of people talk about and would like to know drummers and not drummers in general is about pricing.
Jermaine P.: Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm
Al Cleveland III: No, that's true. That is true.
Q. Robinson: Not really.
CP4: There's some people that ain't made it back to the gym. ⁓
Jermaine P.: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right. How do you guys set your rates? What kind of conversations do you have when it comes down to rates? How do you determine what's a fair region? What's not?
Jermaine P.: Bye! How are you laughing? I'm
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: And let me put a disclaimer out first. Nobody up here is about to tell you how much they make or don't make. That's not their job. They're just going to help you decide what you should negotiate on certain gigs. That's all we're about to do right now.
Al Cleveland III: you
Q. Robinson: No, it's not happening. It's not happening.
Al Cleveland III: You
Tony Taylor: Ugh. Ugh.
CP4: I'll start, I'll start. My go-to thing, of course, I'm gonna always say is knowing your personnel. So knowing who's calling you, knowing the stature and the status of the gig or artist that you're doing, and even knowing the history of that. then, because yes, some people will pay you your worth if they can, but also you just have to be real.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
CP4: Well, if I'm going to a B level gig or event, but I'm asking for A plus type prices, nine times out of 10, they're going to say, unfortunately, we have to go a different route and we just can't afford you or whatever it is. So that's one aspect of it. But then the other aspect for me is what's all needed of me? What do I have to go through? What do I have to do?
Al Cleveland III: You
Jermaine P.: you
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
CP4: what's required of me and how much time or how long are we doing it? Do I have to bring my own gear? Do I have to do this? Do I have to learn it turnaround quick? I have to? So it just, I always just ask, I'm not scared to ask questions. I don't mind being the person that goes in asking questions because you could be, I gotta be appropriate. You could be someone that's too excited, too anxious.
Jermaine P.: Good bye.
CP4: and you will say a price and yeah, it could be cool, but then now they pull out the real on you of things that you gotta do before you can even get paid. Yeah, 30 songs, you gotta share rooms, gotta fly regular, you gotta, you know, it could be anything. I say ask all the necessary questions. Don't just ask where we going and who gonna be there. No, ask all the very important things.
Jermaine P.: I'm on 30 songs. Literally.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Tony Taylor: See. ⁓
CP4: Do I have to set up my own gear? Is there a production budget to cover XYZ? If I have to buy my own stuff, of course that's for touring and stuff, but just in general, if it's just, ⁓ we just picking up the end of tracks or we doing this, or you got to go to our rehearsals involved, all of these questions are very, very necessary. And then that's when you make a decision on how much you think all of this is going to cost you. Because now you got to...
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: Mercy.
Q. Robinson: Hmm
CP4: When you take on this responsibility, now you got to put your other stuff on pause or involve it. If you're working on multiple things, it's like, all right, well, I thought I had three off days. Now these three off days are filled with either preparing for this gig or doing this gig, rehearsing for this gig or doing whatever. So it's just like, ⁓ or if you got to sell out of some other stuff to cover whatever it is, you got to involve that and being able to pay whoever's going to cover you.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes.
CP4: Or if they got your tickets, your plane tickets already and some people make you pay it back. So you gotta, you gotta keep all those, all those things in mind when you're, when you're coming up with prices and all the things. So that's how I go from now. Of course we all know what we're worth, but it all still comes down to being real with yourselves and these people that's calling you and figuring out what you have to do, how much of your soul you have to let them borrow for however long and what it's going to cost for that. So yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Tony Taylor: University.
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Yeah.
Q. Robinson: ⁓ that's good. That's good.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, man. That's it, ⁓
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: anything else to add to that. think that's a perfect layout.
Al Cleveland III: That's it, brother.
Jermaine P.: I want to add one thing, because yeah, people definitely ask this question. think Clem said it. You have to be real with yourself, even in the sense of, you worth what you're asking for? Are you actually worth, I'm not going say no numbers because I don't want to, but are you actually worth this, fam? You know what I mean? Are you actually, I don't want to.
Q. Robinson: 100 %
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Hmm.
Al Cleveland III: Yay yay yay!
Jermaine P.: say it the wrong way, but like these managements and like all that, like they're looking at like how valuable you are to them, to the product. So it's like, if you, if you're asking for this, bro, are you truly worth it? Are you finna show up to rehearsals with your notes, knowing all the music? Are you finna do, do you have ⁓ that background of everybody saying, ⁓ yeah, Jermaine always knows the music. ⁓ yeah. Every situation he comes into always like,
CP4: to the show, yeah.
Jermaine P.: Like just do you have like a rapport? You know what I mean? So I feel like that's one of the biggest things. Like you could be one of the dopest musicians. Look, look, you could even be on a gig, but that doesn't really mean much. You know what I mean? Like that's just one gig. Like it's about like the next, you know, honestly. So like, that's why I tell people to really put your head down and just work because then like I've been in LA for eight years, which is crazy. It made eight years in January, which is, which is crazy.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: soon.
Q. Robinson: Wow, has it been eight? Wow.
Jermaine P.: It literally made eight years in January, y'all. It is bananas. And all I did, thank you, thank you, thank you. And I swear y'all, all I did, bruh, was just one, be a cool person and was always prepared. And that's what, you know, driven, that's what had me do all this stuff that I'm doing now. And now I can be like, yeah, I honestly need this to feel comfortable, you know? And you have to work up to that. So I think for me, I just...
Al Cleveland III: Wow.
Q. Robinson: Congratulations, man.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Crazy
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Jermaine P.: want people to just know you have to truly be real with yourself and like, really like gauge what you're actually worth and then you just go from there, you know? So that's it for me.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: I agree. think one of the things that I wasn't going to talk about this, but this is one of the things I do all the time. I put counsel together. I will call my friends and be like, this is what they're offering. This is what it is. Do you guys think this number is fair? Or if not, how do I negotiate something? I usually don't sign anything without talking to someone first. And that has helped me in a lot of ways on being like, bro, you think you worth that? You know, and it was an honest conversation. Do you think that that number you're asking for is crazy?
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: And sometimes they put things perspective of, bro, you're out with a C-list artist. You're opening. Knock it off. Like, you're not going to get this crazy number you're asking for. So either don't go. But but this is real friends, but it's just it kept me from making bad mistakes with management because they do talk. They're just like the reps. They talk to each other. So when they see your name come across this email feeding like, oh, Jarvis is on this man. They like, yo, you got another drummer, you know?
Jermaine P.: Yup, yup, yup. But not for real. Yup, yup.
Q. Robinson: Knock it off, it's crazy. Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm. Ha ha!
Jermaine P.: But seriously, seriously. ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: And that's a fair thing for them to say. That's a fair thing for them to say. The team doesn't want to deal with the bad attitude, you know, and they're entitled to that. So I would definitely throw that little thing out there, too. If you're not sure every person on this panel right now, they're givers. They're willing to help and they're willing to be like, yo, this is what it is. Amen. You've not really done anything. I think this is a good. Yeah, we're not talking endorsements. But if you land something and you don't have an idea when it comes out to how do I submit my rider or
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Yeah.
Q. Robinson: except endorsements, I'm done with the endorsement talk.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: You know, what's other things that are actually job description ways? Everybody up here will be willing to look at it really quick, maybe send you a voice note back in the DM and help you out. But don't go in there messing yourself up by thinking you deserve this crazy number and then you're opening up.
Jermaine P.: deserve.
Q. Robinson: I will also say there's nothing wrong, there's nothing wrong. I always said anytime I go into a negotiation, first person who says a number loses.
Jermaine P.: Mmm.
Q. Robinson: You know, it's like, because you can out price yourself, you know, and then you can also undercut yourself. Right. So there's nothing. So there's nothing wrong with saying, okay, I know the work. I know what this is going to take for me to do it. And that's what I'm saying to myself. I have a number that's going to be, I never forget. was talking to Nissan and Clem, you appreciate this Nissan is like one of my OGs.
Al Cleveland III: Wow. Wow.
Q. Robinson: I asked him that question. was like, man, I got this thing coming up. How much should I, how much should I charge for it? He was like, how much you need? That's you like, I like how much do you need? And that's, that's a number for me to know. So when I'm talking to this MD or I'm talking to production, I'm like, well, like what's your budget? Like, what are you looking at? Like, what's your range? You know, because what you want to know is what they're thinking.
Jermaine P.: Wee, simple as that.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Because right now, if your top number is more is less than my bottom number, what are we even talking about? Like there has to be some, and then it's not also, sometimes it's not always monetary. You know what I'm saying? It might be the opportunity to play with the decision maker that is connected to other work. You know, so I may take, you know,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sure.
Jermaine P.: Mmm. ⁓ weeee!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: There go. There you go.
Q. Robinson: a gig that pays maybe $200 less a week or less per diem a week or maybe I give them a break on what my back line cost is going to be for the opportunity to work with that particular MD simply because once they understand my skill set they're never not going to think about me again. I call it Costco. If you ever go to Costco, you walking through Costco.
Jermaine P.: Yes, sir.
Al Cleveland III: 100%.
Q. Robinson: and you go and get that little sample, they give you the little samples, you may be able to go back once or twice. But then when you go back that third time, they're like, ah, nah, nah. If you want those shrimp, they back there in the freezer section. And now you got to go spend the money on that, right? So you can't spend a block to me. If I give you that price that we never worked together before, cool. But you can't spend a block the next time because now you know the personality, know the professionalism, and you know the value that I bring to a gig.
Jermaine P.: Yep. Yeah. Damn. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes, sir.
Q. Robinson: You know what saying? As long as I'm not putting myself in a position not only for myself to be dis, ⁓ taken advantage of, but I'm not also not messing up the community because some guys will, will take a gig just to get on and undercut so far back that it messes it up for everybody. So that's all I wanted to say.
Jermaine P.: I don't know. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Tony Taylor: I'm only gonna say this because like I want to put this like in real perspective for a person ⁓ I was one of those people I'm gonna be real
Jermaine P.: What you got, Tom? I didn't expect that one. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Tony Taylor: No, no, no, I'm so serious. I'm so serious. I was one of those people at one point in time and I never understood because of my only perspective. And I'm only saying this because like I really want people to understand this because it like I got cussed out. Like that's how bad it was. And I needed it. And I was very grateful because it was one of my one of my friends that actually called me and was like, hey, I'll never do that BS again. Because like because I didn't understand.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: But it's honest, dude. Honest.
Al Cleveland III: Wow.
Q. Robinson: Right?
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Tony Taylor: certain aspects where like when you're also talking numbers especially like if we're talking about like ⁓ our area like you're not only representing yourself you're also representing the person that you work for as well and like in my situation like i'll be real with y'all so like i took this tour right off bat they was like hey this is the number i said all right cool because
Q. Robinson: Mmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes sir.
Tony Taylor: I needed the bread. I got kids. I got kids. Like I'm not gonna hold y'all. But like I never thought about how it could have affected someone else because it wasn't the price that I was supposed to get. And for me, like my friends have to sit me down and like, hey, like that could be a sign of disrespect if someone is telling you to go a certain route.
Q. Robinson: Yeah, that's real. That's real though. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's fair. That's fair though. That's fair.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, yeah, that's real. That's real. That's real. That's real, bro.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Fair.
Al Cleveland III: That's real.
Jermaine P.: Mmm.
CP4: .
Tony Taylor: out because there are certain certain situations where somebody be like hey do this and then you don't listen and then it could be like an over price or under price and literally that could be a sign of disrespect so like if you're trying to do like this type of area where like you got people that you work for that are actually telling you like hey this is what you're going to do and then there are certain situations where they'll like production may be like hey well let's do this and it's like who do I listen to
Q. Robinson: Mmm.
Tony Taylor: I'm not gonna lie to you, I was put in that situation where it was just like, okay, what should I do? And I'm only saying this because I want a lot of people to know and understand that like, just listen. Even if it seems like, cause like in my situation, I was freaking out. I ain't gonna lie to you. Cause I was like, yo, I just moved back to Chicago. I wanna take care of my kids. I wanna get out of this hotel that I was staying in. Like I just want to establish myself. But like, I got cussed out.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
CP4: .
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: I did, like one of my homies pulled me to the side and was like, hey, like that could have been a sign of disrespect to the person that you were working for because you didn't trust them. And I'm like, I just met the dude, let me not do that.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right, right, right.
Q. Robinson: Baton, but the other thing is, like I said, what Nissan said to me, what your number is for you to be able to survive and make it work for you might not be the next person's number. So, know, ain't nobody pocket patent. If you needed that, if you needed that for you, that's a let me free you up and say, that's not disrespect. What I'm talking about is, ⁓ Clem gonna do the gig for this amount. And I'm like, you know, well, I'm gonna do it for this amount because it's cheaper and it'll guarantee me the gig.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
CP4: .
Q. Robinson: You know what saying? Like, so you get what I'm saying? was like, so I guess because I'm a little older, I'm coming from it. like we all have a number, you know I'm saying? But if it's, if it's, I think there's a fine line between being disrespectful and working to get to the number that you know, you deserve, because like Jermaine said, the number that you deserve ain't going to come overnight. Number one and number two,
CP4: . you
Q. Robinson: Nobody can ever pay you what you're worth. Like the vibe that you bring, the personality that you bring, the professionalism that you bring, not only to the bandstand, but on the plane, on the tour bus, the hotel lobby, all of that stuff are intangible things that they can't pay you for. That's why when you have some people that come into the gig and be like, how was he? ⁓ he was cool, but he wasn't you. Sometimes they're not even talking about how they played the gig.
Jermaine P.: Eugh.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Al Cleveland III: Right. Right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Jermaine P.: Alright.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah. Yep.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: That is very true. That is very true. That is very true.
Q. Robinson: You, you get what I'm saying? And so when Jermaine's talking about getting to that number, it's because the long, like the longevity and the consistency over time lets that person know that I might have a million and one things to worry about, but as long as I got Tony on drums, I'm good. And that's enough for them to pay. That's enough for them to pay for that because that's one thing they never got to worry about whether if it's drum related gear. ⁓
Jermaine P.: Done. Literally.
CP4: . you
Tony Taylor: That is very true. That is very true.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: or a matata.
Al Cleveland III: Right, right, right, right, right, right. Period.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: cartridge, whatever. As long as I got that dude on drums, I'm never worried about that again. So if he's asking for this number that I wouldn't pay the next guy, I'm gonna give it to him because I ain't never got to worry about it.
Jermaine P.: I was literally, here. Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: ⁓
Tony Taylor: Yeah, and I will say that is something that I grew into. ⁓ Cause like, cause I'll be real with you. Cause like that situation really kind of opened my eyes to a certain extent. The only reason why I'm saying it is because like I undermined myself and the person knew my worth and I took it granted for the sake of my kids and everybody understood it, but I'm really just saying it for the sake of like other people because like for me,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: real. It's real.
Jermaine P.: Yeah, yeah.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
CP4: .
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Damn. Mmm.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
CP4: . .
Tony Taylor: like in situations like the situation that I was in, like always just trusting who your leader is, especially if they're looking out for you. And that's really kind of the major aspect that I'm really kind of trying to come from because like there aren't situations where people will look out for you to make sure that you're taken care of and not like, you know, undermining yourself just so that you can get on it. You know, granted I had a very valid situation and even still I even had a conversation.
Q. Robinson: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Good story.
Tony Taylor: I was just like, hey, like, I'm just trying to get in and make sure that like I can establish some type of relationship. You know what I'm saying? And granted, by the grace of God.
CP4: . .
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: gained the trust of the entire camp which is great ⁓ but I appreciate you for that too because exactly yep
Q. Robinson: And that's also investment too, right? Like that's also investment. And that investment is also tax writable, tax off writable too. the number that you desire to have and the number that you take, that middle is tax off, tax writable.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: What's going on? Right.
Jermaine P.: Mmm
Tony Taylor: I had a bossy. ⁓
CP4: Okay. .
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm. never thought about it that way that's crazy that's a crazy way to think about that
Al Cleveland III: hahahahah
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Q. Robinson: That's another thing, but that's an investment. That's an investment. you're taking $500 less than you would normally take, you're investing in the future of that relationship business-wise.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, we'll definitely talk about it. For sure.
Tony Taylor: That's a crazy way to think about that.
Al Cleveland III: Is-
Jermaine P.: Yes sir. Yep. Yep.
Tony Taylor: Exactly. Yeah.
Q. Robinson: That's a $500 tax deduction.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Go ahead, Glen.
CP4: It's also okay to just say no and stay home as well too. Your peace of mind and everyone else's peace of mind.
Q. Robinson: ⁓ ha ha! Tell them, Clem!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: OOOOH!
Tony Taylor: Yo!
CP4: is worth the no because sometimes we'll say yes to something knowing we should have said no or should have done better with negotiating or whatever it is. And now you on the gig mad and making it miserable for everybody else. Underplaying the show, not being personable, ain't taking care of your hygiene or responding to emails. You could just say no because people respect that as well too, especially
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Good.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah. Right.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: No.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
CP4: If they do know you, if they do know your work, if they have done your research, they respect it because they know, ⁓ this guy is X, Y, Z. It's a gamble asking them, so let's see what they'll say because they know sometimes people will either say yes or humbly decline and say no, which again, it's no love lost depending on situations because I'd rather you do that than become the guy that was problematic.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
CP4: or cause an actual issue on the gig while you're out. When you could've just stayed at home and somebody else could've just went out and been happy for whatever the budget is because again, one of our big homies, Chris Johnson, says all the time, I'm gonna do what's best for me. The next person is gonna do what's best. So of course, it may be ridiculous to us or it may be crazy to us, but for the next person, whether they should take it or not, they need it. Because like Nissan's like, what you need right now? Do you need this?
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Or I complain it. Yep.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Yes.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Al Cleveland III: Right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Q. Robinson: What you need.
CP4: Whether it's do you need the spotlight? Do you need the exposure? Do you need the money? Do you need whatever comes with this? Do you actually need it or should you just stay home or just do something else? So yeah, that's my only other part.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: Especially if you got kids, bruh. Especially if you got kids.
Q. Robinson: Yeah, you never, you never, you never, you never too good for a gig you said yes to. So if you knew that gig was paying that money, if you knew that gig wasn't paying a certain amount, if you knew you was going to have to share rooms or sleep on the tour bus, if you said yes to it, you can't cherry pick the path. If you're to take the money, you know what saying? You can't do that. And there's so many of us have this ego or this self
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Go.
CP4: Mm-hmm. Bingo. Bingo.
Jermaine P.: Mmm. Mmm. Yep.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Go
Jermaine P.: What?
CP4: Yep. Yep.
Jermaine P.: Yup.
Al Cleveland III: Nah, yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Q. Robinson: this sense of self entitlement that we feel like we gonna change it by complaining. That's not the way you do it. And also let's be real, some production don't care about how you feel.
CP4: Yep.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: No production cares. No production cares. Their job is the show.
Q. Robinson: They don't care. You're a small cog in the bigger wheel. know? So anyway, that's it. Anyway.
Jermaine P.: Ugh.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Fine. Well, if we got time, I want to ask just a closing question that's not as intense, but something that we've all dealt with. How do you all deal with criticism from an MD, an artist that is saying to you, I need something different, regardless of what that is. I don't like what you played. The feel is not good. The approach, your tones are wrong. How do you all handle that kind of. OK.
Jermaine P.: They're good.
Q. Robinson: Take the note. Take the note. Take the note. We were just talking about this last week. You cannot hear a note. You cannot hear a note through your ego or your insecurity. Take the note and make the adjustment, regardless of how you feel about it.
Jermaine P.: No! It's that simple.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
CP4: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: take the personal issue and that's something that I had to learn, especially coming over here to the Broadway world because I've been playing, I've played over 11, 1200 shows for Hamilton. I still might get a note about a crash that I did or something that I did. You know what saying? And if I take it with ego, it's like, how dare you? I've been playing this show longer than you've been conducting or dah, dah, dah, dah, dah. I've missed an opportunity to get better. Or if I take that note and be like, man,
CP4: .
Jermaine P.: Chiefs. Wow.
Q. Robinson: I'm jacking up. I'm never going to be good. Now I'm downplaying myself. I also missed a note. If they want a different crash there, just put a different crash there. You ain't got to love it, but you don't know what they're seeing from an architectural view. You don't know what's happening audio wise for them to even ask for that. Even if it's not your fault, let them come back and say, you know what? It was better what you was doing before. Go back to what you was doing before as opposed to you pushing back.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
CP4: .
Al Cleveland III: Right.
Jermaine P.: There we go.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Bingo. Bingo. Yep.
Q. Robinson: You know what saying? It's like, just take the note. Don't make it personal. They got a job just like you got a job. And if, and if they jack up, you're like, Hey, why are you doing that there? ⁓ MD told me to do it. No, no, no. I go back to what you was doing. Hey, MD, such as such, your boss told me to go back to doing X, Y, and Z. I just want to let you know, is that cool? ⁓ yeah. Like if such a set, I've lived that and I've also been the person to take it personal.
CP4: .
Q. Robinson: and it affects everything that I do. It affects how I come into the theater. ⁓ what's wrong with Q? Da da da da da, cause I'm in my feelings because he told me not to do the feel that I worked three hours on and it didn't go well. You get what I'm saying? Take the note, bro.
CP4: .
Tony Taylor: You
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Tony Taylor: bruh? yeah. also take self out the way. just take yo- take yo self out the way. it's not about you. like, if you're- if you're on any job, it's never about you. you may be in front, but it's not about you. especially drummers, we are the loudest possible thing.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Fair enough. Anyone else have a different? Take self.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Q. Robinson: Yeah. Yeah. Mmm.
Jermaine P.: ever. Like literally ever.
Q. Robinson: Love that.
Tony Taylor: in any area, whether it's church, bar, or the stadium. We are the loudest thing in there.
CP4: What's that guitar amp? Let's not forget that. Come on now. That guitar lamp got us beat. Guitar amp got us, come on. Come on now.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Hahahaha
Al Cleveland III: Clevis! Clevis!
Q. Robinson: Oh, not the guitar, it's like in a straight A. We love it.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Clem is an ovrum!
Al Cleveland III: feel like you dealt with this as clever as before.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Clemsa, where is your Kemper at?
Q. Robinson: Hey bro like ⁓
CP4: Please!
Jermaine P.: Literally Jarvis, literally.
Al Cleveland III: you
Tony Taylor: worth with anybody that has used a Kemper in a while but that's a doobie wearing a mic
Jermaine P.: That good talk, boy. That's what I'm saying, boy. Boy.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: You
Tony Taylor: Hey that was wild. That's all I have to say though. That's all I have to say. Just take yourself out the way. It'll be so much easier if you just realize it's not a job and it's not your gig or you're not the artist.
Q. Robinson: you
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Perfect.
Q. Robinson: You're only borrowing it. Ooh, Tony! Hey, boy!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
CP4: and keep your receipts just in case. ⁓
Al Cleveland III: hahahaha ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Come on!
Jermaine P.: Ha ha!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: ⁓ my!
Q. Robinson: 100%. 100%.
Tony Taylor: Hey, now that's a crazy thing to think through, but that's powerful.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
CP4: hahahaha
Q. Robinson: ⁓ Hey, for the people that's on here, I hope you're all hearing this. yes, date that joint. as such, ask me to do such as such as such, this date and this time. Because they were like, why is that? ⁓ I don't know why you did it. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, You told me to do this on this date.
Jermaine P.: Mmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Because it's also a politic thing too. It's also a politic thing too.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Like. Sometimes, yeah, yeah, I think the biggest thing for people to take away is realizing it's not your show, you know, and there's a whole creative team, there is a musical director and your job is just to interpret their vision. It's not your show. So if they give you a note, just take the note and the and every person up here right now can be in a room and not change the dynamic of it.
Q. Robinson: Mmm. ⁓
Al Cleveland III: area.
Q. Robinson: Mm-hmm. Take the note, man.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: They get it. They receive a note. Cool. Play this here. No worries and move on because I promise you the MD moved on. The creative director moved on. They gave you the note and they they literally are on to everything else. But what they just told you. Just let it be. You know what,
Q. Robinson: That's it.
Tony Taylor: situation.
CP4: Because sometimes sometimes the note don't even be crazy sometimes you may just need to smile while you're hitting whatever it is you're doing to give it a different energy and it'll make the difference That's it or started a beat later or earlier and make a difference. That's it. It don't have to be nothing crazy or personal
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right, right, right.
Q. Robinson: Yeah!
Al Cleveland III: You gotta sell it. You gotta sell it. You gotta sell it.
Jermaine P.: Ha
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's it. That's it.
Q. Robinson: 100 %
Tony Taylor: tell you how many times
CP4: I do it all the time. Just let them talk and be like, okay. Whatever you say, the smile or not, whatever you say. Yes, sir.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sounds great.
Tony Taylor: Hey.
Q. Robinson: Or that one when you get to that part and you do it and then you give them a thumbs up. ⁓ yeah, yeah, yeah, that's great, that's great. I ain't even changed nothing. I changed nothing.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That was the one.
CP4: Hahaha!
Jermaine P.: It ain't
Al Cleveland III: You ain't changed a thing!
CP4: Yes.
Q. Robinson: That was it, that was it.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yo, I hate y'all. You're right, everybody's like, I'm listening now, yeah.
CP4: you
Al Cleveland III: Hey, I hope no MDs watching this. ⁓
Tony Taylor: Yo. I'm in your head. ⁓
Jermaine P.: ⁓ ⁓ my god.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, it's so true.
Q. Robinson: Yeah, hey man, these are coping mechanisms. Listen, sound guys do it all the time. Hey, I need more guitar. Sound guys do it all the time.
Tony Taylor: ⁓ my God, that is so funny.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Man. Listen, but I appreciate every single guy. ⁓ don't talk.
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Did the fake fader slide up?
Q. Robinson: Yes! Yes!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Are you good? Yeah. ⁓ that's perfect. Nah, ain't changed nothing. Ain't changed nothing.
Jermaine P.: Hahaha
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, don't play with me. ⁓
CP4: Hahaha!
Q. Robinson: You know how every time I'm sitting there with playback in front of the you're I need more guitar. You be like, hey, yo, watch this. Is that good? ⁓ that's perfect.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right. Well, anyway, gentlemen, you said what?
Tony Taylor: the worst for that too. I'm the worst for that because I don't ask for drastics. I ask for like minimum. Cause I have gotten very picky about my mix to the point where I am not asking for two to five BB. I'm like, yo, just pinch it, bruh. I know it sounds stupid, but just pinch it. And I can tell the difference. It makes a huge difference.
Al Cleveland III: Right
Jermaine P.: My nude stuff.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: But literally pinch it. Just that much.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah. Yep. I started just doing removing stuff. I used to be a person like, yo, can you add stuff? I start taking things away. That usually gives me the space that I'm looking for. Boy. Yes.
Jermaine P.: Mmm.
Q. Robinson: Yeah
Jermaine P.: Mmm.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: Always turn down before you turn up. Always.
Jermaine P.: Mmmmm
Q. Robinson: Yeah. 100. Boy, y'all boys talking good today, man.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Well, gentlemen, yeah, I appreciate every single one of you all this being here for like it means the world to me that you all carved out two hours of your time, even though we negotiated an hour. So thank you all truly. Any closing remarks from anybody? Anything else I want to add or any insights to the industry? Just want to these last little gems out for the listeners.
Tony Taylor: Hey, Abba.
Q. Robinson: just want to say to all of y'all, man, I respect all of y'all, bro. Like, I'm so glad that I finally have this opportunity to tell y'all this. Like, social media can make it feel like you know somebody even though you don't, man. I look up to all of y'all. I appreciate all of y'all, man. Y'all keep pushing the boundaries of what y'all doing, man. ⁓ The future is bulletproof with y'all ⁓ doing what y'all doing, man. And I can't wait to see what's next for everybody that's on the screen, man.
Jermaine P.: respect man
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Thank you, Same.
Tony Taylor: Likewise,
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, respect. Love y'all guys, man. Y'all be, y'all are awesome.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Yes,
Tony Taylor: All love.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Absolutely. We'll leave everybody's Instagram. And if there's any other details that you guys want added, just text it to me. I'll make sure it gets put into the recap for everybody so they can reach out. Is everybody OK with people reaching out and trying to connect on, you know, consultation wise lessons? If you all do that, every person up here is shaking their head. Yes, everybody's down.
Q. Robinson: Absolutely.
Jermaine P.: ⁓ yeah. ⁓ yeah.
CP4: Yes, I'm all for it because we need to stop being too cool for school and just get around people that's doing what we're doing, study what they're doing, emerge and submerge yourself in all the ways. And don't be scared to ask questions. Of course, I know in the past people make it weird, but man, we are here to help and inspire each other, man. So whatever y'all need, we'll try to help and show it or explain it as best we can, man. But it's better to...
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: ⁓ Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Absolutely.
CP4: say something, then it go unsaid and now you just sitting there looking and feeling crazy. So yeah, let's do it.
Q. Robinson: for
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Great. Well, thank you, gentlemen. Thanks, everybody for listening. We do appreciate you.
Q. Robinson: Yo, what's goody?
CP4: Wassup?
Al Cleveland III: What's happening, what's happening?
Jermaine P.: What is up? Yes sir!
Q. Robinson: Yessir!
CP4: Yes sir.
Al Cleveland III: Yes, sir.
Jermaine P.: Yeah, man.
CP4: Made it to another week.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Tony's Chicago brother, Joseph.
Al Cleveland III: Yep.
Q. Robinson: I'm in New York.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Love that. Was everybody working on right now? I know everybody was on the hunt to do some stuff, which I got going on right now.
Jermaine P.: New York. ⁓ I guess I'll start. I leave tomorrow to officially start back up with my LMA camp. ⁓ We're about to do, yeah, yeah, yeah. We're about to ⁓ do a festival in Miami. So we're gonna rehearse out there and then yeah, we're gonna get it popping, man. So that's what's on the books for me, man. Just getting it ramped up, you know. Yeah.
CP4: everything.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Let's go! Yes sir!
Q. Robinson: Heck yeah.
Tony Taylor: Bye!
Al Cleveland III: Yes, sir.
Q. Robinson: Yes, sir.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sir. So they.
Tony Taylor: So I am in limbo at the moment. I've gotten like a crap ⁓ ton of calls recently, but they haven't been solidified yet. But I just got off the Blackpink tour as everyone knows.
Jermaine P.: Hehehehehe
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Grassman.
Tony Taylor: that was a dope little situation. yeah, patiently waiting to see what's next. So yeah, that's what I'm at.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: of.
CP4: Praise the Lord. have a little bit of everything going on right now. I gotta show at the Mint tomorrow with this artist. I don't know how to say her name, but it's, it's very Nicker, very Jickers. I don't know. ⁓ Yeah, I'm sorry. I'll post it on my story. I'll post it on my story. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Praise the Lord, Saints!
Tony Taylor: You
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Don't bro, don't do it. Don't do it. Don't. Hey, hey, hey, hey, just artists. Just artists.
Tony Taylor: You
Jermaine P.: It's all good fam.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: What's going on, man?
CP4: I apologize sir if she sees this, but it should be a good time man. Absolutely, I will show it up. ⁓ yeah, I know the titles, I know all the everything, all the staffs and it's crazy. yeah, yeah man. And then I've been involved heavy in my church life as well too, so that's been cool to be there. We're also about to start up.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: He said I did learn the music though, so you
Q. Robinson: know the music that's the most important thing. That's funny.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: There you go.
Jermaine P.: hahaha
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, those clips are fire.
CP4: Praise Connection Underground at the church. So if y'all ever in LA, it's gonna be a nice vibe where musicians can come hang out, play, sit in, hear some people play, hear some people sing. There'll be food, vibes, and of course the networking aspect. So yeah, man, stay tuned for all that. And I'll post that on my page as well.
Q. Robinson: Nice.
Al Cleveland III: ⁓ yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's dope.
Tony Taylor: fire.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Amazing, man. Q.
Al Cleveland III: Yes, sir.
CP4: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: Man, so here in New York, ⁓ still playing Hamilton a bunch. Also ⁓ playing in great Gatsby now and in about a week, in about a week I start MJ and ⁓ something that just happened this morning Jarvis, like last time we talked, I just got the book for Lion King. So I'm starting to learn Lion King. So I'll be playing.
Jermaine P.: oooo
CP4: Amazing.
Al Cleveland III: Wow. Wow.
Jermaine P.: Wow
Tony Taylor: you
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: sane. Let's go. Okay. Yeeee!
CP4: ⁓ my goodness. ⁓ my goodness.
Al Cleveland III: That's wild.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's insane, man.
Q. Robinson: So I'll start playing Lion King and maybe about a month. It takes me about four to five months to learn the book to be able to play the show on Broadway. But yeah, like, I just got that call from none other than Carter McLean himself. So like, he's the one that's gonna like put me through the paces and get me ready. So ⁓ I'm happy about that. yeah, that's an off the script ⁓ exclusive that just happened this morning. So.
Jermaine P.: That's crazy.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sheesh. Eesh!
Tony Taylor: Yeah, you're stank.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Congrats, man, that's massive.
Al Cleveland III: Incredible.
Jermaine P.: That's amazing. Yes sir!
Al Cleveland III: Yeah ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Ready here first?
Q. Robinson: Yeah, thank you, man. Appreciate it. Thanks, bro. Thank you, man. Thank you. Thank you.
CP4: Congratulations, ma'am.
Tony Taylor: So fire bro, congrats dawg.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's major, major. And Brother Cleveland.
Al Cleveland III: Yes, sir. ⁓ Man, so as usual, I'm doing a ton of recording from here at the studio, as well as ⁓ some of the major studios here in Los Angeles. ⁓ As far as road stuff, I got a couple of irons in the fire right now that I can't quite stay exactly what it is, but waiting for them to see if they exactly going to stick or not. ⁓ But know, stuff is always, y'all already know how it goes.
Jermaine P.: Hmm
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: For For sure.
Q. Robinson: Right, right.
CP4: ⁓ yeah.
Al Cleveland III: try to choose the best situation for yourself and your family and see what it does. So stay tuned for that. And I'm also ⁓ taking the leap of doing more live arranging, live production ⁓ and arranging. So ⁓ I'm music directing this new girl, this new artist named Shelby Carter. Go check her out. We'll be getting ready to do, I'm not playing, but she's got like a string of shows. She's got a string of shows coming up this spring. So just putting our show together and just trying to.
Jermaine P.: Yes, sir.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes
Al Cleveland III: grow with her and as she grows with me and just trying to, you know what saying, build off that. That's really what I'm trying to do. yeah, man, just keeping the foot on the gas for 2026, you know? Yeah. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: That's dope. Absolutely. All gas, no brakes.
Jermaine P.: Yeah, yes sir. Thanks.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah. Yep. Yeah, gentlemen. Amazing. So people are listening. If you're wondering where Josh was, Josh is doing a live taping right now. He may decide to join us in a bit, but he did let us know that he was doing a couple of things. But anyway. Your snare drum specific.
Q. Robinson: He's somewhere still in snare drums.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: specifically.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: The whole the whole idea for this is that every one of these drummers that are up here has an incredible resume. Right. They've done things that from openers to headlining stadiums. You know, everybody up here has an incredible resume with a wealth of knowledge. So here we are to talk to everybody. So first question that was, ⁓ go ahead, Clem. What's up, baby?
CP4: Yeah, but you can't can't skip you can't skip over yourself. Will you tell the people what you got going on? Come on man. Trying to be a smooth criminal and get through that now. Ain't no transitions man. Come on back.
Q. Robinson: Exactly. Get them right, Clu.
Al Cleveland III: Right, right, right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: ⁓ man, ⁓ I'm just hosting, but I. Yeah, it's not about me.
Jermaine P.: This guy.
Q. Robinson: You've been hit by... ⁓
Al Cleveland III: Ha ⁓
Jermaine P.: Hey, y'all say how swift he was. He was so swift.
CP4: Come on, come on back. From the top.
Tony Taylor: Wait, hey, it's all about Clem's church hand like yo, yo, yo.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: You know, he said, I cannot, I cannot, I cannot.
Tony Taylor: Okay.
CP4: I wasn't trying to interrupt, I waited till he paused to get in there. I was supposed to be... All right, come on.
Q. Robinson: That's hilarious.
Jermaine P.: Yeah
Q. Robinson: Ha ha ha ha ha.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Whoa, to get OK now for myself. My bad.
Jermaine P.: The hands up.
Tony Taylor: Ooh.
Q. Robinson: Wow. Wow. Wow.
Jermaine P.: He said, I like that one.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: I hate this piano. I hate everybody. I know I couldn't think of a better. What is what is this?
CP4: Ahahaha!
Q. Robinson: You put it together. This is your fault. You blame yourself.
Tony Taylor: Intro 2, 3. Yes! Yes sir, dawg. had to intro, bro. My fault.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's how we close it. And I don't like. If we must. Yeah, I just wrapped the tape McCrates or Miss Possessive. That was a beautiful world tour. We have a couple of things with her and like many of my friends up here, there's a few things tentative. You know, everybody has tentative work. But one thing I think we all know is we don't post anything, say anything until show one.
Jermaine P.: Oh my God. All right, man.
Tony Taylor: That's That's a doc.
Q. Robinson: Ha! That's so good.
Jermaine P.: Yes, sir.
CP4: Yes, sir.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
CP4: There it is. Bingo. Bingo.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: You're really into a show and it's that's how. Do you all take the same approach? I got. OK.
Tony Taylor: Very much so.
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Yeah.
CP4: Absolutely, absolutely.
Q. Robinson: Bro, I don't even unpack my bag until after the first week. Like I, yeah. Yeah, bro, like I don't, like if you see me posting something, it has already happened. Like it's done. Like I might be back at the crib by the time y'all see it.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yo, okay.
Al Cleveland III: I'm about to say, don't say nothing until I'm deep into that shit.
Tony Taylor: You
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Yeah.
CP4: you
Jermaine P.: Look, we all know rehearsals can definitely get spooky too for real, real, man. So like, guys think even because they're in rehearsals, it's sweet. It's like, man, that's when they really go down for real. So y'all know the vibes, man. Y'all already know,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Al Cleveland III: You
CP4: Hehehehehe
Al Cleveland III: Hahaha! ⁓
Q. Robinson: Boy listen, boy you can meet your replacement while you walking out. Boy you like, ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: no!
Tony Taylor: I on everything I love, that is the worst feeling. It's the first few weeks.
Q. Robinson: Bro, you see, like...
Jermaine P.: Get like that.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah
Tony Taylor: Especially for me?
Q. Robinson: Why be sitting on the edge of the bed like this? Just waiting on the phone to ring.
Tony Taylor: Man, what? Man, what? And I'm the new guy.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Nervous. You're right.
Al Cleveland III: Now, one I run into is, you you getting ready to do rehearsals and all of a sudden they're like, ⁓ we actually going to record and do it, ⁓ like record and do the band in the box type shit. So you just just like, that's, you just don't say nothing until you get out there.
CP4: They call it going a different direction or going for a different approach. That's what they call Creative direction.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Alright? Yeah.
Q. Robinson: That's it, man.
Jermaine P.: Hey, look,
Q. Robinson: We're going to different, yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: The air quotes. Creative direction. No.
Q. Robinson: Yeah. Or, or, or, or he just wasn't the right cultural fit. He wasn't the right cultural fit.
Tony Taylor: laughter
Jermaine P.: You're a cultural fan? They went there with it?
Al Cleveland III: ⁓
Q. Robinson: Bro, listen, you know what world I live in. You know, you know, like it ain't a lot of us that look like me where we are. And so they will definitely hear, yeah, he just wasn't the right cultural fit. And so it's just like.
Tony Taylor: ⁓ God.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Jermaine P.: Right. Right. That's bad.
Al Cleveland III: Right, right, right.
Tony Taylor: that word.
Al Cleveland III: HAHAHAHA!
Tony Taylor: Hey, while looking down, no thumb up.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right, right, right, right, right, right, right!
Q. Robinson: ⁓ yeah, cause you are-
CP4: Yeah, that's crazy. ⁓
Al Cleveland III: You
Q. Robinson: Listen, I'm just kind of like, yo, like really? That's what we, okay, got it. Her, Q, we love you. Like, ⁓ okay. Nah, no, you love me today. ⁓ I've seen it happen, man. It's just like, that's why I like, don't, you know, I don't let my left hand know what my right hand is doing. If you find out some stuff, you find out on your own, but you know, and then it's the other side of it too. Like if we gonna be real, if we off the script.
Jermaine P.: What?
Tony Taylor: Word.
Jermaine P.: Hahaha! Yeah, you already know.
Q. Robinson: You know, you start talking early and then you got people that are not have as much integrity, integrity as ourselves. And then they try to go behind your back, sabotage or undercut, which is a thing, you know, and you know, a lot of times production doesn't necessarily care about that as long as they saving a couple of hundred dollars, you know. So like I really try to be on the low key about what it is that.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
CP4: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Alright.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Man.
Q. Robinson: I'm getting ready to do because once I'm locked in, I'm locked in. It's like, I don't care who you are. If I'm locked in, just like any of y'all, if y'all sit on the, once y'all sit down and they understand the professionalism and the skillset and the personality, you're not, you're not coming out of that chair, but like everything up until that point, man, it's, it's up until it's not, you know, so yeah.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
CP4: you
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Facts Yes. ⁓
Q. Robinson: Mm-hmm.
Tony Taylor: No, for real, bro.
Al Cleveland III: hearing it.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: But let me ask y'all a question. I know this is not on the thing, but we all script, right? Like, so what do y'all think that comes from? Do you think that's a level of clout chasing to be the first ones to announce that you getting ready to do something? Because I think that goes into a bigger conversation of like, you know, I'm out here for the work. It's like the
Tony Taylor: Very much so.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: You
Jermaine P.: Hahaha! ⁓ Alright.
Q. Robinson: Like I don't even look at the notoriety as a perk. Like it just kind of comes with the territory, but you have so many people that be so quick to announce that they getting ready to do something or try to build it up to be something that is not even, it's not even that, but trying to make themselves seem bigger than it, what it is instead of just going out there to do the work. Like, what do y'all think that comes from?
Jermaine P.: ⁓ whee!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Being green.
Q. Robinson: Mmm.
Al Cleveland III: I think it's being green and it's an artificial dopamine release. It gives you a sense of an accomplishment before you did anything. You know what I'm saying? By saying, oh, I'm about to do this. I'm about to do this. You haven't gone out there. You haven't done it. You know what saying? But you've got to let everybody know. I think in a lot of times, it can be cloud chasing, but it can very much be for yourself more. You just hyping yourself up, getting yourself jacked up for it.
Jermaine P.: Mmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Hmm
Q. Robinson: Yeah. Wow. That's a great perspective. Yeah, man. I just never understood that, Yeah, that's good, Al. That's really good, bro.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: Nothing else to be said.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, there's nothing else. Yeah. Beautifully said.
Jermaine P.: It was good.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, that's it's one of those things. I think when you get to that space where you're like, oh, I'm finally doing something, you finally get a call that you've been yearning for. You got that that desire to be seen again. I get it like I really do get it, but the experience hopefully once again, this is why we're here to let y'all know. Hold on for a second. Just be patient. Just slow down for a second. Get through rehearsals, get to your first couple of shows. And then it's totally fine to post and say what's going on like
Jermaine P.: Right, right. Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: That was so funny. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's the proper way to do that. But we've everybody up here once again has been an opener up to stadium situation. We're telling you, chill out. Like, it's not that deep. Yeah, just take a breath. Yeah, it is. Go ahead and chill out now because we've all been replaced and we've replaced people. Everybody up here has that testimony. So it's one of those things where this hold on for a second. ⁓
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Relax.
Jermaine P.: Alright. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Jermaine P.: and put all that hypeness into learning the material. You know what mean? But like for real, real, like let that drive like all of that, like I'ma go in on prep. You know what I mean? I'ma get right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: ⁓ What's going on?
Jermaine P.: What?
Q. Robinson: You know the other thing about that though like like real talk like I prefer I prefer like for other people to tell that story You know I prefer other people to be my herald like I'll let me concentrate on the work and if I'm doing something that y'all feel are dope or a company feels that is dope or even the Production themselves feel like it's dope like let them push that narrative that I'm doing something
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: You holding an eraser? Okay.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: or something that they're proud of. And yeah, I'll chime in, but I don't want to be the first one talking about what I'm doing because all y'all like I know all y'all follow all y'all like, and I put myself in there. I'm not a braggadocious guy. Like I don't care about the me, my, and I, right? You know, I care about the us and the we, you know what I'm saying? And like, so like if a cunt, when Hamilton says something, ⁓ Q Robinson is doing X, Y, and Z that feels a lot better to me than me going out there saying what I'm doing.
Al Cleveland III: Mm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: sure.
Q. Robinson: You get what I'm saying? Like, because it just feels really like I was saying, self-serving to like, you know, talk about the things that's getting ready to happen or even while it's happening. It's like, yeah, we all have, ⁓ we all have obligations to these companies to rep the gear and all of that stuff. But like outside of that, man, I like Jermaine said, man, just concentrate on being a great player and a good person offline and all of that other stuff that they looking for and that you're looking for. It'll be added.
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Bye.
Q. Robinson: but like I think a lot of times we concentrate so much on the perk and not the actual work, you know? And so now you get a house built on sand. So, you know.
Jermaine P.: Right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right. Yes. Well, I think that's a perfect segue to question one. Speaking of endorsements and representing your companies, first question was, I have a question related to endorsements usually for endorsement contracts. Do brands reach out to you or is it must be for ourselves to reach out to initial?
Tony Taylor: Wait.
Q. Robinson: ⁓ Let me, I think I'm older than everybody up here. Let me start.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Anybody want to take that one?
Jermaine P.: you
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Let go.
Tony Taylor: hahahahah ⁓
Q. Robinson: And the only reason why I say that is because I've seen, I've seen the shift in the industry, right? Like April will be 20 years that I've been with Sabian, right? So like I've been here since like the early 2000s up until now. And I was there. I started with them before social media was even a thing, you know, and to see how social media has now infiltrated itself in and it's become the main marketer. And for Anybody that's gonna listen to this, let me tell you something. If you are not affiliated with a company, stop tagging these companies in your videos. Because you are already giving away what they are going to pay you for.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Why do you say that?
Q. Robinson: Like why would they, why would they give you a free or discounted gear or cut you a check to do what you're already doing for them? They're not going to look at that as, he's already representing the brand. You represent the brand by just playing the drums or whatever it is. It's like stop tagging these companies because where you think you might be helping them out and they're going to see that and retroactively sign you, they're not going to do that. I don't know too many people that have done that and it's come back to help them. So I think it's a little, think social media plays a part in it. I think it's also how you meet people. Like I've been there, like when I've been on, you know, playing a gig and you see a rep on the side of the stage and you guys meet and then, ⁓ man, we would love to work with you. There have been other situations where I have had to put in an application. You know what I'm saying? ⁓ and then there are times where I've had a colleague of mine that I'm friends with like, Hey, you put an application. Yeah. I'm gonna tell such and such about you, you know, and then you start a company conversation from there. And I think the bigger question is make sure you have a legitimate reason for reaching out to these companies. Like if we don't talk about it, that, well, I think we get to that answer. If we
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: What does that fall under though?
Q. Robinson: we define what it's not, right? ⁓ The goalpost moves specifically for us. The goalpost always moves, right? Like it's a social media following, it's visible artists, it's, know, you know, prominent studio musicians, you know, ⁓ the acts that you're affiliated with, all of those different things. Like you can have a little bit of all of them, or you can have one big thing. However, if you're already getting drums,
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sure.
Q. Robinson: Because I don't know one tour that goes out that production doesn't make sure you have a drum kit. Right? So you can't be like, well, I need drums. Right? So why are you going after the endorsement? You know, I'll tell you why I do it. I'll tell you, I do it simply because I like the, the comfort of knowing when I get to the venue, my gear is going to be the same. Right?
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: All
Jermaine P.: Right.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: I'm blessed right now at the point where I'm playing the same gear every night. So it's not a big deal. But even when I was doing spot dates, this like that consistency of knowing that my stuff is going to be taken care of is great. But outside of that, like you got to really ask yourself before you reach out to these companies, because I've been in the board rooms with these people. I hear how they talk about certain guys. Why are you going after them? If you don't need it, it's not going to legitimize you as a player.
Jermaine P.: right.
Q. Robinson: It's never legitimized anybody as a player. Back in the 90s, back in the 80s, what they used to do, they used to find drummers that had potential and pioneer their career. I think the last guy that we saw like that was maybe Tony Rooster Jr. Where like he was like eight, seven or eight years old and these companies kind of latched onto him and they pushed his narrative simply because he was a phenom. Like they're not doing that.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mm-hmm.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: Like, so don't think because you signed with a company, you're going to automatically start getting these calls that you weren't getting before. So like it doesn't legitimize you. You reach out to these companies when you have a legitimate need and legitimacy is subjective to whoever you're talking to. But I'm just telling you right now, most of the, most of the things that y'all are reaching out to these companies for, they're looking at your email and they're laughing.
Tony Taylor: Okay.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: See
Jermaine P.: So
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: How do you structure the deal, though? Let's say you receive in or Pearl or anyone else that you guys may have on your roster right now. How do you talk to your reps? Are you asking for certain things out of the gate? Are you looking to build a partnership? How are you structuring this relationship? Because it is a relationship, right? Everybody up here has endorsements from drums, cymbals, sticks. Everybody up here is well taken care of. Thank God. But we all have different deals, right? My deal is not going to be the same. as cues or Al's or Jermaine or Tony's, right? It's all going to be very different. So how are you all navigating that space? We're talking to your reps, talking and dealing with things like that. Like, what's the conversation like for you all?
Q. Robinson: It's a, I think it's going to be different for everybody. think everybody gets a boilerplate deal. Like depending on where you are in your career, you know, but I think then this is something Jarvis that we were talking about last week.
Jermaine P.: Right.
Q. Robinson: If we start looking at ourselves as small businesses, you know, as opposed to just a person, I think it structures things like as a business owner, there are certain things that I know I need. And those are conversations that you have from the outset. And those things might not necessarily happen immediately, but having the conversation of, if I'm coming to your company,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mm.
Q. Robinson: and you're going to use my name likeness and image to push your brand. These are the things that I need to make me comfortable in you using my name, likeness and image. And then you start from there. Like stop just getting whatever deal just to say you with this company. If it's not serving your need, if it's not serving your need, you're doing yourself a disservice and you're not only not helping yourself, but the guy that comes behind you is going to get a even worse deal than you have.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Got you.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Jermaine P.: Right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: So does anyone else take a different approach with dealing with reaching out to companies or do you have people reach out to you? Or does anyone else have a different approach of how they got their endorsement?
Tony Taylor: I'll talk in a second, but somebody else answer.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: worries. I know Tony's on daddy duty right now, so he's handling.
CP4: ⁓ I guess I'll talk. my majority of my endorsements started ⁓ of course from me liking and enjoying the products, but it started off me really like Jarvis says, starting a relationship, wanting to build something and not just going in there asking for stuff. Yes, I was on the road at the time, but like you said, Besides tours, lot of the stuff, especially in my case, a lot of the stuff was spot days, back line, rentals and all the stuff where I didn't have to use my own personal gear. So like you said, I'm low maintenance in regards to endorsements, but I don't always harass my reps or hit them up.
Jermaine P.: Yeah
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: Mm-hmm.
CP4: just for any and everything. I only reach out when it's absolutely necessary. And the other times that I do reach out, it's really just to check in or try to grab food or do whatever it is. Because of course I know I'm busy, but they are busy as well because I'm just one artist. And of course I know everybody's needs and wants are different. But me and mine, it literally started as building relationships, actually being personable with these people because all day, every day.
Al Cleveland III: Right.
Q. Robinson: Yes.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sorry.
CP4: there's people that are being disingenuous and just reaching out and just talking to them and we're just trying to be close to them or just doing whatever. And it's like, they get tired of that. They are still regular people. They still have regular lives and all the things. So yeah, that's the angle I come from because ⁓ I care about the people and the people you care about and the energy you give out and all those things, they give it right back to you. And when it is time to finally
Q. Robinson: Yeah. Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: Right, right, right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm. ⁓
CP4: order stuff or need stuff, there's no issue. But if you're that guy that's always hitting them up, always in their face, always demanding stuff, not asking, but demanding all these things, then it gets a little tricky. that's why I say people should absolutely build relationships. Build something of your own, your own brand so that way if it doesn't work out, you can go anywhere or just separate in general.
Jermaine P.: Right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
CP4: and still just be you as your own thing, especially now social media does all the work for you. You get enough people to look at your stuff and say, hey, look at this. I mean, there you go. And then stuff ends up paying for itself. So ⁓ that's my view and take on it.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Q. Robinson: 100%.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: ⁓ Tony went ahead.
Al Cleveland III: 100 % Tony, go ahead.
Tony Taylor: Yeah, I can. ⁓ So my situation was a little different from most people's. So most of the endorsements that I ended up getting kind of started from the drum off. So ⁓ that's basically part of one of your deals. Like one of your prizes, like you get to pick what company you want and they can't say no. So literally like.
Q. Robinson: Hahaha ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: ⁓ that's a dope, okay. That's a vibe.
Al Cleveland III: Wow.
Tony Taylor: You pick drums, drum heads, sticks and cymbals. And pretty much the mainstream artists. So DW, Tama, Pearl. DW, Tama, Pearl, yes. Sabian, Zildjian, Mino, Remo, Evans, Promark, Vic Firth. I'm trying to think, am I missing something? But basically the main that everybody uses. ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah!
Jermaine P.: So fired. That's perfect.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, I mean, sure.
Jermaine P.: BLEH
Tony Taylor: basically they take you to ⁓ they take you to NAMM and you basically get to talk to everybody and they literally like some people may try to convince you to go and some people may not they'll just be like hey this what we have and it's cool and then there some people it's like yeah I think you were really like this so it's like for me it was a little different like I got to choose and then after that year term it was their choice whether or not they were gonna keep me or not so like so like with DW
Jermaine P.: Thank
Q. Robinson: Mmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: I didn't.
Al Cleveland III: Wow.
Q. Robinson: Whoa, that's tough. That's tough. Whoa, that's tough.
Tony Taylor: No, no it is! It really is bro! And it's so crazy because like when I think about it back then like DW specifically like during the drum off they take you to the DW factory so that was the only thing I got to see now granted I've always been a PDP and DW head but like when I got to see it firsthand I'm like oh yeah I'm definitely going so
Jermaine P.: Hahaha, right? Right? Haha, right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's brutal. Yeah. Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Right.
Tony Taylor: Off-Rip, knew I was going to DW and Off-Rip, I knew I was going to Sabian because that's just, that's what I grew up on. But like, one of the companies that I was dealing with, it wasn't exactly like one of those situations where like it was kind of sweet for me. And ⁓ after that year term, it was like they did exactly what they was supposed to do based off of Guitar Center's contract with them. That was it. And literally like...
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, as wraps
Jermaine P.: Hehehe.
Q. Robinson: That's tough.
Tony Taylor: Literally like over time like I developed relationships and really got to talk to these people and ⁓ you know like like you was saying and ⁓ Clem like it's really about relationship because like one thing that I'm heavy on is like no matter what where who people are still people regardless of whatever
Q. Robinson: Yes.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: ⁓ Status that they have like like truth be told like it took me a while to really understand this and I'm not one of the ones to like Really have this conversation about endorsements because I'm still learning how to like really deal with this from a people standpoint instead of a business standpoint and ⁓ I know y'all know this better than I do but like for me It it took work. It took me being intentional Like DW
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sorry.
Q. Robinson: Hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Wow, okay
Tony Taylor: so happily kept me. I'm not gonna lie to I really thought they was gonna let me go after that year. literally like, they reached back out to me because I had reached out. Because I was doing something.
Jermaine P.: Space-time-stupid.
Tony Taylor: ⁓ I was doing a halftime show ⁓ for the NBA All-Star Weekend and I reached out to get a snare to see like if they were willing to give it to me. They literally sent me another application. It was like, here, this first. And I'm like, ⁓ y'all trying to re-endorse me. Literally. Bro. Man.
Q. Robinson: Okay. Woo, woo, woo, safe.
Jermaine P.: Yes, sir. Right, right, right, right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Don't mind if I do
Jermaine P.: My man just wanted to snare. He just wanted to snare.
Al Cleveland III: Don't mind if I do.
Q. Robinson: Safe.
Tony Taylor: And they was like, okay, well sign this. And I'm like, all right, cool. Well, how much? It was like, no, we're gonna give it to you. And I'm like, ⁓ cool. That's when you, that's when, you know what I'm saying? But literally like my situation was very like interesting. Like even to this day, like there's still some other endorsements that like I have to test through.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Yes sir.
Q. Robinson: That's when you put it on your website. We good.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Okay.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Tony Taylor: because I don't want it to be based off of, ⁓ well I won the drum off and y'all know who I am. Y'all dealt with me for a year, but literally, in a sense, starting over. You know what I'm saying? Really trying to create that real standard between person to person, not even just company to artist.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: And I feel like that's where it kind of gets iffy with most people because, you know, like you were saying, everybody is just demanding stuff all the time. And I actually have conversations with my friends about this all the time where it's just like, yo, are you even working? Stop. Like, and this is so crazy to me because like a lot of people are looking for something because it's free.
Jermaine P.: Tell my best the first question.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mmm.
Q. Robinson: Bruh, bruh.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mmm.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Tony Taylor: And I'm like, y'all already have the wrong mindset from the jump. Like, this is a partnership. This isn't a one way street where it's like, ⁓ you get me free stuff. And it's like, yeah, cool. I'll talk to you in six months.
Q. Robinson: That's the reason why I don't have these cards. I don't have them because I always get called the gatekeeper or the hater because the first question that's asked is like, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, I hate on you. Listen, I hate on you. I love everybody, but you, you're a different case. But no, the first question I ask is like, what you do?
Jermaine P.: Thank you.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Well, you are a hater, Q. Let's put that on the record. Let's let's just put that on the record. All right.
Tony Taylor: you
Al Cleveland III: you
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Fair enough.
Q. Robinson: what you doing? Like what are you doing? And automatically, because it's not what they want to hear, I'm gatekeeping. It's like, bro, I'm not gatekeeping. you can ask, and there's nobody's business who these people are, but you can ask anybody. if I see you doing something, like right before we started recording, what did I do? Because you guys hold that epitome of player personality and professionalism. Not everybody holds those three.
Tony Taylor: and
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes,
Q. Robinson: And you can be a great player with no personality and no professionalism, you're to get a no. And there are very few people that can be these all world players and not have professionalism and be a jerk and still get that nod simply because you can't ignore that type of talent, but that's not everybody. You get what I'm saying? Tony, I agree with you, man. It's like...
Jermaine P.: Right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: If you're not working, why are you even asking for it? That's a pat on the back and you're trying to, I feel like they're trying to fulfill something within themselves because they don't, they're trying to compensate for not having the work. You get what I'm saying? It's like this. if I'm not, if I'm not working, at least if I got this, so you can go, had one, one guy going is going his Instagram, his social media. has like 200 followers and like, yo, I just signed to this particular company.
Al Cleveland III: Right.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: I called him, was like, take that down, you know that's not the truth.
Jermaine P.: Toothpoo.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yikes. But respect for being real, though. That's a real that's a real friend. ⁓ it's a real friend.
Q. Robinson: No, I'm serious because
Jermaine P.: I'm sorry for laughing. I know, I know, I know. I know it's real. It's real. No, that's real. That's real,
Al Cleveland III: Ha ha ⁓
Q. Robinson: No, but I'm saying, because you're not doing, no, I'm serious because it's like, also being an ambassador of a company, it is also our job to protect the roster that we're on, right? If we're talking about being an ambassador, right? But then also the other side of it is like, bro, you don't even know how much damage you're doing to yourself because you're lying about something you really think they gonna sign you now?
Tony Taylor: No, no, you really are a real friend for that. Golly.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's a real friend. Man, that's real too.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Q. Robinson: So you can get a pat on the back from your 16 followers to tell you good job and congratulations? Hey, I'm gonna shut up. Anyway, I'm done, I'm done.
Jermaine P.: way.
Tony Taylor: Bro, no, hey, hey, when I tell you, that is the absolute truth, like, on the highest of levels for me. Like, because I can't tell you how many times that I've had so many conversations with different people where it's just like, hey, like, just be patient. You don't need it right now. And truth be told, like you said, you're gonna hurt yourself in the long run by trying to force something.
Al Cleveland III: You're telling the truth,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: It's true.
Jermaine P.: ⁓ fuck.
Tony Taylor: And then they look up and like, yo, you're actually fake. Now we really not gonna talk to you.
Q. Robinson: And then also, and then I don't care who they work for. All of these reps know each other. They all hang. They all hang.
Tony Taylor: I was just about to say that! That's next thing I was about to say!
Al Cleveland III: Right, right. They do. They do. They do. They do.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Man, that's a word. They hang out, like they get drinks together. They all know each other. Yes. Yes.
Tony Taylor: Bro they talk
Q. Robinson: Yes, they go to dinner. Like it ain't gang, nobody, like it's gang wars for them. It's not gang wars for them. Like they go to dinner, they go to lunch. Like, and if you don't think your name is being cross referenced in a text or email and your name comes up in multiple databases, you can cancel Christmas. It's over with.
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Bye.
Tony Taylor: every single time.
Jermaine P.: Hehehehehe
Tony Taylor: Every single time. Also, I do want to say this too. ⁓ If it's not what you love, don't endorse it, please. Like, I'm not gonna lie to you, I do not like, I do not like when people are diehards for one company and then they switch.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes.
Tony Taylor: and then completely disregard the fact that you had a relationship with one and because you went to the other now it's like, F you. I hate it. Like, no, no, I'm so serious. I'm so serious because it it goes back to the data. It goes back to the database aspect where it's like these people, like I saw it firsthand. I met a friend in, while I was on tour.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Q. Robinson: Hey listen, hey man stop, hey man. Hey you gonna get some hate mail, you better stop. Tony you better stop.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's all script. We get the real truth now. Yeah.
Tony Taylor: that literally knows everybody. And mind you, like, I wasn't trying to get anything out of it, but like, he literally started reaching out to these companies. during NAMM, he was texting me left and right, like, hey, I'm talking to this person. Hey, I'm talking to this person. Hey, I'm talking to this person. And I'm like, ⁓ y'all really talk. Like, and I didn't know how close these people were until like, he really like sat with me and was like, yo, like, I want to help you. And literally like,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, y'all really close. Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Ho ho ho ho ho ho.
Tony Taylor: I just hate when people are just mindset switch all of a sudden. Like I'm never going to say that like I like this person just because I'm endorsed with them now. Like I play what I play because I actually like it. Like every endorsement that I've had, even the endorsements that I don't have, I'm still going to play that company because I like it.
Al Cleveland III: Hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Talk about it.
Tony Taylor: And it's like, that's also another aspect that I feel like a lot of people don't understand where it's just like, hey, like if you're not even willing to invest in it yourself, why are you asking for them to invest in you?
Jermaine P.: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, hey, cuz look, cuz look, cuz look, cuz then also, I think one of the biggest things I used to always hear was people just wanted the full 100 % thing, right? But then it's that thing of kind of like,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Oof. ⁓ no. no.
Q. Robinson: You talking good, Tony. You doing your good talking today.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mmm.
Jermaine P.: Why would they give you 100 % if um... Bruh I just lost my train of thought y'all.
Tony Taylor: No, no, no, no, no. Hey, hey.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: But I like what you at though. I like what you at because I like where you at though.
Al Cleveland III: I'm following you, Jermaine.
Jermaine P.: Cause it's so much, like it's so much, like it's so much. There we go, there we go, there we go. No, cause I want to piggyback on what Tony was saying because then it's that thing of if they don't get a hundred percent from that one company that they've been playing all their lives, then they go and switch companies. But then it's that thing of like my big dog, Chris Johnson, drummer, he always said, play what you like. And I feel like that kind of always kept me like,
Tony Taylor: Take your time.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: It's all good.
Jermaine P.: you know, like focus on the thing of like, yeah, it don't always got to be a hundred, but you know, stuff gonna sound good. It's like you used to it and then you build up the relationship. then I was going to say, as we all know, we may not have a 100 % deal, but because we have great relationships with our reps, we're getting so much stuff still for free. You know what I mean? So that's just like the gym right there. Like, so even when you get that contract and it's a 60 or 70 % off,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Jermaine P.: That don't mean that you're about to be paying that for everything, you know what mean? Like especially more so once you build the actual relationship. So I think that's just my biggest thing. Like just don't let the, don't let you be driven by like the free stuff, know? Truly just play what you like. And I feel like that's when it all really just fall into place.
Q. Robinson: Also somehow people be capping too, cause not everybody's getting a hundred percent. Let's be real about it. Let's, let's, let's, let's I am cause I do. I'm serious, bro. I'm serious. Cause I didn't, I don't see so much of it, bro. Like it's frustrating, bro. I feel like dream on green about the crash out right now, bro. Like, but now like, no, but it's like, it's like people want to use that as a level.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Most people don't.
Jermaine P.: Yeah, yeah, mostly good though.
CP4: I mean Q is really outdone with this topic. He is outdone.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Hahaha
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Thanks.
CP4: hahahaha
Q. Robinson: When you think about it, not putting anybody on the pedestal, but like when we talk about the greats, when we talk about the Billy Cobham, when we talk about a Dave Weckl or Teddy Campbell or, you know, a Dennis Chambers, a Will Kennedy, Omar Kim, those, those guys get a hundred percent, right? Then what do all of those guys have in common? Longevity. You get what I'm saying? It's like you, you, right. You did one tour.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Bye.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: Mmmhmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah. And they were pioneering stuff too.
Q. Robinson: and all of a sudden you want everything for free. Like there is no relation. There's no relationship in that. I will tell you this as someone that has been
Jermaine P.: So.
CP4: One tour as an opener.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: ⁓ no, Clem, come on baby. Come on, Clem. Come on, Clem.
Jermaine P.: But look though, but still doing arenas though, but they still doing arenas though, but they doing arenas though still, you know what I mean? look. Is that the first one?
Q. Robinson: Exactly bro, exactly.
CP4: Sorry.
Al Cleveland III: The opener of three, first of three, first of three.
Tony Taylor: But they doing arenas though! But they doing arenas!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Maine and Clem, y'all gotta relax. Y'all have got to relax.
Tony Taylor: Alright bro, that's why you brought us over here.
Q. Robinson: Yo! ⁓
Jermaine P.: Hey, hey, hey, I'll say a one to three. I'll say a one to three. ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's fair. I didn't do this.
Q. Robinson: Hey, no, yeah for real bro, like yo, like stop bro.
Tony Taylor: We mean love with all of this, but we gonna tell the truth.
Al Cleveland III: Not direct support. One of three. ⁓
Q. Robinson: But you're like, you're not even the opener. You playing during the DJ set. You playing during the DJ set, why they walking in?
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: One of three is crazy.
Tony Taylor: ⁓ God. Not even getting backstage passes. Not even getting some backstage passes. You can't even bounce nobody in. ⁓
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Before the DJ is crazy.
Al Cleveland III: ⁓
Jermaine P.: No cons, nothing. Oh my God.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yo, y'all about to get me canceled, all right?
Q. Robinson: All right, bro. Listen, no, we need to cancel this mindset, bro. We need to cancel this mindset, bro, because it's all love, bro. It's all love. And I want to say, man, like, just, I just want everybody to be better about this kind of thing because these reps, they talk and they, hear it. And the thing about it is what we set today is going to be the next Jermaine, Tony, clam, Jarvis, Q and Al of tomorrow. And it's like, if, if we don't set it right, they ain't got a chance, bro.
CP4: That's a nice segue to the next joint.
Al Cleveland III: Hey, we didn't all been there. We didn't been there. We didn't all been there.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, we all been there.
CP4: Let's move to the next one.
Tony Taylor: 100%.
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Yeah.
Q. Robinson: You know what saying? Like, so like I, man, I love the way this conversation is going simply because like, if we don't set it right, like we all have OGs that have set us down and told us, yo, like this is what it is and this is what it isn't, you know? So like, I, I, yo, yeah, I appreciate the conversation. I'm sorry, dog. I'm crashing out though, I'm crashing out, bro.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Respect. Well, now you're good. It's perfect. Well, that question is checked off. This was shouldn't shouldn't take as long. All right. The question was, do I need to move to L.A. or another major city to work at a high level?
Al Cleveland III: No, I love it, I love it.
Tony Taylor: People need to hear,
Q. Robinson: Dead. Next!
Jermaine P.: Okay.
Al Cleveland III: Dead. ⁓
Q. Robinson: Ooooo
Tony Taylor: I'm gonna answer this. I'm gonna answer this.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, you're a good one to answer this one.
Jermaine P.: Ha ha ha ha!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, go for it.
Tony Taylor: Yes and no. The only reason why I'm saying both is because there is a major, so I'll just speak for me. have been begged to move to LA. I don't want to pay that rent. I'll just go be rich. I kid you not, have had, now mind you, I've grown up with Jermaine and Clem. I've had these conversations multiple times, where it's like, yo, if it's not for you, you ain't gotta come. But I will honestly say that there is not a lot of opportunities where you're living outside of LA and you get the work.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's fair. That's so fair, bro.
Tony Taylor: I will say that. So I feel like it's really a heavy thing right now about your relationships with people, as well as your relationship with just life itself. Because anybody that's getting called outside of LA, they're taking a gamble on you. Like I was taken as a gamble.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Hmm.
Jermaine P.: Hell.
Tony Taylor: not gonna lie to you. Now mind you, I've never worked with any of these people that I've worked with on this tour. And I literally took it, I've been taking the gamble from the MD all the way to the artist. It was rough. It was rough. But like literally at the end of this tour, I know for a fact, like the people that I've worked with literally want to work with me again. And I feel like the moment that you get it, cause I've been telling people a lot.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Corn.
Tony Taylor: you don't have the opportunity yet, just take that opportunity to actually get ready for the opportunity so that when you actually get in it, you ain't trying to fumble your way through. So like for me, like I was prepped for this situation and because I prepped for the situation, not just from past situations, but also I prepped within myself. Shout out to Clement May. Learn that freaking music. No matter how last minute it is either.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sorry.
Jermaine P.: All right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: There you go.
Al Cleveland III: Mmm.
Jermaine P.: No matter how last minute because they totally do not care they do not care My care, bro
Tony Taylor: No excuses. No matter. ⁓ my God. No matter how last minute that music is.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: no matter how last minute.
Al Cleveland III: They don't care. They don't care.
Q. Robinson: No one ever gets the benefit of the backstory. Learn the music.
Jermaine P.: They do not care Q. They do not care about that backstory.
Tony Taylor: Hey, man, what? Some people.
Q. Robinson: No, no, when you got it, you should have said no. If you couldn't handle it, you should have said no.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: No.
Jermaine P.: No.
Tony Taylor: bruh and there is grace for last minute situations but there is still no excuse that you don't know at least 80 % of it in some shape form or fashion because at the end of the day like I said like they're taking a gamble on you every single time that you step into that ⁓ place so to answer the question you don't have to be in LA but if you aren't in LA make sure that you know your stuff like the people that get called from outside
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Tony Taylor: are people that like have been talked of highly like CJ Thompson.
Jermaine P.: And I want to say this too, it also goes back to the relationships aspect of it. I think that's like the big thing, y'all. It's truly the relationships because then you could be so good at what you do. You know, you could know your triggers, you know, could know tones, you could know all this, but nobody know you fam. You haven't gone to NAMM, you haven't gone to Nashville, whatever it is, you haven't gone, you haven't visited.
Tony Taylor: And B.
CP4: You haven't even visited. You haven't even visited.
Jermaine P.: You haven't visited and went and sat in those rooms and you know, like you just haven't done it. So I think that's kind of the biggest thing is truly, it's all about relationships. You know what mean? So Tony, you answered that well. You know what I mean? Just relationships.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mmm.
Q. Robinson: ⁓ I'ma ⁓ come from a different place. Jarvis asked the question again. It says what?
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Do you need to move to LA or another major city to work at a high level?
Q. Robinson: So first of all, working at a high level is not about the gig you're on. It's about your own mindset, period. Because if you got poor skills, whether it be technical or professional, I know a lot of people that move from one place to move to another and they were doing the same type of work from where they left, right? At the same level.
Al Cleveland III: Mmm.
CP4: Bingo. Bingo.
Tony Taylor: same level.
Q. Robinson: So it's more so about the mindset of the person. Now you're talking about somebody I'm originally from Miami. I moved to Atlanta, did stuff there. And then now I'm in New York. Each one of those places I visited and started making my own network in those places prior to moving there. Because just because it's LA, Nashville, New York, Atlanta, wherever the fact of the matter is, like Tony said, they got to be for you.
CP4: Bingo.
Q. Robinson: And if you're just moving out there, I think a lot of times we move or we do things based on the end result that we want to see, not counting the cost of everything that happens on the journey going. You know what I'm saying? Rent is just one side of it. know, how people respond to you is another side of it. Like what is it that you want to see out of your own career? Like, so before we start talking about moving to LA, cause you get an influx of people that move out there and they say, ⁓ it's not for me.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mm-hmm.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
CP4: Ahem. how you adapt.
Q. Robinson: Well, if it's not for you now, it would have been not for you if you would have visited a couple of times before you decide to move your entire family out there. You get what I'm saying? So like, I always say focus on being the best where you are. And then once you hit that ceiling and you still want to do more and you can't, then you need to start thinking about moving. just because you moved to LA or New York don't mean you're going to get put on.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: So
Tony Taylor: Yeah?
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: It's like, if you only doing marginal stuff where you at, it ain't just like, there's a lot of people that don't live in LA, don't live in New York and getting those calls because of the relationships. But it's also because they've put the groundwork into have networks and pipelines to those places. It ain't just you going to jump in LA. Cause guess what? It's a million and one people out here trying to do the same thing you're doing. And if you're not dealing, yeah. And if you, if you're not doing, if you're not
Tony Taylor: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Jermaine P.: Yeah
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's a fact. And that are proven.
Q. Robinson: If you don't have the relationships and you don't have the work ethic, you know what saying? And you don't have the network, you might as well stay where you at until you build those things up. So.
Tony Taylor: Yeah, also, ⁓ No, go ahead, Clint. Go ahead, Clint.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-mm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Perfect.
CP4: And the last thing, ⁓ my bad. No, you started talking first. Go ahead, I'll wait.
Tony Taylor: Also, I'm gonna make it quick. Also, don't confine, this is gonna sound spiritual, but I'm trying not to be spiritual. Do not confine yourself to the thought that the only big thing is in LA.
Q. Robinson: Hahahaha! ⁓
Al Cleveland III: Hey, Stan Clements.
Q. Robinson: Mmmmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mmm.
Tony Taylor: There is a lot in this world for every single musician to work through. There are cruises, there are massive churches, there are bar gigs that will just pay you constantly throughout the week. Like, truth be told, like, like, and...
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes. Yep.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, yes.
Jermaine P.: Yeah, Al.
Al Cleveland III: We did that.
Jermaine P.: ⁓ Lately. You're there. ⁓
Tony Taylor: Like please do not think that the only place that you can work in or you can thrive in is in the arena in LA.
Q. Robinson: Nah, but Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony, I got an ego, bro. Like I got to be on stage, bro. Like they can't see me on stage. can't, no, no, they can't, no, they can't see me. They can't see me if I'm playing in the bar. They can't see me if I'm playing in church, giving my reasonable service. They can't see me on the cruise ship. Like I got to be on the stage, you know, going second or the third, the three openness. Like I got to.
Jermaine P.: Hahaha!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: You had a red bull today and he's feeling delightful.
Jermaine P.: Are you back to the openers?
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Back to it. It's as safe as you want it to be.
Tony Taylor: Is this a safe space? Is this a safe space?
Al Cleveland III: This is.
Q. Robinson: Absolutely.
Jermaine P.: You
Tony Taylor: That's some of the best places to be in. If as a man, I'm just being real with you. Like, like people that are trying to be seen, now granted it should not be that, but I'm just saying like, as like a mindset space, where it's like, if you're, if you're in a space of like, you really want to be around good people, those bars.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Good morning.
Tony Taylor: those cruises, those be some of the best vibes that you could ever be a part of. These tours, you don't see a thing. 98 % of the time, it's a 2 % chance that you may be able to see it and or feel it if you got if you got a good spiritual awareness. But like most times, you're not seeing none of these people. It's a slim chance. It's work.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Al Cleveland III: Right, right, right, right, right, right, right.
Q. Robinson: Yeah, it's work.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Tony Taylor: It is like for me personally like and this is also something to kind of think about where it's like if you even want to get to that big stage you got to treat that small gig as if it was that stage and if you're not if you're not treating it that way you're not even gonna position yourself to even be inside of that arena so yeah all right play on go i'm sorry
Jermaine P.: Yes sir, yes sir.
Q. Robinson: Yes, Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: 100%.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, I'll claim what close it on and we'll pivot to the next.
CP4: I was about to say a quick reprise to Tony's. ⁓ Mugs just have to be real with themselves and just figure out what it is they actually want to do. Because... But no, there's literally a lane for everyone and everything. so figure out what it is you want to do. If there's something specific you want to do or good at, go somewhere.
Jermaine P.: Mm-hmm
Q. Robinson: Tell me you from Chicago without telling me you from Chicago. ⁓
Tony Taylor: My fault, my fault, my fault.
Jermaine P.: Mm.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
CP4: that that thrives on. Or if you wanna go and do everything, then that's when you go to major cities that have everything, like LA or New York. Or if you just wanna play at church, or if you wanna do all the festivals or all that, then move to these areas where all of this stuff is happening. Meet the people, network, and go from there. But if you're not knowing which line you're trying to go to, there's the visit before you move.
Tony Taylor: Mmm.
CP4: Especially while you're figuring out just visit first and then you go from there. So yeah, that's all I want to say.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: There you go.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Love it. I think we have great explanations here. We're good. This was really really quick. Did you all have any other jobs before drumming or before drumming was your main occupation? Show of hands. Yes. No. Tony said no. Q said yes. Out. Out. What was that? Clem. Yes. OK. So Jermaine and Tony know everyone else up here has. OK.
Jermaine P.: Mm-hmm
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Bye.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, yeah, Right out of, I mean, I guess it was like the same time, like right when I graduated, I was doing some touring, but like when that got slow, I was working at Guitar Center. You know what saying? I was doing a Guitar Center thing, because I didn't know if I would ever go on tour again. I was still doing the bar thing, but I need to make, I just got a girlfriend. I was trying to be able to take out to eat. So I did Guitar Center and then,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: A lot of people don't know this. After I'd already kind of like established the beginning of my career, the pandemic happened and my ass was at Starbucks straight up. I was slinking coffee for like six months, you know what saying? And as soon as I got that first call, was like, all right, we back in the mix.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Jermaine P.: Slinging, call me instead of slinging. It's crazy. That's crazy, huh?
Q. Robinson: Slinging coffee is crazy.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sling in the bee!
Jermaine P.: I'm
Al Cleveland III: To answer the question, think like, if you can make music work, like I feel like everybody here has been blessed to be able to figure out how to make music work ⁓ exclusively, but if you need to supplement with a regular civilian job, do not feel no shame about that. Cause the last thing you want is to be good and talented and one month away from being on a street. You know what I'm saying? Like it's not, you do have to struggle a little bit as you're trying to.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Al Cleveland III: You gotta have that hunger, like, you gotta have some, make some money. Especially if you over 22, 23, like you should have some bread, you know what I'm saying? So, but like, I get it, but yeah, I don't see no shame in working on regular job if you gotta do it as you getting up.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep, I agree. Take care of your houses. That's that simple. There's no ego in providing for yourself.
CP4: Bingo.
Q. Robinson: I always playing drums, but I was a high school math teacher. I taught high school math for five years. ⁓ So I did that while I was in Miami. around that time, I started visiting Atlanta and just like.
Al Cleveland III: Wow.
Jermaine P.: Well...
Tony Taylor: Fire!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right, right.
Jermaine P.: That's crazy.
Q. Robinson: I felt like I was at the top of my step in Miami as far as like gigs and opportunities and opportunities that I wanted just weren't necessarily originating in Miami. Everybody comes down to Miami to party and record, you know what saying? But I wanted to do like more live performances and stuff like that. So, but my fifth year, I decided to step out on faith and do music full time. And so my last year teaching was 09 and then I moved to Atlanta in 2010. And so, you know, it's definitely been some ups and downs, you know, some struggle, like having to figure out how much gas is in my car and do I have enough to make it to the gig to get that little $65 so I can put gas in my car and potentially have something to eat. You know what I'm saying? So it's a struggle. Y'all don't know Jarvis and I just talked about it, but I was homeless for a couple of months when I first moved to Atlanta.
Tony Taylor: 100%.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah?
Tony Taylor: To get back home.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Jermaine P.: right
Al Cleveland III: Wow.
Q. Robinson: because the dude, long story short, I was renting a house and I gave the guy like six months worth of rent upfront. So I wouldn't have to worry about that while I was still in Miami. And that house was in foreclosure, unknown in the rule at the time. Like he just got away with murder. So maybe like two months into me living in that place, the marshal's knocked on the door. He's like, yo, like you gotta leave. And at that time I had no legal recourse. So like, what was I gonna do?
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Cheers.
Jermaine P.: Wow. Wow.
Q. Robinson: It was like for me, that was like rock bottom. And I think I had to go through that too. So that. I could prove to myself, it wasn't proving to God because God had already had given me everything I needed, but for me to be able to prove to myself that, you know, I could do this, you know, because anytime you move Clem, Jermaine, if you've moved from one place to another, you have a lot of people that tell you, ⁓ yeah, this is dope. You should go and do that. But it's going to be some people that are like, you'll be back. You stupid for leaving. Why would you leave? You got all of these things happening. You know what saying? So who's reporting you going to believe?
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah. Yep. Right.
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Yep.
CP4: ⁓ yeah.
Q. Robinson: You know what saying? I'm not going to preach like Tony said, but like I just choose to believe that the same guy that gave me this gift is the same guy that gave me the mindset to move and also work in his timing. And I think a lot of times we take off our blinders and we're looking at, well Tony moved or Clem moved, Jermaine moved. So now that's my, that's my, that's my cue to move as well. Don't put yourself in a situation where, you know, Once again, also Al, I think sometimes it's ego driven to be able to say, ⁓ yeah, I'm just doing music full time and you'd rather struggle doing music full time than going to get that job, you know, until you don't have, sometimes you got to do what you don't want to do, sacrifice what you want to do so you can do it later. You know what saying? Everybody's timing is different, but we look at social media and we look at everything somebody else is doing.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: And we can't even find joy in our own careers because we're looking at what other people are doing in comparison to the Thief of Joy. Like I look at all of y'all and I draw inspiration from each one of y'all every time I see y'all play. By no means, or form does it make me feel like I need to be doing more because I see such and such as killing it right now. No, it makes me want to go and get in the shed, but it's not going to make me feel bad about where I am in my career.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: You know what saying? And I think so many times we're motivated not by what God has put in us, but we're motivated by jealousy and envy and ego. ⁓ well, I play better than him. Like I should have that opportunity. And if he can do it, I can do it. And then you move out here and you see it's not the same thing. So, yeah.
Tony Taylor: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: So summarize there, people have gotten jobs and will get jobs if we need to. Okay. 100%. We will take care of our houses. But if you can cool, if not, it's also no, no shame.
Q. Robinson: Tell them about your job Jarvis.
Tony Taylor: Yep.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: What job is that?
Q. Robinson: Yeah, you'd be walking down Hollywood Boulevard chest naked, you know what saying? With a tip.
Jermaine P.: With the baby oil together
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: OK, yep, might have to mute Q. Q, Q, gotta get out of here.
CP4: NNNN ⁓
Q. Robinson: Baby all is crazy ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: you to me. I thought we was good. I thought we was good. I thought we was good. Wow. The experience is crazy. I hate you. All right. This is one I want to know, actually, because I'm very curious. Always when you all get a gig and you get called for for some work, right? We get guys, we got a tour for you all. How do you guys go?
Jermaine P.: Hey.
Tony Taylor: Ayyyy
Jermaine P.: I was just trying to add to the experience. I was just trying to add to the experience. ⁓
Tony Taylor: ⁓ haha!
Q. Robinson: Hey Jay, you did it though. You did it. You did it. I appreciate you, bro.
Al Cleveland III: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Tony Taylor: Mercy.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: What's your process for learning the material? Because we all just said out the gate, most of the time we get this shit last minute. Right. That's just what it is. Right. And the reason just so people know creative has to make a decision. Andy's got to make a decision. Management's got to agree. Artists has got to agree before you even get the song to you. So that's usually why we get it so late. Not because an MD doesn't want to give it to us. It's just they have a lot of, you know, layers to this before we get to it. So. What is you all's process for learning this material at a short notice and getting through to being as prepared as possible?
CP4: I'll go first. I'll answer for Jermaine and I, because we do the same thing. One, of course, it depends on how much time you have. That's where you start with that. And then once you do get the songs, the late, great Kahari Parker taught us that you break the songs up or down into how much time you have. So if you get a call and let's say you have two days to learn 15 songs.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Let's get it
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
CP4: That first day, of course you can listen all the way down, but that first day you're doing five to seven songs. Don't start trying to get to the end in the outro. Then that second day, that first day you learn them, you chart them, you do whatever you need to do to get comfortable with them. Then the second day, the next five to seven, or however many, or if it's eight, or however many you got through the first day, you do the rest on the second day.
Jermaine P.: I'll file to seven, and you eat.
CP4: And then you go from there. And then if you're blessed enough, if you got a third day, then that's when you finally go through everything. And don't put your hands on it. Don't initially just go to the drums to put your hands. No, you have to actually listen orally, not orally, orally. Of course, my accent is different, but you have to listen first. You have to listen first to actually know what you're playing, understand what you're playing because...
Jermaine P.: ⁓ fuck!
Q. Robinson: Yeah, talk to him. Talk to him, Clem. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, come on
CP4: Jermaine and I all the time, and I'm sure y'all can say this too, we'll listen to some songs that we've heard for years, but never had to play them or play them not in a serious situation. But then you listen like, that's what they've been playing this whole time? I had no idea. So you have to listen and process what it is first. Then if you have the time, then go put your hands on it. Cause of course not every song takes as long as the next or not every show involves that much. just all depends on what it is. And then the next thing,
Jermaine P.: Stop it.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: The whole time, yep. ⁓
Q. Robinson: Yeah. Yeah.
CP4: that goes with that, knowing your personnel, knowing who you're working with, knowing the artist, knowing the MD. If the MD likes all of this, cool. If you know the MD does not and only wants you to play the music or the artist only wants to hear their stuff, then you prepare for that as well too, AKA learning the record, learning the feels from the record, learning why they play what they play because of course, yes, we're hired or called to be ourselves.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Hmm. Mmm.
Jermaine P.: ⁓ weeee!
Q. Robinson: Boy, look, boy.
CP4: But ourselves can sometimes be a distraction or just not correct at all because we didn't listen and do our proper research and study. And that's all I'll say because y'all can go from there.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Yeah, man. Yes, sir.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: I would love also to hear from from Al not to interject before you guys, but I particularly want your insight on this because you've successfully crossed a wide variety of genres. Like you have successfully crossed a wide variety of genres and to the point where he's playing arena shows for a country and then going on playing stadiums for BTS. That's how wide this scope has been and all the way in between. So I would love to hear your insight.
CP4: Literally, literally.
Jermaine P.: ⁓ Literally.
CP4: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
CP4: Mm-hmm.
Al Cleveland III: So, okay, funny piggybacking off of what Clemen said. So I've always had a process, but I was getting ready for something. I don't remember what it was. And Clemen's actually gave me his process on how he got ready for songs. And I straight up ripped it. Like the part where he talks about just listening and not even putting your hands on it. Because before I used to just learn the song.
Jermaine P.: Hahaha! ⁓
Al Cleveland III: and be like, I gotta be prepared, I gotta be prepared. But I kind of morphed into, my process basically now is like, I get the music and let's say I got a week to get everything straight. The last thing I'm gonna do is play the drums on the songs. And if it's simple enough, I might not actually play it into rehearsal. But what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna make a playlist, I'm gonna listen to it, just listen to it like I'm listening to my own regular music.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Moo!
Jermaine P.: Lately though.
Al Cleveland III: and just get it ⁓ in me, try to get it in me as much as possible. And then from there, I'll decide how do I wanna play it and I'll start listening to stuff like my own music that fits that, you know what I'm saying? So like when I was with Melanie, when I first got the music, started listening to the songs and then I started listening to a bunch of Nine Inch Nails. And I was just like, cause this how I wanna come at the gig. So just kind of trying to like connect it, connect it.
Tony Taylor: ⁓ huh.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: oooo
Al Cleveland III: Like the country stuff, I would listen to stuff that, listen to Brad Paisley or Dirk Spintley, like old super stuff to just kind of give it like stuff that, ⁓ try to give it a feel that I connect with so I can, I'm gonna still play the parts, but I just want to connect the dots in my brain. That's how I can sell the music. And then the last thing is, and this is lot, this is putting in a lot of time, but like, I don't care. If you only have four days, I'm gonna.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Al Cleveland III: You got 24 hours in a day, I'ma do it. I'm going to give myself a roadmap of every song, ⁓ just so I know I might not use them. I might not be staring at it in rehearsal, but I've given myself every opportunity I can to win because I'm not the... I I'm confident in what I can do, but I'm not the craziest drummer, you know what saying? A part of my superpower is I'm gonna know the shit, I'm gonna be able to play it. consistently down every time. if I need to look over and see, oh, this, these hits is coming up. I'm not finna whiff those hits. You know what I'm saying? So like listen, study, connect the dots in your brain, however you can. And then if you want to jot it down, jot it down. But if you got one extra day to go and just kind of shed over them, then cool. I personally, like everybody here can play. Like if you're doing things at a certain level, you know, you can play the drums. So I don't think you, actually saw an interview
Jermaine P.: Yep.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Al Cleveland III: by when I was, I might've been in high school, was the interview with Ronald Brenner Jr. And he was like, he was about to do a drummer live performance, something like that. And they asked him how he prepared. He's like, I just listened to it. And then I just went up there and played it. And like, he oversimplified the hell out of it. But like, understood it. He was like, I don't want to go practice it and come up with all this stuff. And now I'm thinking about that on stage. Like, he just went up there and flowed. Me.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Al Cleveland III: fills and stuff like that. If I'm going to do something flashy, you better believe I did it already in this room. Because like I can't, I'm not Ron, you know what saying? Like I need to know, I at least need to know how I'm a start it and how I'm a land it. Everything in the middle, that can be fine. You know what saying? Some drummers don't need that. But if you need that, like if you need to come up with the different gates and how you going to stick shit, do whatever you need to do. But you just got to...
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mmm.
Jermaine P.: Hahaha.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: or
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: be self-aware and know what type of player you are. And at the end of the day, it's all about coming in there and trying to, like I try to come in first rehearsal, ready to play a show, as close to ready to play a show as I can. You know what saying? Knowing it's not, you're not going to get there, but I try to come in. So it just puts everybody at ease. puts everybody like, especially if you are doing a situation where you just stepping in for a once or a couple of days or something like that, you know.
Jermaine P.: Yep.
CP4: Bingo. Bingo.
Al Cleveland III: And then, you know, if you're a soft road, if you're listening, then you don't prepare at all. I show up late. I'd play everything I want to play.
Jermaine P.: Hm-hm.
Q. Robinson: You
CP4: You play all the splashes. You play all the splashes.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Idiot.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: No, I'm just playing, I'm just playing. But yeah, that's my process, man.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Tony, do you want to add something to that?
Tony Taylor: just want to make sure that we are not gonna walk away from the fact that Al is one of the craziest drummers in the world right now. I just want to make sure. I just want, I don't want you to undersell yourself because you Cleveland's are a problem. And no, no, like so serious. Like you may feel like you can't do the craziest chops, but the simplest crap you're doing on these posts that you put up, these people are still trying to figure it out. Me included.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That is a fact. That is a fact.
Q. Robinson: Come on, Come on, come on.
Jermaine P.: Thank you. Thanks
Al Cleveland III: I appreciate it,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Come on.
Q. Robinson: Alright.
Jermaine P.: You ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's a fact. That is a fact. That is a fact.
Tony Taylor: But that's neither here nor there.
Al Cleveland III: ⁓ man.
Q. Robinson: I'm one of them. I'm one of them.
Al Cleveland III: ⁓ man.
Tony Taylor: like like on some real stuff bro like if you're a real musician a lot of people would say like you are one of those goats like like on some real stuff bro because like the the way that you approach music
Jermaine P.: Yep.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes.
Al Cleveland III: ⁓ I appreciate this.
Jermaine P.: Yep.
Tony Taylor: Yeah, I'm not gonna get into that.
Jermaine P.: Yeah, yeah.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, man. That means a lot coming from you guys, man. I'm a huge fan of every, like you heard, Clemens has changed my, like I'm always looking at what everybody on this screen is doing and like, you know, and just trying to take the fuel. So I appreciate the support guys.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Tony Taylor: Yeah, nah, I just had to say that. ⁓ I guess I can answer the question. ⁓ So, me, Clem May, we all grew up together. So, yeah, I learned the same way. I did change a little bit recently though. ⁓ It's a little more in depth because I wanted to become a... Okay, I'll just start like this. Once I saw Sean Wright and Darion do all the YouTube live arrangements, that's what I wanted to do. So like...
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: And I
Q. Robinson: For sure.
Al Cleveland III: Mm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: you
Tony Taylor: At one point I was just making stupid crap but then over time I actually started taking it seriously. So ever since I started taking production, arranging, all of that stuff seriously, I actually started listening to what else is happening within the song. So because I'm extremely picky and because I listen to what everybody else is doing now, I typically take a little long.
Q. Robinson: Hmm.
Jermaine P.: Yes, sir.
Tony Taylor: It's bad, I'm really trying to process through all of this, but like I actually care about what everybody else is doing. So like the way that I'll approach the music is based off of what's happening in the song itself. And then once we get into the actual rehearsals and I'm actually listening to what everybody else is doing, then my approach actually becomes what it really is once I hear everybody's part to play. So for me, I will listen to the stuff in the car while I'm asleep.
Al Cleveland III: Mmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Respect.
Tony Taylor: Like I'll just listen to it as much as I possibly can. Like, and one thing somebody told me, ⁓ listening to music while you're asleep is actually one of the best ways to learn music because that is, that is the time, that is the time where your body is actually like processing without all the chaos. So when you're listening to that stuff, you're retaining it a lot easier. So I started doing that where like I'll sleep on it. And then this is also a weird way to think about it. Like,
CP4: Absolutely. Absolutely.
Al Cleveland III: I don't. Yeah, 100 % 100 %
CP4: Yep.
Q. Robinson: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mm.
Tony Taylor: Live what you play. And the reason why I say that is because like when you look at some of the greatest actors, they actually take on what's going on. And it's like, and granted, I'm not saying, I'm not saying, you know, turn into the thing, but like come into a mindset of like, like I was saying, like you want to be in that genre. So like actually taking time to study. What was their last show sounding like?
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, 100%.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Whoa, that's good, Tony.
Al Cleveland III: Right. Mm-hmm.
Tony Taylor: like what is the artist, what is the artist like if it's like, well for me, like it was a group, but they were all individual artists. So like they all had different vibes. Like I had a whole conversation with Mayne because he played with one of the artists and I asked him about his input and literally because of the conversations that we had, it helped me to be able to understand how I need to be playing this music. So yeah, like really like, yeah.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: That's 100 % bro.
Q. Robinson: ⁓ think especially you five guys, cause I've watched y'all, know, like I'm probably the biggest fans of all of y'all. The thing, and I've seen y'all play multiple genres with different artists. And I think the one thing that I've always been a fan of is that you don't bring your ego into what it is. Like you never come in with a preconceived, I'm going to approach it this way because this is my sound, you know, and we see a lot of guys crash and burn in that way. Instead of Tony, like you said, allowing the music to dictate how you approach the music, right? And not just trying to fit what you do into this or try to make the music fit.
Jermaine P.: Wee! Yes sir. ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
CP4: Ingo.
Q. Robinson: into what it is that you do. And I think that's bigger question when we start talking about metaphysics. It's like the reason why we practice is not to shed or to get better, it's to exercise those tenets so that music can speak to us, speak through us any way it desires to. But I think a lot of times if we just put these blinders on and just only going at it one approach, you're
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Tony Taylor: Yeah. You
Q. Robinson: only going to sound good in that approach as opposed to being able to play behind a legacy artist versus like a K-pop artist versus the country artists. It's like any one of y'all can do anyone's gig simply because of the mindset of like, I'm here to service the music. anyway, ⁓ but ⁓ my, my, my thing is a little different. Yes. I'm definitely listening all of the time.
Jermaine P.: Mmm.
CP4: Yep.
Jermaine P.: Yes, sir.
Al Cleveland III: It's about the music.
CP4: Thank
Q. Robinson: 24 hours a day, even when I don't want to listen to it, definitely in my sleep. But mine is a little different simply because I got sheet music in front of me. Right. So ⁓ for me, it's always listening. Like my process, if I'm lucky, especially with these productions, you you get a little time. Like, so I'm never in a situation where I got to be ready to play a show in three days. Right. I've done that, but like not on the specifically the Broadway stuff.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Q. Robinson: So my process is about maybe like three to five weeks. And the first, those first three weeks, am listening. I'm listening every day, all day. And then from there, at the end of the third week, I pull out the music. Because by that time I know where the transitions are going, right?
Jermaine P.: Thank
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: And so now at that point, now I'm listening to see exactly what the drummer actually played. Cause I know something's coming up, but I don't know what he did. So now I'm looking at the sheet music to read and annotate and see what he did. The audio versus what's written because sometimes what's written is very old and there is an update and whoever's in the chair can play something different. I pulled out this so I can show y'all anything that you see in red.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sorry. Mm.
Q. Robinson: is something, let me see, there we go. Red is what's being played now, right? If I get rid of that and ⁓ that's the original, right? Because it's also not about what I wanna play. It's what, because the drums a lot of times are the linchpin and what automation does and what lights do.
Al Cleveland III: Mmm.
CP4: Mmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Got you.
Al Cleveland III: Ah, I don't know.
Q. Robinson: and what choreography does. like they're depending on me to, and I could do something even better than what the drummer did in my opinion. But if it pulls focus for a minute, that split second that the lights are like, ⁓ yo, like what was that? That's dope. He's just missed this cue. And now it's just like a domino effect of things not working well. Right. And the last thing you want to do is be on that note. What happened? ⁓ Q did this fill. And you know, I was listening, you get what I'm saying?
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Al Cleveland III: you
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, facts, big facts.
Q. Robinson: So, ⁓ it's definitely about listening. ⁓ it's definitely about knowing what's going on. But I think the other thing that all of you guys have in common is that you never listening from the drum chair. You're always listening from an architectural view, right? You're always listening. And that's what Tony's talking about. Listening to what everybody else is doing. Like as if we, if we're talking about architect, like if I'm just a drywaller and I'm only looking at drywall,
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: I'm only concerned with the drywall, but if I zoom out and go to the top, like I can see everything. I can see what the plumber is doing. I can see what the electricians are doing. And it allows me to do my job better because if I know that the bass player is doing something that's going to like an eighth note bill, maybe I not do the crazy 32nd note triplet thing. That's going to get me all of the pats on the back, but it's going to clash with what the bass player is getting ready to do. Or you get what I'm saying? It's like that. And sometimes that's why I think like you guys, you know,
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Tony Taylor: Yep.
Q. Robinson: ⁓ you guys are so inspirational because when I hear you play, it's like, it's y'all make the simplest thing feel so good because you're thinking from a musician standpoint and not a drummer standpoint. And that's a whole nother conversation, right? But, ⁓ yeah, but for me it's, it's, it's, it's the, it's the audio, but also for me, it's the video, the visual, you know, and then on top of that also having the conductor cam.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right. I think that's perfect.
CP4: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: Right? Because I got to know like how the conductor and we all grew up in church. like, it's like watching a choir director, right? Just like understanding, understanding the act is the bottom of that instruction or this person counts faster than the other conductor that may be on, you know, or when this actor is on this actor back phrases more than the other actors. like also understanding that thing. like for me, it's, it's always audio.
Jermaine P.: Yes sir.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right, yep.
Tony Taylor: Crazy.
Q. Robinson: And then it goes to visual from a sheet music standpoint. And then the last thing is like, when I know those two, then I can watch the conductor cam. And after I do all of that, then I can actually sit behind the kit, use Moises or Ableton, strip out the drums, put my iPad up or put my screen up and literally play through the show with all of the notes that I've had. like the biggest thing that I can do because like, Hamilton has maybe like seven or eight different drummers that can cycle through the show at one particular time. My job is to be as invisible as possible. Like I want to be concrete foundation. And the thing about concrete foundation, you never walked into a house and be like, man, this is a strong concrete foundation. You might say that you may say that the carpet looks good or you may say that the tile or the wood looks good, but you're never looking at the concrete foundation unless it has a crack in it. So I rather them not even know that I'm there.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Mm-hmm.
Jermaine P.: you
Tony Taylor: Nope.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sir.
Jermaine P.: Uh-uh.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: Like it's drums that, ⁓ yeah, like that's Q. He's solid and keep it moving, you know? So yeah, so that's that.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Respect. Oh, do we have a beautiful spectrum? But everybody starts with listening because we're playing music. Don't forget that you're playing music. So listen to understand where your part falls in the music versus being so focused on. am the drummer. I'm going to cherry pick a couple of things because I know we were pretty over it. I don't want to hold you, gentlemen, But this is a really great question is I'm in high school and considering going to college for music.
Q. Robinson: Yeah, 100%.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Would you suggest going to college or giving it a professional go in the work?
Jermaine P.: to this one. Yeah, yeah. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, went to the same place. So that's why I'm like, you can go bro. Go out. Go. Yeah, go ahead.
Al Cleveland III: take a step at that. ⁓ yeah, go ahead. No, go ahead, Jermaine. Jermaine. We're probably in the same. ⁓ It just depends on what you're trying to do. If you're just strictly trying to play, play the instrument.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, man.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: I would give it a shot in the real world first. If that's all you're trying to do is play, just get out there, get the experience, get your ass kicked by a bunch of professionals and just go for it. If you're looking to do something else in music industry, definitely go to school. I definitely went to a conservatory along with Jermaine and I enjoyed my experience. I definitely learned a lot. ⁓ I didn't think I was gonna be, I didn't think I was gonna work in the drum set world at the time, which is why I went. So yeah, I don't got nothing better. Like if you want to go to conservatory, do it. But I can't imagine what life would be if I knew I wanted to play drum set and I moved out here at 18 years old and just started going for it. So.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah. Go ahead, man. I would love to hear you say.
Jermaine P.: Right. Yeah. Yeah. I think for me, ⁓ I realized everyone's situation is just different. Right. So then because it's like I knew homies more so that was at school with me. Like they were from, you know, Alabama, Florida, just like you name it. And I realized quickly how blessed I was to be from Chicago. Right. Chicago has its own industry ⁓ of its own. ⁓ from the networking, know, but just whatever it is, I had such an advantage living in Chicago. So then when I got to my college, I realized, like I said, my guys from Alabama, you know, just like certain things where it's like, oh man, they didn't have the opportunities, they didn't even have some of the professionals or the professionalism. You know, I literally was able to watch guys that still work to this day, just like. Like it was just nothing, you know what I mean? So like once I realized that like, man, like my big bros are guys that they're looking at and looking up to and all, you know what mean? So I think, I think for me, it just depends on your situation because what I liked about college was the networking aspect of it was me being in a different environment. You know, I lived in Boston before I even moved to LA. So I even learned how to maneuver, you know, and how to. ⁓ rebuild myself and my connections and you know how to more so do it the right way. So then when I came to LA, it was a little easier. It was honestly like the same thing. I know you can attest out it felt the same way. We you just had to go around and just do what you had to do, you know, so I say I say for me, it just depends on like your situation, you know, like if you actually are working like it's some people that
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Jermaine P.: like like like Clemens, for example, he was working in high school, like heavy heavy high school. So he necessarily did need to go to Boston. I wasn't working heavy ⁓ in high school. So it made sense for me to leave and go do something else and blah, blah, blah, blah. So I think just everyone's situation is different. But ⁓ I say
Al Cleveland III: Right. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right, right.
Jermaine P.: I'm gonna say do it, if you don't have much going, and especially if you get some kind of scholarship, I say do it if you just want to just gain something new. then just I'll say, then it is the place where you can actually maybe teach later on down the line. I say if you're working, but if you aren't working, man, do it.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, I'm going, I gotta go with Jermaine on that too. Like just to piggyback on him, he's bringing up Clemens was a perfect example. It's like, like if you already like, I mean, we're always obviously growing as players, but like if you already doing stuff and like you can play and you doing gigs, stuff like that, maybe Berkeley is not the, or any music school to teach you how to play is not the best option. But like, you know, like Jermaine said, if you don't got a ton going on and like for me, it definitely helped me because simply it immersed me in music. It just immersed me in music culture, you know what saying? And being around people that, like I was not in a place where I could have just moved. If I had moved to LA right out of, I would have just got swallowed up, you know what saying? So yeah, definitely everybody's situation is different.
Jermaine P.: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right. Perfect. Next question is, go ahead.
Q. Robinson: I'd say, hold on one second. do want to say something about that simply because, know, I, you know, went to went to university, Miami or whatever. and Jermaine said something very, very, very, ⁓ pointed and he said that you gotta know what it is that you want to do. ⁓ and I don't know if a lot of high school kids actually know what that is. They only know what they see, right? And so sometimes I know even for me going to college, I just knew I wanted to play drums. I had no idea I would be sitting where I am right now. Right. But what college allows you to do, like Al said, it's like you meet other people from different walks of life and then it shines a light on, ⁓ I may want to do that or I may want to do that. And then that, that helps you chart the path to get to that point. ⁓ I get a lot of people, ⁓ established professionals and you know, startups that are like, yo man, want to, I want to, I want to do what you're doing. I'm like, cool. How's your reading? Well, I don't really know how to do that. You know what saying? Okay, cool. I'm not saying that you have to go to school to learn how to read, but if this is something that you want to do, or if you want to, you know, do something that's going to use more than your technical vocation, I would say go and get the help even now as an adult, if it's something that you want to do that you know you need a skill for, like what's shutting your life down for six to eight months to go and get that certification so you can do it. You get what I'm saying? Like, because it only opens up ⁓ a world for you. You guys live out in LA and it's like, I don't want, what I don't want is to let the youth know, like, because there are certain guys
Tony Taylor: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sorry? Yep.
Q. Robinson: They can just play and it doesn't matter if they know how to read. It doesn't matter if they understand different genres. They have some MDs that will allow them to figure it out simply because that personality, they want that personality in the room or they want that skill set in the room. Not everybody is like that. So what I don't want to do, I don't want to miss this opportunity. If you have the opportunity to go to school, whether you can play or not, I feel like you should at least go and get the other side of it.
Tony Taylor: No.
Q. Robinson: so that you can do other things later. You know what saying? Because I feel bad about some guys are like, man, I really want to do that. I was like, cool. You can go and take a night course and take a music theory course online. But you know what saying? You can go.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sure.
Tony Taylor: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: sure.
Jermaine P.: I'm sorry for laughing literally literally no no but but but people don't want to hear that though bro that's why I'm laughing people don't want to hear that yeah
Al Cleveland III: Hahaha!
Q. Robinson: No, they don't. And that's why I'm saying it. Because it's like, you tell me you want to change your life, if you tell me, yo Q, I see what you're doing, I want to do it, I write, how's your reading? Well, I don't really read. Go and get the certification. And so many guys that hit me with that, and I was like, when you get to reading, come back and talk to me. I can count on one hand how many of those guys have come back and said, yo, I'm actively working on this, this, this, this, this, and this. And so part of that is also an ego thing, especially,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, for sure.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: They just want this.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Jermaine P.: Right.
Q. Robinson: Like if you're like Clem, who was already got, he already had motion. It's hard for some people that have motion already to put themselves in a situation where.
CP4: ⁓ phew.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Come on man.
CP4: I didn't know where he was going with that.
Jermaine P.: hahahahah ⁓
Q. Robinson: Like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: I didn't know either I say yo, what is about to happen?
Tony Taylor: We've been doing good, bro. We've been doing.
Jermaine P.: Thank Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Q. Robinson: to expose yourself into not necessarily knowing what it is. And it's like, I'm going to just stay over here. I'm going to just stay over here and play over here because I know what this is as opposed to putting yourself in a position like Jarvis, know, you, you, you lift out, you work out, you live, you get stronger at your weakest point. A lot of us don't want to be weak. You know what I'm saying?
Al Cleveland III: ⁓ yeah.
Q. Robinson: It's like, so I would say like take the opportunity, especially if somebody is going to pay you for it, you know, go and get that education. And if you don't want to use it, don't use it, but like, don't, don't forfeit what you don't even know is coming around the corner. You know what saying? So yeah.
Jermaine P.: Right. Yep. ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: So very valid.
Al Cleveland III: I that. I feel that.
CP4: And if you like your arms, if you like your arms, don't work out with Jarvis. He lifts a thousand pounds. So stay away from him if you like the, yeah, yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: as Not true. Everybody survives. Everybody survives. I'm going to ask one more. Right. I'm ask another question just ⁓ to keep it moving here. then depending off, we if you guys have things to do, we can tip off if we have the time to school, But the one thing that I think a lot of people talk about and would like to know drummers and not drummers in general is about pricing.
Jermaine P.: Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm
Al Cleveland III: No, that's true. That is true.
Q. Robinson: Not really.
CP4: There's some people that ain't made it back to the gym. ⁓
Jermaine P.: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right. How do you guys set your rates? What kind of conversations do you have when it comes down to rates? How do you determine what's a fair region? What's not?
Jermaine P.: Bye! How are you laughing? I'm
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: And let me put a disclaimer out first. Nobody up here is about to tell you how much they make or don't make. That's not their job. They're just going to help you decide what you should negotiate on certain gigs. That's all we're about to do right now.
Al Cleveland III: you
Q. Robinson: No, it's not happening. It's not happening.
Al Cleveland III: You
Tony Taylor: Ugh. Ugh.
CP4: I'll start, I'll start. My go-to thing, of course, I'm gonna always say is knowing your personnel. So knowing who's calling you, knowing the stature and the status of the gig or artist that you're doing, and even knowing the history of that. then, because yes, some people will pay you your worth if they can, but also you just have to be real.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
CP4: Well, if I'm going to a B level gig or event, but I'm asking for A plus type prices, nine times out of 10, they're going to say, unfortunately, we have to go a different route and we just can't afford you or whatever it is. So that's one aspect of it. But then the other aspect for me is what's all needed of me? What do I have to go through? What do I have to do?
Al Cleveland III: You
Jermaine P.: you
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
CP4: what's required of me and how much time or how long are we doing it? Do I have to bring my own gear? Do I have to do this? Do I have to learn it turnaround quick? I have to? So it just, I always just ask, I'm not scared to ask questions. I don't mind being the person that goes in asking questions because you could be, I gotta be appropriate. You could be someone that's too excited, too anxious.
Jermaine P.: Good bye.
CP4: and you will say a price and yeah, it could be cool, but then now they pull out the real on you of things that you gotta do before you can even get paid. Yeah, 30 songs, you gotta share rooms, gotta fly regular, you gotta, you know, it could be anything. I say ask all the necessary questions. Don't just ask where we going and who gonna be there. No, ask all the very important things.
Jermaine P.: I'm on 30 songs. Literally.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Tony Taylor: See. ⁓
CP4: Do I have to set up my own gear? Is there a production budget to cover XYZ? If I have to buy my own stuff, of course that's for touring and stuff, but just in general, if it's just, ⁓ we just picking up the end of tracks or we doing this, or you got to go to our rehearsals involved, all of these questions are very, very necessary. And then that's when you make a decision on how much you think all of this is going to cost you. Because now you got to...
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: Mercy.
Q. Robinson: Hmm
CP4: When you take on this responsibility, now you got to put your other stuff on pause or involve it. If you're working on multiple things, it's like, all right, well, I thought I had three off days. Now these three off days are filled with either preparing for this gig or doing this gig, rehearsing for this gig or doing whatever. So it's just like, ⁓ or if you got to sell out of some other stuff to cover whatever it is, you got to involve that and being able to pay whoever's going to cover you.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes.
CP4: Or if they got your tickets, your plane tickets already and some people make you pay it back. So you gotta, you gotta keep all those, all those things in mind when you're, when you're coming up with prices and all the things. So that's how I go from now. Of course we all know what we're worth, but it all still comes down to being real with yourselves and these people that's calling you and figuring out what you have to do, how much of your soul you have to let them borrow for however long and what it's going to cost for that. So yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Tony Taylor: University.
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Yeah.
Q. Robinson: ⁓ that's good. That's good.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, man. That's it, ⁓
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: anything else to add to that. think that's a perfect layout.
Al Cleveland III: That's it, brother.
Jermaine P.: I want to add one thing, because yeah, people definitely ask this question. think Clem said it. You have to be real with yourself, even in the sense of, you worth what you're asking for? Are you actually worth, I'm not going say no numbers because I don't want to, but are you actually worth this, fam? You know what I mean? Are you actually, I don't want to.
Q. Robinson: 100 %
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Hmm.
Al Cleveland III: Yay yay yay!
Jermaine P.: say it the wrong way, but like these managements and like all that, like they're looking at like how valuable you are to them, to the product. So it's like, if you, if you're asking for this, bro, are you truly worth it? Are you finna show up to rehearsals with your notes, knowing all the music? Are you finna do, do you have ⁓ that background of everybody saying, ⁓ yeah, Jermaine always knows the music. ⁓ yeah. Every situation he comes into always like,
CP4: to the show, yeah.
Jermaine P.: Like just do you have like a rapport? You know what I mean? So I feel like that's one of the biggest things. Like you could be one of the dopest musicians. Look, look, you could even be on a gig, but that doesn't really mean much. You know what I mean? Like that's just one gig. Like it's about like the next, you know, honestly. So like, that's why I tell people to really put your head down and just work because then like I've been in LA for eight years, which is crazy. It made eight years in January, which is, which is crazy.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: soon.
Q. Robinson: Wow, has it been eight? Wow.
Jermaine P.: It literally made eight years in January, y'all. It is bananas. And all I did, thank you, thank you, thank you. And I swear y'all, all I did, bruh, was just one, be a cool person and was always prepared. And that's what, you know, driven, that's what had me do all this stuff that I'm doing now. And now I can be like, yeah, I honestly need this to feel comfortable, you know? And you have to work up to that. So I think for me, I just...
Al Cleveland III: Wow.
Q. Robinson: Congratulations, man.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Crazy
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Jermaine P.: want people to just know you have to truly be real with yourself and like, really like gauge what you're actually worth and then you just go from there, you know? So that's it for me.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: I agree. think one of the things that I wasn't going to talk about this, but this is one of the things I do all the time. I put counsel together. I will call my friends and be like, this is what they're offering. This is what it is. Do you guys think this number is fair? Or if not, how do I negotiate something? I usually don't sign anything without talking to someone first. And that has helped me in a lot of ways on being like, bro, you think you worth that? You know, and it was an honest conversation. Do you think that that number you're asking for is crazy?
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: And sometimes they put things perspective of, bro, you're out with a C-list artist. You're opening. Knock it off. Like, you're not going to get this crazy number you're asking for. So either don't go. But but this is real friends, but it's just it kept me from making bad mistakes with management because they do talk. They're just like the reps. They talk to each other. So when they see your name come across this email feeding like, oh, Jarvis is on this man. They like, yo, you got another drummer, you know?
Jermaine P.: Yup, yup, yup. But not for real. Yup, yup.
Q. Robinson: Knock it off, it's crazy. Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm. Ha ha!
Jermaine P.: But seriously, seriously. ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: And that's a fair thing for them to say. That's a fair thing for them to say. The team doesn't want to deal with the bad attitude, you know, and they're entitled to that. So I would definitely throw that little thing out there, too. If you're not sure every person on this panel right now, they're givers. They're willing to help and they're willing to be like, yo, this is what it is. Amen. You've not really done anything. I think this is a good. Yeah, we're not talking endorsements. But if you land something and you don't have an idea when it comes out to how do I submit my rider or
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Yeah.
Q. Robinson: except endorsements, I'm done with the endorsement talk.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: You know, what's other things that are actually job description ways? Everybody up here will be willing to look at it really quick, maybe send you a voice note back in the DM and help you out. But don't go in there messing yourself up by thinking you deserve this crazy number and then you're opening up.
Jermaine P.: deserve.
Q. Robinson: I will also say there's nothing wrong, there's nothing wrong. I always said anytime I go into a negotiation, first person who says a number loses.
Jermaine P.: Mmm.
Q. Robinson: You know, it's like, because you can out price yourself, you know, and then you can also undercut yourself. Right. So there's nothing. So there's nothing wrong with saying, okay, I know the work. I know what this is going to take for me to do it. And that's what I'm saying to myself. I have a number that's going to be, I never forget. was talking to Nissan and Clem, you appreciate this Nissan is like one of my OGs.
Al Cleveland III: Wow. Wow.
Q. Robinson: I asked him that question. was like, man, I got this thing coming up. How much should I, how much should I charge for it? He was like, how much you need? That's you like, I like how much do you need? And that's, that's a number for me to know. So when I'm talking to this MD or I'm talking to production, I'm like, well, like what's your budget? Like, what are you looking at? Like, what's your range? You know, because what you want to know is what they're thinking.
Jermaine P.: Wee, simple as that.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Because right now, if your top number is more is less than my bottom number, what are we even talking about? Like there has to be some, and then it's not also, sometimes it's not always monetary. You know what I'm saying? It might be the opportunity to play with the decision maker that is connected to other work. You know, so I may take, you know,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sure.
Jermaine P.: Mmm. ⁓ weeee!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: There go. There you go.
Q. Robinson: a gig that pays maybe $200 less a week or less per diem a week or maybe I give them a break on what my back line cost is going to be for the opportunity to work with that particular MD simply because once they understand my skill set they're never not going to think about me again. I call it Costco. If you ever go to Costco, you walking through Costco.
Jermaine P.: Yes, sir.
Al Cleveland III: 100%.
Q. Robinson: and you go and get that little sample, they give you the little samples, you may be able to go back once or twice. But then when you go back that third time, they're like, ah, nah, nah. If you want those shrimp, they back there in the freezer section. And now you got to go spend the money on that, right? So you can't spend a block to me. If I give you that price that we never worked together before, cool. But you can't spend a block the next time because now you know the personality, know the professionalism, and you know the value that I bring to a gig.
Jermaine P.: Yep. Yeah. Damn. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes, sir.
Q. Robinson: You know what saying? As long as I'm not putting myself in a position not only for myself to be dis, ⁓ taken advantage of, but I'm not also not messing up the community because some guys will, will take a gig just to get on and undercut so far back that it messes it up for everybody. So that's all I wanted to say.
Jermaine P.: I don't know. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Tony Taylor: I'm only gonna say this because like I want to put this like in real perspective for a person ⁓ I was one of those people I'm gonna be real
Jermaine P.: What you got, Tom? I didn't expect that one. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Tony Taylor: No, no, no, I'm so serious. I'm so serious. I was one of those people at one point in time and I never understood because of my only perspective. And I'm only saying this because like I really want people to understand this because it like I got cussed out. Like that's how bad it was. And I needed it. And I was very grateful because it was one of my one of my friends that actually called me and was like, hey, I'll never do that BS again. Because like because I didn't understand.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: But it's honest, dude. Honest.
Al Cleveland III: Wow.
Q. Robinson: Right?
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Tony Taylor: certain aspects where like when you're also talking numbers especially like if we're talking about like ⁓ our area like you're not only representing yourself you're also representing the person that you work for as well and like in my situation like i'll be real with y'all so like i took this tour right off bat they was like hey this is the number i said all right cool because
Q. Robinson: Mmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes sir.
Tony Taylor: I needed the bread. I got kids. I got kids. Like I'm not gonna hold y'all. But like I never thought about how it could have affected someone else because it wasn't the price that I was supposed to get. And for me, like my friends have to sit me down and like, hey, like that could be a sign of disrespect if someone is telling you to go a certain route.
Q. Robinson: Yeah, that's real. That's real though. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's fair. That's fair though. That's fair.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, yeah, that's real. That's real. That's real. That's real, bro.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Fair.
Al Cleveland III: That's real.
Jermaine P.: Mmm.
CP4: .
Tony Taylor: out because there are certain certain situations where somebody be like hey do this and then you don't listen and then it could be like an over price or under price and literally that could be a sign of disrespect so like if you're trying to do like this type of area where like you got people that you work for that are actually telling you like hey this is what you're going to do and then there are certain situations where they'll like production may be like hey well let's do this and it's like who do I listen to
Q. Robinson: Mmm.
Tony Taylor: I'm not gonna lie to you, I was put in that situation where it was just like, okay, what should I do? And I'm only saying this because I want a lot of people to know and understand that like, just listen. Even if it seems like, cause like in my situation, I was freaking out. I ain't gonna lie to you. Cause I was like, yo, I just moved back to Chicago. I wanna take care of my kids. I wanna get out of this hotel that I was staying in. Like I just want to establish myself. But like, I got cussed out.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
CP4: .
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: I did, like one of my homies pulled me to the side and was like, hey, like that could have been a sign of disrespect to the person that you were working for because you didn't trust them. And I'm like, I just met the dude, let me not do that.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right, right, right.
Q. Robinson: Baton, but the other thing is, like I said, what Nissan said to me, what your number is for you to be able to survive and make it work for you might not be the next person's number. So, know, ain't nobody pocket patent. If you needed that, if you needed that for you, that's a let me free you up and say, that's not disrespect. What I'm talking about is, ⁓ Clem gonna do the gig for this amount. And I'm like, you know, well, I'm gonna do it for this amount because it's cheaper and it'll guarantee me the gig.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
CP4: .
Q. Robinson: You know what saying? Like, so you get what I'm saying? was like, so I guess because I'm a little older, I'm coming from it. like we all have a number, you know I'm saying? But if it's, if it's, I think there's a fine line between being disrespectful and working to get to the number that you know, you deserve, because like Jermaine said, the number that you deserve ain't going to come overnight. Number one and number two,
CP4: . you
Q. Robinson: Nobody can ever pay you what you're worth. Like the vibe that you bring, the personality that you bring, the professionalism that you bring, not only to the bandstand, but on the plane, on the tour bus, the hotel lobby, all of that stuff are intangible things that they can't pay you for. That's why when you have some people that come into the gig and be like, how was he? ⁓ he was cool, but he wasn't you. Sometimes they're not even talking about how they played the gig.
Jermaine P.: Eugh.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Al Cleveland III: Right. Right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Jermaine P.: Alright.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah. Yep.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: That is very true. That is very true. That is very true.
Q. Robinson: You, you get what I'm saying? And so when Jermaine's talking about getting to that number, it's because the long, like the longevity and the consistency over time lets that person know that I might have a million and one things to worry about, but as long as I got Tony on drums, I'm good. And that's enough for them to pay. That's enough for them to pay for that because that's one thing they never got to worry about whether if it's drum related gear. ⁓
Jermaine P.: Done. Literally.
CP4: . you
Tony Taylor: That is very true. That is very true.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: or a matata.
Al Cleveland III: Right, right, right, right, right, right. Period.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: cartridge, whatever. As long as I got that dude on drums, I'm never worried about that again. So if he's asking for this number that I wouldn't pay the next guy, I'm gonna give it to him because I ain't never got to worry about it.
Jermaine P.: I was literally, here. Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: ⁓
Tony Taylor: Yeah, and I will say that is something that I grew into. ⁓ Cause like, cause I'll be real with you. Cause like that situation really kind of opened my eyes to a certain extent. The only reason why I'm saying it is because like I undermined myself and the person knew my worth and I took it granted for the sake of my kids and everybody understood it, but I'm really just saying it for the sake of like other people because like for me,
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: real. It's real.
Jermaine P.: Yeah, yeah.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
CP4: .
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Damn. Mmm.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
CP4: . .
Tony Taylor: like in situations like the situation that I was in, like always just trusting who your leader is, especially if they're looking out for you. And that's really kind of the major aspect that I'm really kind of trying to come from because like there aren't situations where people will look out for you to make sure that you're taken care of and not like, you know, undermining yourself just so that you can get on it. You know, granted I had a very valid situation and even still I even had a conversation.
Q. Robinson: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Good story.
Tony Taylor: I was just like, hey, like, I'm just trying to get in and make sure that like I can establish some type of relationship. You know what I'm saying? And granted, by the grace of God.
CP4: . .
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: gained the trust of the entire camp which is great ⁓ but I appreciate you for that too because exactly yep
Q. Robinson: And that's also investment too, right? Like that's also investment. And that investment is also tax writable, tax off writable too. the number that you desire to have and the number that you take, that middle is tax off, tax writable.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: What's going on? Right.
Jermaine P.: Mmm
Tony Taylor: I had a bossy. ⁓
CP4: Okay. .
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm. never thought about it that way that's crazy that's a crazy way to think about that
Al Cleveland III: hahahahah
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Q. Robinson: That's another thing, but that's an investment. That's an investment. you're taking $500 less than you would normally take, you're investing in the future of that relationship business-wise.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, we'll definitely talk about it. For sure.
Tony Taylor: That's a crazy way to think about that.
Al Cleveland III: Is-
Jermaine P.: Yes sir. Yep. Yep.
Tony Taylor: Exactly. Yeah.
Q. Robinson: That's a $500 tax deduction.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Go ahead, Glen.
CP4: It's also okay to just say no and stay home as well too. Your peace of mind and everyone else's peace of mind.
Q. Robinson: ⁓ ha ha! Tell them, Clem!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: OOOOH!
Tony Taylor: Yo!
CP4: is worth the no because sometimes we'll say yes to something knowing we should have said no or should have done better with negotiating or whatever it is. And now you on the gig mad and making it miserable for everybody else. Underplaying the show, not being personable, ain't taking care of your hygiene or responding to emails. You could just say no because people respect that as well too, especially
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Good.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah. Right.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: No.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
CP4: If they do know you, if they do know your work, if they have done your research, they respect it because they know, ⁓ this guy is X, Y, Z. It's a gamble asking them, so let's see what they'll say because they know sometimes people will either say yes or humbly decline and say no, which again, it's no love lost depending on situations because I'd rather you do that than become the guy that was problematic.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
CP4: or cause an actual issue on the gig while you're out. When you could've just stayed at home and somebody else could've just went out and been happy for whatever the budget is because again, one of our big homies, Chris Johnson, says all the time, I'm gonna do what's best for me. The next person is gonna do what's best. So of course, it may be ridiculous to us or it may be crazy to us, but for the next person, whether they should take it or not, they need it. Because like Nissan's like, what you need right now? Do you need this?
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: Or I complain it. Yep.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Yes.
Tony Taylor: Mm-hmm.
Al Cleveland III: Right.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Q. Robinson: What you need.
CP4: Whether it's do you need the spotlight? Do you need the exposure? Do you need the money? Do you need whatever comes with this? Do you actually need it or should you just stay home or just do something else? So yeah, that's my only other part.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: Especially if you got kids, bruh. Especially if you got kids.
Q. Robinson: Yeah, you never, you never, you never, you never too good for a gig you said yes to. So if you knew that gig was paying that money, if you knew that gig wasn't paying a certain amount, if you knew you was going to have to share rooms or sleep on the tour bus, if you said yes to it, you can't cherry pick the path. If you're to take the money, you know what saying? You can't do that. And there's so many of us have this ego or this self
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Go.
CP4: Mm-hmm. Bingo. Bingo.
Jermaine P.: Mmm. Mmm. Yep.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Go
Jermaine P.: What?
CP4: Yep. Yep.
Jermaine P.: Yup.
Al Cleveland III: Nah, yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yep.
Q. Robinson: this sense of self entitlement that we feel like we gonna change it by complaining. That's not the way you do it. And also let's be real, some production don't care about how you feel.
CP4: Yep.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: No production cares. No production cares. Their job is the show.
Q. Robinson: They don't care. You're a small cog in the bigger wheel. know? So anyway, that's it. Anyway.
Jermaine P.: Ugh.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Fine. Well, if we got time, I want to ask just a closing question that's not as intense, but something that we've all dealt with. How do you all deal with criticism from an MD, an artist that is saying to you, I need something different, regardless of what that is. I don't like what you played. The feel is not good. The approach, your tones are wrong. How do you all handle that kind of. OK.
Jermaine P.: They're good.
Q. Robinson: Take the note. Take the note. Take the note. We were just talking about this last week. You cannot hear a note. You cannot hear a note through your ego or your insecurity. Take the note and make the adjustment, regardless of how you feel about it.
Jermaine P.: No! It's that simple.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
CP4: Yeah.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Q. Robinson: take the personal issue and that's something that I had to learn, especially coming over here to the Broadway world because I've been playing, I've played over 11, 1200 shows for Hamilton. I still might get a note about a crash that I did or something that I did. You know what saying? And if I take it with ego, it's like, how dare you? I've been playing this show longer than you've been conducting or dah, dah, dah, dah, dah. I've missed an opportunity to get better. Or if I take that note and be like, man,
CP4: .
Jermaine P.: Chiefs. Wow.
Q. Robinson: I'm jacking up. I'm never going to be good. Now I'm downplaying myself. I also missed a note. If they want a different crash there, just put a different crash there. You ain't got to love it, but you don't know what they're seeing from an architectural view. You don't know what's happening audio wise for them to even ask for that. Even if it's not your fault, let them come back and say, you know what? It was better what you was doing before. Go back to what you was doing before as opposed to you pushing back.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
CP4: .
Al Cleveland III: Right.
Jermaine P.: There we go.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Bingo. Bingo. Yep.
Q. Robinson: You know what saying? It's like, just take the note. Don't make it personal. They got a job just like you got a job. And if, and if they jack up, you're like, Hey, why are you doing that there? ⁓ MD told me to do it. No, no, no. I go back to what you was doing. Hey, MD, such as such, your boss told me to go back to doing X, Y, and Z. I just want to let you know, is that cool? ⁓ yeah. Like if such a set, I've lived that and I've also been the person to take it personal.
CP4: .
Q. Robinson: and it affects everything that I do. It affects how I come into the theater. ⁓ what's wrong with Q? Da da da da da, cause I'm in my feelings because he told me not to do the feel that I worked three hours on and it didn't go well. You get what I'm saying? Take the note, bro.
CP4: .
Tony Taylor: You
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Tony Taylor: bruh? yeah. also take self out the way. just take yo- take yo self out the way. it's not about you. like, if you're- if you're on any job, it's never about you. you may be in front, but it's not about you. especially drummers, we are the loudest possible thing.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Fair enough. Anyone else have a different? Take self.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Q. Robinson: Yeah. Yeah. Mmm.
Jermaine P.: ever. Like literally ever.
Q. Robinson: Love that.
Tony Taylor: in any area, whether it's church, bar, or the stadium. We are the loudest thing in there.
CP4: What's that guitar amp? Let's not forget that. Come on now. That guitar lamp got us beat. Guitar amp got us, come on. Come on now.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Hahahaha
Al Cleveland III: Clevis! Clevis!
Q. Robinson: Oh, not the guitar, it's like in a straight A. We love it.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Clem is an ovrum!
Al Cleveland III: feel like you dealt with this as clever as before.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Clemsa, where is your Kemper at?
Q. Robinson: Hey bro like ⁓
CP4: Please!
Jermaine P.: Literally Jarvis, literally.
Al Cleveland III: you
Tony Taylor: worth with anybody that has used a Kemper in a while but that's a doobie wearing a mic
Jermaine P.: That good talk, boy. That's what I'm saying, boy. Boy.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: You
Tony Taylor: Hey that was wild. That's all I have to say though. That's all I have to say. Just take yourself out the way. It'll be so much easier if you just realize it's not a job and it's not your gig or you're not the artist.
Q. Robinson: you
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Perfect.
Q. Robinson: You're only borrowing it. Ooh, Tony! Hey, boy!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
CP4: and keep your receipts just in case. ⁓
Al Cleveland III: hahahaha ⁓
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Come on!
Jermaine P.: Ha ha!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: ⁓ my!
Q. Robinson: 100%. 100%.
Tony Taylor: Hey, now that's a crazy thing to think through, but that's powerful.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yes.
Al Cleveland III: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
CP4: hahahaha
Q. Robinson: ⁓ Hey, for the people that's on here, I hope you're all hearing this. yes, date that joint. as such, ask me to do such as such as such, this date and this time. Because they were like, why is that? ⁓ I don't know why you did it. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, You told me to do this on this date.
Jermaine P.: Mmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Because it's also a politic thing too. It's also a politic thing too.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Like. Sometimes, yeah, yeah, I think the biggest thing for people to take away is realizing it's not your show, you know, and there's a whole creative team, there is a musical director and your job is just to interpret their vision. It's not your show. So if they give you a note, just take the note and the and every person up here right now can be in a room and not change the dynamic of it.
Q. Robinson: Mmm. ⁓
Al Cleveland III: area.
Q. Robinson: Mm-hmm. Take the note, man.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: They get it. They receive a note. Cool. Play this here. No worries and move on because I promise you the MD moved on. The creative director moved on. They gave you the note and they they literally are on to everything else. But what they just told you. Just let it be. You know what,
Q. Robinson: That's it.
Tony Taylor: situation.
CP4: Because sometimes sometimes the note don't even be crazy sometimes you may just need to smile while you're hitting whatever it is you're doing to give it a different energy and it'll make the difference That's it or started a beat later or earlier and make a difference. That's it. It don't have to be nothing crazy or personal
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right, right, right.
Q. Robinson: Yeah!
Al Cleveland III: You gotta sell it. You gotta sell it. You gotta sell it.
Jermaine P.: Ha
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That's it. That's it.
Q. Robinson: 100 %
Tony Taylor: tell you how many times
CP4: I do it all the time. Just let them talk and be like, okay. Whatever you say, the smile or not, whatever you say. Yes, sir.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Sounds great.
Tony Taylor: Hey.
Q. Robinson: Or that one when you get to that part and you do it and then you give them a thumbs up. ⁓ yeah, yeah, yeah, that's great, that's great. I ain't even changed nothing. I changed nothing.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: That was the one.
CP4: Hahaha!
Jermaine P.: It ain't
Al Cleveland III: You ain't changed a thing!
CP4: Yes.
Q. Robinson: That was it, that was it.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yo, I hate y'all. You're right, everybody's like, I'm listening now, yeah.
CP4: you
Al Cleveland III: Hey, I hope no MDs watching this. ⁓
Tony Taylor: Yo. I'm in your head. ⁓
Jermaine P.: ⁓ ⁓ my god.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah, it's so true.
Q. Robinson: Yeah, hey man, these are coping mechanisms. Listen, sound guys do it all the time. Hey, I need more guitar. Sound guys do it all the time.
Tony Taylor: ⁓ my God, that is so funny.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Man. Listen, but I appreciate every single guy. ⁓ don't talk.
Jermaine P.: Yeah. Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Did the fake fader slide up?
Q. Robinson: Yes! Yes!
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Are you good? Yeah. ⁓ that's perfect. Nah, ain't changed nothing. Ain't changed nothing.
Jermaine P.: Hahaha
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, don't play with me. ⁓
CP4: Hahaha!
Q. Robinson: You know how every time I'm sitting there with playback in front of the you're I need more guitar. You be like, hey, yo, watch this. Is that good? ⁓ that's perfect.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right. Well, anyway, gentlemen, you said what?
Tony Taylor: the worst for that too. I'm the worst for that because I don't ask for drastics. I ask for like minimum. Cause I have gotten very picky about my mix to the point where I am not asking for two to five BB. I'm like, yo, just pinch it, bruh. I know it sounds stupid, but just pinch it. And I can tell the difference. It makes a huge difference.
Al Cleveland III: Right
Jermaine P.: My nude stuff.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Right.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: But literally pinch it. Just that much.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Yeah. Yep. I started just doing removing stuff. I used to be a person like, yo, can you add stuff? I start taking things away. That usually gives me the space that I'm looking for. Boy. Yes.
Jermaine P.: Mmm.
Q. Robinson: Yeah
Jermaine P.: Mmm.
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Tony Taylor: Always turn down before you turn up. Always.
Jermaine P.: Mmmmm
Q. Robinson: Yeah. 100. Boy, y'all boys talking good today, man.
Al Cleveland III: Mm-hmm.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Well, gentlemen, yeah, I appreciate every single one of you all this being here for like it means the world to me that you all carved out two hours of your time, even though we negotiated an hour. So thank you all truly. Any closing remarks from anybody? Anything else I want to add or any insights to the industry? Just want to these last little gems out for the listeners.
Tony Taylor: Hey, Abba.
Q. Robinson: just want to say to all of y'all, man, I respect all of y'all, bro. Like, I'm so glad that I finally have this opportunity to tell y'all this. Like, social media can make it feel like you know somebody even though you don't, man. I look up to all of y'all. I appreciate all of y'all, man. Y'all keep pushing the boundaries of what y'all doing, man. ⁓ The future is bulletproof with y'all ⁓ doing what y'all doing, man. And I can't wait to see what's next for everybody that's on the screen, man.
Jermaine P.: respect man
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Thank you, Same.
Tony Taylor: Likewise,
Al Cleveland III: Yeah, respect. Love y'all guys, man. Y'all be, y'all are awesome.
Jermaine P.: Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Yes,
Tony Taylor: All love.
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Absolutely. We'll leave everybody's Instagram. And if there's any other details that you guys want added, just text it to me. I'll make sure it gets put into the recap for everybody so they can reach out. Is everybody OK with people reaching out and trying to connect on, you know, consultation wise lessons? If you all do that, every person up here is shaking their head. Yes, everybody's down.
Q. Robinson: Absolutely.
Jermaine P.: ⁓ yeah. ⁓ yeah.
CP4: Yes, I'm all for it because we need to stop being too cool for school and just get around people that's doing what we're doing, study what they're doing, emerge and submerge yourself in all the ways. And don't be scared to ask questions. Of course, I know in the past people make it weird, but man, we are here to help and inspire each other, man. So whatever y'all need, we'll try to help and show it or explain it as best we can, man. But it's better to...
Q. Robinson: Yeah.
Jermaine P.: ⁓ Yeah.
Q. Robinson: Absolutely.
CP4: say something, then it go unsaid and now you just sitting there looking and feeling crazy. So yeah, let's do it.
Q. Robinson: for
Jarvis 'Jeb' Barnes: Great. Well, thank you, gentlemen. Thanks, everybody for listening. We do appreciate you.
