Sheila E. Drum Clinic West L.A. Music, Los Angeles, CA 03 September 2003 Sheila E. conducted a series of drum clinics while on tour with Ringo Starr & His All Star Band. The final one took place in Los Angeles at West L.A. Music on September 3, 2003 on a day off between concerts in Oregon and the Bay Area. During these clinics Sheila explained and demonstrated her percussion and drumming techniques and discussed her influences as well as touring and recording experiences. Various instruments were set up at a small outside amphitheater including Sheila's orange color DW drum set (which got its' color from a sample of her hair), a set of Burl Oak Toca Congas and Bongos, a Cajon, an electronic drum as well as a Timbale set. Raffle tickets for instruments of Sheila's Player's Series for kids were sold before the clinic started. Shortly after 7 pm Pete Escovedo started the event by telling how Sheila learned from playing along with him and how he took her to every gig when she was a kid so she could watch and listen. Sheila appeared on stage to applause of the 300 strong audience which included her family and manager. She explained that she started doing drum clinics a few years ago but had only done about 10 in her life since she always thought she wouldn't have anything to tell. However, the clinics turned out to be very successful and popular.

Sheila talked about her childhood experience and how the congas and bongos were part of the furniture in their house. In particular she remembered how her dad took her to a concert when she was 5 years old, put her on stage and announced her to play a solo. Sheila didn't even know what that meant but was told just to play from the heart and got standing ovations.

Sheila first demonstrated her playing style on the congas. While playing a few short solos she explained that she is playing backwards since she learned it that way when imitating what her dad was playing and standing on the other side of the congas. So everything that her dad was playing right-handed she was playing left-handed. She also went on a great deal how most drummers and percussion players just try to be loud and outplay each other to be heard but that it really should be about adding color and sounds to the music. In essence Sheila was bringing across that when it comes to playing percussion and drums less is more and you have to play with each other more than anything.

Next Sheila demonstrated her technique on the electronic drum. She got some really strange sounds and effects out of the instrument: voices, screams, animal sounds, etc. At one point she was playing around with a jungle sound. She explained that she was mainly using this for effects and was just going through sounds and picking things up. Sheila asked a few audience members to come on stage. Everyone was assigned an instrument and Sheila's "new band" started to jam while she was rapping along. Next she played on a 3/4 filled water bottle and got some cool sounds out of it.

During the following part Sheila did a demonstration on a Cajon. It is a big wooden box with a hole in the front through which a microphone was inserted. Sheila sat down on it and started banging on the sides of it. She explained how she is recording the Cajon as a kick or snare drum while creating some sounds, at one time even playing it with her nails.

Next were the drums and Sheila mentioned that she really is a percussionist who just pretends to play drums. To prove that she applied the same percussion sounds to the drums. She played some short solos on congas and timbales and then played the same pattern on the drums, first playing the snare drums with her hands, then playing it again with drum sticks. Once again, Sheila pointed out that, especially on drums, it's not about playing really loud but about dynamics and sensitivity. To cheers from the audience, she started the groove to "A Love Bizarre" on drums, sang the chorus of the song and did one of her trademark drum solos. Sheila explained that during her solos she's playing so hard that sometimes she splits her thumbs even when playing with sticks and that's why it is important to warm up at least 30 minutes before playing.

Pete Escovedo came back up on stage to jam with her on timbales. The timbales actually had to be switched for Pete to play since they were set up backwards for left-handed players. The father-daughter team went into a ChaChaCha, Pete playing timbales and Sheila playing congas.

For the last song "The Glamorous Life" Sheila invited the audience to come up on stage to dance and sing along.

Review & Pictures: Andrea L.