| The Drummers' Perspective - John Bergamo |
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Interview Post: April, 2002
Occupation: Percussion Teacher/Musician - California Institute of the Arts, School of Music
Website: www.music.calarts.edu ; www.handsonsemble.com ; www.talmala-bergamo.com
Excerpts from Biography: From his early days as a drummer in New Jersey, John Bergamo has never lost his desire to expand his interest in percussion. In 1959 John attended the Lenox School of Jazz in Lenox Mass, next door to Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony. Under a scholarship, John studied drum set with Max Roach; had Percy Heath and Kenny Dorham as jazz band instructors; studied history and theory with Gunther Schuller, Marshall Stearns and George Russell; and was classmates with Ornette Coleman, and Don Cherry. In 1962 John earned an M.M. degree from Manhattan School of Music. Relocating on the West Coast, John became involved in learning Tabla and other hand drums traditional to non-European cultures, and since 1970, has been coordinator of the percussion program at California Institute of the Arts. This breadth of background has led John to such diverse musical involvements as concerts with John McLaughlin's Shakti, performing in Frank Zappa's Abnuceals Emukka Orchestra, recording with , and a tour to the Soviet Union with Robert Shaw, to name only a few. John continues to be involved in contemporary music performance, studio work, and non-EuroAmerican music performance. Incorporating many of the styles which have influenced him, John has co-founded two all-percussion groups The Repercussion Unit in 1976 with Larry Stein, Ed Mann, James Hildebrandt, Greg Johnson, Paul Anceau, and Steven "Lucky" Mosko; and The HandsOnSemble with Andrew Grueschow, Randy Gloss and Austin Wrinkle in 1997. |
Questions
The Drummers Lounge (TDL) |
Answers
John Bergamo (JB) |
TDL: If you could describe your playing as a food, what would it be? |
JB: Spicy Tofu - A lot of spice, but natural! |
TDL: What was the first instrument you learned to play? |
JB: Clarinet. My parents chose that instrument for me. I decided to take it apart. It stayed in pieces for a while, and by the next Christmas, I finally got my first drum set. |
TDL: What was the first percussion instrument you learned to play? |
JB: Well, the drum set of course. I learned snare drum rudiments, and also played paradiddles on wooden boxes. |
TDL: What attracted you to percussion? |
JB: I had no second thoughts....at age four I was a natural. |
TDL: What musical influences did you have as a child? |
JB: My parents listened to 'pop' tunes. I heard a lot of Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich. |
TDL: How did that influence, affect your musical choices for the future? |
JB: It ultimately led me to afro-american music. I idolized Charlie Parker. I also loved the sound of orchestration and improvisation. |
TDL: What was your motivation to learn to play? |
JB: Percussion is like walking through the forest. You can't possibly see it all, there are endless possibilities of what you can do. |
TDL: What other instruments do you know how to play? |
JB: Classical mallets, North Indian Tabla, Tavil, and generally all percussion. |
TDL: What musical styles today, give you the most creative influence? |
JB: I would have to say hand drums. They are played open-minded and absorb the heart of music. |
TDL: Who have you studied with? |
JB: Joseph Giaratano, Paul Price Orchestra, Fred Albright, Mahapursh Misra, Sharkar Ghosh, Swapan Chaudhuri, Poovalur Srinavasan, tanjore Ranganathan, P.S. Venketseu, T.H. Viniakram, T.H. Subaschandran, K.R.T. Wasitodipuro. |
TDL: How important is emotion in music? |
JB: Your feelings sometimes come out different then what is inside. You have to be right on top of it. |
TDL: How does a person go about choosing an instrument? |
JB: I believe that the instrument chooses you. Each case is different then the next, often it is circumstantial. |
TDL: What is the number one element to becoming an established musician? |
JB: Perseverance and practice. You need to promote yourself and have good communication with other players. |
TDL: When given the chance to inspire musicians today, from all walks of life, what words of wisdom would you give them? |
JB: Make sure that what you do makes you happy, if not you need to get out! Always go after your goals. That is the only way to make them come true. |
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