Latest / Caught on the Mike... / Frank Zummo

Transcript

Frank Zummo · Caught on the Mike...

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_01: Listener discretion is advised.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: Has rocked some of the famous stages in the world.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_01: But its latest project, Unbreakable Rhythm, goes far deeper than music.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_01: It's a story about resilience, mental strength, and finding balance in the chaos of a creative life.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_01: Alongside the book comes this new feeling, a soundtrack meant to be felt as much as it's earth.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_01: We're diving into how rhythm, wellness, and purpose all connect and what it truly means to stay unbreakable.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_01: Ladies and gentlemen, this is Caught on the Mic.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_01: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of Caught on the Mike.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_01: You may have seen my next guest drum for Sum41, fill in for Motley Crue, play with Lincoln Park, or maybe many of his workshops with School of Rock, but I am super excited to welcome my next guest, Frank Zumo to the show.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: Frank, how the heck are you, my friend?
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_01: I'm great.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_01: How are you, Mike?
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I am amazing.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_01: You've got an EP dropping October 24th called Feels.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_01: You've got a book dropping November 11th called Unbreakable Rhythm.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: Man, that's a lot coming at once, man.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's uh it's been you know years in the making, and um we're finally at the finish line.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like the manuscript just got sent to um be you know printed.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um and the audiobook I just finished a couple days ago, so it's like it's wild.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: Like the finish line is close.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Now the emails just pivoted to like basically release day and pre-sale links, like all the stuff that was like so far out of reach, it's like we're there now.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: So like the work is done, and then yeah, the EP, like we already dropped a single um for the EP, and that just organically happened.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I forgot I had this music that I had been holding on to for something special.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: Like, management was like when I was pushing to release it a while back, they were like, you know, don't force it, just wait for the right time.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I forgot about it, and I was literally in Germany um on tour with Electric Callboy, and I was working on going through my life of photos to pick out to put in this book, and then you know, what photographers?
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, all that stuff.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I spent a whole day kind of doing that, and I just had my my iTunes on Shuffle, and those songs came on.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, oh my god, this is exactly the emotion of what I'm feeling about this book.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: So I had just started working with Create Music, which is one of the amazing new labels that has just rechanged the game of the record business.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, hey, I have you know a book coming out.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: I I feel like this is my soundtrack.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: And the AR dude there was like, yeah, we'll put it out.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: He's like, I don't even need to hear it.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I got you know, like he just literally had my back, which was so special.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I finished mixing, mastering, and um there's some instrumental, the songs with vocals are female singers, which is awesome.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: And um, the coolest thing was my sons did the artwork for the um single and the art, just you know, this the single, sorry, and the EP, just to make it really special.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: And um, I don't know, just everything has been so special with all of this, and it's just it's crazy to see your life like in a book, you know, and it's like what like it's one of the hardest things I've ever done, but one of the most amazing things as well.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's been a it's been a process.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I just recently had a guest on, and I was talking about, you know, I I typically I don't talk politics, I don't talk religion on my show, I don't talk anything that would be divisive to some audiences, but I do believe in two tenets of just life beyond.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: And those things are karma, you know, the things you put out in the world coming after you, and the second thing being serendipity.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_01: And it sounds like the fact that you were releasing this book and this music and at the same time kind of came about as a serendipitous moment, doesn't it?
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean it was I think the way this whole book even was started was doing these workshops with School of Rocks, and it's just been the most incredible experience in every way, um, because it's literally been inspiring kids, saving kids lives.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, the the conversations that we're having with the students, the teachers, the parents, that I literally, when I'm decompressing on a flight or drive home, I've just been like, how do I spread this message?
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: Like, that's been the biggest question mark because what's happening here is so special, and I wish the whole world could have access to this.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: And obviously, I can only do a certain amount of events a year.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, my my partner on this book, Jason Pettigrew, I was sharing this with him because he's probably the journalist that's written about me the most in my career that I met like right when I started coming up and has covered all my bands and projects and has been a great friend.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm sharing about this workshop with him and the idea of a book loosely.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: And Jason was like, I gotta come see what you're doing.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I gotta come experience this.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: So he and I both drove really far to be in Chicago.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: I literally had a day off on a Sum tour.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: He came in from far and he watched the workshop, and we went backstage after, and we're having a conversation, and just obviously the journalist and him, he's got a little tape recorder, he starts recording our conversation.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: That is the introduction to this book, that exact conversation.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: And then we literally scheduled for the next I don't even know, two years.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: Every week we would have one to three sessions where it was like we'd pick a topic, and we and he he would just interview me and ask all these deep questions, and that's how this book kind of came out.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: So basically the goal of this book was everything, like I said, at the workshop in a book, which is music, struggle, how do you overcome situations?
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: How do you you know get through them?
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: What hacks, what you know, things, because that's a lot of the questions that kids are asking at the workshops.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: Wellness, mental health, resources for all those things, you know, just putting all of that into a book so it's available now for the whole world to have, you know, just hey, here's something that might inspire you or help you on your wellness or you know, mental health journey, like this is what worked for me, and you know, use this as a starting point and go from there kind of thing.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: And then the most special thing was as we were doing interviews, and I'm talking about filling in for Tommy Lee and Motley Crue or doing this crazy breath work with Laird Hamilton.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: We're like, let's let's interview them for the book, let's have their perspective on these situations.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: So we've got everybody from the president of School of Rock to Tommy Lee, you know, but it it's it's not just it's it's musicians, it's wellness people, it's business people, it's family members, which is really special to have all of that um, you know, in this in this book, just to have something out there that's like here's my workshop in a book that's available in an audiobook or a you know or a paperback.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so it's been a really great process.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: And now it's like I'm gonna you know start going out on a on a workshop book tour where I'm not at Barnes and Noble's just sitting there and signing stuff.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: I'm doing my workshop events, but there's you know, we'll talk about the book and I'll sign books for people there, but it's gonna be with all the school of rock kids.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, we're even going to play a pre concert for the New York Giants, like which which when I was writing my book, that was an actual like wish list item, like a neck picture, and it actually just as finishing the book, it actually came to reality, which is like me and School of Rock kids playing a New York Giants pre-game concert, like just crazy stuff.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: So um, yeah, it's it's really awesome and um special.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I just love that you know, I've got young kids like you know, one day they can have this to just look look at their dad's life and and struggles and things and even share with their kids.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I wish I had something like this for my grandfather who was like my mentor, you know.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like yes, that's the personal side to it, like leaving this for my kids to just say, like, hey, here's all the things dad went through, and here's how he persevered, or here's how he, you know, all this stuff talking about when you boys were blind, like, you know, really personal stuff that that I haven't really, you know, shared.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: It just it just went there organically, and um, you know, I left it in.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: I love that, man.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_01: It's crazy how an idea kind of blooms, and then you get that spark to fire moment and you kind of push it into fruition.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: You said in other interviews and statements that it this is not that kind of book, no wild tour tales, no rock star scandal, but rather something deeply intentional.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_01: What made you want to center this story around wellness and mental strength instead?
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we've all read those books.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: How do you top them?
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: We've read, you know, The Dirt and you know Tommy Lee's book.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, just crazy books.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: And it's just we've read those books, and I use my spotlight to do these workshops and give back and do this motivational, inspirational because I didn't have this stuff coming up.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: I went to drum clinics and they were just a firework show of performance and uh talking about that and then a quick audiograph session.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I I I don't like the word clinic.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: You know, this is an anti-clinic, basically, you know, it's it's just a workshop event.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um and it features the kids, not even me.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's like it's about the kids and and all that.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: So and I just think because of that theme that has always been coming up, like I don't go up there and say, okay, kids, in the Q ⁇ A at my workshops, we're gonna talk about wellness and mental health, like because then it's it's phony, it's scripted.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: Like I like I just did a workshop, you know, earlier this year.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: We went through the 30-minute QA, and those questions didn't even come up till the end, you know, and they organically came up by the audience.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: So because this has been a theme, I just wanted to share light on it because it's important, it's really important.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: Like, especially, you know, I like I feel like this book is it it doesn't matter, you don't have to be a drummer or a musician.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: Like, this is one of those books that checks a lot of boxes, but it's something that I just enjoy.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: This is my like when people say my hobby, it's it's it's wellness, it's working on mental health.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: I've lost too many friends because of mental health, and it really scared me to get my own stuff in check so I don't ever feel like that is the only option, you know.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: So it's been like just learning through all these processes and something traumatic.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: How do we grow and and learn from that instead of getting dark and sitting there with you know all this?
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: And and of course, everything is a process, you're gonna be up and down with life, but like I don't know, I just it it just it just came out so natural.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: And I just wanted to do something that was different because I love so many things.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: Like, if you look at the bookside resources, everything from Rick Rubin to Laird Hamilton, you know, like it's all over the place because those are the things that I'm passionate about.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: So it just kind of naturally was like, this is me, this is the DNA, this is like the business side, the wellness, the mental health, the you know, just all of that stuff.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, and like the coolest thing too was we put together, you know, my team put together like a little proposal and just started sharing it like with people they knew, um just to kind of get some feedback.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I was in Florida where Modern Drummer magazine is based, and they came out on the Final Sum 41 tour to do like a gear rig rundown, like my crazy tour tour kit, film it.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: And the owner of the magazine who I've known, who's amazing, he wasn't there.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: So he's like, hey, call me on your next day off and let's catch up.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: Sorry, I wasn't there, I was traveling.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: So we're catching up.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: He's like, What do you got going on?
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I literally uh was like, Yeah, well, and we'll have this passion project.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: I've been working on a book.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, do you have a deck?
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_00: He's like, I want I want to put this book out.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, wait, what?
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: You guys, he's like, We have we own it, we have a publishing company.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: We have a publishing company, we have a huge distributor, like all that stuff.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: I sent it to him the next day we had a deal memo, and it was like, this is perfect.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: Like Modern Drummer, a magazine that I grew up subscribing and reading as a child, you know, now wants to put out my book, and it makes so much sense, you know, because of the drum thing.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: But then also their distribution works exclusively with School of Rock.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like, holy shit, this is all just coming together, so amazing.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and what I love too, just to like, you know, give them more props, is like there has been no they've let me have 100% creative, you know, like I didn't have to send them things to get approval or I sent the final manuscript and it's going off to be printed.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: Like no one's had notes or whatever.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: Like they've given me full creative control, um, which is amazing.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: It was it was me and Jason Pettigrew, and then we brought in you know a copy editor just to give it outside looks because we were so deeply connected to this, right?
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um, which is really cool.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's like it's it's just so special in so many ways.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I think guys of our generation are kind of approaching this sense of uh realizing how important mentorship is, you know, be the person you needed when you were younger.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_01: You know, um, we were talking before we press record about uh programs like School of Rock and how kids these days are so much more talented than we were when they were their age, and how we would have benefited from programs like this when we were younger.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, not to go on too long of a tirade, but being a former musician myself, I got to a point in my old man era where I really would go to the gym and I wouldn't listen to music anymore.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: I was listening to books like yours, like I was listening to like David Goggin's book, I listened to Michael Strahan's book, I would listen to things like Atomic Habits and such, just because that fueled me to be a better mentor to people.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_01: So, how important is mentorship to you?
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_01: And do you have a story from a workshop you've recently done that really stuck with you in that regard?
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_00: Two thoughts.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yes.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_00: Why when I found out about School of Rock, it was when Street Drumcore, you know, my old percussion group, we were doing a Vegas residency, and I got introduced to them, and then we wound up having those kids open the show for us instead of like crappy local bands that weren't drawing anybody.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_00: We brought the kids in, they packed it out.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_00: It changed, they're they're on there playing because we had rock star special guests, they're up there playing on you know uh oil drums next to Tommy Lee, you know, like and I'm seeing these kids, like they don't even believe that they're there, and just seeing that and then visiting one of the schools, I just immediately gravitated to it.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: So when I started doing my workshop tours, I immediately was like, I want these kids to open the show and I want to jam with the drummers.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: Now it's turned into me playing with the full school bands.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, that's always been my thing to just like include the local community of musicians that are upcoming, give them this opportunity, and that was like that was amazing as as it as it enough.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: Like that was so sick.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: But then when you know, we started going down this whole other rabbit hole with like having real talk and stuff.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: The first thing I talk about this in the book as well, is like we had a we had a mom, you know, I was touring this before COVID because there was you know, vans and companies like that would support these to put me on the road to do these and have them be free for the kids.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: And a mom just comes up to me in tears.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'm at the meet and greet, and it's just a weird thing for somebody to come up to you crying when you're in the middle of meeting kids and signing stuff, and she was like, Thank you.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: She's like, my son, and he was maybe in middle school.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, he was young, right?
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_00: My son has been so dark and and suicidal and depressed, and he just performed with you, and what you just said said, the light just came on, and I have my son back.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: Like, thank you.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: And now I I can't even process this.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_00: I'm in the middle of a signing, so I grab Mike from SJC drums.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, don't let them leave.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_00: And then we had special time with them after, and that's the first time I was like, holy shit, these are actually like have the power of that.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: And then we've had that story over and over again, like crazy.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: So that's just become, I feel like, my my calling, you know, it's it's it's amazing.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_00: And to, you know, to reinforce things that parents say, you know, I'm a parent too, you know, and it's like to reinforce things that parents say when you know, kids now in their high school, it's like they get in that phase where they're you know their parents will say something and they're like, ah, but I say it because there's somebody I looked up, it it resonates.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like, hey, if I can be that person, so I have parents come up and thanking me for that.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just been really incredible.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I just feel like it's been my calling, and and it's been so magical to be there for these kids and and parents.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, parents are coming up to me just like asking me for advice because they're frustrated, you know, that their kids are not enjoying school or whatever.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: And they'll literally DM me and be like, tell me some heavy stuff and ask for some advice, and it's like almost I've become this therapist, you know, in a way which I'll take it.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: Like, because yeah, and then going back to your question for this, it's like, yes, when I when when I was coming up, it was just straight drum lessons at a drum shop, and you were doing rudiments, and it really wasn't inspiring.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's like you had to learn this stuff.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_00: Now, when I see that kids go to school rock, they get their one-on-one lesson, but then they get to be in a band and go play gigs, and there's actually people there, and it's not some crappy bar, it's got good back line and sound, and they're learning how to be professional, get off and on without tinkering and making noise, and you know, all this stuff.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: Like my kids are doing that now, and it's so rad to see, and that's why I feel like I'm having the childhood that I didn't have, you know, getting to go and be part of this like tribe.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's such a tribe, and like a lot of the conversation, kids like, oh, I don't, you know, I I the common thing I hear them say is like I don't feel like I, you know, fit in at school, but here at School of Rock, like this is my tribe, this is my you know, and I'm like, that's great that these kids have this.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: And then they just hang out after lessons or hang out in the lobby, and you know, it's just like it's just such a rad community.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_00: These kids are so special, and it's just what I didn't have.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I I would go, I would go to a drum shop, take drum lessons and rudiments, you know.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: Even even when I did like my college going to the drummers collective in New York City, it was very fucking serious.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_00: It was very serious.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_00: You had to do your homework, you had to go in there and really, you know, it was like school, you know, it wasn't what school of rock is, which I wish, you know.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: My school of rock was just me in the basement in my parents' basement playing a motley crew and Aussie records, you know, but but I was by myself and I didn't have other musicians to play with and whatnot.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: So it's cool that these kids are or have this outlet right now, and that they have you know, people talking about suicide prevention and all this stuff because you know I feel like it was just people were afraid or ashamed to talk about.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: Now it's just a household thing to talk about, and it's it's helping because we can't lose any more any more humans to you know to this illness and and you know, all of this stuff.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, it's I love to use my spotlight for this, and like what you were saying, it's like I'd I'd rather use my spotlight for that than to say what I feel about political climates or things.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_00: There's enough people that know way much more about that than I do to to you know discuss that.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like I'd rather use my my spotlight for this, and um, you know, it's just kind of like my calling, and School of Rock is my family now, and it's it's just it's such an honor to have them be involved in this you know whole rollout and to kind of put that in a in a book.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_00: There's a whole School of Rock chapter in the book, and it's got the president's insights on this whole stuff as well, which is really powerful what she's gone through and and all that as well.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_01: Dude, that is so amazing.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_01: Like, first of all, your your line of there's people that are smarter than me that can talk about those topics.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_01: I'm right there with you, brother.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: But it's not my passion, so I don't know enough to big time in.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't need to be another person making noise when I, you know, I that's not my passion.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know enough about it to the other word in my mouth.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_01: I I I say this all the time.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, yeah, if I wanted to get cheap engagement online, sure I'd give a a few opinions where the popular thing is you're gonna piss.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Off 50% of the people that you know, and it's like not me, I'll probably piss off 100% because mine are so outside of the box.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_01: But there were a few moments there you literally gave me chills.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_01: And let me kind of add a little personal spin to this.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_01: As I said before we started recording, my daughter was in a program.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_01: It wasn't exactly school of rock, but it's very similar to School of Rock, and she did it all through high school.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_01: She just graduated back in May.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, she just wrote her first paper for her first quarter in college, and it was about a moment that significantly changed her life or saved her, and it was all about her experience being in a curriculum-based band and getting to getting that whole thing.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I I can attest as a parent how important these programs were are.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I know how much she struggled her senior year, and literally her band program was a saving grace for all of us, and it is so so so important that programs like this exist.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_00: 100%.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's so amazing for these kids.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_00: Like I kind of felt like, you know, in high school, you know, being part of band and drumline, like that was that was my kind of tribe because everything else was was pretty rough, you know.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_00: So I I I understand that, but again, it wasn't like this life-changing, you know, School of Rock type program.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's it's really important.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, now School of Rock is expanding and opening all over the world.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's like it's so I've got a lot of work to do, you know.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_00: It's like especially that just open in Germany, and you know, my band is German, so it's like perfect, you know, to go to go there and and start, you know.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_00: My first workshops, believe it or not, were in China.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, crazy.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_00: And and even with a translator and all that, we had this, these moments, which was which was really amazing.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, to go to a place where they don't speak English, and I'm in a foreign place doing these events where they're used to like very serious, like the Dave Weckle type of of drummers doing a very traditional worship.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_00: Then I come in with this this whole party, you know, of an event, and to see it translate there, that's where the gears got going, really.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_00: That's where you know I was like, okay, this has got to go to America, and then School of Rock got involved, and it's been years, you know.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but it's like my journey started, you know, literally in China, and I'm standing on top of the Great Wall of China, and I'm like, this I was brought here for drums, not even like with my band.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_00: Like, how crazy is that?
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's like it's wild.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_01: Dude, that's so amazing.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I I gotta tell you, you know, not to tread back too far, but you know, it is so cool as a parent getting to see your kids sing things like Fleetwood Mac and No Doubt and then Smashing Pumpkins, and then you find out how like how diverse your child's interest in music is and watch them carry that on.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_01: Dude, you've had some amazing experiences, and like you've mentioned, your book features a lot of voices like Tommy Lee, Derek Wibley, Kevin Lyman, and Laird Hamilton.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, an incredible cross-section of art, sport, and inspiration.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_01: What did those conversations teach you about resilience from different walks of life?
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, these are just people that have been mentors, idols.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, the list goes on that I've just had the pleasure to be in their worlds or them bring me into their world.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_00: So it's it just was so perfect to, you know, and like, you know, obviously there's like you know, Chester Bennington who passed away.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I Chester would have been the first person I would have called to be part of this book because of just our friendship and history and all of that, you know.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_00: But I have him represented in the book and got his wife's blessing on you know, certain things that you'll see in the book that's special.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_00: But um they just they just taught me so much.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_00: And like I let Jason have the interviews with these people.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_00: I I stepped out so they could just be totally open and not make it awkward or whatever.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I never knew, you know, I I didn't hear the interviews, whatever.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_00: And when I got the manuscript draft of what Jason pulled from it, it was really really incredible, and like there was a very common theme that a lot of them said, and like you said, there's all different people and different walks of life, and it was really emotional to read that.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_00: But you just like the the I go down again to like the little kid in my parents' basement with the whole wall of Motley Crew posters, that being my first show, and now to hear Tommy Lee talking about me, like, yeah, we're bros and like we've had this incredible thing, but like we don't sit there and talk about each other to each other, you know.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like to hear him, you know, say that was like really special.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's uh and that's also what what I wanted to do to make this book different.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_00: That's just kind of what hit me when we were doing this.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_00: Like, wow, it'd be cool to have their perspectives.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_00: And then if we're gonna ask this person, then this person is you know really important because of this.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_00: So that was something really cool and special.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_00: Again, to make this book not the typical musician, all the crazy stuff, and you know, of course, there's a couple like wild rock star moments of things that have happened, like there's a couple of those moments in there, of course, is part of my story, but um, you know, it's mainly just about just the the the hustle, the grind, how you persevere, and um through that process learning about wellness and mental health and it just how that happened, then how it all of a sudden became part of the workshops, and like it's all connected and it's all really full circle.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um and what's cool about it too is like I thought when I was like reading chapters and stuff, I was like, oh god, this is what gonna be like 500 pages, you know.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, how long is this thing gonna be?
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_00: And then when I just went through it, we're like at you know, 150 something pages, which is great.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_00: This is like the world we live in now.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_00: This is a great weekend read, you know, for somebody.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, you know, and then of course, amazing photos throughout my life, or a lot of really personal photos that haven't been shared before, childhood and stuff like that.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_00: But it's a great action-packed, you know, great read, which was uh you never know until everything comes together.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_00: And then it's like, man, doing the audiobook, like I just spent seven or eight days, you know, doing like two to three chapters a day, and then I I edited it myself, you know, and then had to uh listen through and then export it and upload it, like all this stuff.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_00: Holy crap! And by the end of the week, I was just like, I'm so tired of hearing my voice, you know?
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I got that was a text message I sent to Derek because you know, Derek did his audio book, and I was like, any any advice, he gave me a couple tips for like you know, using your voice and warming up, like all that stuff.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, dude, I am so tired of hearing my voice.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_00: And he's like, Yeah, I know the feeling because you know he had a book come out as well.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_01: And I hate the sound of my voice.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, just let me just sit here and listen to my guest.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_01: I don't want to listen to myself, dude.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_00: Because as we know, you know, coming out of your head to us, your voice sounds different than recording it when you're listening back, it's a completely different thing.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, but it honestly was pretty cool.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_00: It was it went better than I thought, and I just was just me.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_00: You know, when things got heavy or exciting, I just as if we were doing a podcast or I was telling a story, I tried to purvey that in the in the audio book, but I'm glad that's done.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome, dude.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_01: I can't wait to listen to it.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_01: I'm probably gonna put put you on while I'm going to the gym.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_00: So that'll be a good listen and and shouldn't be too too long.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_00: And obviously, I've I had somebody else do the voices of everybody else because that would be weird for me between Tommy Lee talking about myself.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_00: So I, you know, David from Modern Drummer, who's got a great you know, speaking voice, he he does every Baldy special guest, and then I do all my parts.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_01: So let's talk about the drumming aspect of life.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_01: You've played with massive bands like Sum41, Filling in for Motley Crew, Lincoln Park, and much more.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_01: You also carve out all this time, as you stated, to connect personally with fans and the youth.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_01: How do you balance the high-energy performance life with your grounded mission of helping other people?
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's a work in progress.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's it's just it's it's about um you know scheduling things right and um just being in the moment and being present in these you know different things.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's it's definitely a balance.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_00: And and it's been right now, it's been the hardest it probably it's ever been because I didn't know this electric callboy thing was gonna happen.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_00: This this happened, you know, very last minute, you know.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_00: So shum 41 ended in March, and I booked out the rest of my year with this book, which is very time consuming.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_00: Family stuff.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_00: I have a drum show, like all of that.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I was just like, this is what I'll do until I'm gonna wait till the next proper gig, you know, becomes available, which it could take a year, it could take who who knows.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_00: And then all of a sudden, boom, electric hallway happens right the day of the final Sum 41 show.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_00: I get the email about that.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_00: So I immediately boom went into that, just finished festival run with them, and now I'm just finished, literally just finished on Sunday all of my commitments that I had, you know, drum shows, the book, and now the world tour starts of Electric Hallboy on November 1st.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, it's it's been very, very um, you know, my plate's been really full, and I'm glad to have a very supportive wife who is just helping ground me all the work I've learned from therapy and breath work and just knowing how to, you know, help.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_00: But I will say, like, it's been a big wake-up call.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_00: And again, life is a learning lesson.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_00: It's just like I I don't want to fill my plate like that anymore.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_00: It was it was too much, took a toll on the family, you know.
• 32:29
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like moving now forward, it's like I've got a world tour with Electric Callboy, I've got my workshops, which are one-off events to promote this book, um, and family time, you know, and it's like I've got to really um not burn out like that.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_00: And um, you know, all great problems to have, but uh definitely took a toll, and I'm acknowledging that.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's it's a work of, and which was actually great reading my audiobook because I was like, oh yeah, this is a coping mechanism.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_00: This like to hear this stuff again just was really helpful for me in a way to re-go back on lessons and things up.
• 33:07
  SPEAKER_00: It's like getting an old you know, book again and and learning some routines that you learned back in the day to you know kind of re-inspire you or get you out of a funk or whatever it may be.
• 33:17
  SPEAKER_00: So uh just it's it's about balancing and um I think just acknowledging and using those coping mechanisms basically.
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes, man.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_01: I can so relate.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_01: Like my wife booked this vacation she was gonna take, my stepdaughter and her, to Colorado, and she had been bugging me for works for weeks.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_01: She's like, Are you gonna take some time off and go with us?
• 33:41
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, Well, I don't know.
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_01: I got this going, I got that going.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_01: And finally, at the 11th hour, I said, Yeah, I need a break.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_01: So I just got back from five days of hiking in Colorado, and my God, man.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_01: So I can sympathize with exactly where you're at mentally of like needing to unplug and kind of take things back.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_01: Given all of that, um, with unbreakable rhythm and feels dropping so close together, what do you hope people take away when they read your story and listen to your music side by side?
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, the the music portion, I just want somebody to just feel good for the day.
• 34:22
  SPEAKER_00: Like to just feel, you know, when I listen to that music, I feel inspired, I feel good.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_00: That's why I just called it feels.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, this is just what it what it what it is, you know, and it's like just to to you know, if that's what the you know, music is like my therapy.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_00: I I don't know uh music has been part of my life since being in the womb.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like that the goosebumps, the the feels, all of that.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_00: Like I hope that you know by somebody hearing that that they have that same experience.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, and then with the book, I just the goal is just to inspire, to to motivate, and and save, you know, that's like you know, to to that would be a win in in every in every way, you know, it's it's that's the purpose and goal of this.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's not like about about my ego, it's not about a book about look at me, look at me, like that's not what the the the goal is.
• 35:26
  SPEAKER_00: And if if somebody can you know fit put this book down and be like, you know what, my passion is to be a dentist or whatever it may be, and like I'm going on that fucking path until it happens, and I'm gonna stay on that path.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_00: And and and you know, our life is a is a roller coaster.
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_00: There's so many ups, there's so many downs, especially being an artist, and that's just part of what you're signing up for.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_00: And when bumps come in the road, it's like how do we how do we overcome?
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_00: And this is my story, and hopefully that can just show, you know, sh we just live in this this highlights world where people don't put the the the lows, you know.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's like what the what content's out of bum somebody out.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, you know, um, you know, like my my whole second part of my life moving to LA and leaving everything and getting there and like all the stuff that happened, that was where most people would say, I'm out, going back home, you know, and and that was never uh an option for me.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like, what did I do?
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_00: What what did how did I pivot?
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_00: How you know, so I feel like that just can apply to anybody in in life, you know.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's like the motivational side, which I I was lucky.
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_00: I had a drum technique teacher when I was young that was very much a profound motivational speaker, and I think that's just stuff rubbed off on me.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_00: He passed away, and I feel like I'm just trying to play that forward, you know, and uh keep that message going as much as I can.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, you know, one of my favorite things about doing the show, I've been doing this for five years now, is speaking with people such as yourself that not only talk about their core values, but actually live them out and then want to spread them out to other people.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so with that said, this is my most favorite closing question that I ask every single guest that does my show.
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_01: Given your personal life experience and everything that you've gone through and that you're going through, what's your advice for making the world a better place tomorrow than what it is today?
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_01: Something within your own control.
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_00: First thing that comes up I always go with, and it just popped in my head uh before you even finished a sentence, it was just like, be kind.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's as simple, as simple and cliche as that is, I feel like that's more important now than than ever.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, this is something we we really talk about at my workshops because of all, you know, you get bullied at school, um, these kids, and then they get bullied even more online.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like you know, I'm seeing it with you know, the drum community is a very amazing, supportive community.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_00: All the drummers are such a brotherhood, like it feels like there's no like really egos with that, like it's such a a family of bros, you know.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's like most of my best friends are drummers, you know.
• 38:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's like it's crazy.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_00: But um, you know, just seeing like huge uh drum brands and magazines and you know, YouTube, these drummers, you know, the they'll post a drum, you know, playthrough or whatever it is, and just to the hate now and stuff, it's like this is so unnecessary.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't like it, you don't have to watch it.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_00: Why sit there and comment and start this whole toxic just fucking be kind.
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_00: It's that simple.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_00: Like let's let's it's everything's so divided and so heavy.
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_00: Like it doesn't need to be like yes, we have all of this social media now and things that I so glad I'm a kid that I didn't have any of this shit, you know.
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't have any of this stuff, you know, and TV was a was a fun place.
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_00: I where we watch it rarely, and it was like fun stuff, you know.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just like it's become such a such a place, and it just I don't know why it's so dark and negative, it feels like it's it's 75% of that, you know, right now from at least what I'm seeing.
• 39:19
  SPEAKER_00: But I just think that's the the thing.
• 39:22
  SPEAKER_00: Like, let's just let's just be kind.
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_00: If someone's out there fucking doing it, even if we're a little jealous, just fucking more power to them.
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_00: Use that as fuel to inspire us to be like, shit, I want this page to put my video up or whatever is instead of just like this sucks, blah blah.
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_00: Like, why?
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_00: Why I I've never done that, I've never said that to somebody's face.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_00: You know, like that was the the the where I came my way when I came up in school.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_00: If you didn't like somebody or whatever, you had to say it to their face, and then you had to deal with is that person gonna punch me or yell back at me, you know, or are we gonna hug you hug?
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_00: You know, now it's like everybody's a tough guy on their their keyboard, or they're making you know fake fucking profiles to just be troll people, and it's just like just stop, stop like find your calling, find a uh a place to go and and and you know or or go to fucking therapy.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's like literally I'm I started therapy, you know, in the last couple years, and it's been a life changer, so it's just like um yeah, that's just my low rant on you know your question, but I think that's just I always go with the no I agree with you.
• 40:31
  SPEAKER_01: I I wholeheartedly agree with you, and maybe it's the naive optimist in me, or maybe it's just my time spending time with youth and younger people, but I do feel like there is uh brighter days around the corner for sure.
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_01: I I have a lot of faith in these younger kids realizing and seeing the aftermath of negative behavior online, and and you're absolutely right, like kindness can go so far, just choose to do one kind thing a day, and you'll make somebody's day better really quick.
• 41:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it feels it feels way better than fuck you, you suck.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_00: So much, so much better, you know.
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_00: It's like that simple, and that's like again the takeaway of this book.
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_00: Like, that's just positivity, man.
• 41:18
  SPEAKER_00: We need more of it, you know.
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_00: And that was like that was my way to get through, you know, the whole COVID experience.
• 41:27
  SPEAKER_00: It was just like when everything was shut down, I was being told no's about anything, and I couldn't tour, so I was like, okay, like time to get a record deal and do solo music and collaborate and do all this stuff.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_00: That was my therapy, and like it just really was so helpful, and that was a great coping mechanism because I I've been touring professionally since I'm like 16.
• 41:49
  SPEAKER_00: When you take that away, I was like, I I was starting to have you know, I like I didn't first time in my life, like I didn't want to get out of bed, you know, because like I don't what I can't go play and get that release, and where I lived, I didn't have a proper drum room to just go wild out and stuff like that.
• 42:03
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, it was like, okay, well, what what what am I gonna do here instead of like what's gonna make me get out of bed again and and all this stuff?
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_00: And um, that was like such a therapeutic thing, and then also, you know, it got me to have this valuable time with my children that I would have not had.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_00: I got to help them learn to ride a bike, to swim, all the shit that I would have missed because I would have been on the road, and like that that was incredible.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_00: It was a really special time, and I was alone, it was like daddy daycare because my wife was working, you know, and I was home and put one kid on a nap while I took the other one on a hike and like really special time.
• 42:42
  SPEAKER_00: So, again, a a a negative situation, but how do we push through it?
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, 100%.
• 42:50
  SPEAKER_01: Dude, I love it.
• 42:52
  SPEAKER_01: Frank, why don't you tell my audience where they can find you and where they can find the book, your music, and everything online?
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, everything is just uh at Frank Zumo and all socials, and the book, the pre-sale link, um, by the time this comes out will be dropping.
• 43:07
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm sure you can insert that into the um to the chat.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_00: But pre-sale link, there's gonna be a special um from when the presale link drops until the book comes out, special discounted pricing first for that limited time.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and uh so yeah, definitely check that.
• 43:24
  SPEAKER_00: And then I'll be on tour, the let your callboy.
• 43:27
  SPEAKER_00: The world tour starts on November 1st.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_00: We'll take this thing around the world and um workshop tour, dates are already been um posted and um more to come on that.
• 43:38
  SPEAKER_01: Dude, I have really enjoyed this.
• 43:41
  SPEAKER_01: I enjoyed getting to know you, man.
• 43:43
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Frank Zumo.
• 43:44
  SPEAKER_01: The world is a much better place if you in it, my friend.
• 43:47
  SPEAKER_01: Ah, man.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 43:49
  SPEAKER_01: Once again, I want to thank my friend Frank Zumo for doing the podcast today.
• 43:54
  SPEAKER_01: Check out his book, Unbreakable Rhythm.
• 43:57
  SPEAKER_01: Wherever you can, there will be a pre-sale link in the comments below.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_01: And check out his new ET field.
• 44:05
  SPEAKER_01: Make sure you follow his social media account at Frank Zumo.
• 44:10
  SPEAKER_01: And while you're being generous with the followers, make sure you are following Thought on the Microsoft Media platforms.
• 44:16
  SPEAKER_01: Go to YouTube and subscribe to NightFin Office.