Thanks for a great year of podcasting fueled by excellent questions and feedback. It was a blast producing a new episode each week. I told myself I would do it for up to a year and then take a break. So following my plan, I'll be hanging up my lapel mic for a while. I don't know if you can quit something like this cold turkey, but I'm going to give it a try. I'll still be in cyberspace from time to time, so keep in touch and may God bless you!

Darren,

I purchased my drums (a Taye Rock Pro set) about three years ago (no doubt as a precursor to a mid-life crisis as I just turned 50 and have wanted to learn to play since I was a kid) and hauled them home in my pick-up setting them up in my third stall garage.

My lovely wife freaked! She asked me “what are we going to do with these things? I politely informed her (a learned skill acquired through the school of hard knocks and about 18 years of marriage) there was no “we” in this particular arrangement, and; I was seriously considering a career change. I promised however I would start out with temporary tattoos only so I could wash them off and still go to the office looking acceptable to my pear group.

But now I am depressed! I stumbled across your web site a few months ago and since, have spent most of my lunch breaks in my office watching and listening repeatedly to your pod casts.

It is indeed a lot of fun and I have thoroughly enjoyed your pod casts. You have a great approach and have provided a great deal of inspiration and my playing has improved as a result. I wish you would reconsider, however; I understand the need for a break.

Wishing you the best in your endeavors.

Thane

Thanks Darren You Did a great thing here! I learned alot

Mike

Hello Darren,
I write to you all the way from Scotland where you have an avid following. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your invaluable and informative Podcasts, I have learned so much from them. After a spell of inactivity on the drumset I decided to have a 'bash' about 6 months ago and pick up from where I left off during my school days. If it wasn't for your excellant instruction videos my progress would not have been so much. I wish you all the best for your well earned break!
Regards

Hi Darren, I hope you're still checking the comments out - it's Terry from Rugby, England - remember I pulled you up on that intro to Rock and Roll?? I was impressed with your positive response to that, altho I knew you wouldn't be offended cos you're a great guy.

Anyway, I just caught up with your podcast and discovered that apparently you're taking a break!! Whatever are we gonna do??

No, I understand it must be hard work putting these shows together on a regular basis, especially if you have other things to do - You have a life, right? :o) but I am gonna miss you.

I'd like to add that I agree with Jrob that your shows, apart from being great for drummers, show a great example of an ordinary guy, not preaching, but just living his faith. A good example is worth a hundred sermons! (I'm LDS, by the way.)

All the best in whatever you do, and hope to see you in the not too distant future; Thanks and God bless.

Terry

Enjoy your break Darren. You have helped so many people. I will miss your podcast tremdendously. You possess a natural talent for teaching.

Sam

I've been listening to your podcast for a few weeks now and feel I've learned much from your lessons...sorta. I say sorta because I watch your podcasts at work(I've loaded all them on my Ipod) and don't really bring a practice pad or anything to practice. Some of your basic early lessons are simple enough that I could do them on a pad while watching my security cameras(I'm a security guard). What I was gonna comment on is that I find you to be a very inspirational teacher and also just a cool guy even though I've never met you. Your podcast is very entertaining enough that I couldn't even care if it wasn't at all about drumming and also included some sort of knitting segment...I would still watch! DON'T QUIT! Enjoy the break, but don't quit. I have no idea if your quitting or not? I just read a few comments....thats what it sounds like. Is this true?

Hi Darren,
Love your PodCasts. I have been playing drums for 23 years and am always learning. And your PodCasts have helped me very much. To my question for you (or anyone else reading):
Many years ago I saw a Paul DeLong and Rick Gratton video in which they were jamming with recorded tunes from different genres specifically recorded without drums (come with click, some without). Do you know anywhere on the internet that offers tunes like that? I have been looking for years. Playing along with drums is great but playing with no drums allows you to really be creative as there is no other drums to mess with what you are doing.

May God bless you for continuing to offer excellent tips and training,
Aaron

Download (cache) times are bnow much longer than they used to be. Also, my system used to cache the lessons and now they don't. Using windows and clicking on Play. Really a bummer. I like it the way it was before the web change.