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On Friday 25th November, students at ACM London were treated to a masterclass with Tama artist, Kaz Rodriguez. The session included a run-down of Kaz’s career history and how he got into music, alongside some killer performances and lots of questions and answers.
During the class, Kaz shared that he began playing drums at the age of five, but it wasn’t until YouTube came out that he started to get into playing properly. He revealed that when he first started, he didn’t have a drum kit and had to create a makeshift pillow drum kit to practise on.
After attending university with fellow friend of ACM, Rudimental drummer Beanie Bhebhe, Kaz told students that networking and making friends in the industry was key. He even had Catfish and the Bottlemen drummer, Robert Hall, supporting him during the ACM class. He stressed to students that they weren’t in competition with each other and that they had to help each other out to get ahead in this industry, telling them to start their networking now, as when they leave, personality will be so important if they want to get into the business.
When speaking about how to network in the industry, he said you have to be friendly and sometimes find common ground which isn’t related to music. He then told students how he used to exercise every morning with singer-songwriter Jessie Ware when on tour.
Another piece of golden advice given during the class was to not tie yourself down to one genre – you never know what opportunities might come up, so it’s important to try and be open to everything. Kaz told students about the importance of learning how to use triggers – so that you don’t get replaced by a drum machine in a world of ever-advancing technology. When asked about the type of kit he brings to sessions, Kaz revealed that he always takes at least two crash cymbals, two ride cymbals and as many other cymbals he has that will be appropriate for the song.
Before the masterclass drew to a close, Kaz told students they should all hang out afterwards, as he wanted to meet them properly. Following the class, he stayed back to chat to the students and it was clear that he was very keen to answer their questions and help them in any way he could.
From all at ACM London, we’d like to thank Kaz for visiting us and giving our students such a knowledgable insight into the workings of the music industry.
If you’d like to be a student at ACM and learn first-hand from the best musicians in the business, like Kaz, please call our Admissions Team on 01483 500 841 or visit www.acm.ac.uk/open-days/ to register your place on an ACM Open Day today. But don’t forget – in order to receive equal consideration, please ensure your UCAS application is made before Sunday 15th January!
