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Thread started 05/15/10 1:03pm

metallicjigolo

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Prince's drummer taking part in two performances with LHS percussionists

Here's an article for all who have been wondering what Chris Coleman (New Prince drummer) Has been up to. New Prince album mention.
Sounds promising. Get ready yall!

http://www.lancastereagle...01/5150305

Prince's drummer taking part in two performances with LHS percussionists

LANCASTER -- It's easy to be impressed when a man who plays drums for a legendary pop singer stops by your school and gives you advice on making it in the music business.



What the students of Lancaster High School's Percussion Ensemble weren't expecting was that they would end up making a big impression of their own.

But that's what happened this week when the students had to chance to jam with Chris Coleman, a Los Angeles based drummer who, most recently, just finished making a record with Prince.

Coleman stopped by the school Thursday and Friday to help the students rehearse for a concert they gave Friday night -- and will give again tonight -- at Lancaster High School. Toward the end of the day Friday, the drummer couldn't say enough about the young musicians he'd worked with that week.

"My high school band program in Saginaw (Michigan) was great -- we won awards and stuff -- but I've got to say, you guys are slammin'," said Coleman as the addressed the students Friday afternoon. "This is ridiculous; I'd rather play with you all than with some of the famous musicians I've played with in the past."

The members of the Percussion Ensemble returned the praise, cheering "Chris! Chris! Chris!" when their famous mentor took the stage Friday to talk to them about what it's like to be in the music business.

"I just thought, 'Wow,'" Percussionist and Senior Darrick Chase said upon learning he would be playing in a concert with a man who, just weeks before, shared a studio with the singer of "Purple Rain." "He just lightened everything up and was joking around with us (during rehearsal). It was great."

Coleman said he was asked to come by Lancaster High School this week on his way to give a performance at a music event in Columbus. Coleman not only rehearsed with the students, but he agreed to perform with them in their Friday and Saturday night concerts.

He said he instantly was impressed by the dedication and talent of Lancaster High School's Percussion Ensemble.

"You can tell they want this," Coleman said. "Sometimes when I work with high school kids, I'll give them my whole speech about professionalism, but they already have the professionalism part down pat."

Percussionists Margaret Quamme and Kristin Stuck said the professionalism compliment is one they hear often from people who listen to the ensemble perform.

"(Percussion Ensemble Director Bruce Gerken) expects a lot of us and we work really hard," Stuck said.

Working hard and being dedicated to what you do was the main message Coleman drove home Friday as he spoke with the students about his career.

"A lot of parents and outside people will say, 'You can't make a living at music,'" Coleman said. "But let me tell you something my grandpa told me once, he said, 'son, your gift will make room for you.'

"That's something you all need to remember: 'Your gift will make room for you.'"

The students later had the chance to ask Coleman questions ranging from "What's your most memorable performance?" to "What drummers do you look up to?"

When asked what he liked best about performing with Prince, Coleman had plenty to say.

"I like that he's still an actual musician," he said.

He recalls working with some artists in the past who didn't really know all that much about music.

"We'd be recording in the studio and someone would make a mistake and we'd tell (the singer) to go back to the pre-chorus and they would go, 'what's that?'" Coleman said. "And I'd want to be like, 'Are you serious? You're a musician, your song is on the Billboard Top 100, and you don't know what a pre-chorus is?"

"But Prince isn't like that -- he sings, he writes, he plays the keyboard."

Coleman said he became a part of Prince's trio of drummers with the help of a friend in Los Angeles. He hasn't performed any live concerts with Prince but did perform with him on his latest album, which has not been released.

"It's been life-changing," said Coleman of working with Prince. "I grew up listening to him and to get to play with him, I was like, 'Man, I'm freaking out!"

Coleman said he's always enjoyed working with different musicians and getting the opportunity to talk about those experiences with music students.

"I love doing this and I just want to thank the students, the principal, the band director, everybody, for having me out here," he said. "These kids have really shown me something."
[Edited 5/15/10 13:06pm]
Prince did an interview with a woman at Record World. They talked about whatever, then he asked her: "Does your pubic hair go up to your navel?" At that moment, we thought maybe we shouldn't encourage him to do interviews.
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Reply #1 posted 05/15/10 3:16pm

missjay23

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Thanks for posting
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Reply #2 posted 05/15/10 6:09pm

Elle85n09

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Sounds like a nice guy. Thanks for sharing metallicjigolo! smile
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Reply #3 posted 05/15/10 9:40pm

7SilhouettePro
ject

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Thanks for sharing. Nice read
PRINCE BOOK project. HTTP://WWW.7SILHOUETTEPROJECT.COM/
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Reply #4 posted 05/15/10 9:59pm

luv4u

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Moving to associated artists
canada

Ohh purple joy oh purple bliss oh purple rapture!
REAL MUSIC by REAL MUSICIANS - Prince
"I kind of wish there was a reason for Prince to make the site crash more" ~~ Ben
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