Meet Randy Gloss

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Randy Gloss a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Randy, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.

I’m simply a result of having extremely generous and supportive teachers and mentors. In that way I’ve been most fortunate. I play a lot of styles of music and different types of drums and percussion. I didn’t teach myself all of that. My teachers have been beyond generous to the point of selflessness in their giving of information, guidance and support. At the same time, while sharing their music, art, and culture with me so fully, they’ve always been equally in support of my own journey and path as a musician. Which has tended to focus on application and synthesis, exploring the world of drumming at large as a way understand more, and yet in a personal way developing my own approach and voice as a percussion artist. So as a longtime teacher and mentor myself, I feel it is essential to give as I have received. After all, I am merely a link in a chain (or chains as the case may be).

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

For nearly 25 years, I was a founding member and driving force in the acclaimed percussion group, Hands On’Semble. Which performed and taught around the world and released several acclaimed albums. Since then, I’ve continued to release multiple solo percussion albums, a duo album with Pete Lockett, and more, all of which heavily focused on exploring possibilities with drums, percussion and rhythm on a global scale, yet all very much an incredibly personal journey and career narrative. In addition to that percussion-centric work, I’ve also been fortunate to be creatively involved as a musician on soundtracks for film, television, video games, theater, sample libraries, and albums for a multitude of artists over many years.
At the same time, teaching has always been an important component, even defining factor, if not crowning achievement(s) throughout my career. Without a doubt, the students I’ve been privileged to have been a part of their musical journeys are the best part of my musical legacy. On the flipside, the pragmatic, practical side of surviving through my art, teaching gave some stability in an increasing capacity throughout the years. This has also allowed me to have the privilege of saying “no” or “pass” to things that don’t feel in-line with my own interests and pursuits. Which (when not taken for granted) can be an incredible luxury as a musician and artist. I love to teach all levels, and all types of drums and percussion, in all kinds of different settings. I’ve taught all over the word, and all over LA. However, I’ve been consistently teaching at CalArts since the late 90’s, and is a thread through much of my career.
Playing and teaching all kinds of drums and percussion, in all kinds of settings and all kinds of combinations. That’s basically been my thing for decades now. If any of that resonates in any way, check out my website (randygloss.com) and/or feel free to get in touch and email me at [email protected].

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I tend not to think too much in this regard and surely don’t have some special three-ingredient recipe. Even if I did, it seems at some point every musician, every artist, must go their own way and blaze their own trail. However, if I had to name three things that were of particular impact to me, the first few things that come to mind are: 1) focusing on my education in music; 2) the support of mentors and teachers; and 3) surrendering to music.
For me I can say that early on into my career as a professional musician, the realization that I needed to know more, to grow, and be able to do more were key to my evolution. Knowledge and information, skill and ability, these were the things that could give value and help build and sustain that value and worth. I knew that the more I knew and could do, well the more I’d know and can do… an education can be the best investment in oneself, and for me, ultimately it was.
That leads directly to my second “pillar”, which for me has been the support of my teachers and mentors, who’ve empowered me with their knowledge and information without limits, and equally with their belief in me and support in my abilities, and my artistic endeavors throughout my career.
Lastly, for me would be the idea of surrendering to my music. Not surrendering as in “I give up”, in fact quite the opposite of “I give up”, but more like surrendering being a kind of “trust fall”. Surrendering to where my musical journey may take me. From the moment I first surrendered to music, was when everything changed. Even all these years later, there are times I remind myself to surrender to my art and the process. However, when I truly embrace this notion, everything is more vibrant, love radiates and permeates, output increases, and in turn something positive in my journey transpires. At the same time, also feeling more secure, and thus less vulnerable to the things in life that chip away and attack focus, confidence, resilience, and ultimately pursuing dreams, loves and happiness.
Now with that said, the value of these factors can widely vary, as the specificity around each of those decisions, focal points, pillars are of essential importance, the circumstances and intentions being everything along the way.
And really these are less of a “top three”, and merely three things integral to my personal journey.
Therefore, another factor that I believe essential (and in many ways paramount) would be, being “open”. Open heart, open mind. and as a musician, open ears too. Be open, be present, in the moment. Improviser in music, improvisor in life, recognize opportunities in real time.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Yes. Always looking for folks to collaborate with.
Musical projects, groups, collaborations; live performances; studio work; adding drums and percussion to already existing projects, etc… wide range of possibilities.
Check out my website: randygloss.com, and/or email me directly at [email protected].

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Craig Hyman, Nishant Singh, Annissa Gloss, Eron Rauch; Ryan Hemman

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