Randy Gloss shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Randy, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
What makes me lose track of time—and find myself again?
Practicing music. It’s been like this for a VERY long time for me. I love to practice, to learn and grow as a musician, but also to simply connect with my instrument(s), just putting my hands on them and feeling the vibrations, then things go from there, as at the same time, practice when it’s done right, is a type of meditation, completely losing one’s self and awareness of the outside world, and losing track of time. For me, it’s also an ever changing/evolving routine or journey for me as well. So it never gets stagnant or boring. With periods of intense focus in certain or a specific area(s) of my percussion and drumming work. Other times it may a broader approach to practice and exploration across many types of drums and percussion. Sometimes it’s a traditional approach, sometimes a more contemporary one focused on synthesis, composition, improvisation. Drumming and the percussion world is so incredibly vast and endlessly faceted, it’s impossible to explore it all. I’ve been fortunate to have deeply explored many avenues, instruments, genres, styles, traditions, etc of music making in my career over the past few decades, yet still have so many lifetimes to go before even making any significant headway. You may know a lot about this (insert instrument name or type of music), but what do you know about that (insert any other instrument or type of music)? It’s an impossibility, so I surrender to that, and just enjoy the process when I connect and commune with my instruments and making music.
In that regard, in addition to the ever expansive world of percussion, over the past handful of years as a hobby I’ve also been exploring the electric guitar, practicing regularly each day for a shorter stretch, and then reserve time each week to get completely lost in that instrument. The entire experience, perspective and feeling is of course very different than drumming. I really am enjoying this new approach and perspective to music making, but also going back to the beginning on a completely different instrument. This has good for me on many levels.
What to say? Music is just so incredibly vast. Even if you are a maestro in one or some areas, there is still a much greater portion of music that you still know little or nothing about. Music is bigger than any of us, so I find it endlessly fascinating, and my favorite thing to lose and find myself again and again and again.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure. I’m a drummer/percussionist and an educator. My background and career exemplifies a broad range of musical experiences through drum set, contemporary percussion, and several traditions of world music. I’ve played everywhere from dive bars like CBGB’s to the best concert halls in the world, and been fortunate to work with a wide array of amazing artists from an extremely broad scope ( Ziggy Marley, L. Shankar, Alphonso Johnson, Adam Rudolph, Larry Karush, Nicole Mitchell, Carlos Nino & Friends, Andre 3000, Linda Perry, Montaine, Damian Draghici, Lian Ensemble, Vinny Golia, Aashish Khan, Vlatko Stefanovsky and Miroslav Tadic, Chitravina Ravikiran, Jovino Santos Neto, Danny Elfman, Harry Gregson-Williams, and many more…). 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 percussion 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 (some of which is referenced above).
At the same time, teaching has always been an important component, even defining factor in my career. Since the late 1990’s I’ve been on the faculty at CalArts. I have taught elsewhere, such as UCLA and LA Music Academy (now LACM), and have been a visiting artist/lecturer/clinician at many universities, music schools and conservatories in the U.S. and abroad, but my home base as a teacher for a very long time has been CalArts.
So, playing and teaching all kinds of drums and percussion in all kinds of settings and combinations, that’s essentially what I do. If you want to know more, please check out my website randygloss.com and/or feel free to get in touch and email me at [email protected]
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
At different stages, different people.
First and foremost would be my mother. I was a very shy kid. Quiet, but I observed a lot, maybe too much. She’s always called me “an old soul”, even as far back as still a baby, long before any understanding what that could possibly mean. She also was the person pushed me, or sometimes pulled me, as a shy kid to try new things. She pulled me out of myself, taught me to go for it, live life, take risks, even getting into drumming was something I very much owe directly to her. She was also a dancer, a choreographer, and a teacher as well. So in supporting my journey as a musician, she clearly saw things in me along the way, that I’d yet to see or discover.
Secondly, I’ve had some amazing teachers and mentors who believed in me, inspired me, challenged me, and gave me opportunity that significantly shaped who I am. My childhood drum teacher Buddy Ostapowitz, my most significant teacher in college Daniel Kennedy, my mentor in grad school and beyond John Bergamo, and my tabla teacher of the past 30 years Swapan Chaudhuri. These people in particular saw something in me, nurtured it, and were extremely significant in my development.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes of course, many times. Following your dreams and making a career out of your art has endless uncertainties, countless unforeseen obstacles and pitfalls at every turn and juncture. In those moments, it can be easy to have doubts as you attempt to blaze your own trail. Ultimately, I find it best for me to simply follow my heart, trust my instincts, and not get too in my head. The mind will always find ways to justify, rationalize, and over think it, for me it’s better to follow my heart and my gut instincts. Which so far have seemed to work out just fine overall, surrendering to music and the path I’m on.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
There is really only one version, for better or worse, it’s just me, no persona. I’m surely not any kind of celebrity, brand, or influencer. I’m just a musician. My music and my drumming are what I hope would be that public version, and I myself would be more transparent, maybe even invisible. Being known solely for my work as a percussionist, the rest is unimportant and insignificant. Put on one of my albums, or an album I’ve played on and I’d hope that it’s only the music that matters. See me in concert it’s my playing to be hopefully enjoyed and the takeaway, and again it’s only the music that matters. The only distinguishable difference would be the energy and transmittance required as a musician and teacher to be “on”, as opposed to being a naturally private and slightly reclusive person, and feeling no impulse or urge to always be “on”, ever-ready to perform, nor the need to always be teaching.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Yes of course. music requires you always give your level best. However, I do music for me. I have a career in music somehow in spite of the music business. I make the kind of music and albums exactly as I want to with no real concession or compromise. Or expectation of commercial success either to be perfectly honest. I surrendered to music a very long time ago. My devotion, my pursuits, my practice, and my output is not for the purpose of feeding my ego, and therefore it’s not seeking praise or validation. it’s something I do primarily for me, my enjoyment and fulfillment. Of course it’s nice if and when other’s appreciate your work, but not in any way essential or necessary to why I do it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.randygloss.com
- Instagram: @randy_gloss
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@randygloss7295
Image Credits
photo 1) Nishaant Singh
photo 2) @citycreekrecords_isu
photos 3 & 4) Craig S. Hyman
photos 5 & 6) Annissa Gloss
photos 7 & 8) Eron Rauch
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
