“Good musicians can make you think about the possibilities of their instrument when they play.
Great musicians allow you to dream about the possibilities for your own life.”

- Rolling Stone's Bill Miller 

New Podcast!

LETTERS TO AN ASPIRING MUSICIAN

A professional drummer looks back on a 30-year career in music to recount what he saw, discuss what he learned, and talk about what he wishes he'd known earlier.

https://anchor.fm/stevebowmanpodcast

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DRUMMERS

As a professional drummer for 30+ years I've learned a thing about playing, recording, touring, teaching, writing, and many other facets of the business. If you're a serious player I can help you discover and work on the specific skills you need to progress quickly and efficiently.   
Though I'm open to working out of many different books/videos, I will soon have three instructional books for sale on this site which delve into some topics I love to discuss:
Time - Creating accurate note spacing 
Facility - Smoothing out coordination gaps 
Feel - Learning to convey emotion in your playing. 
In my experience, taking a new look at time, facility, and feel will affect everything you play because it sharpens the foundation from which all your notes are placed.

GUITARISTS, BASSISTS, KEYBOARDISTS

Most of my musical life has been as a drummer in a band, which has allowed me to write with others and make records with producers. Every new project or situation is a learning experience and after we go through the process a few times a sort of evolution morphs us into better players. Eventually our own experience shows us what works and doesn't, what's needed and isn't, and what sounds good and bad. And all this information shapes us into better musicians but in the end it's pretty simple. What we gain from experience is the ability to create and play great parts, with feel, in time. If that's the endgame then how can we jump start the process?

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Though I don't teach stringed instrument basics (I can provide a list of local teachers if needed) there is still a lot we can cover regarding time, feel, parts, tones, pick/strum patters, voicings, melodies, counter melodies, etc.

BANDS, SINGER/SONGWRITERS

Every great song has a balance of tension and release. But, too much tension can confuse the listener, and too much release is exhausting. Unfortunately, both directions cause the audience to tune out, which is true in a song, or a set list, or an album tracking. With the right energy a song has more punch and you want to hear it again and again. And it's the same with a live set. How do you turn a list of songs into a cohesive, engaging thing of its own?

I can work with an entire band at my studio. I'm also happy to work with smaller groups, duos, and individual singers and singer/songwriters.

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Not looking for co-writes or song credits - just hoping to help others get more out of their songwriting/performing.

ABOUT STEVE BOWMAN

After living and working in Nashville for the past 15 years I'm excited to now be in beautiful Murfreesboro, TN, where I plan to dedicate myself to teaching music, playing disc golf, and riding my bike around peaceful, wood-smoked back roads.