drum resume

 

 

 

 

Mike "Monkey" Soucy got his first drum set at the age of 6, amidst the time when his father was still playing in a metal band as a guitarist. For years after that, he would play along to CDs and cassettes or with his father. After some convincing, he joined the school band in 6th grade, and began reading charts and sight reading in middle school.

 

In early high school (1999), he joined the marching band as a freshman and began learning different jazz type styles and concert instruments. During this time, he also played with his first real band "Dying Slow" at clubs and bars around town. After getting additional attention due to his learning curve, Mike began requesting extraneous music charts on the side to just "look at", and also asking for additional recommendations for other music to listen to.

 

 

In later high school, he began achieving a kind of notoriety among other musicians for his strong sight reading and comprehension skills. After being pushed as far as they could go, Dying Slow broke up due to other interests in other band mates, and Soucy's side jamming with other local band "Farefis". At this time, he is awarded the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award for drumming.

 

Near the end of high school, Mike learns from a friend that his brother's band Ikonoklast is looking for a drummer to go on the road with, and immediately the position is filled. Over the course of the next few years, Soucy toured with Ikonoklast around the country as well as played locally in Phoenix AZ. He also spends a good amount of time during being in Ikonoklast to also dabble in other types of live music: London Metal Exchange (pop/punk), Reburn and the Skidmarks (experimental, punk, metal, jazz), Farefis (metal), Malnurture (Black Metal), Monsoon Alley (rock). 

 

Recently, Soucy's musical interests have strayed from conventional music and aimed more in the technical and avant-garde directions. Citing bands like Fantomas, Naked City, Hella, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Meshuggah for a kick-off point in a new direction of musical writing and performance. Soucy still gives lessons post high school that focus on both extreme rudimental marching technique and alternative theory for drum composition. April 30th 2006, he won the Sam Ash Drum Offs in Phoenix. He has also done guest judging for Guitar Center at different locations for their Guitar Center Drum Off in 2005, 2006, and 2007. In 2008, he began competition in the Guitar Center Drum Offs, but only made it to regionals due to previously planned engagements and shuffled dates. In 2009, he had also won and competed at Sam Ash.

 

Currently, Soucy is gearing up for going on tour with Labor Party (punk/rock) this summer, and is also in the process of recording for an album following some of his recent musical interests.

 

 

Current Setup:

Cymbals (Zildjian):

1. 16" A Custom Fast Crash

2. 16" A Custom Crash

3. 18" A Custom Fast Crash

4. 6" A Series Splash

5. 6" A Custom Splash

6. 20" A Custom Ride

7. 14" A Custom Hi-hats

 

Drums (Pacific FS):

8", 10", 12", 14" Toms

20" Kick

 

Hardware and Accessories:

Pearl Eliminator Double Bass Pedal

Rhythmtech Tamborine and Cowbell

Self Validation.

Since I never did it in June, which would’ve really marked the center point to the year, I’ll do it now. It seems like this would be a better time to do it anyway.

Up this point, since January: Work had grinded down little by little until it came to a screeching stop. It’s been a couple months now, but I’ve gotten unemployment going and I apply for jobs everyday still. I also still try to get up at a time that would still be considered early for someone who doesn’t work. I don’t wanna get into the habit of sleeping in, just cuz it’ll make things harder to get used to once I start working again. I hate sleeping anyway.

I’ve put in as much as I can with London Metal Exchange. We’ve had ups and downs all year, but with me being unemployed, I don’t consider myself a part of the band. The practice schedule has also gone from playing big shows at the Marquee Theater, to playing once every other month at small bars. They’re in the studio right now, but I don’t care. They’re not making any drastic changes to the mix, and I have better things to do.

Since January, I’ve been cranking out musical ideas like crazy. I started going through unfinished riffs and charts I had written, and filled in the blanks. This has also brought me to practicing songs from http://www.myspace.com/dooeetnau with my old Reburn buddy Andrew. We went through staring at pages of hieroglyphics, to working on our stage setup and slamming through the songs as many times as we can before we tire out. We’re almost ready for phase 1!

In light of me being unemployed, and somewhat out of shape, I started working out again. First it started with the weights I got from the girl, then into skating, Dance Dance Revolution, situps, and now basketball. Originally, I started working out just to keep myself in shape enough to be able to jam with Andrew. But then I joined Labor Party’s tour.

I was offered to go on tour with Labor Party this summer because their drummer has some shit to tend to. Which I’m stoked on! I get to hit the road again, play in front of new people, and get some of my single bass chops back! Last night was the first night I had gotten through a night of practice without breaking a sweat.

Also, in a stretch to strengthen my brain, I've done random things to make me learn: I’ve switched my OS on my computer Linux, started playing Magic: The Gathering, I have notebooks laying around the house waiting to be filled with more random ideas for songs and charts, I downloaded a math game (like flash cards).

I’ve got to do as much as I can until I start working again. There’s never enough time in the day!

So many Blogging options.

So little reasons to stay with this one. Sorry Blogger, but I'll be back.

After all, you integrate nicely into my Google lifestyle!

I made gauges.

Post 101.

Post 101 notates that I'm not allowed to skate down hills.

Snoogans.

I realized.

I live in a world that I will no longer be able to fully and passionately express myself in again out of fear who it may harm.

Yay me.

Snoogans.

Work's a little slow.

And that sucks. But I don't need a job to keep myself productive, and some moments I'm really glad I'm not working.

But during all the other ones, I keep the house clean, I'm writing music, schmoozing other musicians online, scouring Craigslist, and doing anything physical. Now that I'm drinking coffee again, I have something to counteract my constant drowsiness, lol. Happy + Coffee = Production.

I got a copy of the Drum Bible, in addition to some random on-fields and warm ups, in hopes of keeping my chops good. My shoulder has been killing me, so I've been keeping a pad and sticks within proximity when possible (mostly when Amber's not home, heh). And now that I have an amp, I've picked up on a NORMAL writing technique called "justfuckingplaythemotherfuckerandseewhathappens". I think it's cool. o_O

My mind just blanked cuz I got an idea for a riff.

I laughed a little.

In reference to my friend David testing my phone number and giving me his:

David: test.
Me: icles.

He hasn't texted me back yet though. And may I add on a completely different subject that mobile blogging is neat.

Random convo.

(01:33:18 PM) a: bu they the nice homeless man jsu tcame in to see if i wanted ot buy a box of lunchables, wtf?
(01:33:32 PM) a: friday it was chocolate hersey bars
(01:33:34 PM) a: hahaha
(01:34:28 PM) m: Hmm. I wonder if that's what super markets happen to throwing away cuz of expiration or best sell dates and he's trying to make a couple bucks with them instead of eating them like a retard.
(01:34:35 PM) m: Free food!
(01:34:48 PM) m: That's how I filled my fridge when I moved out.
(01:35:09 PM) a: yeah i mean they are big carboard boxes full of htem
(01:35:13 PM) m: Wow.
(01:35:17 PM) m: I would keep those.
(01:35:20 PM) a: which hello you are homeless eat them dude
(01:35:24 PM) m: For real.
(01:35:36 PM) m: I'd be stoked to have had those over those shitty pizzas I had to eat.
(01:35:36 PM) a: but they are also not refrigerated but still
(01:35:54 PM) a: eat them real fast before they go bad
(01:35:58 PM) m: Lol, yeah.
(01:36:12 PM) m: Sell 'em to other bums. He needs to know how to capitalize.
(01:36:40 PM) m: I'd be getting them, and selling them to the bums that stand out in the sun looking for money. They'd come to me when they were hungry cuz I'd scam prices and shit.
(01:36:55 PM) m: I'd be a fat homeless guy without a tan.
(01:41:33 PM) a: hahah yeah

Act fast!

I have a slightly one now. Used to where maybe it sat in a party for a year or so, so I all I had to do was wipe it down with some Pledge. But now it's shiny, lemon-scented, and ready to have all my stomp boxes mashed into it. I Just don't have any cables. :-(

Oh, and thanks to another Pacific Islander, I have another one of these.


All for the grand total of $120 and some smokes.

Between me and Bootycakes

(01:05:14 PM) a: what doe siuper mean?
(01:05:21 PM) a: does 1 uper
(01:05:22 PM) a: haha
(01:05:53 PM) m: I have a tendency to reciprocate statements by replaying my own experience with the same thing.
(01:06:06 PM) m: Passive aggressively asserting myself.
(01:06:36 PM) a: aw i see
(01:06:50 PM) m: I really do have a Napoleon Complex, lol.
(01:07:21 PM) a: that is ok, i am neurotic
(01:07:25 PM) a: we get alogn great, haha
(01:07:28 PM) m: Lol.
(01:07:33 PM) m: Fucking. Rad.

With all the ducks in a line...

There'll be a product that will make it hard to forget. I can't wait for it to catch.

I have to be a part of something that I've helped create before I'm done.

To all you people who were told to call 973-409-3274:

http://www.showmethefacts.org/2009/04/24/marijuana-phone-poll-scam-confusing/

This is an article containing information and a timeline of how this innocent poll from Humor Hotlines (the people that made the famous Rejection Hotline) turned into a rumor of making marijuana legal.

I'm also glad that it's my nature to be paranoid at having my phone number and name on a piece of paper to become part of a demographic of active potheads. But I'm dumb enough to still promote it online... Lol.

Maybe it's all part of my fictitious character I've been developing for my movie.

Snerd.

I just made a music joke with my status update in conjunction with another person on my list's status update.

Monkey [Team Bacon] is alive. 5 minutes ago
Mood: (none)

"Motherhood: The 2nd Oldest Proffession" is just breathing. 13 minutes ago
Mood: confident



I'm cool. Snoogans.

Partners In Crime.

Andrew's been learning more of the stuff I wrote in Powertab, and I couldn't be more stoked. I played through a couple songs with him last week, and recorded the drum track for Buttcheeks. God DAMN it's fast! Even after I brough it down to like 135, it's a lot of beats. It'll keep me fit and feeling rad once it gets going. And with all the new avant-garde/experimental music I've been listening to, I'll have a lot of ideas to write with Andrew.

Comes in handy that I'm to a practicing stage with the P.I.C. stuff too, I don't have a working Windows environment to work in. With sound.

My computer was crashing once cuz of a half burnt internal HDD, so a buddy of mine made a boot disk with SATA drivers for my laptop and installed it for me. It started to fail again, so I started looking for another HDD online. In the meantime, I thought I'd experiment with Ubuntu in the meantime. When I get my new HDD, I may wanna put it on there instead of Windows for an optimal running box! But after realizing none of my music programs have an equivalent for UNIX, I decided I needed to switch back. No big deal. Just to test the disc my buddy made for me, I threw it in to reinstall Windows. But the fucking thing's corrupt, so I'm waiting on another copy.

I hate being in the hands of someone who smokes more than I do.

Whatev. I'm hungry.

The word Improvisation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improvisation

Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or new ways to act. This invention cycle occurs most effectively when the practitioner has a thorough intuitive and technical understanding of the necessary skills and concerns within the improvised domain. Improvisation can be thought of as an "on the spot" or "off the cuff" spontaneous activity.

The skills of improvisation can apply to many different abilities or forms of communication and expression across all artistic, scientific, physical, cognitive, academic, and non-academic disciplines. For example, improvisation can make a significant contribution in music, cooking, presenting a speech, sales, personal or romantic relationships, sports, flower arranging, martial arts, psychotherapy, and much more.

Where the improvisation is intended to solve a problem on a temporary basis, the 'proper' solution being unavailable at the time, it may be known as a stop-gap. This particularly applies to engineering improvisations.

Musical improvisation
Main article: Musical Improvisation

Improvisation is usually defined as composing music while playing an instrument at the same time. In other words, the art of improvisation can be understood as composing music "on the fly". This of course requires great skill and knowledge, and is a very important aspect of music in general, for any experienced musician. Musical improvisers often understand the idiom of one or more musical styles—e.g. blues, rock, folk, jazz—and work within the idiom and music-theory of the certain style to express ideas with creativity and originality. Improvisation can take place as a solo performance, or interdependently in ensemble with other players. When done well, it often elicits gratifying emotional responses from the audience. Very few musicians have ever dared to offer fully improvised concerts such as the famous improvised piano recitals by classical composers/pianists like Franz Liszt. The origins of Liszt's improvisation in an earlier tradition of playing variations on a theme were mastered and epitomized by Mozart and Beethoven. However, some have managed some very poignant attempts similar to these precedents, one of the most successful of these is Keith Jarrett. He is a jazz pianist and multi-instrumentalist who has performed many completely improvised concerts that have captivated audiences all over the world. In the same creative aesthetic as such named masters, including the late innovator and guitar master Derek Bailey, comes a new breed of improvising musician. Pioneers like cellist Eugene Friesen have brought improvisation to traditionally classical instruments. A few pianists have given modern recitals of improvisation in the baroque style, which may be less intimidating because of its stricter development and range of modulation and yet, on the other hand, more daunting because of its polyphony. One of the masters in the style of baroque improvisation was Glenn Gould. There have also been a few other exceptional improvised solo piano concerts in Stuttgart, Southern Germany in the 1990s.

God work sucks.

In a world where we have a black President (FTW!) and jobs are disapearing (LAME), I can't really bitch that I'm having to dig out the sun all day. At least I HAVE a fucking job, lol.




But man... These are serious holes, and many of them. Lol. I don't know if I'm being a baby or if it's just a curve between us with our tolerance for work, but my left shoulder and my right forearm aren't having it. I worked up a technique with a shovel that relies less on my upper body by using my right arm as a crowbar for lifting. I don't burn out as fast that way. :-)

Still sucks though. Can't wait 'till it's done.

More drum teachings.

The guy I tuned drums for a couple months back is now getting lessons from me. WOO! It's a bit of a drive, but it's not so bad with the iPod. I'm helping him tighten up on types of fills and building an internal syncopation in some of his fills, cuz it's metal. Metal sucks with a sloppy drummer.

All That Jizz

Skeet on your face skeet on your face
skeet skeet skeet skeet skeet on your face (x4)
you like what i got but baby dont test me
pull the top down cause the suede gets messy
and im'a tell you what im about to do
im'a skeet skeet skeet all over you
and im'a sit back, watch you rub it in,
read Cosmo girl, it's good for your skin,
my next move baby, beyond belief,
put it on a toothbrush, girl, brush them teeth,

(chorus)
all that jizz (all that jizz)
tell you how it is ( tell ya how it is)
do you want it on your belly? (want it on your belly)
or runnin out your snizz?
all that jizz
i'll tell you how it is
if you got good brains
you can take my pop quiz

hey i met me a nasty girl
she said hey taqu'il you insatiable
well i dont know what that means but i take the pull
momma let me put my quarter in your slot machine
ching a ling, jackpot, i'll make you scream,
milshake ya, momma, like a dairy queen,
let me spurt sour cream on your taco supreme,
super head tail, pull em off, im comin for ya baby

chorus

Music rulez.

Just filled in at a spontaneous sit-in at a church for a buddy of mine. Lol. Oh the places you'll go!

I just like to play.

Surrounded with musicians!!!

If it were a pool, I would let you drown me (cuz I can't swim). I love having people that understand me in my life. Since all I know is music and video games, it makes it hard to talk to people since i'm old-school (lolz).

I booked a show on impulse and it wasn't anything impressive. But that's cool... I like what comes with knowing what's up with the show. And we needed the exercise.

I did them a favor! Lol.

Booze and budz. Hopefully i'll kick a puppy tonight.

It's felt good to be active again.

I don't normally blog like this, but i'm slipping into a meat coma.

Thursday:
- Drove up to Prescott with Wes. Met Mike partway. Other relatives in Kim's aunt's.
- Hung out and drank a bottle of wine while watching Comedy Central

Friday:
- LMX was on KAZ-TV on the AZ Morning show, we played songs and they interviewed us.
- Put on an amazing show at The Marquee Theater.

Saturday:
- Recorded 5 new songs at the Pyramid
- Smoked really good
- Made it back to hang out and Monica and Andrew's

...

I'm trying so hard to not put my hand through everything in this house.

Dos.

Why can't we play with faces up?

I've only been trying to write music lately that I think other people would like.

Ever since I got back from Vegas (the last music convention LMX was a part of), I've had a shattered view of what the music business USED to be. But since people like me (pir83r5) exist, music has taken a new turn in integrating itself into technology. Napster, Morpheus, iMesh, mIRC, iTunes. Programs like these and a shit load more have become the medium for music distribution and discovery. Which not only means that the old ways of playing out to the AR reps are not only increasingly more difficult than they used to be, but it's almost obsolete. Everything you used to need a label or a company to accomplish can mostly be done in the comfort of your new home. Recording (Pro Tools), packaging (any ad in the back of a musicians magazine), promotion (Myspace), and distribution (iTunes, CD Baby). Since you can do it all yourself, all that's left is the money... Can you turn a strong profit on your own?

And that brings me back to where I came in at. After already knowing this stuff, and finally coming to terms with it once I had met with panelists at the convention, I saw what I thought I had to do. If I was gonna pull it off, I had to cater to the market. And even though I didn't want to be a part of the business like that, I subconsciously began thinking like everyone else in the popular scene does. What is hot right now?

When did I start turning pleasure into a job? I only say job because there's a fundamental difference between a job and a career, and jobs suck. I turned something I loved and enjoyed into something I thought I had to do a certain way, and it was horrible to think that I've turned into that. I've put so much pressure on myself to do what I think I’m supposed to do, and I completely forgot that the only way to do it is to do it the way you want it.

If it's not fun and exciting, your doing it wrong.

I'll be taking a passenger seat with music. But I still wanna write with Andrew, no matter what it is.

Exactly.

This is a fun game to play, and I think it's crazy I got it for a CAPTCHA code.

I wish I knew the name of the game where you sound out what is spelled all weird.

I'm being a bad blogger.

I Twitter so much, that I don't even feel like blogging anything cuz I've already been talking about it.

Join Twitter. It's fucking rad.

I'm gonna fast forward, a lot.

I learned that one thing I blogged about against a person about was completely misinformed and off. So, sweet. She's still cool. :-)

After the Christmas season was over, and mine and Amber's birthday parties (for gifts as i've not properly thanked for yet), i've been jumping into music again.

Adam, Andrew, Wes, and I had an awesome practice on Thursday. I didn't originally think I would have so much playing cover songs in a band, but it's like a different game. There's a lot of things that aren't issues in a cover band that it's nice to play with, even though we haven't played out yet. Plus it's a good way to jam with Andrew, :-). I can't wait until we play more...

I've been hunting for people on Craigslist a little less, and been keeping in contact with people I used to play music with. Today I hung out with Kyle (ex-Farefis) because we were originally gonna have a sit down with Dustin and Sid about maybe getting back together in Farefis, now that we're older and more mature. But it was just me and Kyle, lol. So I got high, and we went behind a bowling alley near Wes's house to talk about what everyone's been up to and where they're at now. I wonder how well Farefis would function under the circumstances of everyone's past with everybody. But maybe the next time I see Kyle, everyone will be there and I can get a handle on how we function together just being in the same room.

I'm keeping my options open for music, cuz I don't know what I wanna do. I just know I need to do something. Once you lose your footing, i'm noticing it's harder to get it back. I did finally realize that I should push so hard to play guitar in a band. I was playing guitar the other night over at Wes's place, and out of nowhere I just thought "You know what? Fuck this.. I'm playing some drums." And set the guitar down, I started the song over on my iPod, and sat down behind the drums. Something I didn't notice before was that I get truly lost in what i'm hearing when i'm on the drums. I remembered that when i'm playing to music, especially when there are varying dynamic of songs, I experience a slew of emotions depending on what i'm thinking about when I hear that song. Sometimes the old tricks are the best ones, so i'll probably stick with drums.

Something else I realized is how much I love the fact that Blogger will autosave drafts in case you get high and lose track of windows your looking at. Good job team.

Asta.

Wednesday night.

I forgot how much drumming can take over me.

Usually when I play to something (with my iPod) I get into

My dad showed me this once.

How To Install Software -- A 12-Step Program

by Dave Barry from his new book "Dave Barry In Cyberspace"

1. Examine the software packaging until you find
a little printed box that explains what kind of
computer system you need to run the software.

It should look something like this:

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
2386 PROCESSOR OR HIGHER
628.8 MEGAHERTZ MODEM
719.7 MB FREE DISK SPACE
3546 MB RAM
432323 MB ROM
05948737 MB RPM
ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM
2 TURTLE DOVES

NOTE: This software will not work on your computer.

2. Open the software packaging and remove the manual.
This will contain detailed instructions on
installing, operating, and troubleshooting the
software. Throw it away.

3. Find the actual software, which should be in
the form of either a 3.5-inch floppy diskette or
CD-ROM, located inside a sealed envelope that says:

LICENSING AGREEMENT:

By breaking this seal, the user hereinafter agrees to abide by
all the terms and conditions of the following agreement that
nobody ever reads, as well as the Geneva Convention and the U.N.
Charter and the Secret Membership Oath of the Benevolent
Protective Order of the Elks and such other terms & conditions,
real and imaginary, as the Software Company shall deem necessary
and appropriate, including theright to come to the user's home
and examine the user's hard drive, as well as the user's
underwear drawer if we feel like it, take it or leave it, until
death do us part, one nation indivisible, by the dawn's early light,
...finders keepers, losers weepers, thanks you've been a great
crowd, and don't forget to tip your servers.

4. Hand the software to a child aged 3 through 12 and say,
"(Name of child), please install this on my computer."

5. If you have no child age 3 through 12, insert the software
in the appropriate drive, type "SETUP" and press the Enter key.

6. Turn the computer on, you idiot.

7. Once again type "SETUP" and press the Enter key.

8. You will hear grinding and whirring noises for a while,
after which the following message should appear on your screen:

The Installation Program will now examine
your system to see what would be the best way to render it
inoperable. Is it OK with you? Choose one, and be honest:

+-------+ +-------+
| YES | | SURE |
+-------+ +-------+

9. After you make your selection, you will hear grinding
and whirring for a very long time while the installation
program does God knows what in there. Some installation
programs can actually alter molecular structures, so
that when they're done, your computer has been
transformed into an entirely new device, such as
a food processor.

At the very least, the installation program will create many new
directories, sub-directories, sub-sub-directories, on your hard
drive and fill them with thousands of mysterious files with names
like "puree.exe," "fester.dat," and "doo.wha."

10. When the installation program is finished, your screen
should display the following message:


CONGRATULATIONS

The installation program cannot think of anything else
to do to your computer and has grown bored. You may now
attempt to run your software. If you experience any
problems, electrical shocks, insomnia, shortness of breath,
nasal discharge, or intestinal parasites, you should
immediately *!@!$)$%@&*^^)$*!#$_$*^^&


11. At this point your computer system should become less
functional than the federal government, refusing to
respond even when struck with furniture.

12. Call the toll-free Technical Support Hotline number
listed on the package and wait on the line for a
representative, who will explain to you, in a clear,
step-by-step manner, how to adopt a child aged 3
through 12.






Last Modified : March 18, 1997

I'm starting up another Dr. Seuss Collection.

Quick side note: I house the tendencies and attention of a young child. I like mad libs, Dr. Seuss, video games, and some toys. Lol.

I don't even know what happened with all my Dr. Seuss books, but it doesn't matter cuz Amber GOT ME MORE! WOO! She got me a hefty stack of Dr. Seuss for Christmas and i've got them on the top shelf of my portion of the desk next to my new toy:




Thanks Stacie!

But the real hype is Dr. Seuss books. Gimme. All of your Dr. Seuss are belong to me.

Post Holiday Wrapup.

We got more games! And a bunch of Microsoft points to blow on XBOX Live. With the DDR Universe 3, we can both play at the same time! And with Tiger Woods '09, we can relax and be lazy.

To add to my collections of keychains, wallet, shirts, systems, I now have a reversible beanie too:




Original Gamer, and a collage of NES controllers. I likey. Blah blah finkles types for extra text contentual items to inhabit space on the internet Gomer Poooooooooooool nutsack face.



Who can't use some more storage space? And to find out how much more you are like your dad than you thought! The internet has a way of making text sound angry and cynical, and the last sentence was not. :-) I'm gonna be youthful for a long time.

New Year's was pretty sweet. We had originally planned on playing a couple songs as a band, but the attention went up when Monica took over the mic and we played some old Bob Marley songs with Tim and then some slow vocal jazz. It was refreshing to play some different music. But amidst the jamming, I found my new love for jeans. I don't know what kind they are. But I like jeans now.

I'm sick, i'm going to bed.