Dream Theater
I’ve Brought Stability

08.04.2014

The music of progressive metal giants Dream Theater can be called anything but simple. The band is in love with grandeur, and has always relied on multi-layered and extremely long compositions. Even when you hear them for the 100th time, you can still spot new details. It’s no surprise that the tour in support of Dream Theater’s self-titled album has “an evening with…” format – which means three hours on stage every night! Such an approach demands a very high level of mastery and endurance from the players. Mike Mangini is definitely the one who knows how to reach it. The list of his achievements, apart from playing in Dream Theater (which already weighs a lot), includes five World’s Fastest Drummer records and being on the faculty of the Berklee College of Music, the most prestigious musical college in the U.S. Mike is not only a master himself, he also knows how to help others on this way. Shortly before Dream Theater’s show in Moscow, we met Mike in the hotel to discuss the current tour and a few secrets of his drumming. As we were only given 15 minutes, it was not possible to cover all the issues of interest, but we still hope we managed to make good use of the time.

How are you doing?

I’m okay, I’m good.

How did you like yesterday's concert in St. Petersburg?

Wonderful! We had a really good show.

What about your overall impression of the tour? Isn’t it too hard to play three-hour-long shows?

My body was used to it for years. Years and years when I was younger I used to play for 6 to 8 hours or even more, you know, eating in the middle. So, I’m used to it (laughs). It is pretty long I must say, mentally (laughs) but it’s a lot of fun, I like it.

What is more interesting for you to play — a two-hour set, with song changing from show to show, like on the previous tour, or a three-hour show, but without song changes, like on the current tour?

Well, not changing songs is better, because it allows the production to be meticulous. I mean really, really perfect. If you change the songs, then it means changes for the crew. Now we have an opportunity to make things perfect. And trying to play a perfect show is impossible, so it’s a nice to have the same set. At this point I like to play the three hours.

You change the setlist completely with every tour. This means that you don’t have “classic” songs which a band has to play every show, like Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper”…

Because there are so many albums, there is so much music. Dream Theater has for years wanted to give fans a different show every time and a better and better and better show every time. When you see the show today — if you do — you will understand, how much we have elevated the production. It’s extraordinary, it’s unbelievable. So we can do a different show every tour.

Speaking about production, I saw you use your nicknames from Internet forums in your animation: you are Jinnee, James (LaBrie, vocals) is Pirate, etc. Who brought this idea to the screen?

A man named Mika. He does the cartoons for us. He lives in Finland and he has known Jordan (Rudess, keyboards) for quite a while.

Are you OK with having a nickname?

Yeah, I’m OK with it.

Have you thought about making a photo session or shooting a video in such costumes?

(laughs) No, I didn’t think of any of that.

Can you tell us about the Boston special show you’re going to play this year?

I don’t know much. I believe we will have Berkley orchestra, or choir, or both – it’s being worked on. I’m not working on it, so I don’t really know.

Will any of your students be there?

I don’t know. I’m from Boston, so I have my family to worry about there and won’t see anybody else. I have a lot of family (laughs), and they all wanna come to the show, so I have to take care of them.

And a bit more about touring — do we have a change to see you at Europe summer festivals this year?

Yes. Again, all of that is being worked on. I think some announcements will be made soon, maybe today or tomorrow something is happening (as of the print time, summer European tour dates are online, but they only include one festival, Czech Republic’s Masters Of Rock - ed.). It’s being booked.

Can we talk about your drumming technique? I was wondering about your books — at what level of drumming is it possible to start to read them, to use this technique?

Right away. What I do is present the information from the bottom level to completely re-train the mind. That’s what my books are about. It’s about how the brain works. It’s about memory retaining information. Most students that I teach, no matter what level, and even me, when I use it - we had to start from beginning thinking a little differently sometimes. What that means for you is that the information in the book says you have to pay attention when you learn something. You have to use your eyes and your mind. You really have to think and study the body. Most of us form bad habits over years, so my books are about re-making new habits. So you start it from beginning. Even if you’ve been playing drums for 12 years, still you can sit down and re-train new combinations.

I’ve been playing drums for two years, I wonder if it’s too early for me to read them…

No, the sooner the better. You know why? Because you may form bad habits. For example, my systems train all four limbs and the voice, to count in the mind.

Yes, it’s the most difficult thing.

I know, but it’s better to learn this sooner. And then you can still follow your own heart, play the music that you like. I don’t teach a style of music. I just let a person love what they love. All I try to say is okay, but if you would like to improve your coordination, you need to use your eyes in a certain way and you need to think in a certain way. And the coordination will improve very quickly.

As far as I can say the most difficult part in learning drums is elaborate this inner feeling of time.

Yes, you need to learn this, by creating a very-very real noise with your mouth, like this “pap-pap-pa-pa-da”, or even in your mind. When I practice with a metronome, I hear “tick-tick-tick” (knocks on the table with his fingers). You can use your imagination, you can think about this, but the trick is that your hands and feet must fit into time. You don’t want just to play all by feeling, because then you’re not sure what the timing is. Most people do play by feeling only. But the timing is inconsistent. And that’s one thing I do with Dream Theater that I’ve changed for the band is the time is consistent every single show. It doesn’t change. It’s not like one day it’s faster, one day it’s slower, one day tempo does this — no. I’ve brought stability. And it is different. Mike Portnoy didn’t do that. He liked to change everything. But the band doesn’t like it. They want it consistent.

Yeah, I’ve already seen three shows with you and I have noted this.

Yeah, think about it for a minute. Guitar has a delay, right? The delays are in time. We don’t want them, John (Petrucci) doesn’t want everything to go out of time. Also by playing the songs at the same tempo as the album it gives the band an opportunity to become peaceful and be able to play. Let me share with you, when we make a record, we - well, at least since I joined, I can’t speak for before, because I don’t know — we play at the top level. And on the drums I try things that are difficult for me. So I have to practice them to be able to play them at the show. Everybody does this, John Petrucci especially. He pushes the maximum. So if I play the song too fast, we won’t be able to play the songs right. The inner feeling of time must be very real. It can’t just be, “Okay, we’re gonna play a song” I have to hear a noise in my head and count, or have a click, so I know.

How do you develop that inner feeling?

By practicing out loud with the voice – do a noise like “pa-pa-pa-pa-pa” and play drums with this. I have to do this, because if I don’t practice this — it’s too difficult to try it. It’s too difficult live. Even for a musician that has been playing for a long time — very difficult, it’s even more difficult, so it’s better to do this sooner.

And a question about your single and double strikes, what’s the best exercise to develop this speed? I mean — use pillow or something?

Yes, use pillows, but different speeds, for example it’s okay to practice messy, messy and fast, because it feels different than slowly. But you also must practice slowly and cleanly — you have to try both. I know that most of everybody around the whole world says, “Practice slow. Slow, slow, slow.” But then your body only knows slow! It doesn’t know the feeling of — ought! trrr (knocks on the table with fingers extremely fast) — of  pushing fast. So singles and doubles I practice messy, fast so my muscles knows the feeling, and then I go slow. Do you understand? You should do both.

Speaking about your books — maybe you want to write another one or two? Maybe based on Dream Theater experience?

Well, I’ve already written some new material, but it’s very, very dense and difficult. But it’s not difficult to sit down and learn. It’s difficult to have to count. Because I make everybody go, “You said you’ve got to count and use your mind, but it hurts the brain”. Most of us don’t wanna work hard. When you sit down, you just wanna enjoy the drums, right? This is okay, but you also must work hard, you have to pay attention — it hurts! You know, when I post things on my Facebook, some people react that I’m giving it too complicated. “You can do it, Mike, but nobody else can do”. It’s not true! What is true is that most people don’t want to work hard. I know you don’t. But you can set a day to play music — you should. And just play, have fun! Other days you should work, and you should make a decision.

Do you believe there is such thing as talent?

Yes.

Or do you believe in hard work?

Oh, there’s both. Talent brings you to some point. Look, I know we all have a calling — let’s have Olympic athletes — some women want do gymnastics, and they train from the young age. Sometimes they don’t train from the young age — sometimes they just want to do it. And then they have to work hard. Some have more talent than others, but in the end, if ten gymnasts have talent, the one who works the hardest wins the gold medal.

Do we have a chance to see you here with your clinic?

I would love to. I have to have sponsorship with the right equipment — like Pearl drums.

Do you need all your drums here?

No-no, I don’t need all that. I can do a clinic with less.

So the only problem is that you need an invitation or something, right?

Well, I need a visa, and time. At the same time it’s too much work. The Dream Theater show requires a lot of work, and I don’t ever do clinics with a tour.

Maybe you will be doing clinics in Europe and it’ll be closer to Russia?

Once I find out what dates Dream Theater has, maybe I’ll come back before and just do clinics — we’ll see.

I guess we have to let you go, thank you so much!

You’re welcome!

Dream Theater on the Internet: http://www.dreamtheater.net
Mike Mangini on the Internet: http://www.mikemangini.com

Special thanks to Vladimir Yurchenko (Warner Music Russia) for arranging this interview

Ekaterina Akopova, Ilya “MuumiPeikko” Gutin
February 28, 2014
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