Canadian Musician - November/December 2018

in-ear monitor mixes by probably 50 per cent and my sound guy is now a very happy camper. CM: Many of Marianas Trench’s album tracks feature programmed or at least electronic percussion. What’s your process for translat- ing those parts to the live environment for shows and tours? IC: I’m almost always still playing the parts that sound processed on our albums. When we’re going for that programmed sound, we just use more samples when mixing. When it comes to playing live, that is where the Yamaha DTX950K comes in handy. I have the electronic kick set as a slave and use a double pedal. I use all the other pads as desired, focusing main- ly on the snare. I can use existing samples or I can load samples into the brain of the kit and trigger any sound I want. CM: On a similar note, tell us a bit about your general approach to combining organic and electronic elements in your playing. How did you first start incorporating electronics into your drumming, and what are some of the specific things that a hybrid set-up en- ables you to do in the context of Marianas? IC: Our last album, [Astoria], was very ‘80s inspired and that’s kind of the era where electronic drum sounds started to take over, so we decided to bring a full electronic kit into the mix. I use the e-kick and snare a lot in the poppier songs, but it’s also been very valuable in mixing up sounds within a song. For example, I may choose to play the verse on the e-kit and have lower-fi sounds programmed for that section so that the song comes down, and then move back over to the acoustic kit to bring it up for the chorus. One of the coolest things is you can program things like hand claps, finger snaps, and sound effects so you can capture what you recorded without having the sounds come off tape. They really are very valuable. CM: You guys incorporate a number of different genres into what you’re doing with Marianas. How have your own past and current influences, particularly from other styles of music, informed your direction in writing and performing with the band? IC: I think listening to all types of music is important. It makes you more of an all-around player and gives you a greater template to work from. Think of eating food. It’s not enjoyable eating the same thing every day; the more different types of food you eat, the more you can appreciate all the flavours one can create. I honestly listen to as much as possible and I do my best to appreciate what other musicians do with an open mind. CM: You’ve performed with a very diverse array of artists through- out your career. Tell me about your process of preparing for a new gig, regardless of genre or style, to ensure you’re fully comfortable with the material. STEPHANE CHAMBERLAND Various Artists Mapex Black Panther Design Lab Kit 18-, 20-, or 22-in. Kick Drum 16-in. Floor Tom 14-in. Floor Tom 12-in. Rack Tom 10-in. Rack Tom 14 x 5.5-in. Snare Drum • • • • • • Sabian Cymbals 22-in Signature Ride (w/ 8-in. HHX Splash on top) 22-in. Artisan Elite Ride (w/ 2 rivets) 20-in. Artisan Elite Ride (w/ 1 rivet) 16-in. HHX Evolution • • • • O-Zone Crash • 16-in. HHX Fierce Crash • 14-in. HHX Legacy Hats • 10-in. AAX Air Splash Evans UV1 & G1 Coated Drumheads (Snare & Tom Tops) Evans Genera Resonant Drumheads (Tom Bottoms) Evans Hazy 300 Drumheads (Snare Bottom) Evans EQ4 Batter & EQ3 Resonant Drumheads (Kick Drum) Promark Todd Sucherman Signature Drumsticks Promark Rebound 5A Active Grip Drumsticks Promark TB5 Brushes SC: It depends on the gig. My preparation depends on the material the bandleader submits to me. When I get the charts and the audio tracks in advance, I can listen to the music as often as possible before the gig and start reading the music at the same time to make the connection between the chart and the musical interpretation I will make. As drummers, we have to work on reading, but most important is interpretation. When I prepare, I rarely sit down at the drumset and play with the music. If I am focused enough, I can go anywhere without a drumset and learn the entire show by putting myself in an imaginary situation. If I have to write my own charts, it takes more time, but after doing it more and more, it gets faster and easier. Because I play a lot of styles, I feel like an actor. I have to put on the right costume and get the right vocabulary and accents for the music I’ll be play- ing. My preparation is as much mental as it is physical. I prepare as much as I can and then I relax and find the pleasure inside the little things in the gigs. CM: Do you think it’s important to explore and learn different styles? How has your playing in a diverse range of applications made you a better and more in-demand session player? SC: I think it’s important to understand as many styles as possible because it makes us better at our instrument. No matter what kind of player you will become, it will be an addition to all the things you know. Many artists will look at different styles just to improve and get more creative in their own style. On the business level, the more styles you can play, the more you will be able to work and sustain a successful career. When I look at my career today, I feel that I would never have been able to work as much and feel so much passion if I had only played one style. CM: You’re an accomplished and prolific educator and author. Why is sharing knowledge and helping other people along their musi- cal path so important to you? SC: It’s a cycle! We learn something new, we become inspired, we work on it, we own it, and become better. We share it and serve others with our knowledge and talent and then, it all comes back. Music is a powerful, positive, and beautiful thing that I think we must share. I am always amazed by how all the different areas of my career are interconnected. As I work on me personally, I can give more, and as I give more, I get more back. It’s the perfect balance between giving and receiving. C A N A D I A N M U S I C I A N • 51

Canadian Musician - November/December 2018 | Page 51