Today we’d like to introduce you to George Schuler.
Hi George, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My parents were both music lovers I guess so most of my initial exposure to music was through their tastes. I don’t think I had too much of an interest in picking up an instrument myself as a kid, but I would tap rhythms out all the time. I never really thought about it. Around the time I was 12 my father wanted me to play the French horn in middle school band class. I gravitated towards the drums. I think my parents got me a drumset for Christmas one year, but I didn’t really play on it more than once or twice. Anyway once I started playing in my middle school percussion class I pulled the drums out of whatever closet they’d been stashed and played to my dad’s old CDs every day after school. I was playing to Rock records mostly. the most notable being Black Sabbath’s Paranoid. I was constantly discovering things and enjoying myself. This went on for about 6 months or so until the unthinkable happened. One day at school I was playing in beginner band (I’d been moved up from the percussion class)
and I was doing really well. So well in fact that band director at the time wanted to use me in the Wind Ensemble (I think this was the most advanced class for middle schoolers at my school). Anyway I was immediately called to the principles office. My dad said he was going to pick me up from school early the night before so I was expecting him, but it was one of my neighbors. She took my brother and I to Dave and Busters and the. To the hospital. My dad had an aneurism that morning. The funeral was a week later and then I was back to school as if nothing had happened.
I guess I kind of hid in the drums for a while. It was a place where I could actually vent my frustrations. Between that and working out I became pretty obsessive. I got better, but I was forcing everything and it eventually caught up with me. By age 14 I got tendonitis in both wrists. it hurt to clench my hands. (This was before I began seriously lifting weights or anything like that) Anyway I couldn’t really play much of anything without being in pain at the time. My band director Dan Helm, who was also a drummer gave me a long list of jazz drummers to check out. I didn’t have much experience with jazz, but I did know who John Coltrane was because my grandfather used to listen to him on WPFW every Sunday when he came over before his passing. (A year before my fathers)
YouTube was still new at the time so I checked out all of the great drummers on there and I Tunes. YouTube was really a blessing. I got to see Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Buddy Rich, Jeff Tain Watts, Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Max Roach, and too many other drummers to mention. Through ITunes I discovered the music of Ornette Coleman, and Thelonious Monk. I wasn’t sure what it was about Monk, but I was hooked. I found every record I could with him on it. I think Elvin was my favorite drummer though. As I slowly got back into playing I explored my new influences. I don’t think I really knew what I was doing but between that, taking lessons with Alejandro Lucini (That was between ages 15-18 I believe) and doing Marching Band I started developing some ideas of my own. When I was 17 I joined the Blues Alley Youth Orchestra. It was a decent experience I don’t remember much of it, but the director Michael Bowie wrote my college recommendation letter.
I didn’t have much of plan, but I decided to go to Berklee in Boston. It was a bit of mixed bag. It was an interesting experience and I learned some things, but after 2 years I loved back home and did a year or 2 of community college at NOVA. I tried going to GMU but that didn’t work out so I finished school at Berklee online.
Literally the week I left Mason I sat in at Columbia Station for the first time. Peter Edelman started using me every night of the week for some time after that night.
I would continue to play on and off with Peter for almost a decade since then. there were moments where I piled up injuries and had to take long breaks and there was a pandemic so it wasn’t a straight 9-10 years, but I was with him for a long time. During that time I broke my habit of over working myself. I had been dealing with the death of my father in an unhealthy way. I decided to turn everything around. I stopped lifting weights for a while and started teaching at a guitar center.
Right before the pandemic really started I quit guitar center and found a good teacher in NY to change my drum technique. My Guitar Center job showed me that I had a natural inclination towards teaching, but my lessons with my current teacher Peter Retzlaff fortified that to the nth degree. I got an accelerated course in teaching the drums. I eventually started taking piano lessons too, but that wasn’t until a few years later.
Once everything opened up again I was taking drum lessons and playing at Green Island every Friday and Saturday from 8:00-2:00. I eventually found a great teaching job that I’m still currently doing now as well and I started taking PRI fitness coaching as well. it was a slow burn but I managed to successfully overcome chronic pain and get better at my craft.
My experience really inspired me to help others regardless of their natural talent or lack thereof.
Fast forward to to today and I’m no longer playing at Green Island. I’ve got a good teaching job and I’m in the process of putting my own bands together and developing my teaching curriculum among other things. I’ve been able to create a set of unique skills oriented towards a singular goal. (The goal being to become as complete a musician as I can and help others do the same)
I’ve come along way, but I still have a lot to do. I want to keep teaching and developing my craft.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all. I could get into more detail about it, but I think my bio explained most of it.
The on and off battles with chronic pain started at age 14 and would continue for more than a decade. I’d take 2 steps forward and 3 back. It took a long time to really slow down and take everything apart to rebuild but it’s the smartest thing I ever did.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a drummer mostly. I teach lessons I perform as a sideman and I’ve just started my own fusion jazz group and corporate band.
I guess you could say I’m a jazz drummer at heart, but I have a very wide taste in music. I’ll play anything.
I don’t know what sets me apart from others. I’m a pretty average guy, but I guess I’m the only one that sounds like me. It’s funny if I had to describe my sound I’d just talk about my influences, but a lot of people have the same influences as I do and we don’t sound the same at all.
If I had to be proud of anything it’s just the fact that I’ve overcome a lot and I’m building the life I want to live.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think risk taking on the bandstand in an improvisational setting is absolutely necessary to a degree. You have to risks. That being said risk taking and being reckless are different things. Every risk comes with a degree of responsibility.
I guess the same could be said in other areas of life, but outside of music I tend to be very cautious.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://georgeschulerdrums.wordpress.com/?_gl=1*yrrkas*_gcl_au*MjE3ODUzMDc0LjE3NTQyNTE1MTQ.
- Instagram: georgeschulerdrums
