ROBIN DIAZ American Drummer
SUNRAY MAGAZINE has the big pleasure to interview the wonderful Californian Drummer Robin Diaz.
Robin studied with top session drummers and teachers, he played with amazing artist and rock icons as Chris Cornell, Courtney Love, The band Līve, Peter Murphy, Daughtry, Keith Urban just to mention a few.
The fantastic Robin Diaz today takes his time to be interviewed by us.
Hi Robin thank you so much for this interview
SUNRAY: When started your passion for the drums?
Robin: I was into music from my parents they would listen to all kinds everyday plus we were a Hippie California family so music was normal in our household.
I was always banging on everything in my house you name it I played it!!! So I started playing drums at the age of 5 yrs old. my grandfather bought me a kids drum kit from Toys R Us. And the love affair begun!!!
SUNRAY: We know you studied with top session drummers and teachers, how was that experience?
Robin: I had the pleasure in my youth of studying with amazing teacher and performers as Joe Pacaro( R.I.P.) with Joe it was a situation where he would have me have take control of my Swing,Jazz type of playing and controlling my dynamics. Ralph Humphries it was my Odd time Playing for example like 5/4 12/8 and other Odd time feel you want to make it feel like 4/4 in a groove just cool weird experimental playing! Fred Dinkins taught me to have over all control of who ,what kind of player I want to be!!! and Ray Luzier was just an amazing, crazy everything of a drummer and I LOVED that! I would just compile all of them in my soul and out comes ME!!!!! Hopefully it shows LOL
SUNRAY: What do you like most about playing music?
Robin: What I like about playing music is very simple it gives inner and outer PEACE a Meditation especially playing live its happiness that nothing else could give me its my life drug!!!!
SUNRAY: Who are your biggest influences?
Robin: My biggest influences are Peter Criss of KISS, Jeff Pacaro of Toto, Steve Gadd of Chuck Mangione,Paul Simon, Jimmy Chamberlain of The Smashing Pumpkins , John Bonham of Led Zeppelin , Kieth Moon of The Who but there are so many its goes on and on!!!!
SUNRAY: What techniques do you use to play the drums?
Robin: Techniques I use ummmm??? Well its really just having good control of dynamics a good sense of feel of whatever type of music im recording or playing live and always listen to your musicians around you thats really key!!!! But I always say im a songwriter drummer not just a caveman drummer! Lol
SUNRAY: You have worked with epic musicians as Courtney Love, The band Līve, Peter Murphy, Daughtry, Keith Urban, including the unforgetting Chris Cornell, how is work with them?
Robin: I’ve been very Lucky and Blessed to have played with some AMAZING artist and sometimes its “The Right Place at The Right Time”
Which for me im a firm beleiver of “The Laws of Attraction “ Like attracts Like I put out into the Universe who I want to play with and most of the time it really works!
You have to learn to listen and know when to speak and stay out of the way. You always have to have control of your emotions cuz lots of times these huge ego artist really don’t care what you think! They just hired you to play their songs on the record as perfectly or even better if that makes since thats it!!!! Its very simple!!!! Of yeah one more thing be a good hang on tour especially on the tour bus!!!!
SUNRAY: Which are the companies to provides you with a level of craftsmanship worthy of stages, recording studios?
Robin: I’ve been lucky to have had my AWESOME drum companies sponser me for over half of my career so thank you Pork Pie percussion my drums, Sabian cymbals, Vater drum sticks , DW hardware and pedals ,Remo drum heads and Toca percussion without them die really be miserable LOL
SUNRAY: Do you have any upcoming projects?
Robin: im always working with different bands, singer songwriters from Big artist to up and coming artist im happy to to record and or tour with you! That what I do I provide a service!
SUNRAY: Tell us where we can find you (social network, websites…)
Robin: my social media is Robindiaz Instagram and my website Robindiaz.com you can contact me for private drum lessons and book me for your recordings and tours! and I have a Facebook as well!!!!! Im not hard to get a hold of if you really want to get ahold of me!!!!
SUNRAY MAGAZINE is so grateful with the fantastic drummer “Robin Diaz” for give us this interview, we wish him more success to comes.
Interview by Maria Fernanda Capici
Editor in SUNRAY MAGAZINE