Faculty Spotlight: Frazier Krohn

What's your main instrument?

I play percussion of pretty much any type, but the instrument I really fell in love with first was drum set. I loved having all kinds of different sounds to play with, and creating beats and learning the grooves and fills from my favorite songs really hooked me. My teachers told me that, as drummers, we're the ones "driving the bus" musically speaking, and I've always loved that role. Being the solid foundation that makes the rest of the band comfortable and groove has always been a goal of mine as a set player.

What's your musical origin story? What lit the spark for you?

From a young age my parents took me to see live music and I was always mesmerized by the drummer, regardless of the band. I don't know if it was one singular moment that sold me but rather the whole process of learning how to play drums and having early performing opportunities. I started playing drums when I was in 5th grade because I was constantly tapping on things and wanting to listen to really percussive music all the time. So my parents signed me up for lessons and I was pretty much sold on it immediately. I do remember playing in a talent show in 5th grade. I worked really hard on a drum solo, and playing to almost the entire school and having them all go nuts at the end was definitely inspiring!

Can you share a good gig story?

I went on a DIY mid-west and northeast tour with my first band, The Fog, when I was pretty young, I think I was maybe 19 and that just completely sold me on being a musician for the rest of my life. Going to different cities, seeing amazing musicians, and being able to play every single night for over a week was so fulfilling. I remember playing in Detroit in a big repurposed warehouse to a lot of people with some pretty incredible bands. It showed me that all the hard work I had put in was worth it!

Tell us about your practice routine and share some practice tips.

I usually start with a few warm-ups to get my hands going and do that for at least 30 minutes. I then either work on songs I'm learning for a gig or just songs that really captivate me and have licks or ideas that interest me or are something I might not be totally comfortable with. I also work out of books often, so I might have some groove or fill ideas from different authors I'll work on, starting slow and working mainly on timing and coordination. I was a bit resistant to books and charts when I was younger, but now I really enjoy it because they often point me in a new direction or way of thinking I wouldn't find on my own. I'll spend some time improvising as well, doing 4 bars of a groove and then 4 bars of improvisation. I tend to meander a lot in my practice which I know might not be the best way to practice but I try to go where the fun/inspiration is while still working on any weaknesses in my playing.

What drew you to the Music House team?

I loved that the program included getting students to play with one another, not just spending time in a practice room by themselves. I remember doing a program similar to Music House as a teenager and saw a huge improvement in my playing as well as my attitude towards the music making process. Music House also has some amazing teachers and I knew it was going to be an awesome teaching environment to join.

Anthing else you'd like to add?

Never forget to have fun while playing! And play with as many musicians as you can and listen to anything that interests you. You never know where inspiration is going to come from!

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