Rascal Flatts drummer snares audience with teaching clinic

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: Rascal Flatts drummer snares audience with teaching clinic : by Royston Sim — The Capital Times - 2/07/2009 10:09 pm : ---------------------------------------------- : : Aspiring young musicians filled the Ward-Brodt Music Mall Saturday afternoon as Rascal Flatts drummer Jim Riley put on a little show before holding a drum clinic. : The crowd of about 60 was mostly comprised of young musicians and their parents, who accompanied their children to the clinic -- which represents Riley's other true passion -- teaching. : "The truth is, I love to teach. I can play, and I can convey, you know, how I do what I do so I feel like I got a responsibility to give back and to help educate other people," Riley said. "I've got my career path pretty set, so for me I like to help other people along with theirs." : Dressed in a grey tee and ripped jeans, Riley showed no signs of fatigue despite just arriving in Madison Saturday morning. He had performed in Champaign, Ill., Friday and Grand Rapids, Mich., Thursday. : He opened up the clinic with a roaring drum solo before he made the session more interactive as he invited members in the audience up to have a go on the drums. : "It's great that he gets everybody in the audience involved, you feel like you're a part of the clinic," said Erik Schultek, who has been playing drums for 14 years. Schultek was one of the audience members who went on stage to be coached by Riley. "So you're learning something but you're also actively participating and that's really awesome." : Riley then alternated between giving instruction and performing. : "I think Jim did an excellent job, I like the way he brought kids in and let them actually do what he was telling them to do," said Connie Smith, general manager of Ward-Brodt Music. : Mindy Bellis, who brought her son Alex to the clinic, agreed. : "I thought it was really warm and very open, and real educational about the different kinds of beats and drums," Bellis said. "I watched my son with the drum sticks just kind of banging along with it, and if they can come out with any kind of knowledge and appreciate drums more it would be wonderful." : Riley actually contacted Ward-Brodt last December to arrange a teaching clinic after the Rascal Flatts scheduled a performance in Madison. They performed Saturday evening at the Kohl Center. : He tries to hold about 15 clinics a year, and also teaches at the Drum Dojo in Nashville, a teaching studio that he set up. : Riley has been with the Rascal Flatts for nine years, since the band's inception in 2000. They have since gone on to become one of America's most successful bands, performing to millions every year. : "It's what I dreamed of when I was a kid. I wanted to play big shows in sold-out arenas, play on TV, play on platinum records, and I just feel really fortunate that I get to do that for a living," Riley said. : Yet behind the glitz and heady rush of performing to large crowds lies a down-to-earth family man. : Riley said Rascal Flatts usually performs Thursday through Saturday, and most times he would be home by Sunday, just in time to take out the trash. : "I've literally gotten off the bus, drove home and gone right to church with my wife and my baby," he said. "I was just talking to Gary LeVox (lead singer of Rascal Flatts), and every day that he's home, he's driving his kids, sitting in the drop-off line, dropping them off at elementary school. Those types of responsibilities don't change no matter how successful people get. When you're home, you still gotta do what you gotta do." : As for the future, Riley predicts that he'll continue touring with Rascal Flatts for some time yet. : "I'll be with Rascal Flatts till they're not doing it anymore, and that could be a long time," Riley said. "We've been together nine years now, and I anticipate us touring for another nine. But even after that, I don't see it going away completely. I'll always play with those guys, because we have a connection that's pretty strong." : And when his music career begins to wind down, Riley will return to his other love -- teaching music. : "As the Rascal Flatts touring era one day ends, I'll always be teaching," he said. "I'm sure I'll be teaching into my 60s and my 70s. As long as I can do it, I'll be doing it."

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