[00:00] Eric Moore Pulls Up Trevor Lawrence Jr.: So today I'm honored to have this brother on the show. We've known each other forever. If you know drums, then you definitely know Eric Moore. Like, he set the internet and social media on fire with his chops for years, but he's also been on stages and locked in and been the backbeat for artists like Suicidal Tendencies, Eros Ramazzotti, and so many others. And also, I just realized this brother can sing and play bass. That's something that I just found out. It's like, yo, this is crazy. [01:39] The Chops — And the Whole Eric Moore Trevor Lawrence Jr. / Eric Moore: So without further ado, please welcome my bro, Eric Moore, to the TrevBeats Show. E, what's up, man? What's up, everybody? What's up, Trev? How you doing, bro? What's up, man? How you doing? Good, man. Good. Bless you. Yeah, man. Come on, man. Thanks for sitting down with me, bro. I appreciate you, man. Thank you for having me. I'm glad the time is right. Yeah, man. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: So, first thing I want to ask you, man, is, you know, you heard me in the intro. It's like, bro, it's like the man of many talents, bro. I just got put onto you singing and playing bass. [02:29] Singing, Bass, Piano & the Gifts He Kept Quiet Eric Moore: It's like, brother, what do you not do, man? Come on, dude. Man. Man, I'm so grateful for my gifts. I have many gifts. I just, I don't hide them. I just don't publicly put them out there from singing to playing the piano. Like I play the, I used to play piano in church a lot. My dad is a pianist, a church pianist. And yeah, from playing piano and playing the bass, I used to play saxophone. So I play, I play multiple, multiple instruments. I just love the drums. Like the drums is my passion. And everything about drums is really, really something that's been in my heart forever. So a lot of times I just show that. And then, yeah, from singing on tour with Eros for the last few years, being on tour. And just wanting to put it out there, portray it to, I guess, my social media following. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: Because now I feel like it's time for me to work on my own album and to start doing more outside of drumming. Yeah, as you should, man. Come on. There ain't enough drummers doing that, man. I mean, who's the, you know, we've had basically Stokely and AP in the last, you know, 30 years. You know what I'm saying? Right, right, right. Stokely and Anderson. It's like, it's not, you know, we don't have enough drummers out there in front, man. So that's beautiful. Yeah, that Eros gig, I mean, that whole setup that you get in that show, man, it's unbelievable, bro. Eric Moore: Yeah, he showed me so much love from day one. He showed me so much love. He definitely was a great guy. Yeah, man. Still to this day. I'm sure, yeah. [04:07] Growing Up Gospel & Finding His Own Voice Trevor Lawrence Jr.: So, I mean, and speaking of the foundation, obviously, you know, you just said it again. It's like you did come up in gospel, which is the breeding ground for so many talented people. So in those early days, like when you were still in that mindset before you had kind of ventured out into, you know, I guess what they would call secular world. You know, how did that environment, I know you have a father that's also a musician, as you just said, but how did that environment shape you? Because it's like, you know, you have a high level of technical facility. It's not just instinct, gospel chop, vibe. You have a high level of drum, you know, facility. So where did you develop that part? I know playing pocket and being, you know, soulful and all that comes from church, but you took it to a whole nother chop area. So when did that part of your life happen? Eric Moore: So that part of my life actually happened because with me and my dad, especially growing up in church, my dad allowed me to be a free range drummer, like a free musician. When a lot of people that grow up with parents that play instruments, their parents tell them, you know, just play straight, like always keep it straight. But me and my dad, like most times we go to different churches or whatever and we're the two piece. So it's him on organ and then me on drums. So we like, we want to sound like a full band. So he let me be more percussive in my playing. So a lot of times when I play, I'm hearing guitar parts and that's what I'm, that's when I'm playing like as a hi -hat pattern. It's like a guitar part that I heard on the album or locking in with the bass, playing the bass drum part, but still hearing percussive stuff. So that's when I'm adding in different times or, you know, certain little things with drums. Eric Moore: But everything came from just growing up in church, having a dad that let me be free range and being musical and just being free to be myself. He always let me be myself. A lot of times I, nowadays I'm starting to see that me having an Aquarius mindset is something that, that really goes hand in hand from being a business owner to just always wanting to do my own thing to, to when everybody's going right, I want to go left. Right. Always. So yeah, it's crazy. It's crazy how it is nowadays being an adult, but everything all stemmed from, from just being able to have an expressive parent that allowed me to be myself on my instrument. And then he would just guide me in different ways as I got older with my timing and you know, just different stuff like that. But it was really, really dope growing up, especially in church. Yeah, man. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: So, um, and I'm a fellow Aquarian too, by the way. Um, so, you know, yeah, so, um, you know, it's interesting because I, would you say that maybe that whole, when the Gospel Chops, the actual Gospel Chops thing happened, was that your, was that around your introduction basically to, to the world? It was like, hi, I'm Eric Moore. Like, was that the first time you could recognize that that was your kind of, you know, being pushed out to the world or did something happen before that? [06:49] Guitar Center Drum-Off, Gospel Chops & Going Viral Early Eric Moore: Nah, nah. So, so, so, so Gospel Chops, which is amazing. The, um, the owner, um, Gerald Forrest, he had hit me after I won Guitar Center Drum Off. Gotcha. So I had just won Guitar Center Drum Off in 2003, which is 23 years ago now. Crazy. I won Guitar Center Drum Off. Yeah. And I just won the finals, had my car and I ran into him in, um, I'm from a small town called Stockton, California. And he was in Sacramento. Gotcha. So he, uh, reaches out to me through Facebook, I believe, or before that time it wasn't even Facebook yet. Um. MySpace maybe? He reached out like, yeah, yeah, maybe MySpace. So he had hit me up and was like, yo, I'm starting this brand and, um, I would love to feature you on my site. And I was like, that sounds amazing. Let's work together. And we did, I was able to do one of the first drum lessons on his site called Gospel Chops. Wow. Eric Moore: So Gerald Forrest presents Gospel Chops and then he would show me, he put me out there like that. So I showed a chop, but from the beginning, I had just won Guitar Center Drum Off. I just won a car. Um, back then I was with, uh, I wasn't endorsed with, but I had just got affiliated with Yamaha, Sabian, uh, Promark, uh, all these, all these companies that you get after you win this big competition. I've won a Saturn Vue car and, um, yeah, it was just amazing. So I guess it was a, it was a buy between both of us being able to take my plateau of being a drummer, the Guitar Center Drum Off winning, and then put that together with Gospel Chops. And then with him having me along, I was able to get different friends and different people, you know, just talking, him, them seeing me and we was able to, him grow his own business. I'm not saying that it's on me or whatever. Eric Moore: I'm saying that us being able to do something together brought a lot of attention and a lot of people into that different thing. Yeah. Oh yeah. A lot of people. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: Yeah. We saw a lot of people come through that and, uh, you know, a lot of people are still hanging in there. You know what I'm saying? So yeah. Interesting. That's, that's, that's amazing to know the, the lineage of that, cause I was trying to figure out which one came first. And so thanks for clarifying that. Um, now, yeah. So, you know, in order to do the gigs that you've done, you know, a lot of people see you with the chops and are in amazement, but in order to do a lot of the gigs you've done, you still have to have the other side. And maybe, you know, on social media, because there's so much content of you with your chops, people don't understand that other side of Eric. So you clearly know how to serve the song. And, you know, it's like, how do you balance the technical, you know, because I know you always got ideas going on. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: So when you're in a situation, how do you balance that technical fire, you know, with what you have to do for the artists or the recording? Cause I know you're hearing stuff all over the place. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, how do you, how do you balance that? Cause you have that facility. You know what I mean? What's your mental state with that stuff? [09:15] Chops vs. Serving the Song Eric Moore: So I, I have been able to grow my musical side, just like life. When it comes to social media, I make social media about Eric Moore as the drummer who wants to play like the clinician or now, now it's Eric Moore, the clinician, the business owner with dope sticks and different things like that. It's all about wearing different hats. And with social media, even from day one, like my YouTube channel, it was more push playing songs and being able to solo on the fly and just to build a song and play a song the way I felt it or the way I heard it. Meaning before records, it was, I knew that records are amazing, but I just wanted to be able to take what people hear on the record, but be able to showcase it on a video. So I took everything. Instead of making an album, I would do that more on YouTube. That's why I have like so many different videos on YouTube. Eric Moore: And then once Instagram and stuff like that kicked in, it was like, okay, I could showcase myself playing more in video form and I could grow my following that way. So that's how I looked at it. And just wearing multiple hats all the time. It's from being back then I was married. It's about being a husband first and then being even being a son to my parents. Like everything comes hand in hand. You just can't be a rock star all the time. So when it came to playing music, I would serve the music as great as I can. Whatever the artists want at that time, whatever the artists want, that's what the artists get. And it's never a difficult thing. I'm like a chameleon. I'm able to just like yourself. You're one of the ones that I look up to in music as well. Being able to serve the music and play all different styles and make you feel the way it's supposed to be felt. That's the goal. Eric Moore: So when it came to arrows, when it comes to suicidal tendencies is looking at listening to the music, being able to hear, okay, he told me I can have my free space, but I still got to make the music feel the way the music is felt for 30 years before I got here. And if I do too much, the people, they're not going to be able to comprehend it or be able to digest what I'm giving them. This is not church. So I had to be able to be that type of musician in all aspects of what's happening. And a lot of people, you have fans and you have people. It's crazy because it's just like being in a relationship. Now, I am at this point, I'm divorced. So as me, not messing with, but talking to different women and just getting different personalities, you learn that everybody's different and everybody listens to things and does things a different way, no matter what it is. So even with drums, some people only listen to Eric Moore Choppers. Eric Moore: They only want to hear those chops. And you see it in people's playing and how I'm maneuvering around drums and doing all of this crazy stuff. And a lot of people don't never pay attention that I literally toured the world playing pocket or playing rock music or doing it. It's crazy. It could be like my career has been over the span of 25 years, but they only know Eric Moore from Missy Elliott, Get Your Freak On. Right, right, right. That's it. They don't even know. They don't know that I was in Suicidal Tendencies. They don't know that my first gig I ever had in 2004, 2005 was Sly and the Family Stone. Right. And when you played with Bobby, too. They don't know. Yeah. Then I go from that to Bobby Brown, El DeBarge, Chico DaBarge. I've had some of the most some of the most solid and foundation. Bell Biv DeVoe. Yeah. Like I've literally played like that era of music. And I mean, not just just for like one show. Eric Moore: Like I've toured with these artists for a very, very long time and had a great career playing that music and just being taught by by that lineage of musicians that know about that sound. So it's really cool. It's really cool. It's just crazy how like the days change and where we're at right now. Well, and also, you know, it also has changed where now there's this huge quest in every area to just throw people in categories. [12:04] “This Is Not Church” — Learning How to Play the Gig Trevor Lawrence Jr.: It's like back in the day, we celebrated people being Renaissance musicians and, you know, and doing what we do like that was kind of normal. But now there's all these categories and it's like, oh, he's a this guy or he's a that guy. It's like, no, you can do multiple things at once. You know what I'm saying? It's interesting, man, that that because that that mental thing, it carries over into the artist side, it carries over to the production side. It's very interesting. And then when you go and do what we're going to talk about now, which is go out on the whole other side on business ventures, is really like confusing for people. They don't they don't know how to look at you. You know what I'm saying? So speaking of that, you know, you started the drumstick company, man, which is which is not only ambitious, but I know that there's a lot involved with logistics and a lot involved in that. Yes, sir. Dope sticks, man. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: First of all, how long is it? How long has it been now? [14:28] Building Dope Sticks From the Ground Up Eric Moore: We are six years running now. Ever since January, February, January, February 2020. Well, now I'm six years in. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: It's been amazing. That's awesome. And who are some of the artists that that you have there that we know? Because I know a few, but I want to hear you tell. Eric Moore: I have I have I have Kwesi Kwesi Robinson, Kwesi Robinson. Amazing. I have Miss Drummer, Monica, Miss Drummer, as well as Tony. I can't even remember Tony's last name right now. So don't don't butcher me, Tony. I love you, Tony Junior. He actually has his own spit to coming out soon. He plays for Blackpink. OK, as well as as well as Andy Prado. Yeah. Andy from L.A. Amazing killer. Yes. Yes. Some super killers. Super killers. And I'm building the roster as it goes. Like a lot of stuff is coming up. And what's crazy is I've been able to be the foundation for a lot of drummers that in their mindset feel when they want it, like whatever the endorsement was that they wanted, they had to use this as a stepping stone to get what they like. So it's OK. It's a great thing. So a lot of drummers have been on to now endorse bigger, you know, bigger companies at the moment. So it's cool. But that's that's my roster for now. Eric Moore: The roster is about to grow. It's about to be crazy. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: And then you have your I mean, that's amazing, bro. And you're still going. And, you know, and I mean, listen, anyone that knows, you know, that does anything on their own or is entrepreneur, it's not easy. It's one of the hardest things to do because you're taking the risk. It's so difficult. Yes. It's hard, man. And it's like, you know, to hear that is still going. Hey, man, that's that's admirable, bro. And then and then you have your your place is I can't remember the name. Is it the Drum Resort? I can't remember the name. Yeah. So the Drum Resort. Eric Moore: So the Drum Resort is something that I that I actually did during during the pandemic in 2020. And it was, to be honest, being so, so much wanting to have different businesses. And my mind is always racing at different things. The Drum Resort was actually just the an amazing idea, but not at the right time in my life. Not at the right time in my life after after my father passed away and running dope sticks and just trying to stay motivated and just creating new designs and doing different things. I didn't I didn't have the the the push to want to give drum lessons. Right. Coming in from tour and stuff like that. Life has been life has been crazy. Life has been really, really crazy when I think about it. So the drum. So speaking about the Drum Resort, I recently sold my mansion in Las Vegas and I bought a brand new house. So I sold that big house and I got another house. So right now the Drum Resort is just on ice. It's on ice. Eric Moore: The idea is on ice. But I still have I can always come back and do a Drum Resort. But for right now, it's all about dope sticks, building the brand and growing something totally different. Like my mind is just elsewhere. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: Definitely not on giving drum lessons. I feel that. And so that's my next question is I just saw you just opened your new studio. So tell us about the studio, man. It looks incredible. Yeah. [18:02] Inside Eric’s New Vegas Studio Eric Moore: So at my crib in Vegas, I got like a really, really dope three story house. It's pretty big. It's six bedrooms, five bathrooms. It's pretty big house. And it's just me. So I don't have kids. So at the lower level of the crib, it's so spacious. And I have multiple endorsements with a lot of great relationships with people that have been able to come in and help me renovate my space. So now I have a new workspace to be able to record more albums. It's amazing to be able to work with so many different people, especially over the years. So now with my new space, I can record more albums and just get more music out into the world. And that's, that's pretty much the goal. So yeah, man, relationships are one of the most important things. I'm really, you know, a proponent for that. And it's like, you always find out what's going on when things sometimes level out or things are not at a certain place. Eric Moore: That's when you see who's really in your corner and who stays with you through these hills and valleys of a career because there's always that. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: Right. And it's like, you know, we went through a whole pandemic. There's a lot of people came out of the pandemic with, you know, with minus some relationships because they weren't really that strong. You know what I mean? So and we should talk about that too. So recently you just made a switch. So you're now a Gretsch Drums artist. Any other switches in any other company switches or was that the main one of recent? [19:17] New Endorsements, New Sound, New Era Eric Moore: Man, I've, I've switched from man, a lot of switches. I've switched from Gretsch from DW to Gretsch. I now play Audix microphones. Oh yeah. I was with Louis. I was with Louis. Oh, yes. I was with Lewitt Audio for, for forever. And then now I'm with Audix microphones, which is, yeah. Audits, microphones. I was with 64 audio, which I still, that's my family. That's my family. But now I got a new, a new deal venture with Fir Audio for in-ears. And it's really, really cool. I'm like, I'm just, I'm, I feel like I'm elevating. I feel like I'm elevating as a musician and my ears changing and just my drumming as a whole. I just feel like it's elevating to a whole different, whole different Eric Moore. Yeah, that's dope, man. Yeah. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: I mean, it's a new beginning and you, you, you're evolving as a person in every way. That's, that's always good to do, man. It's always good to do. I mean, listen, I fought the idea of having a podcast for probably five years, you know, and then I realized, you know, I realized I have so many relationships and so many friends and so many people that I don't believe their story is told enough that it's important to do. And then as that was happening, the climate shifted to where podcasts became the thing. So sometimes, you know, you have to go out on a ledge and do things that may not be in your comfort zone at first. And then, you know, it becomes something that's, that's meaningful, man. So, you know, I applaud you for everything you've been doing. Cause I've been seeing it, man. And I mean, I know you, you know, for quite a while. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: And it's like, bro, you, you, you, you know, you keep on pushing and doing your thing, man, through adversity, through life stuff. Yeah. You keep going. Yeah, man. I applaud you for that part because life is, life is not easy. Life is not easy. So many times you want to give up and so many different things happen. And it's so much more than just drums. Yeah. People and family and friends and relationships. It's so much. It's so much that goes on. So I think, no, that's real bro. And, you know, I wanted to talk a little bit more on the gear side for all of our drummer people that are watching, you know? So when you, You go to a new company, it's like, you know, you know what your workflow is. You know how you moving around. What do you usually look for initially? Like so you leave DW, you go to Gretsch, like what you say, I need, I got to have a recording kit. I got to have this. I got to have a kit with all the sizes. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: Like how do you go about breaking down to make sure you're covered? You know what I'm saying? [22:10] Why Eric Switched From DW to Gretsch Eric Moore: So for me, and as I've switched my main, so a lot of people were like, why the switch? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Gretsch is now owned by Geva Corporation. Geva is one of the biggest music distributors in Europe. So the relationship being with them is such on a different level of business wise, as well as just the relationship with me and Marcel. That's the owner, the owner's son, Marcel Messner. The people are amazing as the owners of this company. And I've been working with them because I used to, I was doing Geva electronics. So I've been able to build an electronic drum set, just like yourself, helping DW. So me, I helped create this amazing product with the electronic drums and sounds and samples. They've been able to take me and tour everywhere with these electronic drums. So they've helped my career. They've helped me grow. They helped me with business and ideas and planning and different stuff like that. Eric Moore: So when they bought Gretsch Drums, and they bought them three, four years ago now, it was, it was, it was always, it was always a thought. It was just like, how are we going to make it work? And I was, I was like, iffy, I was very, very iffy. But when the merger came as they went to, as DW got bought out by Roland, and that's the thing that, that's why so many, a lot of drummers are not there anymore, is the relationships change within that company, within what's happening. I don't know for you per se, but a lot of younger drummers and a lot of other people, the relationship kind of got different. It was like, they start cutting off different things that you're used to getting. And it's like, yo, that's not the same as my deal was before you came about. But you know, we're gonna see what happens. So as things change, it was just such a better look, a better thing to be somewhere where they desired me since day one. Eric Moore: They were like, yo, what's up? Like, we're ready for you to come on over. OK, let me do some digging in the drums. Let me see, because my favorite drummer, Vinnie Colaiuta, you know, been playing y'all forever. He left and then came back. He went where y'all done seen so many people. And the drums are phenomenal. Like, as I dig into Gretsch, and so he was saying, like, you know, how do you make that change? I've been with Gretsch now since January. Yeah. And I have six Gretsch Drums that's already. So we're only in May. Right. I got a USA Custom. My new USA Custom just came in last month in April. And it's really, really phenomenal. One of the first USA Customs was short stacks. So I got like a, they helped me, you know, reinvent the drums and building me some stuff that I'm like, oh, this is crazy. You know, crazy snare drum collection. I'm like 15 snares in already. Like, it's hype, it's hype. Eric Moore: And it's not just, yeah, it's like I'm a kid in a candy store. I got a new, I got a new flow to me. I feel so good. Just like yourself, you have so many different drums. You're like, OK, what's new? What am I going to do next? Like, I have 80 DW drum sets. Right. That's crazy. Like, I don't even, yeah. And when I move, like, I have so many drums to move. And people are always begging and like, give me a drum set. I'm like, I'm about to, yeah, this is stock that's going to go into dope sticks. Like, as I sell that, I'm going to have drumsticks for the people. And more creative ideas and more flow, it's a difference. It's a difference. But Gretsch is phenomenal. The people are phenomenal. Nico, that's my artist rep. He takes great care of me. He makes sure, like, we're planning on doing Japan this year, big drum clinics and big festivals and so much stuff. From before, everything is booked through me. Eric Moore: When I was with DW, like, I never got a plug on, yo, Eric, we got this for you because you play DW. Like, no, it was Eric Moore is getting, it's so much work. It's a lot of work. Now it's cool to have a team and people that represent me and that desire to help me succeed and help me be seen. And it's so cool. They believe in my drumstick company. And they just, it's amazing. They believe it's amazing. Very, very grateful for them. That's beautiful, bro. [26:52] Endorsements, Business Moves & Knowing Your Value Trevor Lawrence Jr.: Yeah, I remember when that whole merger happened and they did their thing. And, you know, I heard about it, you know, even before it was that, you know, kind of public and public knowledge. But yeah, that's, you know, that's big, bro, because they're definitely a huge factor in Europe, you know, and elsewhere around the world, man. So, you know, and it's also speaking to where things are. I mean, you know, it's the equivalent of what we've seen now in the music business, where once upon a time, there was all these labels. And then over years, now you got basically three, Sony, Warner and Universal that own everything. You know what I'm saying? And it's like, you know, same with the drum world. Now you got these corporate things and it's like, it's not the same as it was. So, you know, people have to ebb and flow and move with it and do the best business that, you know, for us as people. You know what I'm saying? Trevor Lawrence Jr.: Not for what it looks like out the outside. I mean, at a certain level, getting drums is that's, that's just part of the thing. It's not even about that level. We're talking about past that, you know what I'm saying? Because yeah, because, you know, a long time ago I was on a Zoom and I'm not going to mention the drummer, but this drummer was like, I mean, listen, you know, we're talking about drums. Those are tax write-offs. What else are y'all doing? I was like, yo, that was so gangster to say that. But, you know, when we talk about drums and I talk to people all the time, and even in my books, it's like, nothing is free. These are all line items. These are all things that are line items, expense. They're coming from a budget. So it does have an offset thing and it is a certain amount of stuff for promotion that can maybe be written off. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: So when they're giving the drum set to somebody, if they're selling 500 and they gave you one, they're making a lot of profit. So, you know, so a lot of the drum cats don't even get that. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, you know, nothing is free, you know, saying that a drum set is free is saying that our name and likeness is worthless, right? So, you know, I applaud the moves that you're making because they're working for you and your brand and what you're trying to build. And I think that, you know, there's enough space creatively for everybody to do their thing and these companies, you know, they're all going to have, you know, different people and guess what? There's enough room for all of it. So it's awesome, bro. You know, it's awesome. [29:11] How Eric Practices Now vs. 10 Years Ago Trevor Lawrence Jr.: I, you know, I appreciate that, you know, uh, sharing that story now, a little bit more in a technical, bro, on the practice side, you know what I'm saying? So it's like the evolution of practice. So of course, you know, your independence and your speed is bananas, right? So today versus 10 years ago, what are you doing different? Are you still spending a lot of time practicing? Are you going crazy with, you know, rudimental stuff and all that? Or do you have like a different focus on, you know, conceptually now, like what's your practice difference, you know, versus like 10 years ago. Eric Moore: So back then my, my practice, my practice that's different is I just had more time. I had more time to practice and to turn into what I'm at now. The crazy thing is as I get older, my mind stretches and I talked to so many different drummers that are at my age from Spanky to Thomas to Tony Royster to Ronald, we all, as you're, as you get older, your mind stretches to where your body now has caught up to what your mind thinks before your mind, my mind moves faster than my body. So now when I, now, when I play drums, everything that I practice over all of these years is finally catching up. So I actually feel as if my, my creative side, especially during drum clinic, or when I'm being Eric Moore, the flash, when I'm being that, um, it's times 10 now at my age, it's easier, it's easier to play double bass or play it fast or, or come through. Eric Moore: So now when I practice, I'm, I'm pretty much able to watch these, these, all these amazing kids on Instagram and know exactly what they did within three seconds. It's like when you were younger, you would watch Dennis and you'd be like, I have to try that. I want to play like Dennis, or I want to play that Vinnie Colaiuta lick or that Dave Weckl thing that he did right there as he flammed off the splash, these little things. But now it's so quick with social media and all of these kids, cause they taking it like popcorn. They just pop it in the microwave and it's right there for them. So now I'm just noticing all of these years of practicing and watching them and like, okay, I remember when I did that. I even got a video from me doing that on Facebook at this year. Okay. I got that. Okay. That undersweet thing that everybody's doing now. Like I really did that. I did that on, on Drumeo in 2016, but now it's hot. Eric Moore: So it's like watching different things. And now it's like, okay, now I can still take that same lick, but I can play it to the right or I can play it with my left hand way better than I could have back then. So now it's, my mind is just more open. It's like, it's like when you watch that one movie with that lady and she takes the blue, um, she takes that blue stuff and then her mind just expands. It has Morgan Freeman in it and her mind is expanding and she's just getting more and more knowledge, knowledge, knowledge, knowledge. And that's like me as a drummer or a musician, as I get older, I'm getting more and more knowledge into business, into drumming, into everything. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: So it's just combustion. Yeah. Yeah. When it, when it's my, yeah, when it's all said and done, I just hope that God is like, he's pleased with me and I've done what I'm supposed to do as, as much as I was supposed to do it. Yeah, man. One of these, one thing that a lot of people are talking about right now, and I always talk about it is, is what's happening with AI. And, you know, we, we, we talk about it, what is happening with it in the song, you know, way and what's happening with it, with it, when it relates to artists, we don't talk about a lot when it relates to drummers. And, you know, if we think that it's not going to have any, um, effect, then we're being naive once again. And it's like, you know, we always talk about the intersection of music and AI, but it never comes out with drums. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: So program drums and, you know, AI tools that are now starting to be linked in with these DAWs, you know, and splice and all these other things. It just seems like the role of drummers in a certain way is going to be affected in the next five to 10 years. So, you know, you being someone that travels all over the world and, you know, you're up on technology, what do you see happening with the role of drummers amidst this AI, uh, era that we're in? I just see it as AI to me is a tool just like back in the [32:31] AI, Drummers & Protecting Your Sound Eric Moore: day, everybody thought that when drum machines came around, drum machines was going to take over drumming. Right. And as we could see drummer, drummers are out of force and drummers can do more than AI. Now, when it comes to recording and a person being able to type in AI, I would like Trevor Lawrence Jr., I would like Trevor Lawrence Jr. sound as Trevor Lawrence Jr. will play Latin percussion on this record. Can you give me Trevor Lawrence Jr. beats on my record? The, the, see what's crazy because you have so much music recorded and AI can go in and dig up every single thing that you've ever recorded and be you. Now that's where they can dissect it and it's getting better and better. Eric Moore: So when it comes to recording, AI can take your recording and definitely give them a sound and an approach that is damn near close to you and as years get better, it'll be you, it'll definitely be you the same way you could, we could, I could literally make a fake Eric Moore and he could be sitting here talking to you right now and he could ask the questions just like me because I have so much on the internet now, when it comes to, when it comes to being an artist and being able to push yourself as your art and being a musician, AI, I feel can do records, but they can never do video. They can't never be Eric. It can't never be Eric Moore, social media video, like play drums, like me maneuver, like me, go do a drum clinic, like me, um, play for the artists in real time, like me. So that's where us as drummers, I believe we are safe. We are safe. Eric Moore: As long as we're doing what, doing our part and staying up to part, like nobody will never be Vinnie Colaiuta. Nobody will ever be yourself. Nobody will ever be Dennis. So that form of art is, is good. We, us as that form of art artists and us being humans, we are good. Now, if we was, if we wanted to talk about it, politically AI is there, but when the government takes out this middle class and we only have higher class and we have a low class, the middle ground of us being musicians and everybody wanted to work and come see somebody, Oh, that's when it's going to get very, very scarce. I agree. So that's the, that's stuff that a lot of people don't want to think about. Like now, like we all want to go to concerts and we all want to go see that Usher and Chris Brown. But that, that concert ticket, that's between five to a thousand dollars, everybody can't afford. Like the economy is crazy. Eric Moore: We gas so high, like we, we praying that it go down, but AI is only good. As much as it, as it could do. So it's like a figment of imagination. So it's how much you want to live inside this, this figment reality of what it is. When you wake up and you know, what's really, really good. AI can't take over what me and you really do. It can just record us. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: It can just be as a figment of that imagination. Right. I feel that. But now the goal, the goal is now though, the goal is now is to copyright yourself to when AI copies you and you know that that's your sound. And they typed you in there, give me a gospel chop style drumming or whatever that is Eric Moore. Do you know that that's, that's, that sounds exactly like me on a record, but that's not me, but the fact that they use me to copyright my sound, that's infringement. So now I'm going to sue you. Right. And you just owe me money as if I did it. Yeah. Taylor Swift just did that. Yeah. She just trademarked her voice. Yeah. So that's probably, there's going to probably be, you know, and I'm sure right now emerging is a whole business model of that. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: And if it isn't attorneys, you should start thinking about that because being able to help protect musicians that have a lot of stuff in the ether name and likeness, that's going to probably, probably be an emerging, you know, model because we know they scrub it. And if you have a lot of stuff out there, it's like, listen, you know, it could be infringing on what you do creatively. So, yeah, I agree with you, man. I agree. It's, it's definitely going. Everything is changing. If we don't see the connection between what's happening in politics, you know, they've been successful in convincing musicians and people with influence to not talk about politics and use their influence. And so now we see where we are. It worked. And now one side completely is dominating the other side. And the other side is mostly full of creatives and huge creatives that have huge influence that they're not using. And so the plan worked, the plan worked. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: And so now we're seeing the rolling back of voting rights. And, you know, listen, that's a lot of us that are also creatives and musicians. Right. So it's an interesting thing, but you have to make those correlations because now all these things are intersecting politics, AI, music, us as musicians, lifestyle. You're the thing you said about concerts, man, is completely like in this day and age with gas being how it is, how, you know, the nosebleed seats, no one can even fill them up anymore. It's like, you know, forget the floor seats, just the nosebleed seats that fill up the majority of the place. And that is just, it's slipping far and far and farther away. So I know in China they're doing a lot of virtual concerts already. You know, I don't know how well that will work in America, but, you know, it's a to be continued type of argument, man. We got to stay on this, but I appreciate you giving your feedback on that. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: Now, live versus studio, it's like your energy live is bananas. Like forget, like the chops is one thing, but the energy and the stage presence is another. So when you are going to go track something with somebody, how do you channel and capture that energy into that three and a half minutes, you know, for a song? [39:13] Capturing Live Energy in the Studio Eric Moore: So because I'm one of the gospel chops, like I'm literally one of the first drummers YouTube, like I'm literally one of the first drummers that was posting in after demo. Like that's why my career, I think it's been the way it is. Once the camera's on, I'm programmed to go hard no matter what. So now these drummers are these drummers are trying in twenty twenty six to capture their self playing drums and they're like, OK, we're here after 50, 60 takes of a song. I've been I've been that guy like people, people will miniaturize me. But when I say I've been since oh five or four cutting on a camera like this and playing a song with the camera in front of me and being in real time, that's the difference. It's just like shit, just like the shit with whatever. When the camera was on, I'm not dropping the drumstick. I'm not going to fumble. I am. That's what I do. It's showtime. It's been that way ever since I was a little kid. Eric Moore: I wake up from a nap in church and my dad be like, hey, I'm going to get up. We got to play the choir about to be on in five minutes. OK, let's go. Like it's showtime. So when the camera cut off, my energy is always going to be a team. And life is so short. Every single time I touch the drum, I touch a pair of drumsticks. I it's it's like I love this instrument. It's like a breath of fresh air. And that's how I've been seeing these older, these 80 year old drummers. I would see Buddy Rich back in the day and I'd be like, man, he's so he's so youthful when he touch the drums. I go to a show, I watch Billy Cobham and I see Billy Cobham just turned into a kid. It's like, oh, he's back. Dennis, Dennis, Dennis be like, you know, like, oh, I got to get on this stage and get on stage. And then once he got the drumsticks in. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You turn you turn into you turn into him. Yeah. And let's not forget, Billy Cobham is in his 80s. Eric Moore: Billy Cobham is older than Steve Gadd. So, you know, put that in, put that in perspective. You know what I'm saying? So, um, yeah, you know what I mean? And, you know, one thing that you just said that makes a lot of sense is you still have that passion and that feeling, man. And that's something that as you get older, sometimes can go away because of all these other distractions. But the great ones always keep that passion. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: And just like you mentioned, all those people, it's still when you get around drums or sit behind drums, something just activates, you know, saying in us that just I don't know, man, it's just something that's intangible, but it is very palpable and it's just the love for the instrument. Now, I got to say now we're going to take a brief second because you are right. You are right in saying that you are on the early side of what now is considered normal, right? With the video stuff. So let's not let's not look over that. Like you were one of the early people that set the framework for what now we see every day on Instagram and all that kind of stuff. Let's not sweep that under the rug, man. We got to give you your flowers for that, because you were ahead of where it was going and you were documenting, which which provided a lot of blueprints for people. And you were also influencing this next generation, which now it seems normalized. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: But when you were doing it, it wasn't normalized. You know what I'm saying? It's crazy. Yes. Yeah, it is crazy. It's wild. I can't even front. It is wild. And man, it is wild. It is wild yo. [42:10] Giving Eric His Flowers as a Social Media Blueprint [43:10] “That’s My DNA” — Hearing His Influence Everywhere Eric Moore: I'd be like, sometimes I think that I don't know if I did it the best way possible, because at the time I just saw it as like, I want to get out here. Like I want to I want to be able to just just to have my face out there and to what I'm doing. But now it's. I was thinking of it like this. There's there's Steve Jordan's. There's there's those drummers that are popular, that are are futuristic and how they play music. Right. But now it's like it's it's too many Eric Moore's. And I don't I don't I hate to say it like that. But drummers go drummers going to be like, oh, I'm influenced by all these other cats. You are influenced by them. But you know, because they don't have no clips online, right? Oh, yeah. That's what you that's what you like. That's what you like. But every time I hear you play and you do a sweep and you hear the hi-hat go like after the floor, I'm going to do this. We hear hit to hit. That's me. That's that's my DNA. Eric Moore: That's my DNA. Like so every time you play a lick, if I hear a certain a certain sweep in it, that's my DNA that no other drummers were playing from Ronald to Thomas to Tony. No, we all have our DNA of how we play stuff, how how how drummers play stuff. But my DNA is so hard. I'll be like, that's like I can hear it in Caucasian. I can hear it in African-American. I can hear it in Mexican. I can hear it in church. I can hear it everywhere. And it's wild. Well, that's you know, hey, man, you you you you did something at a time where everything is saved, right? Trevor Lawrence Jr.: So it's like it was, you know, it wasn't in VHS days where the technology went out and they're kind of gone in the archive. You did something that still you can go back to right now. So that's just something at the time. Yeah, at the time you did it, man, you didn't realize you were providing a lot of a blueprint. Now, speaking to that, one thing I will say is that, you know, with those other drummers you just mentioned and the the the prevailing mindset of drummers from my generation and before was people were trying to be individual, you know what I'm saying? And now it is a trip because you can go on and I can hear 50 people. And it's like you are playing the exact same thing. It's not a derivative. It is like insert drummer. And it's going to be you can almost oh, now he's going to do this. OK, they're getting ready to cross over. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: And now they're going to do something and, you know, get all excited and stop real fast and do a simple, you know, grab. And it's just it's interesting because, you know what I'm saying? It's it's coming from a different way of learning, just watching, you know, old clips and watching the Internet and mimicking. So your advice for the next generation, you know, because you were such a blueprint for this. If you could go back to young Eric Moore that was just starting out right and now knowing everything that you know about the business and touring and social media, what would you tell the younger you now? So it doesn't become, you know, what we're talking about. [45:56] Advice to the Next Generation of Drummers Eric Moore: So to be honest, I love where we're at right now. I love seeing the younger drummers and being able to grasp it and where we're at. I can't wait to see the push, the push of where it's going to go. I like where we're at. It's just that like the drum setups we all like before time in my time, I didn't want to set up like Aaron Spears, even though if I play a stack cymbal over my ride cymbal, like now I play my stack under my ride cymbal to where it's a little, it's a little bit different or whatever the case may be. Now everybody's setting up eight, 10 snare drum, 12, 16. It's like, hey bro, hey bro, everybody. Hey, no matter how amazing Styx Taylor is, go CJ Thompson is go. No matter how go these drummers are. You have to at least try to be your own self, bro. Just be yourself a little bit. Find yourself in what you're doing. Those songs, there's so much music in the world. Eric Moore: You can literally put on a rock song on your phone, on Apple music, and it's going to give you a thousand songs back to back that's different. Why are we all playing the same song every day on Instagram? Come on, come on. We just, it's OK. It's OK. You're going to start. You're going to start that song out the same way that drummer did for the last five years, bro. Cymbals swell. Yeah. Splash swell. Like wow, wow, like bro, all y'all play this, everybody play this. That's that's what I would just, I would be like, don't feel, be new, be creative to it, even if you hear it. That's it's so much music. Yeah, so much music. The world is so much bigger. And that's why I look up to drummers like yourself. I look up to you. [47:09] Stop Copying Everybody & Find Your Own Voice Trevor Lawrence Jr.: You being you being more percussive, you knowing all of these different rhythms. Like it's OK to play all the gospel style drumming chops that you think or being jazz fusionist, being very, very churchy in your playing. All of that's nice. But where does this other derivative come from? Being able to swing like Teddy Riley, not play this, not play it wrong, like really be able to play a new jack swing the way a new jack swing go. Like that hump that it has or be able to play really gritty. When you play Mary J. Blige and you're listening to this, like the way it's hard to play that. Yes. Like the way you sit in it. It's a totally different dirt, a different grit. Gerald Hayward grit of how he played that field. That is totally different. Even if you say like an ending like Chris Johnson, like you got to know where it came from. Like when Chris, Chris Johnson would used to play for Destiny in a song like that came from that era. Right. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: You don't know where it came from. Like now you're playing it because you think, you know, right. And it's all about doing the homework. Yeah, it's the homework. Amen. That's that's big. And you know what? And coming from you, you know, this is this is part of what makes this channel special, because it's the authority and the contribution of my guests. And it's like hearing that from you is definitely different than hearing it from me, because I don't I make no qualms about it. I didn't come up playing in church, so I don't really play that style. I came up swinging. So being a person that really helped merge that fusion and church thing. And, you know, of course, the big homies that you mentioned, you know, we are they are going to pull up, you know, saying so. Rex and Gerald and Chris, you already know you're going to get a call. So, you know, but it's like it is interesting to see where things are going. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: And now I don't know if you notice this, too. I'm sure you do traveling around the world. There's like a delay. So now, like I'm seeing a lot of people from other countries play stuff that we was playing in America 10, 15 years ago. And now it's hip. You know what I'm saying? Like that's a plan. Yeah, playing stuff. And it's like, bro, that was I mean, I got records from, you know, 97 playing a low tune snare drum. Like it's it's it's interesting to see how these cycles happen. You know what I'm saying? And it's like, you know, you know me and it's fine. It's part of the evolution. But I just think it's important for us to also recognize people like yourself that were on the forefront of this, no matter how much other people get get credit or get pushed out there. You were one of the early adopters to the mindset of, hey, this thing's about to go digital and social media is getting ready to be the place to showcase your drum. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: So I wanted to, you know, give you a props with that, man. And, you know, listen, yeah, it's like, you know, I know we could talk forever, bro. [51:09] Black Musicians, Ownership & Community Power Eric Moore: You know, anything you want to anything you want to shout out like that's coming up or any products or shows or masterclasses, anything. I just want to say that me being and I and I and I am I am an African-American. I am black. And I know that our worlds are so divided as black human beings. We are taught to fight against each other from little kids, to go against each other and to just down our brother and to not work with our brother. So us coming together to do this interview and to be able to be drummers, musicians and just be able to be friends. It's so much bigger to me. I own me owning my drumstick company. I can go on Facebook and I see the drumming community and say, like, what's your favorite drumstick? And that's super dope that everybody likes Vic Firth. They like Vader. They play all of that. It's wild to me to see the negatives or the people that won't support not just me as a black musician. Eric Moore: It's just always something negative. And we're always fighting against each other to either be bigger. But if we as a people would ever, ever come together besides owning a company, just if we ever came together as one, even a drumming community. Oh, my God, the damage that we would do. Exactly. It would be so crazy. It would be so crazy. Let's say I own, I don't even want to ruffle feathers. I own a drumstick company. But if we had a thousand drummers that gave one hundred dollars and invested into that in a corporation, that's a hundred thousand dollars in order to invest with a thousand drummers. If we had a hundred drummers invest a thousand dollars, that's a hundred thousand dollars that goes into a pot that could be able to grow one brand so big, not just grow the brand. But if we had a hundred of Lorna Lewis's, yourself, Ronald's, Thomas's, all these drummers that are influential. Eric Moore: Just think just like Gospel Chops, how everybody plays gospel style drumming right now. And I don't and I mean it, they play all of these licks. But we have no say so on what it is. We never were like we have to come together one day to have a say so in what's happening and stop fighting against our people. My people fighting against each other. I just would love it. I would love to see it. And it sucks because I don't think I'll ever see it in this generation. Being realistic, I'll never see it. I'll die before we're able to really have. We'll never come together. Martin Luther King and all these other people. Like, yes, we made world changes, but just like you see the world changes. It's going backwards already. It's already it's already it's already. And we're in 22. We thought that it would get better. I and we have all of these things. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: No, we're literally because we don't know how to come together. They know how to keep us down. Yeah, oppressed. And that's what they're going to do. And people are still you know, I started another I started another Instagram channel just because I was like, man, we're just not as a community, really getting the information, you know, and you'd be amazed at the grown people in our society, professionals that are learning about stuff just from me giving these reports because they're not getting it. And it's being purposely suppressed. And I think what you're saying right now is one of the biggest issues. It's like, you know, I dealt with it with my people over at Destination Smokehouse, that whole tendonism thing. I was a part of that in a certain way. I have some people involved with that and all that. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: And just to see the way that whole thing went down with people not knowing the story at all, they think they know they have no idea what was really at play and what was going on. But the reaction and the trolling and the clickbait stuff I posted the other day, where is that same energy with voting rights? Because all your southern states have lost it now. So where was that same energy when it came to putting the right people in to preserve your right to even vote? You spend all this time and energy about something you're not connected to. But what about what you are connected to? So that problem and then to throw on top of it, what we talked about earlier, where our most influential figures have been conditioned and a lot of times mandated to not use their influence to uplift black people. It is a mandate. We'll give you all this money, but we're not you can't go talk positive. You can't go teach empowerment and you can't. It's amazing. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: But it is exists. It exists. And people don't understand that. Where are all of our people that we give all these billions of dollars to support with shows and merch and all this? Where are they when the political time comes? They're never anywhere to be found. And that is not by accident. Right. So, you know, I think it's important, man, that that we say these things. You know, it's important to have these discussions. It's not negative. You're still going to be the great drummer and businessman you are. I'm going to still do what I do. It's not going to change. Doesn't change us. Doesn't make us weak to be knowledgeable and have a mindset of what's going on in society. So I applaud you for bringing that up, because leading into the midterms, man, I mean, we're about to see all types of shenanigans, bro. And it's like a lot of it we can't even we can't even do anything about because it's already done already overturned. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: The entire civil rights movement is already overturned. Six to three by the Supreme Court. So all this. Oh, well, one day, dude, it's here. But yet we still right now as a community are not focused on that. So appreciate you for mentioning that, my bro. Well, I tell you what, man, I feel like we're going to have to do another interview at a certain time to man. And just so keep marking these times. You know what I'm saying? I mean, a lot of people don't even know how how long we've known each other. I mean, bro, it's like we go back. I've been watching you do your thing all these years, man. And you're very resilient and you keep on pushing. And, you know, even starting that company, man, it's like you didn't have to do that. You could. It's easy to just go be with the company and be cool. But that, you know, foundation. We like to dig into that mix. We don't dig into that mix. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: Yeah, man, it's like it's you know, I'm sure you got a lot of we could talk about a little bit, man. I'm sure you got a lot of a lot of pushback at first. But you maintained and, you know, figured out how to keep it pushing, man. You don't have an overly populated roster, so you're not stressing yourself too much and you take care of the people that you have, you know. And that's that's very important, man. And OK, if someone wants to be with Dope Sticks or feels they have a resume that's worthy or they're working or whatever. [58:07] Dope Sticks, Real Costs & Serving Working Drummers Eric Moore: Is there a is there a method for them to reach out, you know, to be vetted? Just, you know, there are there are definitely methods for for the drummers to reach out. What's what's crazy is I am not just. I try to help everybody. So my drumstick company, like me having me, me having. For one, when I create Dope Sticks, I do A grade selected hickory wood. I make every stick to last long. I don't I don't put out no bad products, especially when it's branded like this. So this pair of sticks at a music store is going to cost you sixteen ninety nine, fifteen ninety nine. And after tax, this is twenty dollars at the music store. When I go to the music store to go buy a pair of sticks, this is twenty dollars. For the most part, if it's a music store, if it's on my site, the pair of drumsticks right here is between ten and twelve dollars. Eric Moore: I'm already I'm already going to give the best price once a month or even more than that, even in the summertime. I'll do a brick of twelve for one hundred dollars. That's less. That's eight dollars a pair. That's that's cheaper than anybody. Like so people can stack up. Right now, I just came out with what's called Shed Sticks. Shed Sticks right here. These are five dollars a pair. Wow. Wow. Like I'm offering amazing. Bro, I'm offering people an amazing product to be able to to to. It ain't even about the endorsement. That's why I listen. Everybody thinks that it's about having your name on a drumstick at the end of the day. I just always wanted my name on a drumstick. I used to as well. I do. And I own my own company and I still don't have Eric Moore on a drumstick because it's bigger than that. We I call it dope sticks because we are drummers of planet Earth. We are community. I'd rather be a community. Eric Moore: I look online and I see somebody playing a pink or a pink or yellow or whatever that stick is. I know that that's part of my family. 1 hour, 7 seconds And I was able to I was able to offer I offer a subscription like for churches and for businesses, for people, for people 1 hour, 15 seconds that tour to get like twelve pairs of drumsticks every month, like on a certain day with a certain thing. 1 hour, 21 seconds I'm about to do twelve pairs of regular doses and twelve pairs of six. 1 hour, 25 seconds So that's twenty four pair a month for like one hundred and sixty nine dollars. One hundred and seventy dollars free shipping. I'm offering better than you're like. 1 hour, 33 seconds Everybody thinks that when you're in Georgia getting free drumsticks. No, unless you're Big Vic. 1 hour, 38 seconds That's when you get something free and nobody get nothing free. Not none of those drummers that you see. Everybody's paying. They're paying. Eric Moore: They're paying for their. 1 hour, 46 seconds They're paying. They're paying eight, nine dollars, maybe six dollars. They're playing. 1 hour, 50 seconds They're paying five forty four for a pair of Promarks. Like they're paying. 1 hour, 55 seconds I'm really giving you my I'm just it's not even about Eric Moore being rich. Eric Moore wants to bless the community. And I want and I want people to get it because this world and this economy and everything is tough. Us being a drummer, we pay more money for drumsticks, more money for drum heads, more money for cymbals, cymbal felts. We always buying something when everybody else just get to walk in with a little keyboard and a amp or a little bass guitar. Like they ain't got to do nothing. Right. Right. We're playing a pair of drumsticks every weekend, every week. You're going through two or three of the six. If you're going to the music store, I don't care if you can. Eric Moore: If you're paying the fifteen dollars a pair, are you getting up for twelve or thirteen between twelve and fifteen dollars? You're going to break thirty dollars in your check. Let's say you made one fifty. Like you go, man, I play real music. I go out and I gig. I love gigging. I will. I will do the two hundred dollar gig. Right. It's OK. So that's how I know what it's like being a real musician. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: Rather than even if you hear or you hear. Yeah. Bring it together. That's big, Brian. You know, it's amazing to hear you say those costs of drumsticks. I mean, I'm I'm completely removed, you know, obviously. And, you know, thankfully, but I can't believe that that's what drumsticks cost now. I mean, it's unbelievable to just hear you say that a deal is a hundred some dollars for twelve pair of drumsticks. I mean, it's dude, it's like more than doubled in my lifetime. It's probably it's tripled in my lifetime. You know, sir. And we still have to have that, which is a thing that gets replaced a lot. So you got to always factor that in. And like you said, the heads, I don't even want to talk about what heads cost. You know, cymbal is just man. It is an expensive instrument to play. And, you know, to understand the upkeep and all that, it starts making the wages not be them as much as they really are. You know what I'm saying? Trevor Lawrence Jr.: And we as musicians, we ain't never getting a raise. They raise the musicians way in forever. They are great at raising all other ways, even in the church or anywhere. They are great. 1 hour, 3 minutes But they will offer us the 50 to 75, the hundred dollar gig and tell us we need to rehearse two times. Do you know how much money I spent in gas to get here? Come, especially now. I remember Elmo's interview with Weckl and he was saying what he made with Simon and Garfunkel in like eighty four. And that's what more than what people are making now in a lot of shed tours. You know, it looks like one thing, but the reality is completely different. That part, man. [01:02:37] The Expensive Reality of Being a Drummer [01:03:27] Touring, Sacrifice & Redefining Success Eric Moore: If we talked about if we didn't even get into how what it's like, like the reason why I don't desire I'm why we don't why I'm happy. I don't know about you. But right now, I'm so happy to be in my home and to be relaxing and not have to be on a world tour and sleeping on a tour bus or being on the airplane every day or at this day and age in my life. I'm grateful that I can pay my bills and live and be the person that I want to be and play drums the way I want to play them without sacrificing everything it takes to be on board. 1 hour, 4 minutes I feel like Michael Jackson when he was like, I hate it. Yeah, well, DJ Quick had an album called Balance and Options. And I love that title. Trevor Lawrence Jr.: And that's just what it ends up being, man. I mean, it's like you can look at success in different ways. Some people's success is being on that tour, right? Or making it to that tour. But then after a while, sometimes the success turns into being with your family, you know, and being able to spend time with your family and do wake up and do what you want to do. You know, it you know, we've all lived the different ways and success evolves as well, what you perceive as success. But yeah, man, you know, listen, I just want to say again, bro. I really appreciate the real conversation, man, because, you know, thank you for having me. Thank you for letting me be me. Trevor Lawrence Jr. / Eric Moore: A lot of people don't get to hear me be myself. They just they I don't know what they do. You know, you speak with the drums, bro. I mean, you know, you speak on the drums more than we hear you speak as a person. And, you know, knowing you as a person, I in all my guests, I mean, this is this is what this show is for. It's like you really hear from the people that have contributed their story and what they believe. And then you can go back and put these breadcrumbs together, man. Even through my interviews now, you know, I'm somewhere over 30 now. And it's like, man, you can. Congratulations on that. Thank you, man. You can start seeing these different connections and be like, oh, man, you know, they were influenced by this person and they know that person. So these are going to be breadcrumbs and trails, man, for the next generation. Trevor Lawrence Jr. / Eric Moore: They're going to be coming back to this conversation like, yo, Eric Moore said he was one of the early guys. Let me go back and trace it. You know, these things are invaluable, man. So I appreciate you lending us, you know, your your time and your story. And just a huge thank you to pulling up, bro. So, ladies and gentlemen, my brother, Mr. Eric Moore, the dynamic, multi-talented Mr. Eric Moore. [01:06:03] The Endorsement Playbook Trevor Lawrence Jr.: Thank you for coming to the TrevBeats Show, bro. Appreciate you, man. Thank you, man. Thank you guys for having me. I have 19 active endorsement deals right now. DW Drums, Universal Audio, Remo, Roland, LP, Warm Audio and many others. But nobody gave me those. I built every single one over 30 years, relationship by relationship. And I've played on a lot of records, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Alicia Keys, Lionel Richie, Alessia Cara, so many others. People always ask me, how do you get endorsed? Well, I finally wrote it down. Every strategy and every mistake I made, every rule that actually worked. 20 chapters, 27 dollars. And you can read it in one sitting. [01:06:44] Wrap-Up Trevor Lawrence Jr.: It's called the endorsement playbook. Get it right now. OK, everybody, that's a wrap for another show. For a musician, a producer or industry professional trying to move to the next level, this show is built for you. Subscribe so you never miss an update and leave a comment. Let me know what you think about it. I'm Trevor Lawrence Jr. And we are out. Mr. TrevBeats, are we out?