Jim Donovan Interview

Rocker drums up interest in percussion
12/09/02
Douglas Trattner
Special to The Plain Dealer

Jim Donovan is one happy dude. He makes his living playing drums in a rock
band, he recently had the monumental pleasure of jamming with Carlos
Santana, and his newborn baby daughter is already sleeping through the
night. Some folks are just lucky that way.
Donovan has been pounding the skins for Rusted Root ever since the group
formed 13 years ago in Pittsburgh. But for the last three years, in addition
to touring with Rusted Root, Donovan has been hitting the road solo to hold
rhythm and drumming workshops at festivals, universities and specialty
venues around the country. In these workshops, Donovan facilitates an
environment where participants - both experienced and novice - can come
together and create a real musical experience while learning the basics of
traditional hand drumming.

The simple gift of a recycled coffee can, topped with a rubber casing, set
in motion what was to become a life of drumming and music. That toy drum,
given to Donovan by his grandmother at the impressionable age of 7, quickly
became his favorite possession.
"I loved that drum," says Donovan via a telephone call from his Pittsburgh
home. "I played miniconcerts for anyone and everyone."
Donovan's dedication to all things percussive landed him the much-coveted
spot behind the drum kit in his high school band. While still in high
school, he was invited by his music teacher to join a jazz ensemble. But it
wasn't until college, where Donovan studied classical music at the
University of Pittsburgh, that the seeds of Rusted Root germinated. It was
there that Donovan met and formed a bond with the musicians who would join
hands and talents as the band.
The transition from classical music studies to playing percussion in a
rhythm-centric multicultural band was not a purely intuitive one for
Donovan.
"At first I thought all music had to be fancy and complex," says Donovan.
"When I joined the band, I was told to play from my gut, to play from my
heart. I was never taught [in college] to play what sounded right, but
rather to just play what was on the page."
Donovan and Rusted Root quickly gained a following and within two years, the
band recorded its first album, "Cruel Sun." The success of that album led to
a record contract with Mercury Records in 1993. The band has since released
four additional albums, one of which went gold, and another, double
platinum.
But as is the case with "jam bands," it is the constant touring and steady
stream of live shows that create true disciples. Energy moves freely and
unselfishly at these concerts, with the band feeding just as hungrily on the
audience's spirit as the crowd does on the band's.
Spontaneous drumming circles pop up in the parking lots of Rusted Root shows
like mushrooms after a spring rain shower. These events do not go unnoticed
by Donovan.
"That's the beauty of drumming," Donovan says gleefully. "You can sit down
with a group of strangers and make music. Drumming helps connections form. "
It is exactly this kind of energy and spontaneity that propelled Donovan to
spread his gift of drumming. Rusted Root played in front of 500,000
sun-addled fans at Woodstock '99, but Donovan says he derives equal pleasure
from holding his small-scale drum workshops.
"I am just as happy playing with 10 people in a small group," says Donovan.
"First off, I am still playing. Also, I can look people right in the eye and
they can look at me like I am a real person, not a rock star. This way I am
not just entertaining them, but playing with them."
With Donovan's gentle guidance and fun-spirited instruction, these groups of
people - many of whom have never touched an instrument - will soon find
themselves playing real and tangible music.
Donovan sees drumming as the perfect metaphor for positive relationships.
"It takes listening, cooperation and communication," he says. "The more you
can train your ear to listen to others, the better you will play. I always
say, 'Listen first, play second.' "
Even if you feel like you have two left hands, Donovan promises that you
will find comfort and enjoyment at your fingertips. Mistakes are a welcome
prerequisite to learning. However, just because these classes are fun and
accessible, there is still room for the discussion of serious subjects.
Donovan believes there is a connection between drumming and meditation - and
even healing. He regularly uses drumming as a form of meditation in his
life, and says many participants of the drum circles find the rhythmic
grooves perfect alternatives to time spent in the lotus position. Donovan's
deeply held beliefs in the healing power of rhythm led him to record
"Indigo: Music for Exploration and Evolution," an extended piece of
repetitious hypnotic music, which listeners use directly to assist
meditation and relaxation.
Whether you are seeking spiritual enlightenment or simply looking for an
enjoyable and physical way to get your ya yas out, Donovan's drumming
workshops are for you. "Bring any drum that you use two hands on, like
bongos or congas - nothing that you use drumsticks on," he says.
There are always plenty of extra drums on hand as well; but to be certain
you aren't the one stuck playing the coffee can, call and reserve a spot.

Trattner is a free-lance writer in Cleveland Heights.