Age: 39ish
Originally From: Kitchener
Now Lives: Mississauga Ontario Canada (The Mississauga Delta!!) (lol)
Current Bands: Maureen Brown Band, Maureen Brown & Big Hand
Previous Bands: Mardi Gras, The Panthers
Website: www.interlog.com/~puddin
Email: puddin@interlog.com
Discography: Maureen Brown Be Close cd, Chris Whiteley, Kenny "Blue Boss" Wayne, Sunny Fournier, Live: John Hammond, Otis Rush, Lowell Fulson, Big Time Sarah, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, "Bones" Malone, Jeff Healey, Michael Coleman, Kim Wilson, among many others.
Favorite Sticks: Jeff Porcaro model of a Regal Tip, with no shellac.
Favorite Beats/Licks: Rick's Licks
Left or right handed: Right

Dubbed "The Shuffle Queen" by Richie Hayward, Maureen Brown has for many years occupied the throne as "Canada's Drum Queen". With one Real Blues award and four Maple Blues Drummer of the Year Awards under her belt, Maureen can often be found playing with the best musicians in town. Maureen is renowned as much for her warm heart and her keen sense of humour as she is for her perfect timing and solid chops.

In addition to drumming, Maureen also sings and leads her own band as well as acting in various projects. While making "sparkle" designer shoes and "butterfly" jewelry are side projects, Maureen's main source of income remains as a drummer/singer/percussionist.

Maureen currently plays throughout Toronto and the surrounding areas and will be one of the featured performer's at this year's Cape Breton International Drum Festival in Sydney, Nova Scotia on April 27th and 28th.

DG: What inspired you to play the drums, and how old were you when you started?
MB: I started at 10 years, at school. I didn't realize you had to read music to play drums and thought I wouldn't have the capacity to learn to read music. I wanted to play an instrument and thought I was choosing the easiest one to play (yeah, right.)

DG: You trained as a classical percussionist early on in your career and performed with the Edmonton Philharmonic Orchestra. Where did you receive your classical training and what was your role in the orchestra?
MB: I was taught by Gary Tomlin in Kitchener and he prepared us all for our Royal Conservatory of Music exams, in which I received my Grade VII percussion and Grade II theory with honours. I was also involved in an eight-piece percussion ensemble, a drum corp-type drum line (without the horns and colour guard), orchestra (in school), private drum and theory lessons. My position in the Edmonton Philharmonic Orchestra (I was only there for a couple months) was as the only percussionist, so I handled all the percussion parts.

DG: What was the catalyst in your transition from classical music to blues?
MB: I have never considered myself a classical player, although classically trained. Once I moved to Toronto, the scene was heavily concentrated with blues. If I wanted to work in Toronto, I had to play blues. I always considered myself to be a well-rounded player who could play anything from funk, jazz, r&b, blues, r&r, country, folk and classical. My teacher made sure I could cover everything, and although I do play some Latin, I do not consider it to be my forte.

DG: What was your first kit?
MB: Aside from the initial "toy" kit, with a real hi-hat, my dad bought me a generic double bass drum kit. The first kit I purchased was a Tama Imperial Star kit, because my hero at the time (Bill Cobham) played Tamas.

DG: What kind of kit do you play on now?
MB: I am a proud Pearl endorsee and play Pearl Master series. I also endorse Sabian cymbals, Regal Tip/Calato Sticks and Attack Drum Heads.

DG: Have you even taken lessons for blues' drumming: If so, where? Would you recommend lessons to others?
MB: Never took blues lessons, per se. My teacher taught me a couple blues grooves. If someone wants to get a grip on shuffles and blues feels, by all means, get some lessons. It never hurts to learn more. I learned how to play blues by researching many different blues artists on recordings and playing with some blues legends, live.

DG: Who are your current influences?
MB: My husband, Rick Gratton, Jim Keltner, Richie Hayward to name a few.

DG: How do you carry all your equipment?
MB: One piece at a time…oops…that's how you eat an elephant! I put all my drums in soft tuxedo bags, so I can carry all the drums in one load. I carry my cymbals in a knapsack, which I can sling over my back, while I drag my hard cased hardware box, on wheels. This way I can load my drums in and out with only two trips.

DG: Name your favourite drummer/s and describe his/her best qualities.
MB: Rick Gratton for his originality, motivation, fearlessness and skill. Gene Krupa for showmanship and groove. Buddy Rich for technical abilities and band leader qualities and Richie Hayward and Jim Keltner for their GROOVE!

DG: What, if any, is the difference between playing with male musicians as opposed to female musicians?
MB: I find that most female musicians are either exceptional players or mediocre players, nothing much in between. Females tend to be a little more intimidated and restrained from "letting go". I prefer to play with players who are equal or better than myself, regardless of gender.

DG: What do you believe the drummer's role is in a band?
MB: 1. To keep great time. 2. To hold the band together. 3. Set up new sections in the tunes, 4. In my case, be a good bandleader and singer. 5. Set up the dynamics in the song. 6. Support the vocals and the song.

DG: Do you think being a woman in a male-dominated profession has been a help, hindrance or neither? Why?
MB: Definitely it is a hindrance. Because I am female in a male-dominated profession, I draw more attention to myself, which means I have to be "on" all the time. It's my choice but I feel like I have to prove something most of the time due to people's comments or reactions. When backing up leaders with big egos, I can easily lose the gig if people make too much fuss about me to the leader. It is more difficult to deal with club owners, bookers and such being female because a) I won't do sexual favours, b) I don't drink or golf with the boys, c) I usually get the long-weekend and holiday gigs where no-one else wants them, then if the turn-out is slim they have a reason to not hire me again. In other words, I get the hard-to-fill gigs, d) I'm not part of the "boys" club, e) Females aren't usually offered the same amount of respect as the men get and f) People don't always take you seriously.

DG: What was your best comeback to an ignorant comment about your drumming?
MB: Comment: "You're the best female drummer I have ever seen."
Response: "How many female drummers HAVE you seen?"
The answer is usually about a couple….
"Well, that puts me in a big category… thanks" OR "What does gender have to do with it? You are either a good drummer or you are not… period."

DG: With drumming becoming increasingly "acceptable" for girls and women to participate in, have you noticed an increase in the number of female drummers in Canada?
MB: I have heard that 80% of new drum students signing on are females. I have not seen a big change though, in the number of female drummers playing out there or getting recognition.

DG: Was there ever anything that kept you from playing?
MB: Even a whiplash injury did not stop me from playing. I had to hire someone (half my pay) to help me move my drums up and down the stairs but it did not stop me from playing. I even played the night I found my mother dead. (It was the best thing I could have done!)

DG: How long were you playing before you played a gig?
MB: While studying in school, we did performances at other schools when I was about 13. Although it was not professional, we performed like it. My first professional gig was when I was about 19, so professionally it was about nine years later.

DG: You received the Maple Blues Drummer of the Year Award in 1997, 1998 and 1999 and you were nominated in 2000. In 1997 you also won the Real Blues Award for Best Canadian Blues Drummer. What was it like to be recognized as being the best in your field?
MB: In 1997, my first award was the Real Blues award, for which I received a certificate in the mail. It was cool but the coolest was this: In 1997 I received my first Maple Blues award with a ceremony in front of my peers. The venue was not large enough for everyone to be seated at tables and although I was there early enough to get a seat, I was told they were all reserved, so I had to stand in the doorway all night and ask if they had gotten to the drummer award yet. I surely did not feel that I would win. Throughout the night, when nominees were mentioned, the audience was being very politically correct and did NOT clap for any nominees, only for the winners. When it came to the drummer award, it was announced in alphabetical order. (Being "Brown", I was the second nominee mentioned). No applause was given to the first drummer nominee (as it had been all night) but when they announced my nomination, the crowd went crazy! At that point it didn't matter so much of I won or not because I had the solidarity of the whole crowd, regardless. Winning just added to the glory. Then to win again for two more years was outstanding.

When I was young, I competed in numerous drum competitions and lost EVERY year by one point. One year, I can say for sure, that I lost not because I didn't play as well as the other competitors, but because I was the only female. To be awarded the Best Canadian Blues Drummer four times and be the ONLY female nominated and to win so many times, is a thrill I can't begin to describe.

DG: You are also an accomplished singer, being thrice nominated for the Maple Blues Female Vocalist of the Year (97, 99 and 00). Have you had any formal vocal training?
MB: I have had two separate vocal lessons in my life. I have worked with some instructional vocal training books with accompanying cds. I find that working with the cds on the vocal exercise helps immensely. I get most of my vocal training by drumming behind great singers.

DG: What is the most difficult aspect of drumming and singing lead vocals?
MB: Playing New Orleans grooves because the drum part and vocal part are usually very independent of each other. I find that if I am confident with my drum part and confident in my vocal part, then it is just a matter of putting them together and not thinking about either part. I just feel it. Add to that being a band leader and having to think about running the band, the set list, getting paid etc. and then you have a lot more to concentrate on.

DG: Do you have any drum tuning tips?
MB: When applying a new head, tune the lugs as tight as you can with your fingers. (Then you know each one is at the same tension, so to speak) I then turn each lug (opposite from each other) one full turn each, until I have the tension of each lug brought up as high as I can get them… not completely cranked, mind you. I let the drum head stretch out for a couple of hours, then I tune the drum down to the pitch I want.

DG: How did you improve your speed?
MB: Practice, practice, practice….. and concentrating on relaxing when I play.

DG: Do you have a day job? If so, what is it?
MB: No, I haven't for years but I feel totally blessed to be able to do so many things that I enjoy and get paid for them. I am an actress and although most of my gigs are for background, I really enjoy the opportunity to use my drumming skills on movies. (Special skills… I was the drumming hands in "Superstar", when Glynnis Johns part called for her to be a drumming grandmother!) I also had a principle role where I was "the hottest drummer in New York." As well as acting, I write regular columns in DRUM! Magazine, as well as Drums Etc. and submit occasional articles for Modern Drummer. I want to flush out more writing opportunities. I also make "sparkle" designer shoes and "butterfly" jewelry. I do consider my main profession (and source of income) to be as a drummer/singer/percussionist.

DG: How did you become involved in writing for Canada's Drums Etc. magazine and DRUM! Magazine?
MB: My husband made a suggestion to Ralph Angelillo when he was asked to perform at Montreal's Drumfest. It was when the mag was first coming out. Ralph took a chance on me, as I had nothing published previously. Through that, my editor told me that DRUM! was looking for a Canadian correspondent and he passed my name along. I really enjoy this aspect of my career and hope to branch into other areas of writing, beyond just drumming. Actually, I will have my first article of a non-drumming nature published in MUZIK ETC. coming up, as I have interviewed guitar-great, Jake Langely.

DG: What drumming resources (stores, books, teachers, magazines etc…) do you recommend?
MB: My husband co-wrote a new book with Marco Minnemann called "Extreme Interdependence", which I think is on the cutting edge of drum books and well worth checking out. Of course, "Rick's Licks", is my husband's great book for odd-timing groupings. I think Drums Etc. magazine is great for supporting Canadian talent and I appreciate that it is bilingual. I don't go to many drum stores these days. Of course, "Stick Control" is a classic book and if you can find "The Funky Primer", it is totally full of great funk hooks. Also, Carmine Appice's "Realistic Rock" is another classic for rock drumming.

DG: What is the greatest compliment you have been given about your drumming?
MB: Wow, that's tough. I guess when I'm told that, "You're timing is so perfect. I HATE you for that!" affectionately, of course. And when Richie Hayward dubbed me "The Shuffle Queen"!!!

DG: Throughout your successful blues playing career both drumming and singing, what have been the most memorable moments?
MB: My first blues gigs… playing with John Hammond, Otis Rush, Lowell Fulson. Recording my own CD and having Kim Wilson (Fabulous Thunderbirds) ask ME if he could play on my recording. Meeting and having Richie Hayward play WITH me on my CD. Of course, winning my awards. And last year, finally getting the opportunity to tour a few countries in Europe with my good friend Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne. Recording a CD with just Kenny and myself in Paris, at the same studio where Memphis Slim recorded. (I was supposed to play with Memphis Slim years earlier… still have the newspaper clipping but, unfortunately, he passed away at that time). Oh yes and having Dan Aykroyd spin my CD on three different occasions on his radio show throughout North America to over a million and a half listeners.

DG: Share one positive and one negative drumming experience you've had…
MB: Positive: Working for myself and making music with people I enjoy and respect. Marrying my drumming husband and sharing drumming with my spouse. Negative: After becoming a bandleader, it narrowed down my opportunities to freelance with other projects, as people think I am too busy with my own thing or that I am now competition to the bandleaders who used to hire me.

DG: What are your aspirations as a drummer?
MB: I want to do more teaching. I want to do more recording and touring in Europe. More clinics and more writing. I still entertain the thought of getting the "big" gig or even better, have my own gig be the "Big Gig"!

DG: What would you be doing if you weren't a musician?
MB: I'd be very unhappy. Maybe a full-time writer, actress or songwriter. Perhaps shoe and jewelry or clothing design. Or maybe a dog breeder!

© April, 2002 Happy Mazza Media, LLC.
Contact Drummergirl