The Holy Ghost Notes Podcast

114: Rhythms (Go Big + Get In the Word)

On episode one hundred and fourteen of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt catches us up on the Rescue and Restore anniversary tour and the upcoming (now recent) Christmas Burns Red shows preceding his homecoming. The guys talk about “giving it your all” or “going big” when it comes to drumming. This idea, being rooted in caring less about what other people might think, is perhaps contrary to what many teach. Tim interludes their next topic by confessing his shortfalls in being consistent with reading the Bible. Matt and Tim discuss the importance and benefits of instilling Bible reading as a frequent habit.

113: Emo Tools (5 Mistakes + Thankfulness)

On episode one hundred and thirteen of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt and Tim talk about the upcoming Emo’s Not Dead cruise that August Burns Red will be playing on. This leads them to question whether or not ABR is an “emo band”. Matt updates us on the Rescue and Restore tour thus far and tells a little about his experience being away from his family. After catching up, the guys each share 5 mistakes that drummers make and talk about what to do to avoid making them. As per usual, they round it out with a second topic, this time, inspired by the Thanksgiving season. Despite discussing it in the past, they approach the topic of “thankfulness” from a slightly different angle.

112: Aaron Spears (Remembering + Inspiring)

On episode one hundred and twelve of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt and Tim remember drumming legend and friend, Aaron Spears, after his unexpected passing. They reminisce about their first time hearing Aaron play drums and what made him stand out as a drummer, then talk about who he was as a person and how his character far outshined his success as a musician. Matt shares some stories of moments with Aaron, and the guys share some laughs and shed some tears in his honor. They finish out with a clip from Aaron’s episode (32) on the podcast.

111: Kinda Like Wallpaper (Strengths & Weaknesses + Family First)

On episode one hundred and eleven of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt and Tim joke about recording in the “Eleventh Hour” and elude to a comical video that they posted about it a while back. Matt talks about rehearsing for the Rescue and Restore anniversary tour in the old barn, which serves as a segue into their topics. They start by talking about the importance of focusing on both your drumming strengths and weaknesses, and how the only way to truly grow and improve as a drummer is to work on those weak points. Matt equates drumming to wallpaper removal, prompting Tim to assuage his guilty conscience. Next, the gents talk about putting family first and what that means to each of them. They land on the provoking idea of truly being present and getting rid of the distractions.

110: Folgrrr’s (Math or Magic + Prioritizing)

On episode one hundred and ten of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt compliments Tim a couple times and that dovetails into talking about being cheap, or rather, “value conscious” when purchasing razors and coffee. Matt shares about his time at the UK Drum Show with Mike Johnston and they “hit on” the topic; when math becomes magic within the realm of drumming. Tim has trouble articulating his case study and the guys find humor in all of the mispronunciations throughout the episode. Finally, the guys have an in-depth discussion around prioritizing, setting goals, and how to be creative with your limitations.

109: Sudden Guests (Teaching + Fatherhood)

On episode one hundred and nine of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt shares some exciting news and the guys are surprised by a couple unexpected guests which serves as a nice set-up for the topics. Matt kicks off the drum topic of "Teaching" and shares his experience, his approach, and a number of important tips to help both experienced drum teachers, and aspiring drum teachers be the best they can be. Then the guys switch gears and hit on the topic of "fatherhood". Matt approaches the topic from the perspective of a new dad and talks about the feelings and thoughts he's been experiencing since the birth of his daughter. Tim comes at it from a spiritual point of view and relates it to his understanding of God as a Father, after having a few years to process and reminisce. They both share the same sentiment; that being a dad is the most rewarding experience.

108: Stalkerish (Watching Drummers + FOMO)

On episode one hundred and eight or Holy Ghost Notes, Matt is only days away from having a new baby girl as Tim wraps up “back to school week” and shares some exciting news. The guys talk about using earplugs for sleeping and talk a little about the IEM company, Ultimate Ears, and their experience with both the products and the company. After a longer than average intro, they head into their drum topic; touching on the importance of spending time watching (or observing) how other drummers play and how it can benefit your own drumming in many ways. Matt talks about staying home from August Burns Red’s Australian tour which inspires the topic of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Through many a divergence from the root topic, in typical fashion, they uncover many parallels that round out the discussion.

107: Time Is Of The Essence (Take Your Time + The Main Character Syndrome)

On episode one hundred and seven of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt and Tim rant briefly about Tim's studio progress, what we may picture someone looking like without seeing them based on their voices, size small deep v-neck tees that they never should've worn, a worship song Tim's been writing, and realizing their flaws and pride, prior to getting into their topics. After many a joke and tangent, they head into their drum topic on "taking your time" when learning and perfecting drum parts and/or rudiments. They also discuss being open to learning and staying humble, despite how long you've been playing or how popular you've become for your playing. Finally, they approach the topic of "The Main Character Syndrome", as Tim coins it. They hit on the idea of consistently (and incorrectly) associating yourself with the main character in the stories of the Bible, rather than perhaps a secondary character who actually teach you something about yourself.

106: This Is It (Pressure + Finances)

On episode one hundred and six (not five) of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt and Tim discuss their worst hair styles and chuckle about how brutal some of the Old Testament stories are.  The gents approach the topic of ‘pressure’ with force and they illustrate it as a necessity when it comes to truly perfecting your craft. They proceed to take on the topic of ‘finances’ and realize quickly that it’s a more faith-based topic than they had initially thought.

105: Rearview Mirror (Leaving the Music Industry + Failure)

On episode one hundred and five of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt and Tim record at the crack of dawn and Matt shares of his recent door hanging zeal. The guys chat about prioritizing, and naturally transition into their requested drum topic on coping with leaving the music industry. Tim tells a little bit about his music background and where his head was at when he ultimately “called it quits”, then Matt adds his perspective as a career musician. This leads into the topic of how to deal with failure. The duo coast on some cookie cutter ideals, then dig into how your identity plays a big part in facing failure head on.