Clarence Penn on Teaching Improvisation, Creating "Safe Spaces" to Learn, and Creating a Movement

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Chapters
0:00 - Latest teaching gig at USC, and the value of motivated students
11:15 - the paradox of focus
16:56 - why I think Clarence was predisposed to do what he did
22:30 - is jazz dead? (hah!)
26:20 - the definitions of jazz
33:45 - bridging the gap between exercise and improvisation
41:41 - how Clarence practices time
Links
Strange Liberation - • Strange Liberation
Clarence on Instagram - / clarencepenn

[@observ79]

Pure Gems💎 Clarence is a drums Jedi Master!

[@davekain]

Great interview and great praise from Mr. Penn!!

[@ethanfossum1757]

Yes! Love this is much. Thank you for putting out all of this wonderful information Nate! Mr. Penn is one of the goats and his words are always needed. Best to you!

[@Rogersdrumvideos]

As an instructor this has inspired me so much. Thank you. Teaching day in and day out it is very difficult to not go through the motions at times. Thank you so much for reminding me why I do this.

[@nealsmith7812]

Right on Bro Clarence!!!!!!!!

[@MrDarkstar620]

@34:56 Wow. Rolling Rhythm...I haven't played that in forever. I also heard Portraits in Rhythm. Man, I love this talk. Clarence is smooth. 'Stiching', figuratively, as a drum skill...? Interesting. I bet that's a lot of reverse engineering. Stablemates is sooo dope. Met Benny Golson on his 80th birthday in Jazz Lincoln Center back in 2009. Changed my life forever. "A relationship with time." Hell yeah. Would love to just have snare drum lessons with this man.

[@ayoungethan]

This podcast is a huge source of inspiration, affirmation and provocation on and off the drums

[@Lokyata666]

Best drummer podcast I've come across of yet!

[@jacopozanette5933]

thank you for this!!!! amazing episode!!!

[@thechangeups]

love these!!!! thank you

[@harrycrab8725]

“It’s supposed to be hard” “Sit with it for a few months instead of just two days” So good! You gotta learn the rules before you break them. I listened to all the straight ahead stuff, love it, am inspired by it, but never really learned it. Consequently, my phrasing is all square, predictable, based on rock or at best funky soul. Even though I can swing and I’ve got some chops, I’m faking it b/c I’m not using the right vocabulary, and every real jazzer knows it.

[@8020drummer]

🤔🤔🤔

[@harrycrab8725]

@@8020drummerI think this is the point Clarence makes. Labels and categories are subjective and debatable, sure, but if you want to play “jazz” you need to internalize its vocabulary, the rules. Then you can expand, break them. But if you just learn modern shredding and go straight to breaking the rules, it’s arguably not really jazz - I mean it’s not rooted in jazz, it doesn’t come from jazz, it’s not an expansion, it’s just its own thing, which may be crushing (or it might be a terrible prog rock band ;) but it’s probably not jazz. Disagree?

[@rodneymcintyre8544]

I wish Clarence would’ve demonstrated more regarding his Wilcoxen ideas.

[@plok6669]

I really wish i had this dude as a teacher man

[@ignacioperezdelcastillo3182]

Gracias

[@TylerHNothing]

I think instead of “listen to Max/Philly/Papa” etc we need a list of recordings

[@TylerHNothing]

What I mean more specifically is that you’re able to reference bitches brew to mean a whole period of music, but there’s not the equivalent for those other players

[@8020drummer]

@@TylerHNothing maybe? But also just searching them on KZbin will probably pull up some well known recordings.

[@pickinstone]

@@8020drummer Max Roach had some really interesting recordings separate from his work with Bird or Brownie. There's "Jazz in 3/4", then there's "Deeds, Not Words", and you can't miss "We Insist!" My favorite Philly Joe album is "Drums Around the World" and who could forget "Blues for Dracula"? I dunno about Papa Jo's albums as a leader. Hey, I say all that as an amatuer jazz guitarist who's been studying jazz for two decades... still climbing that mountain. Look those albums up as a start, right 80/20? I'm friends with a lot of music teachers and I sent this video their way. Still waiting for you to get Kenny Washington, make it happen cap'in ;)

[@ignacioperezdelcastillo3182]

🎉🎉

[@ampdrum1]

That hat is money!

[@marcellospagnolo]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@ignacioperezdelcastillo3182]

💪👍💯🎵

[@charlesparenteau9256]

"get it right"? Don't let perfect be the enemy of freakin' awesome, Nate...

[@ssdrummer93]

That unmotivated student is paying 70k year to not practice? Lol

[@8020drummer]

I think it was before Clarence was teaching at USC. Tuition has a way of focussing the mind.