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McGinley

Music: Harmony in Life

About Me

I grew up listening to Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and big band. This was in the early sixties, the transition of rock music and the beginning of the British Invasion. I started drumming at the age of seven, and was teaching by the age of twelve. I learned by listening, playing and practicing pieces that were probably far too advanced for my level. For my fifteenth birthday, I went to a Frank Sinatra concert, where Buddy Rich showed how dynamic drumming could really drive a big band as well as support a vocalist. That was a profound moment in my musical development.

Mainstream Jazz, Big Band and Fusion have been my focal points for over sixty years as a musician and patron. I learn something new every new every time I pick up a pair of sticks.

My Jazz Story

My advice to new listeners is to listen with an open mind, whether it’s main stream Jazz, Fusion, or Big Band. Each genre is different and still continuously evolves within its own form. I've been a drummer for over sixty years and I’m still learning. Many Jazz enthusiasts are are steeped in the history, traditions, variations, and mutations of the art form. This knowledge increases the enjoyment of the music and the appreciation of the creative processes involved in the finished product.