Real (GOOD) Drums for churches - Churchfront Podcast | Joey Parish

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Church Front Worship and Tech Podcast - Episode with Joey Parish

Guest: Joey Parish - Founder of Parish Drums

Episode Description

Join us for an in-depth conversation with Joey Parish, founder of Parish Drums and longtime touring drummer with Chris Tomlin and Shane & Shane. Discover how one drummer's need for portable gear led to a complete rethinking of drums designed specifically for worship contexts. From canvas drum heads to brush techniques, Joey shares practical insights for worship teams looking to solve volume and space challenges.

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Key Topics Covered

Joey's Background

• Started playing in church in 5th/6th grade with a pawn shop drum kit
• Early touring with Chris Tomlin (the "little east Texas guy in a cowboy hat")
• Years on the road with Shane & Shane, learning nuanced, acoustic-focused drumming
• Transition from bus tours to flying and the birth of Parish Drums

The Parish Drums Innovation

• The Problem: Need for consistent, portable drums for fly dates
• The Research: Existing portable kits were too heavy (70+ lbs without cases)
• The Solution: Custom-built nesting kit under 50 lbs, fits in airline luggage
• Evolution: From 14" bass drum to current 18" bass drum design

Design Philosophy

• Wood Choices: Mahogany exterior, poplar interior (softer, less dense woods)
• Bearing Edges: Rounded edges for less resonance and more control
• Shell Depth: Shorter drums for quicker decay
• Goal: "Dead, thumpy" drums that don't require extensive muffling

Revolutionary Canvas Heads

• Patent Pending: First-of-its-kind cotton canvas drum heads
• Benefits: Extremely quiet, removes high frequencies, maintains attack
• Testing: Road-tested extensively during Shane & Shane Christmas tour
• Sound: Natural muffling without sacrificing musical quality

Playing Techniques for Worship

• Brush Advocacy: Nylon bristle brushes for volume control and articulation
• Brush Development: Creating improved brushes to solve durability issues
• Dynamic Range: Learning to play from whisper-quiet to full volume
• Adaptability: Removing drums as needed to fit the room/moment

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Practical Tips for Worship Drummers

In-Ear Monitor Mixing

• Counter-intuitive Tip: Turn problem instruments UP in your mix to naturally play softer
• Simplification: Turn off crowd mics, choir mics to maintain timing focus
• Click Track: Use plenty of click for solid timing foundation

Transitioning from Rock to Worship

1. Understand the Mission: Create an environment for corporate worship
2. Know the Songs: Learn originals thoroughly before adapting
3. Build Vocabulary: Play with different worship leaders to develop adaptability
4. Embrace Dynamics: Move beyond on/off playing to gradual dynamic shifts

Room Adaptation

• Play the Room: Adjust setup and dynamics to fit the space
• Less is More: Sometimes removing elements serves the music better
• Acoustic Partnership: Leave space for other instruments to fill

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Technical Insights

Microphone Approaches

• Versatility: Parish drums work well with any standard drum mics
• Preference: Beta 98s on toms for wood hoop compatibility
• Studio Standard: 421s on toms, large diaphragm dynamics on kick
• Monitor Mix: Often removes bottom snare mic from personal mix for clarity

Drum Tuning and Setup

• Locking Tension Rods: Maintain tuning stability during transport
• Head Choices: Evans 56 Calftone (synthetic calfskin) for natural feel
• Snare Wires: Uses 12-strand instead of typical 42-strand for volume control
• Shell Materials: Prioritizes control over projection and resonance

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Shane Bernard Collaboration Insights

Musical Partnership

• Extreme Dynamics: Shane plays from inaudible whisper to full volume
• Percussive Approach: Shane thinks like a drummer on guitar
• Negative Space: Musicians fill each other's gaps rather than competing
• Real-time Adaptation: Shared musical language allows for spontaneous changes

Learning from a Master

• Observation Period: Spent month doing sound before playing, learning the parts
• Musical Vocabulary: Built understanding of Shane's musical thinking
• Dynamic Response: Learned to match and complement extreme dynamic ranges

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Business and Ministry Integration

The Worship Initiative Partnership

• Resource Support: Financial and operational backing for growth
• Shared Mission: Equipping churches with better tools for worship
• Content Creation: Part of comprehensive worship training platform

Church Applications

• Volume Control: Primary solution for churches struggling with drum volume
• Space Efficiency: Fits in corners, small stages, intimate settings
• Aesthetic: Eliminates need for drum shields in many cases
• Consistency: Same sound every service, regardless of room acoustics

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Resources and Connect

Parish Drums

• Website: parishdrums.com
• Innovation: Canvas heads and improved brush designs coming soon
• Focus: Drums designed specifically for worship contexts

The Worship Initiative

• Website: theworshipinitiative.com
• Content: Songwriting, heart training, instrument training
• Mission: Comprehensive worship leader development

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Quotable Moments

"I learned to do more with less. When you're touring with buses and trucks and trailers, you end up bringing more than you need... it really helped move me back to these are the fundamentals. This is man, you're here to keep time and occasionally do something interesting maybe."

"Every kit in every church is just covered in gaff tape and gels and big fat snare drum rings... So what I wanted to do was out of the box have just the dead, most dead thumpy drums with the least amount of resonance."

"If you just Google 'drum muffle,' you can just scroll for pages and pages and pages... everybody that I know in my whole career has been spent trying to tame frequencies, overtones, all that stuff."

"We want to sing together. We want to praise the Lord... We want to create an environment where that's the most possible."

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Episode Length: Approximately 65 minutes Host: Luke Jackson Production: Church Front Worship and Tech Podcast