Tell us a little more about yourself. How and why you started playing, who and what inspired you etc?
Grew up as a Navy brat in the US. Moved every year, pretty much. Learned how to make new friends, get involved in new situations. And I can sleep anywhere, anytime. Cars, buses, trains, airplanes. Perfect for a life in music.
Always had music in the house. My parents loved jazz and pop singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Keely Smith. And folk singers like Leon Bibb and the Kingston Trio. Started playing accordion first, actually. Age 7. Got the bug early on.
Switched to drums after seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan television show. My first kit was a 1965 Ludwig Super Classic set like Ringo’s. Still have it, and still use it. Sounds wonderful.

As a kid getting into “popular” music, I was influenced first by my parents, their love for music and their record collection. Then by The Beatles, Motown, The Four Seasons, The Kinks, The Doors, Creedence Clearwater Revival. Noisy, but catchy stuff.
In the percussion oriented part of the world: Composers Harry Partch, Barney Childs and Steve Reich, session/recording performers Emil Richards, Milt Holland, Victor Feldman, Jim Keltner, Ruth Underwood, Colin Walcott, Alex Acuna, Airto, my teachers Tom Siwe, Ron George, and Mitchell Peters.
Record producers: Hal Willner, T Bone Burnett, Rick Rubin, Daniel Lanois, Arif Mardin, Tom Dowd, Brian Eno, Sir George Martin.

What songwriters and musicians inspire you today and where do you see your musicianship in five or ten years from now?
At this very moment: Damien Rice, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, my teaching colleagues at the Musik- och Ljudproduktion program at Högskolan I Skövde. My publishing partner Roger Östman.

And in the time ahead? More of the same, but I want to be better and smarter.

What Toontrack products have you collaborated on so far?
EZdrummer Michael Blair “Twisted Kit” expansion.

What is your relation to electronic drums?
Second cousin, once removed.

What products would you like to see from Toontrack in the future?
More me, of course!

Any new exciting projects coming up in the next year that you can tell us about?
Besides this one? I’m traveling to Florence soon with my family for the first time. It will be lovely to see all the art up close that I only saw in schoolbooks as a kid. The great food and wine won’t hurt, either.
There is a very cool Waits quote about finding sounds and playing an instrument. In a recent interview, he said ”Because the hands have so much intelligence, it’s important to confuse them now and then.”
I agree all the way. That’s why I must, must, must travel. Turn stuff upside down. Bump into new humans. Eat new food. Get embarrassed in an exotic language. That way, I don’t get stuck in “comfort-land.” If an idea I have doesn’t work, that’s OK, at least I tried something. But if I’m ever boring, take me out and shoot me!

In closing is there anything you would like to pass on to the Toontrack.com visitors?
Be curious. All day. Every day.
/Michael Blair