In November 2016, Joshua Green embarked on a music journey that would require fortitude he never knew he had. He vowed to create a new drum sample every day for one year and created what is now an extensive library showcasing his genius creativity and dedication to honing his craft. His compilation of drum tracks can be found on his website, Permanent Record Drums. We recently followed up with Josh to discuss what he learned from the process, what his favorite track was, and what his goals are for the future of this project.
How do you feel now that you’ve completed your yearlong project?
Josh: Extremely relieved. It was the most difficult creative endeavor that I have ever embarked on. The magnitude of it, to someone on the outside looking in, was all consuming. I’m glad to have this body of work, but I am glad that it’s over because I’m now able to live my life again in a semi-normal way. A lot of things were put on hold for the lifespan of this project.
What have you seen as a result of this project?
Josh: I have seen several things come to fruition as a result of this project. I have now accomplished a level of mastery that only comes from practicing every day for 365 days. I have streamlined the process of recording a somewhat utilitarian drum sample for anyone to use. I’m very happy with that because I plan to invest in that further with more in depth music libraries that will build off of what I’ve done in the past. I’ve met many people who have made beautiful music with my samples, which is a very cool experience. It’s very rewarding to hear people taking stuff that I did on my own with no input and then put my work to use in their own work.
Who are some examples of people who have used your drum sample in their music, or asked you to collaborate with you as a result of this project?
Josh: There have been a number of local musicians who have used my drum samples. Butch Ross, Chris Slayton, aka Son of Laughter, Jade Alger, and Josh Garrels, a singer songwriter from Portland, commissioned some special drum tracks for his album. A lot of people have worked these drums samples into the current projects or in songs yet to be released.
What was the most popular sample used?
Josh: One I know that a lot of people liked was called “Andromeda,” where I got a level of mastery with the reverse snare drum swoosh. It had a Def Leppard sound that people thoroughly enjoyed. There was another one called “Beef Tongue,” where I incorporated sounds of playing on children (Instagram video here). Those two come to mind. But I’ve been trying to curate and organize my website so that it’s easier to navigate. For the past year, I focused on trying to churn out the work. Now I’m ready to classify it so that someone who is searching for a certain drum sample or specific tempo can find it.
Now that you’ve completed this project, what are you looking forward to in 2018?
Josh: When I finished this project, I just breathed and started to recover from the experience. I’m trying now to lean more into the areas of life I couldn’t focus entirely on while working on this project, like being a good father, husband, teacher, etc. I definitely want to build off of what I’ve done and use the experience to create more in–depth and detailed drum sample libraries in the future