UPDATE - 7/6@7:43AM: The Drum Channel has posted part 1 of a video of the roundtable discussion, although a subscription is required to view it (thanks Andrew Olson).

UPDATE - 6/30@8:56PM: Here's a photo of Neil Peart at the LA Music Academy Drummer Reality Camp roundtable discussion.

Back in March we learned that Neil Peart would be participating as a panelist for the LA Music Academy's 3rd Drummer Reality Camp, which runs this coming Wednesday, June 27th through Saturday, June 30th. Neil will be part of a roundtable discussion taking place on Friday, June 29th which will also include Jim Keltner, Doane Perry and other special guests. The Pasadena Sun ran a story (thanks Eric at Power Windows) on the camp over the weekend which included several comments from Neil Peart:

... Neil Peart of Rush, widely considered one of the world's best rock drummers, says that even 40 years into an incredibly successful career, he seeks out teachers who inspire and challenge him. "I've been fortunate to have three really good teachers in my drumming career, from the beginning up until quite recently," says Peart, ... The Canadian drummer, who lives in West L.A., hopes to inspire burgeoning drummers at the camp in much the same way his teachers have inspired him. He also cites the unique sense of community among drummers as a key aspect of the camp. "It's pretty well recognized among all musicians that drummers are tighter - and looser - with each other than any other players," Peart says. "Two drummers get together and immediately their hands are moving around and they're talking about what they do with an excitement that's rare. There's no such thing as jealousy, vanity or competitiveness among drummers, for the most part." ... For Peart, jazz greats Jack DeJohnette and his teacher, Peter Erskine, top the list of drummers he admires. Erskine's teaching had a particularly "huge impact" on his playing, says Peart, who is Rush's lyricist. "He led me along a path and gave me exercises to work on. And once I applied myself, I found a whole new freedom in that I've been wanting to get more improvisational." Peart says he used this improvisational technique on Rush's highly anticipated new album, "Clockwork Angels." "It all came together in the recording of the drum parts that I was able to play completely improvisational," he says of the new album. "It was fun and gave me a whole new character to my playing I'd never had before. So even after playing drums for more than 40 years, there's somebody that had some valuable information to help my development." ...

The camp is open to drummers ages 14 and over who have had at least one year of private instruction, and costs $495 for the four-day session, which includes clinics, concerts, lectures, private lessons, a tour of the DW Drums factory in Oxnard and a roundtable discussion. For more information and to sign up visit this link.

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