SKF NOTE: Les DeMerle‘s feature interview appeared in the October 1984 “Modern Drummer.” DeMerle was, and still is, an interesting musician maintaining a unique balance between the business and artistic sides of drumming.

Digital media has no doubt changed the equation. How much, I don’t know. But pre-digital, drummers who excelled at the business of music, like DeMerle, were rare.

As a drummer, DeMerle played all styles very well. Swing, Bebop, and Fusion. Small group, big band, backing a singer–DeMerle is your guy.

At one point, I said to DeMerle, “It’s intriguing that you can remain so active in concerts, in teaching, in clinics, in seminars, in recordings, and in other areas of the music business–-like owning and operating your own night club-–and still grow on your instrument. How do you find the time to do all that?”

DeMerle said, “You have to make time for it. I openly admit that I’m totally dedicated to drumming and to music. Never in my life have I had to do anything other than play drums to make a living,” adding, “In other words, I keep enough things going so that if one falls through, the other one happens.”

I taped this interview in one of the worst environments for taping interviews: a packed noisy restaurant somewhere on Long Island, NY.

But I was able to adjust the sound so our voices are easily understood.

This is DeMerle explaining how he tunes his drums for different settings. Live settings, studio setting, mikes vs no mikes.

Visit DeMerle’s website today and you will see he still excels at performing and business. https://www.lesdemerle.com/