Listen to some of Clayton Cameron's drumming and get inspired. Explore the difference in form and sound between traditional drumming and Clayton's use of "brushes". What did you find most interesting?

Career

Check out a drummer's portfolio.

Take a drumming class at your school or join the drumline in marching band.

Education

Take a drumming class.

Watch drummer Clayton Cameron break down the rhythms of different genres of music with math. 

Watch a TED Talk about the mathematics behind rhythm.

Musicians

Play one or more musical instruments in recital, in accompaniment, or as members of an orchestra, band, or other musical group.

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Second Interest High-Point

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

First Interest High-Point

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Third Interest High-Point

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Musicians, Instrumental

Musicians, Singers, and Related Workers

Musicians and Singers

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers

Specialize in playing a specific family of instruments or a particular type of music.

Play musical instruments as soloists, or as members or guest artists of musical groups such as orchestras, ensembles, or bands.

Sight-read musical parts during rehearsals.

Audition for orchestras, bands, or other musical groups.

Provide the musical background for live shows, such as ballets, operas, musical theatre, and cabarets.

Transpose music to alternate keys, or to fit individual styles or purposes.

Promote their own or their group's music by participating in media interviews and other activities.

Make or participate in recordings in music studios.

Compose original music, such as popular songs, symphonies, or sonatas.

Practice musical instrument performances, individually or in rehearsal with other musicians, to master individual pieces of music or to maintain and improve skills.

Perform before live audiences in concerts, recitals, educational presentations, and other social gatherings.

Listen to recordings to master pieces or to maintain and improve skills.

Arrange and edit music to fit style and purpose.

Accordions

Acoustic guitars

Alto horns

Alto saxophones

Amplifiers

Autoharps

Bagpipes

Banjoes

Baritone horns

Bassoons

Bb clarinets

Bongo drums

Bugles

Capos

Cellos

Clavichords

Clip-on microphones

Cymbal stands

Digital tuners

Double basses

Drum mallets

Dulcimers

Electronic metronomes

English horns

Euphoniums

Finger picks

French horns

Guitar stands

Handbells

Harps

Harpsichords

Instrument mutes

Instrument tuning forks

Kettle drums

Laptop computers

Mandolins

Maracas

Marching bells

Marimbas

Mellophones

Musical cornets

Musical flutes

Musical organs

Oboes

Orchestral cymbals

Personal computers

Pianos

Piccolos

Sheet music stands

Sousaphones

String cutters

String winders

Stringed instrument bows

Synthesizers

Tablet computers

Timpani

Trombones

Trumpets

Tubas

Vibraphones

Violas

Violins

Wooden drum sticks

Xylophones

Apple GarageBand

Appointment scheduling software

Avid Technology Pro Tools

Avid Technology Sibelius

Blogging software

Email software

Facebook

Financial tracking software

Instagram

iZotope Ozone

MakeMusic Finale

Microsoft Word

Snapchat

Twitter

Web browser software

YouTube

Percussionist

Can you like tell us kind of where you came from, and the history of you? raised here in Los Angeles. probably, since I was around five or banging on things, playing beats. my hand to get a low sound. three different sounds there. that's what I would do as a kid. talent through another neighbor who's I was so excited, my parents were very, very cool. you're gonna go take some lessons. a kid banging on something all day or that's definitely not a tune and a parent, a lot of love to say, >> That sort of thing. Harry Potter with the wand. didn't understand what I was doing. really treasure is the fact that that I enjoyed, they encouraged it. clarinet and that was it. loved what I was doing. experienced it themselves. don't find their one, you've been through in life contributed to your success? I can't really say they're failures but a failure I had auditioned for my career after college. I sounded really, really good. I was very disappointed. if I was preparing for the next time. can't mourn about is out of your control. know exactly maybe what someone wants. sounds cliche but a failure, but it's about preparation. play with James Brown, okay? of what we call funk music. with Mr. Brown at the Hollywood Ball. this beat that I had been practicing. then afterwards, he turns around. I'm thinking that he's not gonna matter what I do, and it's okay. I'll have to try to find something else. James Brown turns around and on the right. now that was funky. >> I was like, after he sank the Master's 18th hole or >> And he's pumping his fist and when it goes in the hole? >> Well that's what I >> I was kind of, yeah! then I had a moment with doing and the work that I put in. we don't know what What's out there. >> And from you, are some pieces of advice, or from and just continue our journey with? whatever it is that you're to it and hopefully it brings you. gonna be that much more difficult. don't like the music, it's too loud. >> But what volume it's not loud enough. >> Right, cuz usually they're like, other car can hear it. you just have to be true to yourself and passion for what it is that you're doing. 

Hard Work

Hobbies & Pastimes

Passion

Perseverance

Talent

Interview

Are there any throws that you've been through in life that you may believe may early on in my career after college. sounded really, really good and, I thought I was prepared and everything, of the worst auditions I ever did in life. audition, the Jeffrey Osborne audition, try to prepare for and it didn't work. Sammy Davis Jr., as I said, then they called and said, okay well, you're gonna, we'll meet you in Minnesota. I was there for eight years until he died. >> Yeah. I was preparing for something and I was that much better now, 

Acceptance

Failure

Planning

I'm Better For Trying

I think the whole thing about self-doubt is when you have like these always something naysayers. something that's outside the box. very influential product for drummers. the living art of brushes. this particular craft in music. drummers, I tried to sell it to stores, and we don't really sell that many brushes. Max Roach, while I was doing the project, on, there was one great innovative drummer who was basically involved in with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. where I showed him my project, he looked unlike anyone else. diagram, all the things that I had and he said, this is genius, so that moment, all the naysayers because I had an idea. idea, and you're pursuing it, and you're it, please know that there are gonna be the box, people don't understand it. just keep pursuing this, pursuing this. maybe one person like my Max Roach 

Determination

Negativity

Self Doubt

>> Can you tell us kind of where you >> Yeah. raised here in Los Angeles. I was around five or six years of age. banging on things, playing beats. my hand to get a low sound, this one a higher. that's what I would do as a kid. I just fell in love with it. kinda like Harry Potter with the wand. experienced it themselves. people don't find their wand. 

Family

Support & Encouragement

Clayton Cameron Highlight

We research students for starting our path, and we don't know what's out there. know what are some pieces of advice, we could walk away from. really being committed to it, it's gonna be that much more difficult. if you just don't like the music, >> But if you really like it, it's not loud enough. >> Right? everybody in every other car can hear it. you just have to be true to yourself and passion for what is is that you're doing. 

Inspiration

Values

Are there any failures that you have been through in life contributed to your success? I can't really say they're failures, but early on in my career after college. really good. so I was very disappointed. is kind of like if I was preparing for listen, I was that much better now. can't mourn about is out of your control. know exactly maybe what someone wants. you try to figure out the circumstances. a failure but it's about preparation. play with James Brown. of what we call folk music. with Mr. Brown at the Hollywood Bowl. this beat that I had been practicing. now we're now mind you, anything that I play, no matter what I do. I'll have to try find something else. James Brown turns around and rhythm section is on this side on goes, now that was funky. >> [LAUGH] of the like the Masters' 18th hole or when it goes in the hole? >> It's kinda yeah, sort of thing. Ray Charles, then I had a moment with validated what I was doing and 

Opportunity

You Can't Mourn The Things That Are Out Of Your Control

How do you get to a point of innovation, very competitive artistically? to push the envelope, but is a lot of criticism. the love of what you're doing. Jr., we had a show for had invited three tap dancers, and Arthur Dunkin. in the business since Vaudeville. I watched them come out on the tune thing, and each one of them, wow. I'm not trading floors with them or keeping playing the music behind them. to my room and go, let me see, it went like this and then. he's sliding his rhythms with his feet. fire taps but barely moving his body. these little athletic moves, so, I go back to my room. I would try to emulate what I heard. do was also in my brain. you can't really play sticks. and the brushes make a sweeping sound. of the foot across the floor their rhythms, that sort of thing. in order to get that sound. a tapping rhythm you had to be pick it up and all these sort of things. it was kinda inadvertent if you will. I had to develop different techniques. 

Experience

Instincts

Point of Innovation

One thing that people really like is when you're doing something, and then you're I'm working on this thing but I'm kind of and you go to somebody who's an expert at not about having all the ideas yourself. that's the only person you study with or your ideas from, they say, taking from many is research. well, let me check out this guy. let me find out why they don't like him. to do, maybe it's about what not to do. 

Exploration

Research

The thing about rhythm is that it's endless. culture that you have, rhythm that's indicative of that culture. things change as it changes with America. heard that beat 50 years ago. come up with their own thing. be left behind, you know what I mean? better and better so that you can survive. 

Culture

Transitions

Rhythm

Why Not Us?

Chairman and CEO

Singer/Songwriter

Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics

Clayton Cameron

Percussionist

Videos

Clayton Cameron

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Art

Music

Being Creative

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