Music


Tom Leigh Knight: Drummer for TLC

Often in my blogging, I’ll reference my music career as I describe similarities between it and my voice over career. Both involve similar aspects including auditions, reading, interpretation, emotion, and delivery…but it doesn’t end there: both careers also require lots of self discipline, practice, positivity, managerial skills, marketing skills, financial awareness — the list goes on and on…

At the risk of confusing the purpose of my website, I thought I’d go ahead and post videos of some of my most proud moments in the music business, compartmentalized into five posts: TLC, Contemporary Jazz, Gospel, Instructional, and Rock (the early years).

If nothing else, you might get a kick out of some of these videos — particularly the “over the shoulder” view of what it’s like to perform with TLC: the biggest-selling all-girl group in the history of music (a record that still stands today.) I played on the last two albums (the song “Unpretty” from the album entitled Fanmail, and the song “Damaged” from the album entitled 3D) and I performed on their worldwide tours since 1998. Below are a few videos of some of my favorite times with the girls — some of which have never been published before! Enjoy!

 

TLC in Japan: “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg”


TLC in Japan: “Waterfalls”


TLC in Japan: “Baby, Baby, Baby”


The following videos were taken during sound check earlier in the day before the concert.

TLC sound check in Japan: “Girl Talk”


TLC sound check in Japan: “No Scrubs”


TLC sound check in Japan: “Fanmail”


Tom Leigh Knight: Contemporary Jazz Drummer 3

The videos below were taken during the recording of Randy Hoexter’s new CD “Fromage, and they do not include the final mix (there were still a few other musicians who had not yet recorded their parts). This is some of the toughest music I’ve ever had to navigate. Randy loves multiple odd meters, mixed with what I’ll call “rhythmic contradictions”…I pretty much end up having to memorize each piece, as they are so difficult to read *and* play! Enjoy!

“You Light Up My Life”


“Gypsys Tramps and Thieves”



Tom Leigh Knight: Instructional Drummer 3

In 2000, I released a drum instructional video (on VHS!), and in it, I used music from Adam Nitti’s CD “Balance” (on which Dave Weckl and I played drums). Each video is an entire song which, purportedly, illustrates one or more concepts I discuss in the “talking head” portions of the video. Enjoy!

“Skitzo”


“Balance”


“Yin & Yang”


“Kingpin”


Tom Leigh Knight: Rock Drummer – the early years

This video is, I believe, the earliest known video recording of my playing. I was 19 (as were all of my band mates here) and I had been playing for about 6 or 7 years. At that time, Neil Peart from the band RUSH was my all-time hero and favorite drummer. In the video below, we play the live version of “YYZ” from Rush’s “Exit Stage Left” live album — complete with Neil’s entire solo. It took every birthday, Christmas, and any other special occasion throughout my entire high school career to amass all the drums and cymbals you’ll see in this video! Enjoy!

 

Tom Knight plays “YYZ” by RUSH