Buy Our CD "Buckets Of Fire"
Listen to our latest recording,
"Bucket Diddley" and download it HERE for only 99 cents! Every penny goes toward music scholarships for underprivileged kids.
Find out more about our scholarship program here.
$10
Ships FREE within 2 business days.
Listen to samples & download NOW!
Money from the purchase of this CD goes directly toward scholarships for kids in our community who otherwise would not have the opportunity to take music lessons.
TRACK LIST
1) Rock U / JLM - 2:30
written/arranged by Steve Hilstein
2) Olodum “Busterized” - 3:32
arranged by Steve Hilstein
3) Hot Sand - 3:04
written/arranged/performed by Mike Raynor
4) Wipe Out - 2:36
written by The Surfaris, arranged by Steve Hilstein
(used by permission)
5) Buckets Of Fire - 2:16
written by Bucket Busters / arranged by Cameron Casey
6) Paradiddle Solo - 3:42
written/arranged by Steve Hilstein
-dedicated to Roy Burns-
7) Time Trippin’ - 2:55
written/arranged/performed by Liam Bronkar
8) MBHS - 2:40
written by Morro Bay High School Drum Line
arranged/performed by David Brooks & Runar Samuel
Buster Notes
Many Thanks To...
Howard Emmons (The Drum Circuit), Mark Collier (BB concept), Agape Church SLO (rehearsal space), Randy Gold (photos), Stefanie Hilstein (cover/proofreader/support), Ed Roscetti/Maria Martinez (Olodum), Drum School 101 instructors: Barrett Grimsley, Brian Monzel, Dale Moon, David LeCaro, Jesse Hesch, Isaac Laing, Jim Stromberg, Micah Grogg, Mike Raynor, Wyatt Lund, and especially the parents & grandparents of the Busters for all of their support!
A very special THANK YOU to Rita's Rainbows, and John & Roberta Ozanich who generously funded duplication/production costs so that every dollar spent for the CD will go toward music scholarships!
• Rita's Rainbows website link
Producer's Notes
Every song has a story behind it and there is certainly no exception here. This studio recording, based off the Bucket Busters set list is virtually how they sound live, minus a few studio effects and a whole lot of raw energy! All the “drum” sounds you hear are actually 5 gallon plastic buckets, large metal trash cans and lids, and plastic 1-5 gallon water bottles. You’ll soon forget about that as you witness just how musical these 11-16 year old kids can be.
Rock U is our lead-in song that attempts to gets the crowd warmed up (and us too) at our live shows. We recorded a shortened version because it worked better for the CD. The Busters had a great time singing it multiple times in the studio. There were only about 9 of us so we did 3 takes to make us sound like 27, added some “big room” effects and, voila! Instant crowd. You’ll have too hear it for yourself.
JLM are initials for that hit song from childhood that still rings true, “Jesus Loves Me”. This adaption came to me very early one morning in 2005. I scribbled the notes on a piece of paper that hid in a folder until we started rehearsing in October 2008. You might say it’s my personal praise song! You can actually sing the song in rhythm while playing it on a bucket.
Olodum “Busterized” ...was introduced to us by my friends, drummers, and educators, Ed Roscetti and Maria Martinez. It’s a Brazilian piece normally played on traditional hand percussion instruments, but of course we “Busterized” it. Each Buster played a different part with every track recorded separately. Then I did my favorite part of the recording process, piecing it all together like a puzzle! Buster, Darren Johnson came in later and did the solos.
Hot Sand ...was written exclusively for Bucket Busters by Drum School 101 instructor, and fine jazz drummer, Mike Raynor. I think this is one of our most impressive pieces. The notes were written on sheet music, and the Busters had to actually read the chart. What a concept! Mike came into the studio last year to record a demo for the Busters to learn. I added a couple solos, but other than that, he did the whole thing and that’s what we used on this album.
Wipe Out ...came from an idea I had for us to play a piece based on well known drum solos. That idea turned into “Wipe Out,” possibly the most recognizable drum solo ever. Last year I asked some of the Busters who also play guitar and bass to come into the studio and record the song to use at our live shows. We added the percussion to that original recording. The bass is played by, Runar Samuel. Guitars, by Darren Johnson, and Jade Sadeghian. On the “trash-kit” (a drum set made from trash cans and lids) is Darren Johnson who also played the first solo on a trash can. Matt Stone and Cameron Casey played the water bottles solos, and all the Busters played the last solo in unison on buckets. People often ask me if we had to pay royalties to put Wipe Out on our album? Yes, we did.
Buckets Of Fire - This is one of my favorite stories that I’ve yet to share with but a few people. It was May 8, 2010 at a high point in our popularity, with a calendar full of gigs, and we had just lost five members. For the first time, I was seriously doubting our future. My assistant leader, Wyatt, recently left so I had just brought Micah on board to replace him. I was wondering to myself if Bucket Busters had run its course. In a desperate effort to breathe some new life into the group, I scrambled to come up with a new routine. That day we had an extended rehearsal at Agape Church in San Luis Obispo, who on occasion generously provides us with a rehearsal space (God bless ‘em). Anyway, when we all arrived, I introduced Micah, the new guy, and started in with the usual announcements, pep talk, and then started running the routines. I could tell that the remaining Busters had become disillusioned and restless. After an hour or so I told everyone to take a break while I fumbled with my half written notes for the new routine that I was about to teach them. I don’t remember exactly how it came about, but while I was studying my notes, the Busters filtered back into the large room and spontaneously started jamming to something in 6/8. I knew they were all frustrated so I just sat back and let them go at it for awhile. It was actually sounding pretty good, and ‘something’ was happening. I looked at Micah, he looked at me, and we both just shrugged our shoulders and let them go for it!
It was at that moment that “Bucket Busters” was no longer just mine, it became theirs! Fifteen year old, Cameron Casey (who became a leader that day) arranged the piece as each of them came up with ideas. Right there on the spot they wrote the title track of the CD, “Buckets Of Fire”, which became a turning point for Bucket Busters (and me). Everyone in the room was energized! Fortunately I had my video recorder handy so that you can actually see them perform it in completion for the very first time. It’s posted on our webpage.
We never did get to that new piece I had written, but from that day forward, it hasn’t mattered how many Busters we have, it’s always 110%.
Paradiddle Solo -dedicated to Roy Burns- This is the first piece that the Bucket Busters of 2002 did and it still remains in our show today as the ending number. The basic rhythm was introduced to me in 1985 by Roy Burns, who was a major influence in my early drumming career and later became an important mentor. He gave it to me as a “single, double, and triple paradiddle” exercise during a private drum lesson. The moment that I heard him play it, something clicked in me; I had to learn it. It continues to be one of my favorites. All of the current Busters played on the recording and it features solos by Darren Johnson and Liam Bronkar.
All of the current Busters played on the recording and features Darren Johnson and Liam Bronkar doing the solos.
Time Trippin’ - written, arranged, and performed by Liam Bronkar, this number was entirely Liam’s. He recorded every track. We actually started it a year earlier as a piece for the Busters to perform live. He came back later to finish it in the studio and it turned out to be the last thing we recorded for this CD.
Liam is an extremely talented 17 year old musician who plays many instruments. He possesses a deep intuition for musicality that is rarely seen. I believe that this young man has a brilliant career ahead of him.
MBHS - This final piece was also originally meant to be a demo for the Busters so that they could play at our live show. It’s played entirely by David Brooks and Runar Samuel on multiple tracks. It’s actually three (of many) numbers that apparently have been handed down from one year to the next by the marching band drummers at Morro Bay High School. We are honored to have it as the closing number on the CD and I hope that it honors the many drummers who played and developed it over the years.
This album will remain one of the most important projects that I have had the privilege of doing. I hope that you will enjoy it as I have, and continue to support the influence of music in our youth as they become our inspiration and our teachers.
Please support us by purchasing this CD as we continue “transforming lives through music” with our scholarship program. Thank you!
Buckets, trash cans, and water bottles have never sounded so good!
-Steve Hilstein
October 10, 2010
