BAND MEMBER BIOGRAPHY - AMEEL
Full name: Ameel Zia Khan
Weapons of choice: Drums & Percussion: Maxtone MX116 kit with Zildjian and Power Beat cymbals; locally manufactured conga and bongo drums; locally manufactured dhol, dholki and tambourine. Backing vocals.
Date of birth: 30 August, 1976
Influences:
U2, Collective Soul, Garbage, REM, Goo Goo Dolls, Dire Straits, Fleetwood Mac, The Cranberries, Peter Gabriel, Sting, Vital Signs. ["I'm a sucker for a good beat, so I have lots of influences!" - Ameel]
Day job: Computer Scientist-turned manager! General Manager, The Princeton Review of Pakistan, Islamabad.
Trivia: Ameel once dropped his stick while playing Leeway (just as they'd gone into the first bridge). The band broke into fits of laughter and the song had to be restarted! ["I had a hundred degree fever that day, dammit" - Ameel]
FAQ
Q) How long have you been playing the drums?
A) Er, for about four years, on and off. I learnt and played on someone else's kit for the first two years; that too, for a couple of weeks, every six months or so -- whenever there was to be a concert in college! I bought my own kit about two years ago, but didn't start jamming and playing regulary till I joined Corduroy. The congas and bongos I've been playing for about three years.
Q) How did you learn to play the drums?
A) I got a few starting pointers from one of my classfellows (Sameer Anees) and learnt a lot of the basics from Jawad Khan, one of my juniors in college (on whose kit we all used to play). Most of my structured learning came off the 'net, though. The rest is just listening to as much music as possible (especially bands with great drummers), playing with a band, and watching other drummers play live. I learn something new every time I watch Fadi, Gumby or Fifu play, for example!
Q) Do you teach others to play the drums?
A) *Sigh* I get asked that a lot. No, not formally, I'm not good enough. But if someone wants to learn the basics, or wants a few pointers, or just wants help in buying a kit, then they're welcome to get in touch. I can recommend a lot of good websites from where you can download lessons, though. Most of them are listed on the right.
Q) Which drumsticks/cymbals/skins do you use?
A) I use Vater hickory drumsticks, sizes 2B, Studio 2 and Fusion. I use both wood and nylon-tipped sticks, depending on my mood and the song I'm playing. I also use Pro Mark Thunder Rods and TB3 wire brushes for softer playing.
I use two 16" thin and paper thin crashes, two rides (18" and 22"), and 14" hi-hats. The 22" ride is a Zildjian, the rest are all Power Beat. I just bought a Rhythm Tech tambourine (RT7410 Hat Trick Brass) and I'm dying to use splashes (for which I'm saving up these days!).
I use Taiwanese-made Power Beat skins (they came with the kit). They're very good, so I'll probably buy the same ones next time.
Do you have any more questions for Ameel? Send your questions to us at bandfaq@corduroyonline.com.
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