Raised in the hardcore-emo scene in Sacramento, CA, Tyler Zarzeka started drums late in life. After realizing his passion for something greater than his surroundings provided, he moved to Los Angeles to attend Musicians Institute. After graduating in 2007, Tyler started touring and performing with singer-songwriters and pop acts. At the same time, he found a love for music production after working at the backline company Center Staging. Shortly after falling into the touring world as a backline tech, Zarzeka put his drummer career on hold. Working for such artists as Usher (Aaron Spears), Jay Z (Eric Greene), American Idol Tour (Teddy Campbell and Gordon Campbell), Hanson (Zac Hanson), Demi Lovato (Mike Reid), and many more.
After years of filling up two passports and traveling to over 40 countries, he needed to give his drumming career a second chance. In 2014, Tyler quit working for drummers and began drumming full time. The past few years have been amazing. He has performed in front of countless huge audiences and on TV shows such as Ellen, The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel, American Idol, The Late Late Show, The Today Show, and many more. Drumming for such artists as Charlie Puth, Cher Lloyd, AJ McLean, Lesley Roy, Emblem 3, Siren XX, Bobi Andonov and now currently with Noah Cyrus and Kiiara.
In this interview spotlight, I chat to Tyler Zarzeka about his history as well as his current life as a full-time drummer. We also discuss motivations, challenges and more. You can find his full touring schedule on his official website.
Full Q&A along with links and some music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you play with each artist?
I’m from a small town north of Sacramento called Antelope, CA. Most every artist I play with could be categorized as pop or pop rock.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
I’ve been into art and music my whole life. Both, I feel, go hand-in-hand. I sang most of my childhood, then puberty ruined that. Then switched to Saxophone in Jr. High. And didn’t discover drums until my junior year of High School. But drums made the most sense to me mentally and physically. It’s a wonderful instrument with a short history, but also the most exciting. And my love for this instrument definitely helps me “keep going”. I’m very happy if I’m playing a drum, or tinkering with it and taking it apart. It’s like a giant LEGO that sounds really good when you hit it hard.
How does each tour differ from one another and how do you prepare for the road?
Lots of things make a tour different. The people you work with, the mode of transportation, the location on the planet, the style of music, and the types of gear I use. Doing a whole tour while flying internationally is drastically different than doing a bus tour across the US. And doing a US tour in an RV is very different than a TV promo tour. The only thing I can do to prepare is mentally be prepared for anything and everything. Be prepared to be freezing cold, be prepared for getting sick, be prepared to have no sleep and perform completely exhausted, be prepared for something to break, and always remember to “hurry up and wait”, which is usually my motto for every tour.
Can you tell us two challenges you have faced with being a career musician? Do you utilize social media / apps / technology to advance your career?
The biggest challenge I face as an independent “session” musician is keeping the work constant. I tend to play for new artists all the time, but that’s because most artists don’t tour that often. So I have to follow where the work is, and touring is my forte. If I had one artists who wanted to tour 9 months a year for every year for the next 15 years, I’d be ecstatic. Second biggest challenge would be keeping a steady relationship while traveling so much. Some people don’t seem to have this problem, but it’s something I feel I’m always dealing with.
What was the last song you listened to?
The last song I listened to was the live recording of last nights show that I played. I always like to listen back to the recordings of every show to judge my own playing. That gives me the opportunity to make the next performance even better.
What is the shortest time frame you’ve ever had to learn, practice an artists’ material prior to a show?
The shortest time I’ve had to learn an entire show was 24 hours, including sleep and a plane ride. It was for a band From Jupiter and we were doing an MTV sponsored tour across the US. Their drummer left the tour early and they needed a replacement. I got a call one evening around 5pm. Agreed to the tour, learned 6-8 songs that night, slept, woke up early to catch a flight. Was learning songs the entire plane ride and went straight to soundcheck that next afternoon. It was stressful and challenging, both which I thrive very well with.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
I surprisingly have never had a vinyl phase. My brother is very much into vinyl, but he’s an old soul. I’m content with MP3’s, it is what it is.
What style of music do you prefer for your down time?
When I’m not on tour and get to play whatever I want, it’s usually a broad mix of genres. I love to put my iTunes on shuffle and just play whatever comes on. But I am a mood driven person, and if it’s rainy or cold I’ll probably be jamming to some old Coldplay or David Gray. But if I’ve had too much caffeine I’ll probably play along to some Meshuggah or Cloudkicker.
Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I’m a huge fan of Apple, so iTunes is the only way for me. I’ve seen the benefits of Spotify but nothing has made me want to switch. I don’t go searching for new music on my own, I prefer when people share new artists with me personally.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and get updates about the artist you tour with?
I have a few places for people to connect with me. I have a website, TylerZarzeka.com ,where I have every current and past tour dates listed. I’m also a huge fan of Instagram, @tzarzeka, and usually post everything about my career on there. If people want a more in-depth conversation with me, I offer Skype lessons through a website called Scoolu.com. I usually give hour long discussions one-on-one about my career and helpful advice to any young up-and-coming drummers.
Do you have any current goals you are working toward for your career?
What I’m working on currently is to just become a better drummer. I still take drum lessons regularly and when I’m not on tour, my normal days consist of anything and everything drums.
