Q&A #8: Dean Wuksta

 

 

“Dean shares his drumming journey, being on YouTube, and his approach to mastering.”

LL: Can you give me a quick summary in terms of how you got to where you are with your playing?

DW: I started on ice cream containers and bamboo sticks. I’d sit in front of the TV and watch the morning music shows and play along. Got a drum kit for xmas which was snare, kick, one cymbal (no hi hat) and began playing real drums at age 8. Six months later got my first gig playing at my school dance, and a family friend gave me a hi hat. I’m left handed, but my friend told me to play right handed so it will be easier in my career if I need to play other kits, which it definitely was.

I played to vinyl records for many years and just tried to copy what I heard, no lessons. I began lessons to read drum music at 15, and also learnt about rudiments, mainly the double stroke and the standard paradiddle. I used ‘Advanced Techniques For The Modern Drummer’ and ‘Syncopation’ by Ted Reed.

I also had some books by Frank Corniola and several others, mainly concentrated on funk styles, lots of left hand ghosting patterns. I also went to live clinics, watched videos, hung out and watched other drummers all the time. I have always spent most of my practise time playing to music, and use it as a metronome while I go thru stuff i wanna work on, like fill combinations, rudiment applications etc. And even more so lately, I love to get lost on youtube and watch other drummers, its an incredible resource…taught me loads since 2006.

Seeing Buddy Rich on TV as a child blew my mind, I didn’t know it was even possible to play like that, and he’s the reason why I investigated rudiments, particularly the double stroke roll.

Then while still at school, I heard of Vinnie Colaiuta through some Frank Zappa recordings, Steve Gadd, Toto’s drummer Jeff Porcaro (particularly the stuff he did with Bozz Scaggs and Steely Dan). Later it was Dave Weckl, Manu Katche, Virgil Donati (which inspired me to play double kick in the late 80s, but I have since lost interest).

LL: Heel-up / Heel Down?

DW: I’m ‘heel up’ on kick and hats, but sometimes my heel is also down on hats, depending on what style I’m playing, I often go heel down on jazz type stuff, or lighter funky stuff, but I’m not really conscious of it, I just find myself doing it naturally.

 

LL: Drumming Shoes?

DW: When i was a kid (like 12-16) I would do gigs at weddings and have to wear a suit and good shoes, I tended to slip my shoes off during sets. My dad (who drove me to every gig) said it looked unprofessional, so I got used to leaving them on. Now, I always wear shoes, thin rubber soles are my preferred shoe, but I will play in whatever…it’s very easy to get used to, and you def get more power wearing shoes.

 

LL: How would you describe your generic kit set-up?

DW: My generic set up is a basic 4 or 5 piece kit, 2 crashes, one ride. less to set up, the better. I’m using a Pearl Session series maple 10, 12, 14, 20, 14” by 7” Evetts blackwood snare.

LL: What’s part of your arsenal at the moment?

DW: I have a good selection of Zildjians, Paistes, and Sabians. My normal set up is Sabian 17” thin Crash, Sabian 16” thin crash, and 20” Rude ride, or 20”Paiste Big Beat as a ride and Zildjian 14” new beat hats. I use Vic Firth 5A wooden tip sticks, I have a Pearl World Series 14” chrome snare, Mapex maple piccolo 13” snare and the Evetts 14” X 7”

 

Photo: Dean Wuksta

 

LL: Did it take awhile for you to settle on the kind of set-up that you like?

DW: Not really, I find it a bit laughable when drummers are so particular about their set-up, I spent so many years playing other peoples kits on stages, and sometimes i barely got a chance to adjust anything, there was no time.

I’m def much happier with my own kit, but I will play whatever, preferably with some time to adjust heights etc to my liking. I’m sure drummers in famous bands get fairly spoiled and have everything within a millimetre of perfection, but no, I’ve never experienced that kinda luxury.

LL: During a gig, do you keep some notes as a guide?

DW: No, I will take notes to practise if it’s a particularly hard arrangement, but I generally prefer to commit it to memory.

LL: What is your warm-up / practice routine like?

DW: I’ve never really done it, I like what Buddy Rich says, he reckons his warm up routine was to take his hands out of his pockets, I concur.

 

LL: In your videos, you seem to be light-handed — as opposed to other drummers who seem to really lay it into the kit and cymbals. Would you describe your playing style as ‘drumming with a light touch’?

DW: I do use a lot of force with my wrist but at a low level, but I also play differently depending on the gig, but I do prefer a lighter touch.

 

Photo: Dean Wuksta

LL: On your CD Baby page, there is a note that you played all the instruments yourself. Can you touch on your journey with the different instruments you play, and routines to ensure you don’t get ‘rusty’ in any of the instruments?

DW: In high school there was no drum teacher, and no drums, so I learnt guitar. I had already been playing drums semi pro for years, so I thought another instrument would good to learn.

Over the years I’ve taught myself bass and keyboards, but I don’t consider myself anything but a drummer, I know enough on those other instruments to write songs and communicate ideas…so it’s come in handy having a basic understanding of every instrument.

LL: How did you build up your bass and keyboard playing? (Were you going for being able to play a particular song?

DW: With bass guitar, I kinda got thrown in the deep end because of a school production. We had 2 drummers for the school production in year 9, I had always played drums so I decided to give bass a go, the student that had taken on the bass had problems learning the songs.

Being a drummer I already had a sense of what the bass guitar does in terms of following the kick drum, and I had already learnt guitar and could read music, so I didn’t find it that difficult. Once I learnt a few songs I began to really enjoy it, so kept practising.

I do not consider myself a great bass player, but I can figure out most songs and copy them by ear. With keyboards, I also never had any lessons, I have an understanding of basic music theory so I can work out where to put my fingers to make basic chords, but only well enough to add simple parts to my original songs.

 

Photo: Dean Wuksta

LL: YouTube has a very interesting approach to copyright — how do you find it? I ask because I came across one of your videos (Custard Pie) and noticed that the audio has been muted. Was it a case of not having the words: “Led Zeppelin cover” in the video title? Because you’re other video (linear 16th triplet) had the ‘guide track’ details in the ‘about’ section of the video, and the audio of that wasn’t blocked.

DW: Yes, that was annoying, and not the first time that has happened. I generally take a chance and hope for the best. If it becomes blocked, that’s okay, I’m not really that bothered, just a small waste of my time.

I have posted covers of loads of songs, but I don’t monetize them, just my original music. I’ve been a youtube partner for a few years.

LL: What monetising options are you going with (with YouTube)? The information page mentions there are three options. Can you comment on your experience with being a YouTube partner?

I applied to be a partner and got accepted a few years ago. I do not know what the deal is, I just monetize the videos that contain just my music or drumming, and youtube places ads on them. They used to send me a cheque from google but now it is deposited directly.

LL: Before putting your original music up on YouTube and CD Baby, what things did you do first?

DW: No, I never really put any research into where to place my songs on the net, like YouTube etc. I realize the chances of people using my songs without permission is quite high, as has happened in the past. Or people write to me and ask for permission.

But as far as making money these days on the net, it is very difficult, even for big stars, so much music is being downloaded for free. This is the reason why bands tour so much now, the income from recording sales is not what it was.

LL: Is there a specific reason you decided to go with CD Baby rather than itunes to carry your music?

DW: Not really, I use iTunes and CD baby, I think CD baby offers a better deal, and it seems to be popular with indie type artists. I have my music on other sites also.

LL: Did you have to jump through a few hoops to get your music on iTunes?

DW: I actually uploaded a track to CD baby (I think) and it automatically appeared on iTunes. I don’t know how that happened, maybe I accidentally ticked a box or sumthing when I was uploading, I have not ever specifically uploaded to iTunes.

LL: What’s the average amount of takes per video?

DW: That varies, sometimes it’s done by the first take after I practise it. But then sometimes it will take 5 or 6. Not usually because of major mistakes, but usually because it just sucked a little. I don’t think I have ever uploaded a perfect video to YouTube, I tend to play better when the camera isn’t rolling…I dont mind recording the audio, but the filming thing puts me off.

I’m not an extroverted person, quite the opposite. The fastest I could do a video, 5 mins for recording (if I got the first take) then mixing it on the movie software takes about 30 mins…so yeh, about 40 mins from start to finish.

LL: With your recording equipment, what are the current specs you use?

DW: I use Pro Tools 7.4 software with a 002 Digidesign rack recording at 24bit/44.1 using about 10 mics on the kit. I have a sony HD camera which I set to highest resolution. I import video and pre-mixed audio into Magix movie software, bounce down to quicktime for upload.

My studio PC is very old, single core PC, 4 Gigs of ram with XP. My video editing is done on my Aspire laptop, windows 7.

LL: Have you previously used another recording/mixing software?

DW: Yes, I had a Fostex 4 track recorder, then I got an Akai DPS12i which was a 12 channel all in one digital recorder. Then I moved into Pro Tools.

LL: What are your ‘go-to’ mixing settings for the kit?

DW: I have a template set up in pro tools. My go to settings are eq on everything, compression on kick and snare (I might use a slow attack and release on bottom snare mic, adds an interesting fatness) I sub the whole kit to an auxiliary channel, more eq and compression.

I don’t eq heavily, and often it’s more destructive than additive, trying to control low mid frequencies and spill without using gates. I believe the kit should sound pretty decent without any eq or effects, otherwise, I look at tuning and mic placement. I also add a little reverb, which I like the Waves Renaissance Reverb.

Photo: Dean Wuksta

LL: Can you walk me through your mastering process?

DW: Once again, I believe to master properly you really need to out source. But when I make ‘fake’ masters, I use waves eq, L2 limiter, and Izotope. I mainly use destructive eq, pulling out the low mids, I use the exciter in Izotope and a little of the maximizer, and then I add the L2.

I go for an RMS level of around –10, I feel trying to compete with commercial loudness levels is dangerous, but my mixes aren’t too far off. I still retain dynamics, and most of what I do is usually streamed on the net, so no need to try and push loudness.

LL: Would you say you spend more time editing or mastering a track?

DW: I spend a lot of time mixing and editing my music, a song may take me half a day, but for YouTube, I spend very little usually. Often it’s just a pre-mixed playalong song that I might drum to and ake a video, and my drum template is set up, so there is very little to do. If I’m mastering my music, I will spend days and keep doing listening tests…but for YouTube, I just chuck an L2 Limiter on the master fader, mastering done!

I have done multiple camera videos and spent a lot of time editing, but my movie software isn’t very reliable, freezes up all the time, wont play etc…so I keep everything very simple. I may look at changing the way I do things in the near future because I do enjoy film editing, just don’t have the gear to do it reliably.

 

LL: Also, I’d like to link to one of your videos. Which one would you say is either your favorite, or the one you’d regularly send if you were asked for a video?

DW: ‘practising linear 16th triplet phrasing‘ — my favs change regularly, but this is the one I have featured on my channel at the moment.

 

LL: Thanks for your time Dean, to close our Q&A session, are there any particular people who you’d like to reach out to you?

DW: Yeh sure, I have done cover suggestions before, and I have also done collaborations in the past too. I welcome questions or even just chatting about drums in general.

I also have some subscribers who send me videos for advice, and i have also made specific videos explaining fills etc that have remained private, just for the benefit of the one particular subscriber.

 

 

 

Dean Wuksta is a drummer based in Rockingham. You can find his videos here and some of his collaborations here. and can reach him through the form below

 

Photo: Dean Wuksta

 Source Material and Notes: The material posted is based on correspondence (May-August 2014) between Dean and Leigh. Content has been edited for length, and the final version has been reviewed and approved by the interviewee.

Leigh Lim is a musician based at Sydney. You can find a sample of her music here. To reach out to Leigh, you can do so via this form or a direct message through YouTube. (Curious to find out if she’s your kind of person? You can check out her tweets and personal entries.)

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Q&A #7: Charlie Martell

 

 “Prepare to be extra pumped up after reading about Charlie tackling various solo (and competitive) challenges, how he is able to push through and stretch himself, and an anecdote about why he keeps a couple of yellow (rubber) ducks.”

 

 

 

Leigh Lim: Hey Charlie! Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself. What impresses me the most about your web presence is the logo you have chosen. Did you have a lot of input in the design?

 

Charlie Martell: We (I use ‘we’ as my challenges are very much a team effort. While I’m rowing, others are continuing with PR, advising me on weather etc) have been using the same designer for both my Pacific 2012 and The Charitable Adventurer logos respectively.

After having given the designer a brief, he then came up with about five different designs, then we started the ‘back-and-forth’ of what we liked or disliked and what we like to try or to change, until we came up with a logo which we felt worked.

I would say the designer had approximately 80% input, with the remaining 20% coming from my team and I.

 

LL: Can you give a quick summary in terms of how you got to where you are with tackling challenges?

 

CM: The creation of a team to tackle the 2005 Polar Challenge was as a direct result of the Ocean Fours Rowing Race being delayed two years. Disappointed by this, I decided that no matter what, I had to take part in and complete a challenge without further delay. So I created Team Commando Joe and three of us raced on skis (pulling sledges) to the 1996 recorded position of the Magnetic North Pole.

This took a certain amount of training and planning as you would expect. My team was made up of former British Commandos, whom had all served and operated in the Artic environment before. The key learning point from this challenge was to trust your equipment and your team (I suffered snow blindness, but my team kept me going. One of the team members suffered an injury to his ankle, we split the kit between the two of us and carried on going).

 

LL: With snow blindness, do you take conscious steps to prevent being afflicted during future journeys/challenges?

CM: Speaking from experience, snow blindness is incredibly painful but certainly in my case the damaged cells repaired themselves quite quickly. It really is a case of protecting your eyes with suitable eye wear, preferably polarised glasses/goggles.

 

LL: Was there something specific about rowing that endeared you to taking it up?

CM: I think the first time I heard of ocean rowing was during my school days when I learned that the father of one of the pupils had rowed the North Atlantic West to East, in 1966. There was no specific thing as such, but I did feel and still do that it is a huge test of one’s mind and body. I doubt I was thinking that before rowing though!

 

LL: If you were to put together a ‘development plan’ for someone who is interested in tackling challenges that stretches them (the way it did you), what would it look like?

 

CM: I think there has to be a desire within oneself, even if dormant, to want to undertake a challenge. So, a development plan would start with exploring one’s own capabilities. In rowing terms, some opt to throw themselves in feet first so to speak and row the Atlantic as part of one of the organised races. It’s unlikely that these people have never done something challenging beforehand.

Perhaps a series of build up challenges would be suitable, which is certainly how I approached my challenges and is a journey I would recommend to others.

 

LL: Would you say you stick to a specific rowing style?

CM: Yes… get the oar in the water and make the stroke count. Seriously though, I suspect other ocean rowers might agree that given the variable conditions one faces out on the open water, one’s rowing style might adapt stroke by stroke.

Imagine sitting on a Swiss Ball and it can move in any direction at any time… that’s what it can be like on an ocean rowing boat. Now imagine being on a Swiss Ball, moving in any direction at any time and you’re trying to row… Style adapts to conditions.

 

LL: How do you prepare for each of your challenges?

 

CM: The preparation was different every time, but the underlying factor is healthy body, healthy mind. So fitness is essential. My challenges have not required superhuman strength, but have required a strong and positive mental attitude. When the chips are down, accept it, laugh it off, learn from it and move on.

One of the most import aspects of preparation is ‘team support’. Many people may be under the illusion that a solo rower does everything themselves, when in reality the support from the rest of the team creates the conditions for the rower to row. Ensuring one has a good, strong, reliable support team is critical to the success of the challenge.

 

LL: Regarding fitness, what are some low impact workouts you tend to include in your routine?

CM: I prefer to do a mix of fitness training, including mountain biking (which is low impact until you fall off) and CrossFit. When I can, I go for a swim and also use the ergo. Given the opportunity and facilities, I would swim every day.

 

LL: It’s interesting that you touch on that (healthy body, healthy mind), and it certainly supports the “mind over matter” saying. Though some people do just think that they can will their body to do anything! Do you give your mind a workout too?

 

CM: A very good question. My personal way of trying to strengthen the mind is when I have a spare few moments in the day, I try to think of myself on the challenge, for example sat in my rowing boat, surrounded by water, no land at all, heaving away at the oars, making slow progress against wind and current, uncomfortable, blisters, sores, hungry, silent…

Try to imagine the emotions and try to come to terms with them on dry land. I feel this took the edge of the mental state somewhat. I also try to think through these emotions when doing physical exercise.

 

 

LL: How has your diet (and eating habits!) changed over the years?

CM: Whilst training, I might be considered a bad boy. I don’t worry too much about what I eat, but tend to eat what I want whilst using a bit of common sense. I don’t eat fast food regularly, but I will aim to eat fruit and/or veg daily.

On the ocean, fresh fruit and veg might last up to a week maximum, then you really are into ration packs. There are numerous manufacturers supplying some great freeze-dried meals, one my favourites being porridge made by Expedition Foods.

 

 

LL: Would you say it was discipline that got you to where you are as adventurer?

 

CM: Personally speaking yes I think it is discipline, coupled with motivation and also a sense of always wanting to do more, to push my personal limits a bit more each time. I do wonder if I was a millionaire, would I have the same drive and passion.

 

LL: Do you think you’re the guy who always will say: “I’ll stretch myself as much as I can (because it improves you as a person), rather than, I’ll find ways to make myself more comfortable”?

CM: Ordinarily, I am the guy who says, “I’ll stretch myself as much as I can’. That said, in recent times this has been tempered with comfort and spending time with family and friends. I would like to think that if I was bequeathed a large some of money, I would help family, friends and several charities as well as look after my own family.

 

LL: Were there times when you didn’t want to train?

CM: Absolutely, this morning being one of them! I find that at times like this I give myself a quick talking to and remember why I am training… in order to be in the best possible condition prior to undertaking either further specific training, or to be ready for the challenge itself.

 

LL: Have you been always mindful of ergonomics during your adventures and when you train/prepare?

CM: I would like to think that I have been but I’m sure someone else might show me how to do something better, quicker, easier, so I/we are always learning how to be more ergonomic.

When someone does show me a new method, I feel like a child at Christmas again – amazed and thankful.

 

LL: Are there key things you do when you train to prevent injury?

CM: I think the key for me here is to do the basics such as warm up/down and stretch off etc. It’s also important to listen to your body. If it’s screaming in pain, then is it because of lack of fitness, or is it due to injury. If it’s injury, stop. If it’s due to lack of training/fitness then I keep going until my brain wins and says stop.

 

LL: Do you still get colds and flu?

CM: I don’t normally suffer from a cold or flu, but obviously on occasion a bout of man flu can cause a ‘man down’ situation when I depend on my wife for sympathy and to nurse me back to health again… (as if that’s going to happen!)

Training in the cold, ensure you start cold as you’ll soon get warm/hot and ensure you have a warm layer, including a hat to put on after training. I’m referring to UK/temperate climate, so the steps I take may not be the right steps to take in colder or warmer climates.

 

LL: Are your recovery sessions different after you train?

CM: Generally yes. Different training normally requires a different recovery session. If I’ve been sat on an ergo for 30 mins at medium pace, then I would expect my recovery session to be relatively short. If I’ve done a long session, whether out on the mountain bike, out for a run, or a long session on the ergo, then recovery session will be longer and possibly more muscle group specific.

 

LL: Are there specific conditions/areas that you’d be reluctant to tackle?

CM: My comfort zone really is the water. The ocean is a dangerous place but I do feel comfortable out on the water and I respect the power of what water can do.

If I was to truly leave my comfort zone, I would be tackling a mountain or two (with an experienced guide/expedition leader such as Kenton Cool). That said, I’m not reluctant to tackle a mountain but I would be more concerned for my safety than being on an ocean.

 

LL: What sort of signs do you (and your team) look-out for to ensure that conditions to tackle a challenge are suitable?

CM: Well, prior to departing Japan in my bid to row solo across the North Pacific Ocean, the weather conditions were not great for several days. However, a small weather window did present itself and we decided that I should take my chances.

In this case my shore support leader, Tony Humphreys, was checking weather data throughout the preceding days, particularly looking for favourable wind, tide, current etc. I took the chance and it paid off. I rowed about 30 miles offshore from Japan relatively quickly and was far enough offshore that when the weather changed for the worse, it had little effect on me and I could continue rowing east.

 

LL: Do you get fired up more when you are racing in real time?

CM: I’m more fired up for races like the 125mile Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race, a non-stop endurance event which I have completed twice in a folding kayak (Klepper style).

Kayakers see other kayakers throughout the race, but on the ocean you may not see another row boat until the end. On the ocean, I find I’m normally fired up at the start, the halfway point and definitely towards the end!

 

LL: What kind of gear do you bring along with you?

CM: Some of the equipment required on an ocean rowing voyage includes items like spare oars, spare seat parts, para-anchor, para-drogue, basic tools, comprehensive first aid kit, satellite phone, outdoor camera/s, snorkel and mask, spare seat cushions, flasks, watermaker maintenance kit, lots of rations, clothing, sense of humour, music, books, more sense of humour.

LL: What sort of Maintenance do you do on the boats you use?
CM: Maintenance normally includes ensuring the watermaker is working properly. No watermaker, no water, no cooking = challenge over. Keeping the hull free from barnacles and weed is important as this slows the boat down.

Other maintenance might include personal maintenance, blisters, sores etc all need looking after – prevention better than cure.

 

LL: How many cameras do you use when recording a challenge?

CM: I took three cameras on the Pacific. 2 x GoPro and 1 x Oregon Scientific. All cameras were able to [be] fitted outside, with the GoPros fitted to the safety rails and the Oregon fitted above the stern cabin.

All cameras were removed at the end of the day to download video/images and to recharge batteries. I have to say, the Oregon outperformed the GoPro with ease!

 

LL: Did It!? (Outperform the Go Pros) Was it the ATC9K? (I had a look at the product offerings of Oregon Scientific, and they have a wider range of products compared to GoPro — plus, seems like the price is about half of GoPro as well!)

 

CM: In my view it did outperform GoPro, yes, primarily on the battery life but also because it has a wireless remote control and a screen to watch playback – with GoPro you have to pay extra for these. I think the video quality is similar, but perhaps not better (perhaps not noticeably different) and as you say, it was cheaper.

 

 

LL: What’s the story behind the yellow duck!? (Found it at 2:21 in this video)

CM: The yellow duck was one of a few small, lightweight, gifts from Mr Ben Goss, the Chairman of the charity ‘Give Them a Sporting Chance‘, whom I was raising funds for. It was on board for morale purposes.

I think by the time I started my row across the North Pacific, I had three small rubber ducks glued into my cabin. On a ‘down’ day, I could look at the duck and think of Ben. Think of what the charity has done and continues to do. Think of what an inspiration and role model Ben has been for me and no doubt many others.

The simple things that remind me of friends and family back home help get me through the ‘down’ days.

 

LL: I noticed (3:33 in this video) that there are written messages inside your boat. Is that a tradition for each of your adventures?

CM: Prior to departing from New York, to row across the North Atlantic Ocean, numerous friends wrote messages in our cabin. Messages of support, love, maybe even a joke or two. These have an immense morale value and it’s something I encouraged friends and family to do with my solo ocean rowing boat, ‘Blossom’, prior to departing from Japan.

There were quite a few messages as you may have seen, one particularly strong one was from a former WW2 Prisoner of War, Mr Alistair Urquhart (who wrote the book I would recommend you to read, The Forgotten Highlander).

Alistair has been to hell and back more than once and he paraphrased Winston Churchill’s words of ‘Never, give in–never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy’.

 

LL: One of the tricky things to get right is finding the right people to accompany us in journeys. Do you have a method of evaluating (and vetting) individuals who’d be a good fit to join you?

CM: For Team Commando Joe, for all three challenges (Arctic, Atlantic, Desert – I didn’t undertake the desert challenge due to prior commitments), I chose people who had one common background… They were all British Army Commando trained personnel. I knew that with their training, I knew that they could and would keep going, no matter what the conditions.

For my support team one of the best and perhaps easiest decisions to make was to ask Tony Humphreys to be my short support leader. He has a wealth of experience and doesn’t hold back on saying what he thinks.

I have met some incredibly inspirational people though my challenges and through my voluntary charity work that I now have a list of people I could ask to join me on a challenge and who would probably say yes!

 

LL: With sponsors, you have a number of them. Did you get to a point where you’ve had to say no to a sponsorship offer?

CM: Unfortunately, I have never been in the position to be able to turn down sponsorship. The process of getting sponsorship is particularly difficult for some and relatively easier for others. It really rather depends on three factors, who you are, what are you doing, and what does the sponsor want.

One soon learns to take the negative responses, but at first it’s hard. It’s important to remain positive. If you can’t remain positive through the sponsorship process, how do you expect to remain positive when things aren’t going the way you want during your challenge? The process is, I feel, a lot more about who you know than what you know. Your family and friends are your best ambassadors and can champion you in their respective circles.

 

LL: Thanks for allowing your self-portrait to be used for the Q&A. It looks really good! Are there times when you schedule in some time to take photos? (Or was this a rare one, that you wanted to do a self-portrait for use online? Did it take much planning to capture this image?)

CM: Taking pics on the ocean, I don’t normally set aside time for it but when you’re rowing one thing you have a lot of is ‘time’… time to think mainly. So, I often thought what would people on land want to see. Sunset? Dawn? Birds? Waves? Ships? etc. So, aimed to send pics as and when whatever props were on hand at the time.

LL: Do you have a regular schedule of posting blog entries?

CM: Normally it depends on when I think I have something valid to share. I plan to update my blog monthly in due course.. I hope I don’t bore any readers! 😉

 

LL: Are there certain things you could ‘go on talking’ about?

CM: Oh probably yes… I do enjoy talking about ocean rowing but would much rather be in a position to do it (or a challenge) once a year. I do enjoy presenting my adventures to schools with the hope of inspiring a few to try new things.

 

LL: Can you share some of the artists that you absolutely dig, and are surprised that others haven’t heard of?

CM: I don’t listen to enough music. I enjoy music and really should listen to it more often.

My taste, like many others I suspect, is rather eclectic. In no particular order, I enjoy some of the ‘hooked on classics’ tracks, pipes & drums, Genesis, Anastasia, John Legend, the list goes on… and one of the tracks I enjoyed on the ocean a few years ago was Kelly Clarkson’s ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’.

 

LL: Do you go out of your way to discover new music?

CM: Not usually, but I have asked friends in the past to send me their preferred music choices when training, so that I can take these tracks with me on a challenge.

 

LL: Where do you go for inspiration?

CM: I think sub-consciously some inspiration has come from my Grandfather and my father. Modern day legends such as John Ridgway, Ranulph Fiennes, Brian Thompson are also inspiring.

I do get a huge amount of inspiration from those whom are less fortunate than others, yet still manage to beat the odds and undertake huge challenges. Row 2 Recovery is one example and another is Natasha Lambert (aka Miss Isle).

 

LL: What’s your view about social media?

CM: Social media can be incredibly positive and informative. There are some great tools to try to inform people about challenges and the obvious platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are great for this. If/when I finally stop doing challenges, I will probably reduce my time on social media too.

 

LL: What are your favourite sites at the moment?

CM: Twitter, facebook, snapchat

 

LL: Do you currently post at any Forums?

CM: I don’t post in any forums for a number of reasons and one of the key ones is that old chestnut… ‘time’! Not enough time in the day.

I would much rather meet people to discuss issues, or perhaps speak over the fun rather than writing in a forum where the message can be so easily misinterpreted.

 

 

LL: When someone meets you for the first time (reads about you, or watches you on an interview) what sort of message are you hoping they’ll take with them after chatting with you for an hour or so?

CM: Looking to inspire others is my reflex answer. My hashtag, or perhaps should I say the hashtag I prefer to use is #InspiredToDoMore

 

LL: Are you interested in technology?

CM: I do like new gadgets if they are ergonomic, otherwise I’m not so keen.

I use a MacBook Pro for day to day use which I have had for four years and just like it was when it was new. Easy to use, clear screen and never crashes. Technology on my boat I do take seriously. I use a Panasonic Toughbook, which I link up to my Fleet Broadband (FB) 150 unit to send emails, images, videos and to receive emails. I normally have two or three cameras on board as well as an e-reader.

 

LL: With your videos, are you looking to upload the same kind in the future? Or are you looking to do different things?

CM: I would like to mix it up a bit next time and taking requests to talk about specific topics is a great idea. I would focus on one video a week on average, of about 30 seconds long.

 

LL: If you were asked to pick from the videos you have, which one would be your favourite?

CM: Probably the one where I’m wearing my military uniform, doing a piece to camera, for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second for 2012, Diamond Jubilee. It made the news in the UK and we were lucky enough to receive a thank you from Buckingham Palace too.

 

LL: What do you find is the best way to connect with your audience?

CM: On the ocean the best way is by twitter (I think!). On the ocean it was tough and time consuming (answering individual questions and emails) and it has been a good learning point. Next time, I must keep responses limited due to time taken up replying.

 

LL: What are your thoughts on YouTube and Vimeo, have you noticed distinct differences in terms of managing and sharing videos?

CM: I have no preference. Alex Fine covered my Pacific 2012 challenge and he suggested using Vimeo, while I was posting on YouTube. I think YouTube has more users – but I could be wrong – so I would prefer to use YouTube for that reason.

 

 

 

 

 

Charlie Martell is an adventurer based in Cirencester. You can find his videos on YouTube and Vimeo, and can reach him through the first form below. He is currently planning for future adventures and open to speaking invitations from schools and organisations (both Profit and Non-Profit).

 

Photo: Charlie Martell (Self-Portrait)
Location: Choshi Marina

Source Material and Notes: The material posted is based on correspondence (August 2014 – January 2015) between Charlie and Leigh. Content has been edited for length, and the final version has been reviewed and approved by the interviewee.

Leigh Lim is a musician based at Sydney. You can find a sample of her music here. To reach out to Leigh, you can do so via this form or a direct message through YouTube. (Curious to find out if she’s your kind of person? You can check out her tweets and personal entries.)

Notes:

• If there are things that you’d like to know about Charlie that I have not covered, please do leave a note (using the second form gives me an option of putting up your message with the option of getting Charlie to answer).
• Corrections and additional information: Spot one? Let me know!
• Q&A Suggestions (individuals or groups) and feedback (specific or general) are always welcome. 🙂
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• Following each Q&A session I post a separate entry (The Quote Jar: Six) that would be a companion piece to Charlie’s Q&A.
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