Rich Redmond’s C.R.A.S.H. Course for Success!
Rich Redmond and I go way back. As in, waaaaaaaay back – to the 80′s, that is. That’s when we met at Texas Tech University as percussionists in the music education department. Actually, he was the percussionst. I was just a drummer. The moment Rich stepped on campus, it was obvious that there was something special about this guy. Even as a teenager, he had this – I’m not sure what it is, really – “quality” about him. Maybe it was the confidence that oozed from him. Maybe it was charisma. Maybe it was . . . heck, i don’t know what it was. But, whatever it was, he had it – “The X Factor.”
Haven’t you had the experience when you meet someone and there’s just “something” about the person? It makes you think, “Wow, is this person like famous or something?” Rich Redmond is that person. (Truth is, back then even as a teenager, Rich was famous – REALLY FAMOUS. Except the only person on the planet that knew he was famous was Rich.)
Anyway, Rich and I have kept in touch over the years. I’m on the road doing my thing with teachers and Rich is in the studio and on the road playing drums for Jason Aldean, a platinum-selling country music artist.
Over the last few years Rich has done some clinics for drummers. They were all really drummer specific where he would talk about his journey and what took to become a high-demand, recording and touring Nashville drummer. Recently, our conversations about his clinics have shifted. You see, of course Rich wants to help up and coming drummers, but he also wanted to do more. He wanted to use his amazing talent and ability to reach even more people.
As a result, today Rich is presenting his “CRASH Course for Success” to audiences across the nation when he’s not playing in the studio or the stadium. I recently had a chance to go check out a presentation he did for a couple hundred high school band students over at Seven Lakes High School in Katy ISD. Rich uses the acronym CRASH for teaching the foundation for success: Commitment, Relationships, Attitude, Skill, and Hunger. I will tell you this: Rich’s presentation is good. Damn good. Rich is engaging, he tells stories, he plays drums, and most importantly: THE STUDENTS LOVED IT!
And, I also figured out what “The X-Factor” about Rich is. You know what it is? It’s his passion. Rarely do you see anyone so authentically passionate about something in their life. Whether he’s in front of 10 kids or 10′s of thousands of beer-swillin’ Jason Aldean fans, you get the same thing from Rich – an 18 wheeler full of passion. See what I mean. Check out this CLIP of Rich from one of his workshops and do 2 things:
First, remember he’s playing in front of just a handful of kids, not the Superdome. And second, while your watching go ahead and turn the sound down. Just watch. Don’t listen, just look. See what THAT kind of passion looks like. The kind of passion that fills every cell.
The question is, as educators, are we bringing THAT kind of passion to our classrooms for our kids? As teachers, when we step “on stage” in front of the kids, are we filling our souls to the brim with that kind of excitement, enthusiasm, and passion for teaching and learning?
As we talk about in our Teach Like A Rock Star events for educators . . . If we’re going to see it in our kids, we have to be it in front of them everyday. We can’t grow it in the kids, until we can show them exactly what it looks like.
A HUGE thanks to Rich Redmond for reminding us all of that great lesson.
Rock on!
~Hal
Rich Redmond’s CRASH Course Video Trailer:
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