{"id":28784,"date":"2021-06-10T10:49:11","date_gmt":"2021-06-10T17:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/?p=28784"},"modified":"2022-08-22T09:14:38","modified_gmt":"2022-08-22T16:14:38","slug":"the-rhythms-of-comedy-josh-harmon-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/the-rhythms-of-comedy-josh-harmon-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rhythms Of Comedy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>It\u2019s tough to go viral on any platform, especially as a drummer. But when you do, it\u2019s usually because you\u2019re doing something unexpected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drummer Josh Harmon has gone viral multiple times, and he now has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@joshplaysdrums?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">over 2 million followers on TikTok<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/josh_harmon_\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">over 300,000 followers on Instagram<\/a>. He\u2019s one of the most popular drummers on TikTok. His videos regularly get over a million views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because they&#8217;re relatable to everybody, not just musicians. He\u2019s creating sound effects for film and TV clips on his drums. Like a one man soundtrack (with a constant smile on his face), he&#8217;s amassed a huge audience while landing a feature on The Tonight Show, dream brand endorsements (Ludwig, Vic Firth, Zildjian, and Remo), and other opportunities he never even imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His most popular video, posted in February 2021, has racked up over 134 million views:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@joshplaysdrums\/video\/6930367387095092485\" data-video-id=\"6930367387095092485\" data-embed-from=\"oembed\" style=\"max-width:605px; min-width:325px;\"> <section> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"@joshplaysdrums\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@joshplaysdrums?refer=embed\" rel=\"noopener\">@joshplaysdrums<\/a> <p>Recreating all the sounds from the cooking scene in <a title=\"ratatouille\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/ratatouille?refer=embed\" rel=\"noopener\">#ratatouille<\/a> with drums<\/p> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"\u266c Rasputin (Single Version) - Boney M.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/Rasputin-Single-Version-242977707800637440?refer=embed\" rel=\"noopener\">\u266c Rasputin (Single Version) &#8211; Boney M.<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s at least one thing that Josh understands more than the average drummer: rhythm is literally <em>everywhere<\/em>. It\u2019s in the footsteps we take when we walk down the street. It\u2019s in the cadence of a curtain rustling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Everything we do can be broken down into rhythms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Josh has been drumming since he was 4 years old and studied with established jazz drummer Tommy Campbell and SNL\u2019s house drummer Shawn Pelton. But he never planned to pursue music as a career. He majored in French literature, going to France to make a documentary on French drummers and writing about the history of the snare drum for his thesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But he\u2019s now seeing the ways he can combine his two \u201cquirky passions\u201d: drumming and comedy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A writer for Today.com, Josh is also a comedian, and started his series of drumming-to-video-clips by drumming along to funny stuff. In an ongoing series dubbed \u201cRhythms Of Comedy\u201d, he uses drumming to bring out the rhythmic delivery of stand up comedians (like Bo Burnham) and comedic TV and movie scenes (like Brooklyn 99), and it landed him <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tv\/CIlVB4UhQGV\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">a feature on The Tonight Show<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Josh loves to study great stand up comedians and, as he says, \u201ctry to figure out what\u2019s going on mechanically with their delivery.\u201d Jerry Seinfeld, Eric Andre, Andy Kaufman, Hannah Gadsby, and Bo Burnham are among his biggest influences, all of whom he says have great rhythm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@joshplaysdrums\/video\/6873850136091544838\" data-video-id=\"6873850136091544838\" data-embed-from=\"oembed\" style=\"max-width:605px; min-width:325px;\"> <section> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"@joshplaysdrums\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@joshplaysdrums?refer=embed\" rel=\"noopener\">@joshplaysdrums<\/a> <p>It\u2019s @songpsych for comedy. Thanks for 1M on the original! bg music by bensound <a title=\"comedy\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/comedy?refer=embed\" rel=\"noopener\">#comedy<\/a> <a title=\"learnontiktok\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/learnontiktok?refer=embed\" rel=\"noopener\">#learnontiktok<\/a> <a title=\"musician\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/musician?refer=embed\" rel=\"noopener\">#musician<\/a> <a title=\"foryou\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/foryou?refer=embed\" rel=\"noopener\">#foryou<\/a> <a title=\"standupcomedy\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/standupcomedy?refer=embed\" rel=\"noopener\">#standupcomedy<\/a> <a title=\"rhythm\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/rhythm?refer=embed\" rel=\"noopener\">#rhythm<\/a><\/p> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"\u266c original sound - Josh Harmon\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/original-sound-6873850038137735941?refer=embed\" rel=\"noopener\">\u266c original sound &#8211; Josh Harmon<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>DRUMEO: Is there something about drumming that non-drummers can relate to? Do you think comedy can bridge the gap?<\/strong><br><br>JOSH HARMON: There\u2019s a way the sentences feel when you\u2019re reading a book. The Beatles said, \u201cThere\u2019s something in the way she moves.\u201d That\u2019s what rhythm is. It\u2019s this underlying thing beneath the words and melody. It\u2019s an indescribable layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What did you think when Fred Armisen put out \u2018Standup for Drummers\u2019?<\/strong><br><br>I love Fred. He\u2019s one of my heroes. He\u2019s talking about something hyper specific, like wingnuts on cymbals, and it\u2019s really funny to me. My family thought it was funny and they don\u2019t play the drums (or maybe they\u2019ve just seen me do it). Fred took something so specific and made it accessible to a large number of people without losing its true nature.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a real community around drums. I don\u2019t know if other instruments have that same culture. Drummers really have a bond.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>It seems like we hear more about standup comedians who happen to be drummers than about drummers who are also standup comedians. Maybe the general public talks more about comedians than they do about drummers.<\/strong><br><br>There\u2019s a long tradition of comedians who play drums, like Jon Stewart, Fred Astaire, and Johnny Carson. David Letterman loved to ask guests, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=M65Dx0STe2M\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Are those your drums<\/a>?\u201d<br><br>If you have good rhythmic intuition, you can be a good drummer and a great speaker. As George Carlin says, \u201cIt\u2019s not just telling jokes; it\u2019s rhetoric.\u201d It\u2019s the rhythm you give the words that makes it funny.<br><br>If you were to read a Dave Chapelle routine word for word, it might be kind of funny, but not as funny as hearing him do it. If you sat down on Steve Jordan\u2019s drum set, you still wouldn\u2019t sound like Steve Jordan. Both drummers and comedians have a rhythmic personality. You could tell the same joke and not be as funny. You could play the same beat but not be as groovy. Rhythm is so integral to someone\u2019s personality. You can imitate it, but you can\u2019t <em>be<\/em> it.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/04172743\/josh-doing-_standup_--677x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28802\" width=\"339\" height=\"512\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/04172743\/josh-doing-_standup_--677x1024.png 677w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/04172743\/josh-doing-_standup_--198x300.png 198w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/04172743\/josh-doing-_standup_--768x1162.png 768w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/04172743\/josh-doing-_standup_-.png 814w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 339px) 100vw, 339px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why do you think people find it entertaining to watch you play drums to comedy clips?<\/strong> <strong>Do you think there\u2019s something inherently comedic in drums themselves?<\/strong><br><br>Drums aren\u2019t inherently funny; drums simply amplify the thoughts and feelings of the person playing them. Sometimes the person playing them is funny, like Papa Jo Jones: that guy was hilarious and a brilliant virtuoso. The way he played has a comical element to it: joyous, effortless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, Ginger Baker and Tony Williams were not funny. The drums take whoever you are and push out a message that\u2019s beyond words. The drum is just a communication device.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>TikTok is a great platform to interact with other musicians, especially by using the \u2018duets\u2019 feature. What do you think is the best way to stand out from other drummers on TikTok? <\/strong><strong><br><\/strong><br>I don\u2019t consider myself a \u2018TikToker\u2019. I\u2019m not a social media guy; my videos happen to be on there to be seen and create a community. I make videos that are fun to make, and that\u2019s the only thing I think about, not \u201cis this going to get a lot of views\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If it\u2019s fun for you to break down double stroke rolls, that translates. If that\u2019s not who you are, don\u2019t do that. Don\u2019t be afraid to zag when other people zig.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep trying new things. I didn\u2019t come up with this concept instantly; sometimes you have to push it further and experiment. Even if it\u2019s not your best video, post it anyway, and learn from the feedback.&nbsp; If something takes off, see what sticks, and make more like that if you want.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t feel like posting, don\u2019t. I only make a video when I feel like it, and that helps me maintain a healthy relationship with social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I put myself out there and I think it takes some practice. I still sometimes get nervous about doing it, but I get less and less nervous every time. Keep working on it; you never know what will happen or who will see it.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CP3XoHjhLDe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"593\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/04172251\/assembly.00_04_07_12.Still003-1024x593.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28797\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/04172251\/assembly.00_04_07_12.Still003-1024x593.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/04172251\/assembly.00_04_07_12.Still003-300x174.jpg 300w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/04172251\/assembly.00_04_07_12.Still003-768x445.jpg 768w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/04172251\/assembly.00_04_07_12.Still003-1536x889.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/04172251\/assembly.00_04_07_12.Still003.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Josh performed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CP3XoHjhLDe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">&#8220;Rhythms Of Comedy&#8221; live with comedian Mark Normand<\/a> at The Stand Comedy Club in NYC for two sold-out nights. &#8220;He did his act and I improvised behind him doing my best to flow with the structure of his jokes. We had never rehearsed it before \u2013 so it was totally new for both of us. What a rush!&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do you think you\u2019ll incorporate drumming, or jokes about music, into your future standup routines?<\/strong><br><br>Definitely. That is the plan. I\u2019d like to try to use drums to do something more than just \u2018play the drums\u2019. Like what Antonio S\u00e1nchez did with <em>Birdman<\/em>, it\u2019s more than just drums, it\u2019s a story.<br><br>I would like to turn \u201cRhythms of Comedy\u201d into a full blown Broadway experience or comedy special. Something authentic with rhythms and speech and storytelling.<br><br>What about the history of the <em>ba dum tss<\/em>? Why is it funny? Is it ingrained in us? That is an example of how a rhythm can contain emotional information. It makes you laugh the same way stadium claps get you excited.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Is there anything else you want drummers to take away from this conversation?<\/strong><br><br>I love to play the drums, but I\u2019m trying to take it to a new place, challenge myself, and keep myself entertained. For drummers out there who are reading this, you don\u2019t have to play something because someone says you should. You don\u2019t have to learn jazz if that style doesn\u2019t appeal to you. You don\u2019t have to learn left foot clave to be considered a good drummer. What I encourage others to do &#8211; and what I\u2019m trying to do &#8211; is keep pursuing the things that interest you. You might go further than you thought, and end up at a surprising and interesting place.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recreating sound effects on the drums isn\u2019t random &#8211; it\u2019s a culmination of other ideas. I kept doing what interested me and it brought me to this place. Have fun! Drumming is fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The number one comment on my videos is, \u201cHe looks like he\u2019s having a great time. He makes me want to play the drums.\u201d It\u2019s contagious. People get so wrapped up in paradiddle combinations or how to tune. Have more fun!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ba dum tss! Josh Harmon, one of the most followed drummers on TikTok, talks about what happens when drums meet comedy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":28796,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4019,4039],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drummers","category-interviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/124"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28784"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30506,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28784\/revisions\/30506"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}