Virgil Donati
Encyclopedia
Virgil Donati is an Australian drummer
, frequent drum clinician and a producer. He is currently playing with the band Planet X
and Seven the Hardway
among other projects. Virgil is perhaps most well known for his fast, highly technical drumming skills. He holds the drum sticks in the traditional style
and is also proficient at the keyboard
.
, Australia
of Italian
descent. He got his first drumset at age 2. He started playing soon after with his father's showband, and kept on doing these shows until he was around 6 years old.
He joined his first major rock band and signed with his first major record label at the age of 15. The band was first called Cloud Nine, but was later renamed Taste, with whom he recorded 3 albums. Soon after at age 16, Donati left school focusing mainly on the drums, but also piano. At age 19 Donati travelled to the U.S. to study with Philly Joe Jones
, and at Dick Groves School in Los Angeles
. He also took lessons from snare drum specialist Murray Spivack.
Donati returned to Australia
at the age of 21 where his career finally took off. Playing jazz with Allan Zavod and Brian Brown, and rock with Peter Cupples' band, he was a busy touring and session drummer in Australia. His own pop band, The State turned into Southern Sons
, which led to Donati's first taste of international fame, with their self-titled debut selling multi-platinum and producing the international hit single 'Heart In Danger'.
During the 1980s Donati's drumming was a feature of the Melbourne-based jazz-rock fusion band 'Changes' (Virgil Donati Drums, Joe Chindamo
Keyboards, Mark Domoney Guitar, Steve Hadley Bass, John Barrett Saxophone), which later became 'Loose Change' (a quartet - same lineup as 'Changes' minus Saxophone).
The big break came in 1995 where Donati's first solo album Stretch was released. In 1999 Donati released On The Virg: Serious Young Insects through Melbourne based record company Vorticity Music.
In 2004, Donati was voted the no.1 clinician of the year by the readers of the popular drummer magazine, Modern Drummer
.
In 1999, Ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian
hired Virgil to play drums, and co-write on his debut solo record Planet X
. The collaboration morphed into the metal-fusion band Planet X
. Together they have released three studio albums; Universe
, MoonBabies
, Quantum
, and one live album, Live from Oz
. Donati has also made numerous live appearances worldwide with fusion
leaders Scott Henderson
and Tribal Tech
.
In 2007, he toured with French superstar Michel Polnareff
on his sold out comeback tour of France.
On 15 March 2007, his website Virgildonati.com exclusively launched a special 2-disc DVD digipak from his clinic in Stockholm during the Bass n' Drum festival of 2005.
In 2009, Donati returned to Australia for the first time in 4 years, playing on the Drumscene Live Tour along with Thomas Pridgen
and Dom Famularo
, as well as playing at the Australia's Ultimate Drummers Weekend in his hometown Melbourne
.
These days, Donati lives and spends most of his time in the United States
playing with a number of different bands. Donati was also one of seven drummers auditioned to replace Mike Portnoy
in Dream Theater
.
Famously independent and very strictly self-disciplined, Virgil has not had the time for a life outside music. In an interview with Modern Drummer magazine, the issue which came out in mid-1999, when asked about marriage, Virgil said, 'I think you have to be very strong to stick to your goals in life... So far I've resisted the choice of marriage and the many distractions they can bring.'
and Buddy Rich
albums, Donati quickly became a fan of those great jazz drummers, trying to emulate their solos. The first rock drummer to make a big impact on him was Ian Paice
of Deep Purple
. Donati was “blown away by his clarity and power”.
drum kit consists of a 22x18 bass drum, 10x9 tom, 12x9 tom, 14x12 tom, 16x16 floor tom, 18x16 floor tom, 14x5 Virgil Donati snare drum accompanied by a sopranino snare. He also frequently uses innovative 'air toms' which are toms that meet the players head height above the existing toms. Virgil also uses Pearl hardware. He plays Sabian cymbals, including his signature Saturation Crash cymbals, Remo drumheads, Vater Virgil Donati's Assault sticks and signature Urban Boards Virgil Donati drumming shoes.
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, frequent drum clinician and a producer. He is currently playing with the band Planet X
Planet X (band)
Planet X is an instrumental rock/progressive metal supergroup, founded by keyboardist Derek Sherinian and drummer Virgil Donati. Throughout a decade of activity, they have released three studio albums and one live album, each with a variety of guest musicians and oft-changing...
and Seven the Hardway
Seven the Hardway
Seven the Hardway is a US progressive rock band formed in 2009 consisting of Tony MacAlpine, Virgil Donati, Mark Boals, Doug Shreeve and Stefanía Daniel....
among other projects. Virgil is perhaps most well known for his fast, highly technical drumming skills. He holds the drum sticks in the traditional style
Traditional grip
Traditional grip is a technique used to hold drum sticks while playing percussion instruments. Unlike matched grip, each hand holds the stick differently. Commonly, the right hand uses an overhand grip and the left hand uses an underhand grip...
and is also proficient at the keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
.
Biography
Virgil Donati was born on 22 October 1958 in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
of Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
descent. He got his first drumset at age 2. He started playing soon after with his father's showband, and kept on doing these shows until he was around 6 years old.
He joined his first major rock band and signed with his first major record label at the age of 15. The band was first called Cloud Nine, but was later renamed Taste, with whom he recorded 3 albums. Soon after at age 16, Donati left school focusing mainly on the drums, but also piano. At age 19 Donati travelled to the U.S. to study with Philly Joe Jones
Philly Joe Jones
Joseph Rudolph Jones was a Philadelphia-born United States jazz drummer, known as the drummer for the Miles Davis Quintet.Philly Joe Jones was often confused with another influential jazz drummer, Jo Jones...
, and at Dick Groves School in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He also took lessons from snare drum specialist Murray Spivack.
Donati returned to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
at the age of 21 where his career finally took off. Playing jazz with Allan Zavod and Brian Brown, and rock with Peter Cupples' band, he was a busy touring and session drummer in Australia. His own pop band, The State turned into Southern Sons
Southern Sons
Southern Sons was an Australian band, originally billed as The State, best known in Australia in the early 90's for their hits 'Heart In Danger' and 'Hold Me In Your Arms'...
, which led to Donati's first taste of international fame, with their self-titled debut selling multi-platinum and producing the international hit single 'Heart In Danger'.
During the 1980s Donati's drumming was a feature of the Melbourne-based jazz-rock fusion band 'Changes' (Virgil Donati Drums, Joe Chindamo
Joe Chindamo
Joe Chindamo is an Australian pianist and composer residing in Melbourne. In 2009, "Something Will Come to Light" , written by Chindamo, won the 'Jazz Work of the Year' at the Australasian Performing Right Association Awards, his "Moments and Eternities" was also nominated.His music has been used...
Keyboards, Mark Domoney Guitar, Steve Hadley Bass, John Barrett Saxophone), which later became 'Loose Change' (a quartet - same lineup as 'Changes' minus Saxophone).
The big break came in 1995 where Donati's first solo album Stretch was released. In 1999 Donati released On The Virg: Serious Young Insects through Melbourne based record company Vorticity Music.
In 2004, Donati was voted the no.1 clinician of the year by the readers of the popular drummer magazine, Modern Drummer
Modern Drummer
Modern Drummer is a monthly publication targeting the interests of on drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, and columns offering advice on technique, as well as information for the general public...
.
In 1999, Ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian
Derek Sherinian
Derek Sherinian is a rock keyboardist who has toured and recorded for Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, Yngwie Malmsteen, Kiss, and Alice In Chains. He was also a member of Dream Theater and is the founder of the instrumental metal-fusion band Planet X...
hired Virgil to play drums, and co-write on his debut solo record Planet X
Planet X (album)
Planet X is the first studio album by keyboardist Derek Sherinian, released in 1999 through Magna Carta Records. The album was co-written by Sherinian and drummer Virgil Donati on the recommendation of Shrapnel Records founder Mike Varney...
. The collaboration morphed into the metal-fusion band Planet X
Planet X (band)
Planet X is an instrumental rock/progressive metal supergroup, founded by keyboardist Derek Sherinian and drummer Virgil Donati. Throughout a decade of activity, they have released three studio albums and one live album, each with a variety of guest musicians and oft-changing...
. Together they have released three studio albums; Universe
Universe (Planet X album)
Universe is the first studio album by Planet X, released on June 6, 2000 through InsideOut Music. It is essentially a continuation of keyboardist Derek Sherinian's first solo album, Planet X , but this time as a full band effort.-Track listing:...
, MoonBabies
MoonBabies
- Personnel :* Tony MacAlpine – electric guitar* Derek Sherinian – keyboard* Virgil Donati – drums* Tom Kennedy – bass guitar * Billy Sheehan – bass guitar * Jimmy Johnson – bass guitar...
, Quantum
Quantum (album)
-Personnel:*Brett Garsed – electric guitar, production*Allan Holdsworth – additional guitar solos *Derek Sherinian – keyboard, production*Virgil Donati – drums, orchestration, production*Jimmy Johnson – bass guitar...
, and one live album, Live from Oz
Live From Oz
-Personnel:*Tony MacAlpine – electric guitar, production*Derek Sherinian – keyboard, production*Virgil Donati – drums, production*Dave LaRue – bass guitar*Albert Law – engineering*Simon Phillips – mixing*Brad Vance – mastering-Release history:...
. Donati has also made numerous live appearances worldwide with fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
leaders Scott Henderson
Scott Henderson
Scott Henderson is a fusion and blues guitarist best known for his work with the band Tribal Tech.-Early days:Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, Henderson began playing guitar at an early age...
and Tribal Tech
Tribal Tech
Tribal Tech is a progressive fusion band, originally formed in 1984 by guitarist Scott Henderson and bass player Gary Willis. From 1993 forward the band included Scott Kinsey on keyboard and Kirk Covington on drums, and has produced nine albums that stretch the borders between blues, jazz, and rock...
.
In 2007, he toured with French superstar Michel Polnareff
Michel Polnareff
Michel Polnareff, born in Nérac on 3 July 1944, is a French singer-songwriter who was very popular from the mid-1960s until the early 1980s...
on his sold out comeback tour of France.
On 15 March 2007, his website Virgildonati.com exclusively launched a special 2-disc DVD digipak from his clinic in Stockholm during the Bass n' Drum festival of 2005.
In 2009, Donati returned to Australia for the first time in 4 years, playing on the Drumscene Live Tour along with Thomas Pridgen
Thomas Pridgen
Thomas Armon Pridgen is an American drummer, best known for his role as the drummer of The Mars Volta from October 31, 2006 until October 23, 2009, and currently the drummer for his own project The Memorials as well as hard rock supergroup Giraffe Tongue Orchestra.-Biography:Pridgen won the Guitar...
and Dom Famularo
Dom Famularo
Dom Famularo , is a professional drummer, drum teacher, author, clinician and motivational speaker.-Biography:...
, as well as playing at the Australia's Ultimate Drummers Weekend in his hometown Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
These days, Donati lives and spends most of his time in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
playing with a number of different bands. Donati was also one of seven drummers auditioned to replace Mike Portnoy
Mike Portnoy
Michael Stephen "Mike" Portnoy is an American drummer primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, as well as the temporary drummer for the hard rock band Avenged Sevenfold. Known for his drumming prowess and technical...
in Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
.
Famously independent and very strictly self-disciplined, Virgil has not had the time for a life outside music. In an interview with Modern Drummer magazine, the issue which came out in mid-1999, when asked about marriage, Virgil said, 'I think you have to be very strong to stick to your goals in life... So far I've resisted the choice of marriage and the many distractions they can bring.'
Influences
With his father's choice of records, including Louie BellsonLouie Bellson
Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni , better known by the stage name Louie Bellson , was an Italian-American jazz drummer...
and Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich
Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.-Early life:...
albums, Donati quickly became a fan of those great jazz drummers, trying to emulate their solos. The first rock drummer to make a big impact on him was Ian Paice
Ian Paice
Ian Anderson Paice is an English musician, best known as the drummer of the English rock band Deep Purple. As of Jon Lord's departure in 2002, he is the only founding member of the band who never stopped performing with the group, and the only member to appear on every album the band has...
of Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
. Donati was “blown away by his clarity and power”.
Equipment
His PearlPearl Drums
Founded in 1952, the is a multinational corporation based in Japan with a wide range of products, predominately percussion instruments.-History:Pearl was founded by Katsumi Yanagisawa, who began manufacturing music stands in Sumida, Tokyo on April 2, 1946...
drum kit consists of a 22x18 bass drum, 10x9 tom, 12x9 tom, 14x12 tom, 16x16 floor tom, 18x16 floor tom, 14x5 Virgil Donati snare drum accompanied by a sopranino snare. He also frequently uses innovative 'air toms' which are toms that meet the players head height above the existing toms. Virgil also uses Pearl hardware. He plays Sabian cymbals, including his signature Saturation Crash cymbals, Remo drumheads, Vater Virgil Donati's Assault sticks and signature Urban Boards Virgil Donati drumming shoes.
As leader
- Virgil Donati: Stretch
- On The Virg: Serious Young Insects
- Just Add Water
As bandmember
- Devil's Slingshot: Clinophobia
- Taste: Tickle Your Fancy
- Taste: Knights of Love
- Loose Change: Live At The Grainstore
- The State: Elementary
- Southern Sons: Southern Sons
- Southern Sons: Nothing But The Truth
- Southern Sons: Zone
- Planet X: Universe
- Planet X: Live From Oz
- Planet X: Moonbabies
- Planet X: Quantum
- Freakhouse: Beautiful Misery
- Ring Of Fire: The Oracle
- Ring Of Fire: Burning Live In Tokyo
- Ring Of Fire: Dreamtower
- Ring Of Fire: Lapse Of Reality
- Soul SirkUS: World Play
As session player
- Jesus Christ Superstar: The Album
- Jon Stevens: Are U Satisfied
- Jon Stevens: Circle
- Garsed/Helmerich: Under The Lash Of Gravity
- Montreal Drumfest: Live
- Derek Sherinian: Planet X
- Steve Walsh: Glossolalia
- Joel Hoekstra: Undefined
- Mark Boals: Ring Of Fire
- Joel Hoekstra: The Moon Is Falling
- Bunny Brunel: LA Zoo Revisited
- Erik Norlander: Music Machine
- Alfie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
- Joseph Williams/Vertigo: 2
- CAB: Live At The Baked Potato
- Sir Millard Mulch: How to Sell the Whole Fucking Universe to Everybody... Once and for All