Rickie Mazzotta - Sound Profile Interview

Rickie Mazzotta

Drummer and founding member of the explosive and influential band mewithoutYou.

As the group is entering their final year touring, Rickie shares advice and opens up about his recent experiences with Tinnitus and hearing loss: “It is life altering. It happens without warning. It is something to take as seriously as you take your craft.”

Photo credit: Nick Karp

Earmark: What (or who) first drew you towards music making?

Rickie: I got into listening to and subsequently attempting to play music when I was in about sixth or seventh grade. I was a pre-teen when the grunge explosion hit in 92-93 and as an avid MTV watcher, I was a ripe candidate for being the target audience. I was largely influenced by that type of “alternative” rock music and had an uncle who would get me records and take me to concerts as well as a best friend who shared in the same interests. For its time, it was fresh and unique, deviating from the L.A. glam scene that dominated the mainstream. I wasn’t sure how I fit in with all my classmates at school so it seemed like a natural pairing - grunge was about just wearing whatever you wanted and writing songs however you wanted. It also appeared to me that anybody could do it, you didn’t need costumes or even that much skill to get going.

My parents got me a boombox for my 13th birthday alongside Nirvana’s “In Utero” and the Smashing Pumpkins “Siamese Dream” on CD. A year later I would get a drum kit and start to play along to all types of LPs that my Dad had laying around. One particular performance left an impression on me; Nirvana in December of 93 on MTV’s Live and Loud. Dave Grohl was playing so hard and the whole vibe of the performance kind of stuck a chord with me and really put the idea in my head that I wanted to be a drummer; It didn’t hurt that my main boy at the time got a guitar for Christmas. But all in all, growing up in the Lollapalooza era with so many great bands was what set me on the course of being a musician.

Is there someone who inspires you, musically?

This is always one of the hardest questions to answer, it never really is just one musician or album that inspired/inspires me but the sum of many parts fusing together. When I started taking drums seriously, Jimmy Chamberlain was my go to guru, Dave Grohl too. I ripped so many things from their playing, heck, all the people I am about to mention I took all I could from. With how they presented their art, there was never anything that felt too impossible to emulate even though, at times, it was fairly technical, especially being a self taught drummer. As I progressed and got older, Abe Cunningham from the Deftones really pushed me to play harder and be dedicated to keeping a certain level of intensity while performing. Brendan Canty of Fugazi introduced me to elements of rhythm I was not familiar with that added many volumes to my musical knowledge. My Dad always use to tell me that whenever I was around somebody who knew more than me that I was to “pick their brains” and using music as my primary form of entertainment, I always soaked as much as I could when I listened. As of now, being almost 40, every day it changes. It could be Jerry Garcia on a Friday and then Kim Deal come Monday morning with so many other artists and genres in-between. I really do not have any boundaries of where I pull from (even though I am have almost exclusively been talking about “rock music”). If it is audible and makes me feel something, it is fair game to drive my creativity.

What is your current monitoring setup used when performing and rehearsing?

This current tour, with Thrice, I was forced to make the jump to custom molded in ear monitors, using Westone ES30 earphones. Prior to that, the past year and a half I was using generic in ears that were my introduction into the “in ear world”. And before all of that, I was using a standard stage monitor, almost exclusively on my left side. I would say foolishly but I truly didn’t know any other way to do it. My reason for waiting so long probably had something to do with the initial cost it takes to get an IEM set up and just being a creature of “whatever is easiest” habit. Looking back now, with what I know and now feel, it would have been worth it from day one. I do understand however that it is not necessarily practical for people starting out.

Hearing Conservation is a general term that means "maintaining one’s current hearing health by reducing the risk of acquiring hearing damage from noise/music exposure." How do you think Hearing Conservation plays into your career and life?

Hearing Conservation right now in my life is as important as having a pair of drumsticks on stage with me. Without going into too much detail, over the past six months, I have had several health issues that called into question whether or not I could ever perform on a stage again. The ones that pertain most to the job that I do with mewithoutYou are moderate hearing loss and the development of Tinnitus. I guess I thought it was dorky to wear ear plugs on stage or that the show’s energy wouldn’t be the same. I used to think that I couldn’t feel the music when we were all playing together. I had a litany of excuses as to why I wasn’t blessing my future self with the gift of pure silence. What is the old saying about hindsight? Had I only gotten used to protecting my ears whenever I practiced, that may have translated over to the live show and potentially, I wouldn’t have gotten myself mixed up with the never ending ringing that is now in my ears/brain. Things changed almost on a dime with my entire way of living and how I treat myself and what I put in my body. The conservation and preservation of what I am left to work with physically, here on earth, is paramount to my well being. So please, if you are reading this, take all aspects of your health seriously - you never know when the bottom may drop out on you.

You've been performing with the dynamic, eclectic, and energetic band mewithoutYou for close to 2 decades now. Has your approach to performance changed as you have grown increasingly aware of your hearing health?

Well, being that this is the first tour since my hearing has changed, I am at the infantile stages of how my approach is morphing. For starters, I am using the custom molds as well as shotgun style ear muffs over top of my outer ears; it could be overkill but it's worth my peace of mind. I used to hit as hard as I could - that is no longer happening. I am giving what I think is enough to serve the music. Also, overall, I believe it is making us a better band. I am not flying through songs at a break-neck speed but rather trying to be more true to the original album tempos. That alone has reigned in how loud I am playing and I know the rest of the band appreciates it. On stage, it still feels like I am moving with a purpose even though I am not thrashing around and beating the hell out of my drums the way I used to. It feels good to embrace change, I have no other choice. Luckily, the little tweaks that I am making aren’t totally deviant from my “former self” so I would put this down on paper, strangely, as a win.

Is there anything you would like to impress upon your younger self, or someone just starting down the path of a touring musician?

Yes, yes and yes, this is the main reason I am taking the time to write these responses. Screw talking about bands I love or how I got into playing music, none of that matters compared to the conservation aspect of one’s auditory health. I wish that when I was 17 somebody would have steered me down the right path of always practicing my instrument with ear protection. Even more so, when I started touring, that there had been an old head who was suffering from Tinnitus to impart their learned wisdom upon me. You hear about things like hearing loss and Tinnitus, they may seem abstract or distant or like it can’t happen to you but HEAR ME NOW, nothing can prepare you for the actual physical feelings and distress that you may experience if you are unfortunate enough to catch either. It is life altering. It happens without warning. It is something to take as seriously as you take your craft. If you are playing live music and doing it fairly regularly, there is a good chance you will develop T - I call it T because I hate giving it a name - if I could call it Gollum I would but that would be giving it too much power 😎. It took me months to actual wrap my brain around what was happening inside of me. The developments of said conditions were directly related to the work I do and the habits I developed. It took me a crazy amount of money and a ton of visits to indifferent doctors and specialists to start to even figure it out. It wasn’t until I met Frank [Wartinger] at Earmark Hearing Conservation that I began to become “okay” with the crystal sounds that perpetually meet me when I wake in the morning, lay down for bed at night and those that visit me all the moments in between. As I understand it, there is no cure; you may search high and low in a state of panic but will be met with no magic pills or procedures to disarm the hissing. You may take on a feeling of hopelessness if you let it eat you alive; it does have the power to consume your every thought if you let it. Granted, T has many ranges and forms, it is possible to adjust over time, just takes a lot of patience, discipline and the rewiring of your daily activities and habits. Is that the position you want to put yourself in?

Please really take what I am saying to heart. While you have the ability to correct the bad form of not protecting your ears (at practice, at concerts, at the movies, at sporting events, loud parties, etc), change your ways while it is still possible. Your future self will appreciate it more than you could ever imagine.

Though this may seem morbid, it’s not, I am doing alright. I was issued the warning shot. It could be much worse and I acknowledge that. Thankfully, in my current state, doing all that I can to be health conscious and having Frank help me cope and understand the changes in my body. He has provided me with a road map of tools and techniques so that I am able to continue doing what I love with a gang of friends that I love. In 2020 I am 100 percent committed to closing out the final year of my tenure in mewithoutYou with a bang! Not a loud one of course 😉. If you made it this far, thanks for reading and remember one thing - take care of your ears, people!

Sound Profile are a series interviews focusing on the key element at the heart of Music Audiology: the musician. Frank Wartinger, Au.D., and Earmark Hearing Conservation are dedicated to improving the hearing health of all musicians throughout and the Philadelphia region.

Matt Scottoline -Sound Profile Interview

Matt Scottoline

Songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist from the indie band Hurry, based in Philadelphia, PA. @Hurryband

EARMARK: What first got you into music? 

Matt: I think my first memories of emotionally connecting to music were very young, probably around 4-6 years old. My parents had given me a Fisher Price cassette player with headphones, and I had two tapes: Michael Jackson’s “Bad,” and a collection of The Beach Boys hits. Both of those albums were really captivating for me at a young age, and even though I didn’t understand a lot of what was going on musically, or what they were talking about, those are the first times that I remember feeling something from music. I could connect with the melodies and tones and have an emotional reaction to them. 

From a slightly more “intellectual” perspective, the first time I really attached myself to a band or artist and felt that compulsion to try and be a part of music was when I first heard Green Day’s “Dookie” album. I was really young when it came out, I think in 2nd grade, but a friend who had an older brother got a copy of the tape, and played it for all of us. I was hooked. So that album is probably what helped push me down the path to eventually become a musician. 

That Album was an early tape of mine as well, and one which I have been surprised to find had a pervasive influence on my music-making since. Have you found that as well, with “Dookie” or another early record?

For sure. While “Dookie” was what sort of drove me down that more punk-influenced road from a young age, I think things like those Beach Boys songs - and even Michael Jackson - influenced and helped develop my pop muscle. It was that combination of classic pop (Beatles, Beach Boys, Michael Jackson) distilled into the more attainable and relatable form of a punk band that really stuck. 

When did you know you wanted to do music professionally?

Once I got into highschool, and started to realize what my ideals were on a basic level, and where I saw myself fitting into society as a whole, I think I started to play around with the idea that music, and my affinity for it on whatever level, was a differentiating factor for me versus my peers. So since then, I’ve been pursuing music in whatever capacity; writing songs, playing in bands, recording other people’s records… really whatever I could do. But I wouldn’t say it was necessarily in pursuit of becoming a “professional,” only because I think that’s so unattainable for a vast majority of people (including myself, really). But I think when you’re any kind of artist, your compulsion is to create, and if you’re anything like me, you start to feel anxiety when you aren’t creating. So that’s really what I’ve settled into. A lot of anxiety and a need to create to keep myself feeling centered.

Who is someone who inspires you, musically?

I tend to feel inspired by any artist who is able to effectively create pop music and melodies, but present them in a new or exciting way. Brian Wilson is obviously one example of this, and someone who probably means more to me than anyone else. But then there are bands like Yo La Tengo, or Guided By Voices, where they are taking the constructs of pop music, and surrounding them with noise or chaos. But I love mainstream pop music too. To me, the ability to create memorable melodies and package them in a compelling way is inspiring. 

What is your current monitoring setup used when performing and rehearsing? 

We’re still fairly punk in a lot of ways… so our rehearsal and performance monitoring setups are sort of… nonexistent. We don’t even have a PA system most of the time during rehearsals. And our band is in a place where we are performing in a huge variety of settings, from professional venues and clubs to totally DIY venues and house shows. It kind of runs the gamut. So we don’t have strict standards for performance… we kind of just roll with the punches, and most of the time it’s just us and our amps. 

Do you feel this variability has lead to resourcefulness and flexibility?

I would say it’s made me much more adaptable. I absolutely appreciate when we play somewhere with a stellar setup, and a great team running it. That does make a difference, and I think improves the performance from a technical standpoint. But at the same time, I also love when you can’t really hear anything on stage, so you just crank everything and it has a much more exciting and loose vibe. So yeah, I guess overall we’re flexible. Whatever works.

How do you think "Hearing Conservation" plays into your life?

Hearing Conservation has become hugely important to me. When I was playing a lot in college, it finally dawned on me how much potential damage I was doing to my ears. I’ve always played in loud bands, and there were plenty of nights we’d finish up a show or rehearsal, and my ears would be ringing, or have that muted effect over them. So, I started wearing earplugs pretty religiously since then. I think it’s probably natural that the older and more mature one gets, the easier it is to picture how terrifying hearing loss could be, especially when it’s preventable in most cases. So, yeah, it’s hugely important to me. I literally carry my earplugs with me 24/7.

What is your favorite sound?

I have a soft spot for the ambient hum that comes from a guitar amp that’s turned on but not currently amplifying anything. I also love the sound of water at night…which, I know you can’t technically hear time of day…but I also feel like you can. Or at least I like to think I can.

One final question: why “loud”?

I think my attraction to loudness is subversive. I’m not a loud person, and my songs aren’t loud. Most of the time my music is pretty innocent and straightforward. So using sound to take that framework and put a new lens on it is interesting to me. I also think the 10 year old in me still just loves the sound of a crazy, overdriven guitar, too. Maybe it’s just that. 

Sound Profile are a series interviews focusing on the key element at the heart of Music Audiology: the musician. Frank Wartinger, Au.D., and Earmark Hearing Conservation are dedicated to improving the hearing health of all musicians throughout the Philadelphia region.

Scott Hallam - Sound Profile Interview

SCOTT HALLAM

Songwriter, vocalist, producer, and co-founder of Audiodowsing, a full service audio company specializing in soundtrack and sound design production.

EARMARK: What first got you into music?

SCOTT H: In middle school chorus class, we were shown a VHS of music from around the world. There was a chapter on the North Indian classical tradition that moved me, and I became fascinated by the sitar. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a teacher or an instrument to practice on in my town, but since I also loved the sound of the guitar, I began to learn that instead.

When did you know you wanted to do music professional?

Making music gave me the best feeling I had ever experienced, so I thought that if I could turn that into a career, my life would be amazing. I started having this dream during the heyday of recorded music sales, the late ‘90s, so from my vantage point it didn't seem impossible to make a living performing/recording music. I was also a big fan of video games and the music used in them. That industry was growing steadily and I thought if a career as a recording artist petered out, I could parlay my skills as a composer there for a more "straight" job.

What was it about video game music that interested you?

I liked the wide variety of styles and arrangements that were possible. While there were hard limitations for what was technologically possible to reproduce on a console's chip, there didn't yet seem to be established norms for the compositions. Every game's music had a completely different identity, more so than what I had heard as a layman in film soundtracks.

Who is someone who inspires you, musically?

The Zen Buddhist nun and chef Jeong Kwan is a breath of fresh air to me. I highly recommend seeking out her remarks about creativity, ego, sharing, time's nature and power. These days, I'm finding myself more and more inspired musically by creators in other disciplines than I am by music or other musicians.

What is your current monitoring setup for performances and rehearsals?

We just use whatever the house monitors happen to be. I would someday like to use in-ear monitors to be able to control the volume granularly and preferably on the fly. I currently use custom-molded musician’s earplugs for both rehearsals and shows to protect my hearing. They most recently saved my ears while attending a Weedeater show; the sound quality was still full and clear, so I appreciated knowing my hearing was protected while still enjoying the sound. Sometimes more harmonically complex music it can be a little difficult to distinguish detail, e.g. complex chords. Also, it does take some getting used to having something plugging up your ear canals.

Hearing Conservation is a term that means maintaining one’s current hearing health by reducing the risk of acquiring hearing damage from noise/music exposure. How do you think Hearing Conservation plays into your career and life?

I live in a famously loud city, New York, and there is no lack of environments where my ears must be protected from harsh and loud ambient noise. I'm interested in protecting my hearing, and I'm also interested in protecting my mental health and stress levels that are effected by a cacophonous environment. It can be easy to overlook how a mental state can be influenced by sensory overload.

Most people have a quick-draw answer to "what is your favorite color?" How would you answer "what is your favorite sound?"

Rain softly pelting your windows loud enough to wake you up in the middle of the night but not so loud that you can't fall back asleep to its song, probably.

This is the first Sound Profile Interview, a new series focusing on the key element at the heart of Music Audiology: the musician. Frank Wartinger, Au.D., and Earmark Hearing Conservation are dedicated to improving the hearing health of all musicians through Philadelphia’s Musicians’ Clinic as well as mobile services throughout the Philadelphia region.