Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kenny Schwartz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Kenny, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

When it comes to music, or any art form for that matter, we learn through a wide variety of ways. First, I learned that I was interested in the drums. When I was given the opportunity to play them, I learned I could actually play them a little! That made me feel good and it inspired me to get drum kit of my own, with the approval of my amazing parents and their offer to get me lessons with a local instructor. That led me to eventually attending The New School University for Jazz and Contemporary Music in NYC, where I got to study with some of the most amazing musicians. Legends like Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, Joe Chambers, Hal Galper, and William Parker were immensely deep wells of knowledge I had the privilege of learning from. After a couple of years studying with Adam Deitch (Lettuce, John Scofield), he took me on the road with him as a drum tech and tour manager. I learned a ton about the music industry with him. Adam was very encouraging of me to believe in myself, and go all in on my career. I started the Kenny Schwartz Drum Academy, teaching thousands of lessons and then I eventually moved to Los Angeles where I worked as a full-time session and touring drummer. Working and hanging in different studios with super talented musicians, producers, and engineers, playing in bands, and touring the world. These were massively educational and inspiring times. I fully recognized and embraced myself as a producer, and started making records out of my lock-out studio in North Hollywood. I learned so much just being in that environment all the time. I don’t think I could have learned any of these things any faster than I did. The only thing I’ve learned over the years, in terms of wanting to speed up your learning process, is to immerse yourself in whatever it is. When I teach, I always pass on my 3 P’s for success: Practice, Patience, and Positivity. These were essential to my own successes in life. Learning anything takes time and consistency. That takes lots of patience and I believe patience requires optimism. Obstacles along the way are inevitable. I have been so fortunate in my career that I have had so many supportive and loving people behind me, learning more has never been an issue. For that, I am grateful.

Kenny, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a native New Yorker, now living in the Texas hill country. I play drums for the band Los Stellarians featuring S.A Martinez of 311 and I am the owner/operator of Red Fox Recording LLC in Bandera, TX. Relocating from Los Angeles to Bandera due to the pandemic was both a challenge and an opportunity. A way to build a future for myself, quite literally. My wife and I had been deeded land by her grandfather Bill and on it sat a main house with a small guest house, which I then converted into my recording studio. I had the vision, made drawings, and 2 years of construction later we have Red Fox Recording, a boutique studio nestled in the live oak trees on a cattle ranch. It’s a dream come true to do recording, editing, mixing, and mastering in this setting. I work with bands and solo artists, but I also do a lot of remote recording as a session drummer. I’ll do songwriting sessions, in studio and virtually. What sets me apart here though, is that this is a studio owned and operated by a producer that puts the music first and foremost. I have the distinct privilege of owning a beautiful studio and I want it to be enjoyed by others, in a way that helps create beautiful music. Beautiful music is good for the world and is a healing force. That is something I am most proud to make. Being from New York has had its advantages; I have a strong work ethic and I grew up in one of the most musically fertile places on earth. So many cultures, so much history to draw from. I am the great grandson of a concert master violinist, who immigrated to New York from Germany. My grandfather played saxophone and later played the bugle in the marine corps. I have gotten to learn from incredibly knowledgeable people and tour the world playing music. I use these deep connections and experiences to inform my processes.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

My move to Los Angeles was a pivotal moment in my life and career, but certainly not the only one. I had been teaching private drum and piano lessons for 12 years, 7 days a week for the last 3 years. The Kenny Schwartz Drum Academy provided top quality music lessons across all of Long Island and Queens. I was playing in bands, touring, recording, and teaching full time.
Around 2015 I had an opportunity to start a new band with S.A Martinez of the legendary group 311 and that’s when I knew I had to make a choice. I chose to move to the west coast and go all in on starting fresh. I transferred my students to my protegè student and good friend Robby Deitz, who had just graduated from my alma mater, New School University.
I maintained a few students virtually and really invested time in my playing and networking. I would spend 8 to 10 hours a day at my studio practicing drums, writing, and learning new skills like audio engineering, audio mixing, photography, videography, and video editing. A LOT of focus and dedication was required to establish myself and build a reputation in one of the most elite music cities in the world. We built the band for Los Stellarians and within about 6 months we were playing live. We soon started playing all over the USA and Japan. I formed other bands, joined bands, did recording sessions all around L.A and Orange County, and toured the UK and Brazil with world famous drag queen Adore Delano. I no longer had time to teach and the next pivot was right around the corner.
One day I realized I could take all of my abilities and apply them to producing other bands to help them achieve their artistic goals. I was already doing this for my own projects and built enough confidence to put it out there to my friends’ bands that I was available to help produce their music. They took me up on it and that led to more and more opportunities. This also led to me building more remote drum recording and mixing clients as well.
When the Covid-19 pandemic occurred, the world changed for everyone and another major pivot had to be made. By the end of 2020 my wife and I decided to move to Texas, where we had a house and some property her grandfather left us. This is where I decided to build my dream studio, Red Fox Recording. I’m now producing music full time, working with lots of different artists and bands from all over the country. It is an immense privilege to still be living my dream, despite having to overcome huge changes. I am so fortunate to have this new opportunity to serve people’s music this way.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There are so many rewarding aspects of being an artist. The most rewarding is the energy between the fans and my bands when playing live. It’s the most intangible aspect and one of the deepest. I am so very fortunate that not only do I have an amazing band of performers, but we love what we do and who we do it with. Our fans love what we do and we love seeing them have a good time because that is the whole point! This creates a cycle of positive energy towards each other and it is an amazing feeling. I’ve also had the pleasure of getting to know and becoming friends with lots of fans of different bands I’ve played with over the years. It’s a beautiful connection to have, because at the end of the day we both love the same thing; Good music.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Redfoxrecording
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/kennyschwartz

Image Credits

Brian Love Photography