ag: I fell in love with drums when I was a kid at Culver Military Academy in Indiana. Culver is actually a pretty famous preparatory school during the academic year, and during the summer they have military-type programs for kids. I was in the drum and bugle corps there, even though I didn't have any musical experience. Two of my older brothers had been in Culver's drum and bugle corps and told me it was fun and that I would learn how to play drums. I started out on the lowest instrument -- tenor drum-- and worked my way up to snare drum. It's been drums ever since.

What is drumming like for you now? How do you distinguish yourself as a drummer, and what are you trying to achieve in your playing?

ag: I try to listen to the musicians around me and play simply, so they sound good. It's less about, "Hey, listen to me!", and more about making good music... although in every tune I try to play something "drumistic", something that sounds interesting. My real focus, though, is good time. I constantly work on keeping good time... I've worked really hard at it. I also try to be sensitive musically and dynamically to the lyrics. In addition to that, I'm a songwriter and arranger, so I try to bring that with me. If that means doing some arranging, that's fine... and I try to use that awareness in my playing as well.

Who's you're favorite drummer right now?

ag: Steve Gadd.

What is it about his playing that inspires you?

ag: He's always in the pocket. It's not even a possibility for him to be out of the pocket, whether he's soloing or playing a groove. He's great on a technical level and on a conceptual level, too. He's so musical... he's got incredible chops but they never get in the way of making music.

Before you moved here in 1998, you lived in Boston. How does the Bay Area music scene compare to Boston's?

ag: It seems a lot less competitive here. In Boston there were so many thousands of musicians. There are probably 10,000 drummers in Boston, maybe more than anywhere else. The level of musicianship was really high -- not that it isn't here, but there it was really something. All the great music educators are there.

Tell me about the worst gig you've played.

ag: I guess it was this ongoing Saturday afternoon gig in Cambridge, Massachusetts at The Middle East, with a guy called Clinton. The Middle East is a restaurant as well as a music club. They paid us in falafel. We each got one falafel sandwich and Clinton would give us each five dollars out of his pocket, out of guilt. Actually, the falafel was really good. I'd be sitting there playing, thinking about the falafel and how good it was going to taste... not the music. The music was so terrible. Needless to say, it wasn't a well-attended gig.

What's the best piece of musical advice you've been given?

ag: Play from the heart.