Virgil Donati

Virgil Donati ( born October 22, 1957 in Melbourne, Australia) is an American drummer and member of the progressive fusion band Planet X. He is also active in many side projects.

Donati was known for his superior technique when playing the bass drum. He plays rudiments on the bass drum as single or double strokes, ghost notes, flams and at insane speeds. To this end, he often solos with his hands. He is also very skillful in odd rhythms (7/ 4, 21/16 etc. )

Played Among the bands and artists with whom Virgil Donati include Planet X, Soul Sirkus, Freak House, Steve Vai, Southern Sons and Steve Walsh.

Life

He received his first drum set at the age of three years. He immediately began to play with the show, his father's band and did so until he was six years old. With seven he began taking drum lessons. First, in Brian Czempinski, later, Graham Morgan, an Australian drum legend.

At 15 he joined his first rock band. It was the group " Cloud Nine " which was to be called later "" button. With 16 Donati left school and focused mainly on the drum playing, but also learned piano. Every day he practiced very hard. Most of the time he spent here in the United States, where he played in six bands.

He heard the records of his father and was quickly re-enact fan of jazz drummer Louie Bellson and Buddy Rich, whose songs he tried.

The first rock drummer who should influence Donati, was Ian Paice of Deep Purple. He learned to play many different styles, so that he could cope with any musical task that was put to him.

At 19, he traveled back to the U.S. and learned at some schools. He also learned from Murry Spivak. Two years later he returned to Australia. There he played with Alan Zavod, Brian Brown, Peter Cupples. He had become a popular and busy drummer.

His own band "The State" was renamed " Southern Sons " and helped Donati with the hit single "Heart In Danger " to the first international notoriety. The big breakthrough came in 1995 with Virgil's solo album "Stretch". In the years following its recognition worldwide increased.

2004 Donati was chosen by the clinician journal Modern Drummer for No. 1. His own band, Planet X ( keyboardist Derek Sherinian together with ), is currently prevail in the field of instrumental " progressive rock". They have released three studio albums, " Universe " (2000), "Moon Babies" (2002) and " Quantum " (2007), as well as a live album entitled " Live From Oz " (2001).

As one of seven drummers, he was charged in October 2010 by the band Dream Theater to audition to find a replacement for Mike Portnoy, who left the band in September 2010. On the bonus DVD of the 2011 published A Dramatic Turn of Events of the film about the rehearsals and auditions is included.

Discuss on his forum about 5,000 drummers from around the world about their profession.

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