DREAM THEATER's MIKE MANGINI: 'I'm Just Blown Away By How Great Everybody Is To Me'

Howard Whitman of TechnologyTell.com recently conducted an interview with drummer Mike Mangini of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER. A couple of excerpts from the chat below.

TechnologyTell.com: When you did the audition, which we all got to watch online and on the DVD that came with the "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" album, you seemed pretty confident. Did you have a good feeling about that?

Mangini: I had the best possible feeling in the world about it. And I have rehearsed such situations, meaning that I have addressed what it is that happens in an audition, what the possibilities are in that audition, good and bad, and accounted for them on a piece of paper and literally used my imagination to try to get through every possible situation. And because of that, I felt confident that I was ready to deal with whatever occurred.

TechnologyTell.com: How does it feel to watch it now in retrospect, since this is the close of this phase of DREAM THEATER as you go into the next phase with the new album and tour?

Mangini: It was highly effective on me, and very emotional for me, because as much as I was trying to think about my ability to do justice to the drum parts, I couldn't help but be swept away by how kind everybody was to me with their words — I'm talking everybody in the band, the crew — and how patient they were with me, how truly experienced they all are with allowing me to go through my ups and downs and to grow. And I'm just blown away by how great everybody is to me.

TechnologyTell.com: In approaching some of the songs from before you were in the band, are trying to bring your own flavor to it rather than just emulating what's been done before?

Mangini: Yes. I've made a change where I have found a way to reflect the older drum parts but in a way where I can still, let's say, play them half-lefty and half-righty, which allows me to sort of change cymbal sounds when the band changes key signatures. It adds a nice effect to the key signature change. I also am matching some of the lines a little more spot-on than the album versions as far as which drums or cymbals I'm choosing to hit, meaning I like to match the frequencies of the riffs being played. And instead of a standard drum fill, I like to melodically play what is being played by everybody else. And with some of the open drum fill sections, I'm definitely going for it this time and just doing my own thing.

TechnologyTell.com: It seems like the fans have really accepted you in the band and like the different things that you bring to it as well, rather than just trying to recreate what's been done before.

Mangini: Right. To a point, if I play it too exact, that's a little creepy, you know what I mean? But I want to uphold the greatness of those drum parts. I want the fans to be happy that they're hearing what they're used to. And I also like to put a bit of a twist in it, so I can just feel a little bit self-expressive and also maybe even take it to a place that excites the band and the fan.

Read the entire interview at TechnologyTell.com.