Mike Portnoy

Michael Stephen Portnoy alias Mike Portnoy is the Batteur group of progressive Metal American Dream Theater.

Born the April 20th 1967 with Beach Length close to New York, it was very quickly plunged in the universe of the music by his/her father who was Disc Jockey. Very early it was impassioned for the rock'n'roll. He listened to groups like Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, U2, Queen, Yes, Metallica as well as the Beatles and Rush in which play its greater references: Neil Peart and Ringo Starr.

Musical beginnings

Mike began the music with the Piano which he very quickly forsook for the battery. After having played in small groups with the college like Intruder or Rising Power, it went to study with the Berklee College off Music of Boston. It met two other musicians there: John Petrucci (Guitar) and John Myung (low) with which it founded Majesty. Kevin Moore (keyboards) joined them like Chris Collins (Chant).

The serious businesses start

After having recorded some demonstrations they wanted to pass to high speed and to record an album. But the name of Majesty was already taken then they changed it into Dream Theater. It is with this group that Mike had a name in the universe of the beaters in particular thanks to the success of the album Images And Words . From 1995 to 2006, this one will be devoted better beater of the year by the magazine “Modern Drummer”, the bible of the beaters in the USA.

The machine is on the way

It left its teaching video first in 1995 entitled Progressive Drum Concepts in which it peels interesting passages of certain pieces of Dream Theater. It founded in parallel the group Liquid Tension Experiment with John Petrucci with the Guitare, Jordan Rudess with the keyboards and Tony Levin with the low and the Chapman stick. With this group it could break out at the technical level because it was an only instrumental and very conclusive group.

The entry in the legend

With Dream Theater it left the monumental album Metropolis Part II: Scenes From has Memory which will remain one of the great concepts albums beside The Wall of Pink Floyd or Tommy of the Who. The recordings of this album and Liquid Tension Experiment made it possible Mike to make a double teaching video: Liquid Drum Theater . As on its preceding video, he explains how to play certain difficult passages of Dream Theater, but he explains also the manner of working of Dream Theater in studio. There are also extracts live very sympas. After that it founded another group or side-project: Transatlantic. It is a group made up of Mike to the battery, Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings) with the Guitare, Neal Morse (Spock' S Beard) with the keyboards and the Chant and of Pete Trawevas (Marillion) with the low . Together, they make a very progressive music kind Genesis with a good key of pure rock'n'roll kind the Beatles. Later, he also played with Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) and Kevin Moore (ex- Dream Theater and Chroma Key) in another side project: OSI.

Since Six Dismantle Off Inner Turbulence , Mike makes a DVD where one sees it playing on the titles. In 2003, he plays on the album solo of Neal Morse, Testimony . This last having left Spock' S Beard and consequently occasion Transatlantic for religious reasons.

In 2003, Dream Theater leaves an album enough discussed and explores more its side metal that prog, Train Off Thought . Mike also takes part in the new album of Neal Morse at the sides of Randy George, One . In November 2004, Dream Theater enters in studio to off compose and record the successor of Train Thought : Octavarium , left semi-2005.

Rewards

Here the list of the rewards that Mike Portnoy with receipt of the magazine Modern Drummer, the bible of the beaters in the United States:

Best progressive rock'n'roll drummer : 1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006.

Best clinician : 2000,2002.

Best recorded performance : Awake 1995, has Off Exchange Seasons 1996, Falling Into Infinity 1998, Scenes From has Memory 2000, Six Dismantle Off Inner Turbulence 2002.

Best educational video/DVD : Liquid Drum Theater 2000, Liquid Drum Theater 2002.

Up and Coming : 1994

Hall off famed inductee : 2004 (young person of the history)

Material

Mike Portnoy very employs a kit imposing as well in term of the battery in it even as of its play of Cymbale S. Notamment, it uses as well in studio as on scene of the kits with three large cases and two clear cases in order to have two positions of play to use toms different according to environments from the pieces.

While waiting to supplement this under-part, you can refer to his Web site which reference its various configurations of play. (in English)

Anecdotes

He used rather particular accessories, like a plexiglass pane to protect the other musicians from his spittles, as well as mirrors with the top of his cymbals.

External bonds

the official site of Mike Portnoy (in English)
the official site of Dream Theater (in English)
the official site of the fan French club of Dream Theater

Video bonds

'' Hell' S Kitchen '' extracts from the DVD Modern Drummer 2003

Random links:

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