Frank Sardella the Artist: A Breif Bio

As young as age 6, Frank Sardella recalls being affected positively by all kinds of music. From 1970's Pop squelching through his sister's AM transistor radio, to TV theme songs by Quincy Jones, to his dad's hi-fi record collection of greats including Nat King Cole, Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson and Stan Kenton, Frank's exposure to music was undoubtedly expansive. But his interest was much more deep seated, emanating from the very core of the music and the pulse of rhythm reached him in a way nothing else could. Hearing rhythms everywhere in life, from the cranking of mimeo machines in school, to simply walking and feeling the rhythm of his step and, of course, in every song on the radio, Frank found himself surrounded by and immersed in something which drove him. Ultimately, it was this drive that led him to pursue a greater understanding of music itself and master the subject of rhythm, something he felt would enable him to make music his career. It is to this journey that Frank credits his success in the field of drumming and songwriting.
Frank began study of drums in Upstate New York around 1977 under the encouragement and guidance of his father, a former moonlight gigging drummer in the Catskills region of New York. Influenced by dad's acclaim of drumming legend Buddy Rich, Frank soon found himself paying due homage at the "alter" of his dad's idol practically wearing out the record "Young Blood" ( as well as a few record needles) and studying out of an aged and tattered copy of the Buddy Rich Rudimental drumming method.

Frank took to the drums rather rapidly and excelled in his school programs, advancing into groups of older aged children and eventually competing at County and State levels. Frank had auditioned and made county band as young as age 11. He even began teaching drums to students while in high school. As a Freshman in college, he adjudicated the younger students' county level drumming auditions.

Frank prided himself on his ability to read music, an ability his dad told him would get him far. He also received a unique opportunity to study a program called the TAP series, developed by percussionist and University professor David Shrader. This program comprised 80 full-length cassette tapes corresponding to a book which contained a gradient of rhythmic training and reading exercises ranging from elementary to the most complex of rhythms possible. Over the course of his high school career, Frank became the first student to master the entire program. His continued studies led him through mastery of various genres such as drum corps, jazz ensemble, pit orchestra and concert band. Finally, Frank landed in rock drumming, listening to and learning all the music he could get his hands on and forming rock bands with his friends.

Having mastered so many genres, Frank felt it was time to pursue higher levels of musicianship. He never felt comfortable with "just being a drummer" though he wasn't sure how to go about learning to really play music.

In college, Frank studied Jazz Improvisation, music theory, poetic meter and began to expand his horizons out of a deep well of desire to write songs. He began experimenting as well with digital drum machines and a sequencers. The technology, only in its infancy at the time, bridged a gap between Frank's rhythmic abilities and the unknown subject of songwriting. In sequencing patterns, he began writing hundreds of phrases and dozens of full-length songs. He began to feel confident with the arranging and development of lyric lines and melodies. As an unexpected benefit, Frank's sense of meter on the drum kit became solid in the extreme.

Landing a gig in a college cover band "Pagan Love Song" in Tucson AZ, Frank began exploring genres new to him including 80's alternative rock (circa 1989). In doing so, he performed in various cover projects playing out in front of audiences.

In the mid 1990's, Frank made perhaps his most important self-discovery which helped to uncover the performing ability he always knew was "there" but just couldn't figure out how to tap. As he put it:
"I concluded long ago that my ability is innate, in a sort of a spiritual sense. I could feel it as part of me. Therefore I was able to see that any difficulties I was having had to be in my mind and somehow self-placed for some, perhaps, protective reason. But this was far from reason. And, although I always knew this, I could never figure out a way around it."

It was right around this time Frank applied some principles found in the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health by L. Ron Hubbard to the subject of communication, the very essence of what music is. As a result he found that he was now experiencing his full artistic self with no additives, doubts, reservations or barriers. He was no longer 'dealing with' barriers, he had eliminated them and had recovered his natural ability, finally able to express it fully. "I gained this sense of fluidity and finesse I had only seen in top players and only dreamed of having!"

With his new level of confidence Frank, immediately picked up and learned acoustic guitar and with no more reservations, began songwriting. He enjoyed the rhythmic nature of the guitar and always had a desire to, as he put it, "play like these guys who bang and slap the guitar around." Already an accomplished rhythmist, the acoustic guitar enabled him to begin writing the "hooky" pop-style phrases supporting rhythmic melodies and progressions integral to "hit music". And as a complete side-effect, his drumming once again reached new levels.

Today, Frank has established Material Worth Publishing [ASCAP] (Est. 2003), for the purpose of selling his and others' written works and continues to build his songwriting catalog with full intent to get his and others' music into the hands of hit artists. His plans are to expand into an all-out record label.

Through all of his works, his rhythmic training book series "Beat Smarts", publishing company, songwriting and performing both live and in the studio, Franks plan is a pan-determined approach to the music business. As he explains:

"I am bent on making music available to and attainable for all ages and walks of life. I wish to do this from as many angles as possible."

Frank is currently focused on writing/publishing edgier female pop, country/crossover genres, targeting Nashville as an epicenter song sales.