I’m Meytal Cohen - AMA about life, drums, my new album or how to parallel park (I rule!)

Do you ever feel that if you were male you would of never gotten this attention or be considered talented?

I worked very hard to get to where I am today… it took me over 6 years, 100 drum covers and 24/7 of engaging with my fans on the internet and beyond… I think that anyone that applied the same persistence and hard work that I did would get there - regardless of looks. with that said I do believe that u need about 20% talent and 80% hard work, presistance and attitude to make it in anything, you see it everywhere. successful people are not necessarily the best. ppl just like being around them. the ppl that are busy criticizing other ppl are the ones that are stuck and it’s mostly due to their shitty attitude.

Hey meytal cohen i have been watching your videos for quite a while and you rock! My question is how did you get into drums and why have you decided to start making drum cover videos?

my first boyfriend's brother had a drum set -looked like fun.. And I was right :) after we uploaded the video of toxicity, and it getting millions of views in a very short time I was getting may emails and messages asking me to upload more covers... I had all these songs that i've been practicing anyways so I decided to shoot those and upload.

Hello there - just wanted to say that I enjoy your youtube videos I've been watching them for a long time. I use you as an example for my Daughter that its cool for girls to play drums. Who is your favorite drummer?

Thanks :) there are so many... but I would have to say Danny Carey.

You meant Morgan Rose. It's ok, mistakes happen. :P

Morgan was actually my favorite drummer and biggest influence for the longest time

what are the most difficult things to distinguish when attempting to figure out how to re-create a drum part by ear?

it really depends on the drum mix… especially in newer production style, where everything is super edited and overly sampled. I would probably say fills that are really intricate . there’s so many ways to divide a fill around the set, using the same rhythm, I always try to figure out the exact pattern the drummer used to play the fill. that’s the hardest thing for me to figure out usually..

אהלן מיטל!

Big fan of your videos! You mentioned that you injured your back in an accident. Has it affected your playing at all? (doesn't sound like it!) Did the drums help with the recovery?

It really only hurts when weather is changing.. other than that it doesn't really affect my playing. I was incredibly lucky to have survived the accident and still be able to play! I do think drumming strengthens your back and core muscles, but I slouch all the time which is a whole separate problem, it might be related to the back injury, I'm not sure.

I know you're actively working with a group you helped start but... Have you received any offers to play with a more famous / more well established group? Would love to hear your thoughts around that or hypothetical thoughts if no one has wished up yet.

Certainly a talented drummer. Thanks for doing this AMA.

I was approached to go on tour w Courtney Luv, and respectfully declined. but yeah, I would love it if a band I actually liked asked me to go on the road w them. but keeping in mind that if something like that did happen, I may not have been here today releasing my own full length mind blowing album. so….you know.

You like any other generes of music like jazz or something else ??

I like to listen to overly emotional music. Like Disney tunes. It's funny but it's true. Also old Mariah Carey and things from when I was younger like Roxette haha. I also like Bob Marley a lot. Which is much less dorky. Jazz not so much even though I aced it when I was attending music school... They put a lot of emphasis on jazz, unfortunately lol

Hi Meytal!

What was your favorite song that you covered, and why?

for some reason, I never thought I could cover this song… and proving myself wrong felt pretty damn good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsECcz6I3BA

What is your opinion of the jerks out there that don't view your talent as a serious thing, but consider all your success based on just your looks? Cause those comments I see are just ridiculous. Keep rocking! ✌

Ppl that try and bring others down usually just need a big hug :)

What are some of your favorite all girl bands?

the backstreet boys

Have any of the drummers you've covered contacted you, and how have they reacted?

yeah it happened a few times and it’s pretty mind blowing when it happens. the craziest yet was a few years ago when I spotted Mike Portnoy and came to ask for a picture, and the first thing he said was “I know exactly who you are - you’re Meytal Cohen, I follow you on Twitter, you just uploaded a video” closest I’ve been to having a heart attack I would say.

Where do you currently stand on the IDF and Israeli/Palestinian conflict?

Love shall prevail

Hi Meytal!

I just wanted to ask you if you faced any major problems while trying to pursue your career as a (rocking) musician. If so, how did you overcome them?

making a living as a musician is a constant struggle, but that’s the price of being your own boss.. which is pretty sweet. it never is easy, things are pretty uncertain and u never quite know if ur gonna make enough money to make rent which is the thing that sucks most. I found the being creative and having faith that shit will somehow work out helps.

Which cover gave you the most trouble and took the longest to complete? And how long?

Funny story about this video - It took me an ENTIRE DAY to shot the video, and finally I was done, wrapped all the gear and got in my car to go home. on the ride back I heard the song again and realized I played the bass drum pattern completely wrong. So I drove back to the studio, set ALL the gear up again (cameras, microphones, lights) and shot the ENTIRE video. Again. Luckily, it’s one of my most viewed videos to date, so I’m happy my OCD kicked in right there and then

Hi meytal, i'm Mike. My question is: Are you living your dreams right now with your new album or there is somenthing else you'd like to achieve? Love you.

Hi Mike! Yes living my dreams to the max. I would also like to be a pro surfer - really afraid of sharks tho. and after seeing what almost just happened to that surfer, I choose to stay on land safely tucked always with my shiny drums any day.

Hey Meytal,

Your album is so incredible, the Live Show so breathe taking. Which in ears do you use?

Greetings from a backer in Germany.

thank you :) I’m using pair of low grade Shure in ears..not sure what model those are. I’ve tried fancy ones from a few different custom in ears brands that sent me molded in ears to check out, but can’t find ones that I like.. still looking.

I love your hair! What shampoo do you use?

They keep changing it up, I can't find one that I really like.. right now I'm using a super shitty one that I would not recommend to my worst enemy.

Hello from Aberdeen Scotland, what drum heads do you use and do you change them for a different tone or rely on tuning the head? Thanks Ian

I use Evans drumheads. And i suck at tuning like no other.

You on drums and 4 other musicians, Who would be in your dream supergroup?

Brandon Boyd, Adam Jones, Munky, Les Claypool, and Abe Cunningham sitting in for me, it'll be a great show!

Hi Meytal! I met you a NAMM after your performance with Doug Wimbish! One of the reasons I enjoy watching your drumming is because you look so relaxed. What goes on in your head when there's a complicated fill about to come?

Hi drumike! That was a fun day…. what goes inside my head before a complicated fill could roughly be translated into ‘don’t fuck this up, don’t fuck this up, don’t fuck this up’.

Hey Meytal, just bought your album today and I really like it. Are there any shows planned in Europe?

That’s awesome thank you! I would love, love, love, love to take my band and this album around the world and play EVERYWHERE. it all really depends on how well the album launch goes, and how many people actually pickup a copy. trying to be your own label means having to pay upfront for tour support… plane tickets, bus, hotels, gear, meals and all that good stuff. I can’t afford it just yet... but I have high hopes :)

Hi Meytal! Do you smile all the time? And how did you like the new Slipknot album?

not ALL the time. I sleep about 8 hours every day. :) I didn’t check it out yet, is it good? I have to say I can't think of one new album I love right now… there are songs that are good here and there but it’s not what it used to be. god I sound so old. lol

Hi meytal I just wanted to say that my two favorite songs so far are Nothing & Torn In Two! My girly question is how do you style your hair? Do you blow dry it? How do you protect it from being damaged with all that heat? Or does your hair just get damaged and you don't care? Lol

yay love those songs :-) I don’t think theres any real way to protect your hair from being damaged over time w styling. the best way to keep it healthy is not to fuck with it too much. my hair is getting dry for sure… I do style it when I need to but it's mostly braided and left alone

Hey Meytal! Congrats on your first album! I wish you succeed in this journey you're taking!

I've already bought it and I got to say.. wow. I love it!

So, here's my question: If you plan on doing a world tour, which countries are you most excited to perform on? I'd love to meet you!

Good luck again and we love you here Meytal!

the one you’re from, and any or all beachy areas. hawaii, cancun, puerto rico, florida keys, jamaica, thailand, brazil - a hot salt water drumming combo tour.

Hey Meytal. How did you end up being in the N.E.R.D. Hot n Fun video? Also, how was it filming that vid?

the director, Jonas Akerlund, who is a drummer himself, caught one of my drum covers and had his producer contact me. I was freezing my ass off during that shoot which was held in the middle of the desert, and the outfit they had me wear didn’t help none. I think I was completely purple by the time we finished shooting and I’m sure they had to do a good amount of color correction to fix that haha. it was fun other than that… I like drumming. and I got to do some of that.. not enough to keep me warm.. but still.

Hey Meytal! I've turned a lot of my friends on to you since first seeing the "toxicity" vid. My question is, since we are always looking at your footwork, what size shoes do you wear? Also, do you ever play barefoot?

Haha yeah my feet have been known to draw lots of attention :) I’m a size 7 - and yes - I used to play barefoot A LOT. now I feel that playing with shoes just gives me some extra force with every hit, so I tend to wear shoes when I play.

Hi Meytal!
from your answers on here,it seems like you like Tool a lot. But I'll ask anyway, which band do you like the most and why?

There are sooooo many bands that have inspired and influenced me over the years… but yeah the most influential would have to be Tool… for me, they have the most spiritual dept behind their songs, and evolution of consciousness was and is something that interests me most. also there’s something magical about all the different members. there’s something really deep about that band for me. i feel like I sound super dorky.. not sure if I’m making any sense, it’s hard to explain.

Hi meytal! How do you stay so fit? It's hard for me I don't know how you do it, but you look fabulous at 32! Right? How old is Django? My best buddy is turning 3 this month!!! Good luck on your launch! If you're coming to Vegas I'm definitely gonna go see you!

turning 32 on aug 9th totally crazy. I would account not getting fat to good genes. god knows with the amount of chocolate and ice cream I eat I should have been a mammoth by now. somehow my body knows how to magically get rid of all that access fats!!!

I don’t know exactly how old Django is. when we rescued him, the shelter said he was 1 year old. then we took him to the vet - she looked at his teeth for 10 seconds and said “this dog is AT LEAST 4 years old”. this was 3 years ago. So Django could be anywhere from 4 years old to 10 years old. But honestly, it doesn’t matter that much - I’m gonna love him like crazy every single day I have left to enjoy his magical, yet sometimes stinky soul.

Drumming is prohibited in religion but still you make use of it why?

Any religion that prohibits drumming can suck my ass

hey meytal i'am Bart i am cook and What is your favourite dish ?? and you are so awesome :D love you

I know it’s crazy but salad is my absolutely favorite dish! 2 small persian cucumbers chopped really finely, cherry tomatoes cut in 4 each, a tiny bit of finally chopped white onion, half an avocado totally mashed, salt, sunflower seeds & olive oil. and I eat it w rice cakes. yum

I used to be good at parallel parking, then I read someone's "easy how-to guide" on reddit and started over-thinking it. What's your method?

for a right side of the street parking space - stand parallel to the top car move back traight, when you’ve reach a quarter of the way to the end of the open spot turn the wheel all the way to the right and go in till u can see the entire front of the car behind u in the side mirror thats to your left. then slowly turn the wheel back while making sure ur going in smoothly without hitting the left back side of the car in front of u.

I really should've started a parallel parking YouTube channel, I'm telling you

Grannies, boy shorts, thongs, or do you go commando?

Grannies all the way