Recently, on a chilly winter’s late-morning, I had the pleasure to interview drummer, percussionist, teacher, pianist, composer, arranger and Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame Alumni George Correia. Over brunch at the Sunset Café in Bristol, Correia expounded on the musical passages of his upbringing, heritage and passions. I found him to be articulate, amiable and thoroughly immersed in all things percussão.

As a young child of immigrants — his father, from the Azores, and mother, Madeira, Portugal — Correia was discovering and absorbing marching band music, and, what one might label, ‘world music,’ a half-century before that global brand name was coined.

“My dad was a trumpet player. He played it in high school and after that he joined the Marine Corp band during the Korean War era,” said Correia. “He loved to play and thought about making a calling out of it, but when he got home from the service, his passion for carpentry and architecture lead him to a career in home building and construction.”

Correia’s father, however, maintained his love of music and musicianship by playing in union dance bands and in a group at a famed local club on the weekends, always with 7-year old George in tow.

“Growing up in Bristol was my musical influence. I was born and bred there. Our way of life was the Portuguese Independent Band Club down the street,’’ said Correia. “The PIBC was an institution in Bristol. It was social and musical. It was a gathering place for the commonality of music, food and language. The club is not there anymore, but some of the members are hanging on. I began to see music as a way of life when my dad would play on the weekends with all the Portuguese bands and all the feasts coming from the PIBC.’’

Correia’s father attempted to teach his young son the trumpet but had no success. As Correia puts it, "He tried to teach me to play the trumpet when I was about seven but I didn’t want to hear it. I liked hitting things better,” he laughed. Correia’s dad realized his son’s musical interests lied elsewhere.

“I was always playing on boxes and things with sticks, so my dad hooked me up with one of the great drum teachers in the area – Ray Sartini,” said Correia. “I was about 11 when I began studying with Ray. He was a great teacher and he cared about his students. I took lessons with him all through high school. I kept all the instruction books he gave me and used them in college and even years later with my own students.”

An honors trip to Europe

While in high school Correia continued to play in the PICB. He played concert band percussion, which included bass drum, snare drum, cymbals, timpani and even glockenspiel. Correia said unequivocally, “playing in that band defined me as a musician.”

“In my junior year of high school my best friend, Mark Asciolla, and I, both made All-State. In those days, if you made All-State, you got a chance to audition for what was called America’s Youth in Concert. It was a national youth orchestra. You had to get recommendations from teachers to apply and then send in a demo tape,” said Correia. “If you were chosen, you got to go to Europe for six weeks to play.’

“Mark and I applied and he got a letter in the mail saying he was accepted. They picked students from all 50 states, so my hopes were dashed because I thought what were the chances that they would pick two people from the same state from the same small town? But to my surprise, I received a letter saying I was accepted.”

Correia and his musical comrade traveled to Europe for six weeks. They rehearsed in London for three days. After that, they were given the music and sent on the road. They played high level, concert classical band music along with an 85-piece hand-picked orchestra and a 200-voice choir.

“The tour took us to England, France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and two weeks in Rome. At the end of the six-week run, we ended our trip by returning home to perform a concert (and record it for a live album) at The Town Hall in New York City.”

Correia described the experience fondly through the lens of his youth.

“It was just a great experience. There I was, in Europe, with my best friend, playing music, just buzzing around, taking cabs, being a couple of gangsters.”

Back home from Europe, in high school, Correia applied to Berklee College of Music in Boston.

“Berklee was the only college that I applied to. I was accepted, but because I was enrolling for drumming and percussion, they told me I had to study piano, which I did with lessons before I got in. I went to Berkeley for four years. I studied classical percussion with an emphasis on drum set too. I played timpani, xylophone, classical music, as well as jazz, earning my Bachelor of Music and Applied Percussion degrees.”

From Berklee to bands

While attending, and after graduating Berklee, Correia played with the funk and soul horn band, ‘The Steppin’ Out Band,’ along with his friend, classmate and fellow Rhode Islander, guitarist Mike Rubino. At the time, the band shared the same agent as world heavyweight-boxing champion Smokin’ Joe Frazier.

“When I was with Steppin’ Out, our booking agent was Kenny Johnston, who was Smokin’ Joe’s manager. Joe had retired from boxing but had got into performing with his own nightclub act,” said Correia. “Kenny was keeping us busy, gigging all around the country. We were all in college, it was the summer and we would travel a little bit. As fate would have it, Joe’s backup band was leaving to do other things. We were together and tight as a band, all Berkeley guys that could read. Kenny asked us if we wanted to back Joe up. We said yes and we became part of Smokin’ Joe Frazier’s Revue.”

Steppin’ Out toured across, and outside, the country, with Joe Frazier to many exciting locales, including Atlantic City and the Virgin Islands, but none more exciting or memorable, says Correia, than a frigid, February gig, for 16 days, in upstate New York.

Playing at the Olympics

“With Joe, we got to play at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. We stayed and played at the U.S. Olympic committee headquarters. It was unbelievable. Our living quarters ran underneath the stage. We would just go up the stairs and there we were, grand piano on the stage and everything. We were there for the whole Olympics.”

“Every night the U.S. Olympic committee would host parties and receptions for all the dignitaries from different countries, and we would play these events. One night we played a party for the king of Sweden, which was incredible,” said Correia. “We played receptions for the president of France and so many other VIPs. And to top it off, the American hockey team beat the Russians when we were there. The celebrations were just crazy. The joy, the pride. It was something I’ll never forget.’’

After three years with Frasier’s revue, Correia decided to leave the band, get off the road and go home to rest and regroup. His last gig with the band was in Raleigh, North Carolina, after which he said, “I was so tired and so glad to get off the road that I went home and I think I slept for three months.”

Back home and playing

“By now I’m home, I graduated Berklee, and had to figure out what I wanted to do. I started playing with local bands. I got an offer to join Ken Lyon and the Tombstone Blues Band. I joined and played on his album, Up From the Ashes with all those great players. Then, I decided to go back to school — to graduate school, at Rhode Island College and get certified as a teacher.”

While in college, working on his master’s, still playing with Ken Lyon, Correia began to procure work as a session drummer. He was hired for a recording date at Normandy Sound in Warren, R.I. His ability to read music as well as being a quick study would bode well for Correia. The studio began to call on him for more work.

“The first sessions at Normandy went well. Phil Green, (legendary engineer and producer) started to hire me more frequently. I did a lot of work for Phil. I played sessions with Peter Wolf of J. Geils, Nuno Bettencourt from Extreme, Donnie Wahlberg and Melanie. I also did a record for Joey McIntyre from New Kids on the Block”

In 1992, Correia earned his master’s from RIC. At that time, he parted ways with Ken Lyons to join Steve Smith and the Nakeds. That following fall he was hired by the city of Pawtucket to teach part time, which eventually snowballed into full-time.

The Nakeds and Hall of Fame

“All through my 12-year stint with the Nakeds, I was teaching junior high school music. It was so intense that many times on a Friday I would go to school with my suitcase and after school I would drive to Green Airport and get on a plane with Steve and the band to fly somewhere,” said Correia. “At that time, we were working with Clarence Clemons from Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. We traveled all over with Clarence. We played some great Vegas gigs with him.”

In 2013, Steve Smith and the Nakeds were inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame. When the announcement was made, Correia had already left the band but continued to sub now and then as needed.

“I was filling in on drums for Steve. I wasn’t in the band at the time but stayed on good terms with him after I left. He insisted that I be included in the Hall of Fame lineup. He said I was a key member at that key point in time. I did a lot of chart writing and arranging as well as playing so he gave me full honors, but I wasn’t expecting it.”

Correia has since retired from teaching and today enjoys a full life with his wife and two daughters. He has, however, remained wholly active in providing music instruction for young students.

“I’m retired but I still teach music part time. At Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School, I teach drum set and snare drum studies for kids. I also teach a classical percussion ensemble there. At the Rob Coyne School in Warren, I teach drum set.”

“I still get calls to join lots of bands, but I don’t want to commit anymore. I’ve done all that and I like my independence. Now I do some pick-up stuff with jazz bands here or there. I also continue to do some studio work and have put together a band with Mike Rubino, Scott Beauregard and Ronny Machado called ‘Beat Salad.’ We are all local guys and friends. It’s all original. Kind of a jazz fusion thing. We made an 11-song CD (titled Beat Salad) and we play occasional gigs in the area.”

Great teachers, great opportunities

At the end of our chat, Correia waxed reminiscent.

“When I think about my whole career, I think about how lucky I’ve been. I was 12 when I played my first professional gig. My family supported this young kid that wanted to play the drums. I mean my grandmother in those days let me set up the drums in her living room and pound away. My wife and kids support me today in every way,” said Correia. “I’ve had great teachers and opportunities.

“My drumming has taken me all over the world. I feel very fortunate. I think about my dad and I get emotional. We lost him about three years ago. He introduced me to the world of music. He loved music and played when he could. It reminds me of some great advice one of my teachers once gave me. He said, ‘whenever you have the opportunity to play, take it.’ ”

Look for George Correia on Facebook and YouTube.com/BeatSaladBand