Can you turn your passion into your way of life? In Emmanuelle's case, yes. She started out very young and discovered what she loved to do. This woman overflows with talent, rhythm, and groove. She is the promise for the future of women with drumsticks, a spontaneous, happy woman who never stops surprising us with how natural she is when she plays. Have you seen her in concert? The same smile as a little girl who knows that what she does, she does well. Caplette has been a student of great teachers, and from each of them she has taken an essence that has become part of her personal style.

Emmanuelle, you are currently considered one of the best drummers on the international scene. How do you feel about that?

It's actually a little strange for me. I play drums because it's my passion. I give the best of myself to build a great career. So I take it as a compliment and I'm really very grateful. I'm motivated to work hard so I can inspire people and bring something positive to them.

Is it hard to be a woman in a world of drummers, or have you never noticed any problem?

For me, it hasn't been a problem... These days, I think people are more open than before to playing with female drummers/musicians. In my opinion, gender is the least important thing. In my case, I've never thought about it. I always wanted to play drums, and if people have any prejudice, that's not my problem! ;-)

Where does this passion come from?

An old friend invited me to a drum corps rehearsal when I was 9 years old. I went! The first time I hit a drum, I knew immediately that I wanted to play live music. But what pushed me to keep going even more was when I won my first individual drumline competition in 1994. As the years went by, I became more and more convinced that music is what I wanted to do in life.

You start playing in a local band at 9 and start on drum kit at 18. What happens during those 10 years that marks you as a player?

I started when I was 9 with the “Drumcorps.” I played for 8 years in different bands in Quebec. The “Drumcorps” has been my great passion and a great school of life. I started playing the drum kit when I was 18, right after I finished high school.

When does your big adventure in this world begin?

As I said, I started playing drum kit at 18. I went to the Cegep de Drummondville in the “pop/jazz” drum program. I studied with Camil Bélisle (a great jazz master), and I went to the Université de Montréal, where I studied jazz performance for 1 year with Paul Brochu (of Uzeb). I also did a session at the Université du Québec à Montréal in the fall of 2007 with Pierre Hébert. I really enjoyed my time in school. After school, I started my career as a drummer.

Although you play in many different styles, which one do you feel most comfortable in? What do you enjoy most about that particular style?

My comfort zones are pop, rock, funk, R&B, and jazz fusion. I also like playing country music. What I don't play is metal or anything with an explosive beat... It's not my field and, besides, I don't play double bass pedal!

How many hours a day do you practice, and what is your method? What does it consist of?

Honestly, that's a hard question. It depends, because when I was in school I had more time to practice... Since I work a lot (gigs), it's hard to find the time, because I'm often on the road and sometimes I don't have access to my drums. But right now I'd say I practice 2 to 3 hours per session (when I really have the time). If I have time, I do it 3-4 times a week. And for ME, that's enough. If I practice more hours, I'm not as productive. Seeing my friends and my family is very important to me. I also need to exercise. All of this helps me be more creative when I practice. I love doing it with material by David Garibaldi and Gary Chester.

Does listening to other kinds of musicians feed your playing? In what way?

Of course! Listening to other musicians has inspired me. It makes me more creative.

What aspects do you think are fundamental to improving technique?

I think it's essential to practice your own fundamentals. That's what I do. I only need 20 minutes every day... That's it! Why these fundamentals? Because through them you work on your flow, your strength, your dexterity, your endurance, and your interpretation.

Technique or feel? How much weight do you give each of these two qualities in a drummer?

Both! Technique helps you save energy and build skills. And feeling is very necessary too, because it's important to play with heart and emotion and share those feelings with the audience.

What is groove to you?

Playing the right thing in the right place. Mastering it and having it in the palm of your hand! Keep it simple! Less is more.

Can you always learn more? How?
Always! Yes! Practice with a metronome as often as you can, play with other musicians (meet new musicians), practice different styles of music, listen to lots of music, and also take lessons with different teachers.

What is the setup of your dream drum kit?

I have the drum kit of my dreams. It's the Sonor Ascent Series, in beech, and its configuration is:

Bass drum: 16X16
Snare: Pure Canadian 14X6
Snare: 12X5
Rack tom: 10X8
Floor tom 1: 13X10
Floor tom 2: 14X11
As for cymbals, what are your preferences in sizes and types?
I love my Sabian cymbals, especially the HHX Evolution Series.

I play big cymbals!
2 X 14 “ Hi-Hat HHX Groove
17 “ HHX Evolution Crash
18 “ HHX Evolution Crash
18 “ HHX China
21 “ HHX Groove Ride or the 22” Omni Ride (Jojo Mayer)
8 “ HHX Evolution Splash

Regarding tuning, do you have any considerations or preferences for tuning your heads?

The truth is I tune my drums very low... Like a pop/rock sound. I use Evans heads (EC2 Clear on top and EC Resonant on the bottom). With those heads, I found the perfect sound for playing my Sonor kit. It's very easy to tune! My bass drum is 16“x16”. The sound is incredible and has a lot of sustain. It's amazing! The sound is excellent because it's a suspended system. The bass drum doesn't touch the floor directly. The fact that it hangs in the air gives it a thicker sound.
And I'm going to be honest with you, I don't change my tuning... I use the same sound and tuning at a rock gig or a jazz gig. Why? Because it's the sound that defines me and people recognize it.

What projects do you have in mind right now?

I have a new project that I can't say anything about for now... It's kind of a surprise! It's a project with a rock band in the United States. Right now my summer is completely booked with some shows around Montreal. I'm also planning to do some drum clinics in the fall, specifically in the Netherlands in September and France in November. It's very exciting!

What would be a dream come true for you in the music world?

My dreams? I'd like to do a world tour (in stadiums!) with a pop artist. I'd also like to do a TV show every day. Just like Jay Leno! We'll see! ;-) And someday I want to start my own drum school and keep doing the international drum clinics. I want to share my passion with everyone!

You've taken part in many competitions. What advice would you give to drummers who are just starting out? Do you think this is a good platform?

What I can tell drummers is to always persevere and believe in their dreams. There are periods of time when it seems like nothing is going to happen, and those are the moments when you have to stay positive. Never give up! Having a great attitude is one of the most important things to achieve. Taking part in competitions can be a good platform, but honestly, it isn't necessary. For me, an ideal drummer should have a good personality and a good attitude, an open mind, be passionate, have their own sound and style, and of course have a good sense of time and rhythm.

Emmanuelle, all of us at ISP want to thank you for this time, for your accessibility and availability, and wish you the best of luck in your professional career. It has been a pleasure talking with you.