The Hidden Talent Crisis: Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith Explains Why Cutting Music Programs Is Costing America Its Next Innovators

The Red Hot Chili Peppers’s Chad Smith is betting that music education is key to preserving the creative thinkers businesses need most...

In 2006, Sir Ken Robinson stood on a TED stage and asked a simple question: Do schools kill creativity?

76 million people have watched that talk. It’s still the most-viewed TED Talk in history. It was my honor to sit down with Sir Ken in 2014 and talk about this subject at length, and it’s still one of my most memorable interviews. 

Robinson’s argument was clean. Creativity belongs in education the same way literacy, math, and science do. Instead, we rank it last. We fund it last. And when budgets get tight, we cut it first. That was nearly 20 years ago. Not much has changed. Except Chad Smith is doing something about it.

The Chad Smith Foundation launched in 2025 around three pillars: Inspiration, Access, and Support. This is followed by support via instruments, teachers, and places to play. The After-School Music Program, known as AMP, launched in Milwaukee in March 2026; Smith chose Milwaukee deliberately because his brother, Brad, and nephew, Lewis, who serves as executive director, are based there. It’s a pilot, intentional and methodical, built to figure out what actually works before scaling anywhere else.

For more information, visit chadsmithfoundation.org

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Music is the healer. Music is the is the thing that that connects people all over the world. Or you're just in your room with your buddies and you make a song and then maybe you can like how you can record so easily. You can put it out, go, you know, play in the basement on Saturday and invite your friends over. Or maybe you get to go play in a little club or something and then girls come around.

SPEAKER_04 0:25

It's all good, man. Can take you right back, you know. Right back. I can hear a song and it's like where I was.

SPEAKER_00 0:32

Isn't that one of the best things about art and especially music? Yeah. The car or the girl or the whatever. Yeah. The heartbreak, the heart of course, all of it. Yeah. That's there's there's nothing I you know, nothing, but like that's a big part of the soundtrack of your life. So if you can be part of that, I I just I think it's amazing. Yeah. Hey, it's Chad Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers. We're here in Los Angeles, California in a beautiful day. And you are on Behind the Brand with Brian Elliott.

SPEAKER_04 1:13

Hi everyone, welcome to another episode of the show. Chad? Brian? Thank you for having us to your secret world. My lawyers! Yeah. Uh this room is pretty amazing. Uh just recently soundproofed. I mean, it's pretty well, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

Well, you know, when you're in a house, you gotta kind of try to keep things quiet. And I have a 17-year-old drummer son, and these are his these are these are his stuff. He won't let me play him because touch my stuff. Don't move anything. And you know, he's uh open-handed. He plays, he does it, he plays, he's a he's lefty on a right-handed drum set. Okay. So he's like this. So, like his ride is over here for you drummers, whatever. So he's like, Yeah, you can play that, but just you know, don't move anything, don't change, don't, yeah, don't touch my stuff.

SPEAKER_04 2:02

We'll wipe your fingerprints off of that. Yeah, exactly. Don't before we leave. Um, I usually ask my guests, how did you get this job? How did I get the job of being being a musician? Of yeah, uh bring us boy back into chronology. I want to hear the story. I mean, I know a little bit. I've seen the documentaries, I'm a I'm a big fan. Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:21

But yeah, um I started playing when I was really young, when I was at seven years old. And um, I grew up out of s outside of Detroit, Michigan. And it was uh kind of the you know, hitting stuff when you're that young, pots and pans, and then my dad got me um there's a uh what is it? Oh, it's Baskin Robbins ice cream. Okay. So out of the Baskin Robbins ice cream garbage were the empty tubs that they scooped the ice cream with. Sure, the little pints, yeah. Yeah, little well, they're no, they're like I think they're like gallon gallon cardboard. You guys had money then. We had enough for the pints. Yeah. Well, if I was if I was going for like the these were just the regular tubs they're scooping out of. And uh so that was those are my first drums. So I blew through those pretty quick. But was your dad a musician? No, my dad loved music, but he was not a musician. My mother played a little bit of piano, my sister also. My brother played guitar. My brother Brad was two years is and uh two years older than me. So music was in the house. Was he guiding you that way? He'd say, Chad, stay away from it. Like, not really. Or being an accountant. Yeah, like like I got the guitar, so you figure something else out. No, um, I just I loved music at an early age. I used to buy little 45s and and and yeah, a little record player, and and so yeah, I just gravitated towards the drums. I think they just kind of chose me more than anything else. I played sports and did other things, but um, and that was it. And then, and then, you know, through a paper route and uh shoveling snow and mowing lawns, I got enough money to buy a uh used drum set for my parents. Said if you get X amount of money, we'll we'll match that. So I got $80 and I got a Slingerland Gold Sparkle four-piece for $160. That was my first drum set. I wish I still had it. I don't. I think I sold it for a bag of weed back in high school or something.

SPEAKER_04 4:28

Um I don't know. Yeah, who knows? I heard that story of like Eddie Van Halen went and found his original guitar and someone had it.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Yeah, I don't know. I don't I don't even know the guy that that I I sold it to, but but anyway, um yeah, and then but I did in school, in public school, I did take lessons. There was a there was a teacher, Mr. Hierons, I remember. I'm I'm sure he's not around anymore. He was old back then, and he kind of taught everyone a little bit of everything. He could play a little trumpet, he could play other instruments, and he could play a little bit of the drum. So that's why I learned to learn to read rhythmic music. Yep. Um, because I wanted to play in the school bands. And then by the time I was in um junior high, I would I got in a band with my brother. And so this is 1970, something like that, probably. So I'm eight years old. And we played the hits of the day, which with, you know, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix and whatever, you know, that that classic rock stuff of that time.

SPEAKER_06 5:40

You need fool! Baby I'm a full back to school.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

And um I just I just loved it. So I I love being in the band. I love playing music, but I also love being in the in the school bands as well, and and then and then fast forward to high school. Um, the high school that I my I I went to a couple of high schools, but the one that I ended up graduating from, so I I I I I was by that time I was pretty the sports had kind of gone away, and I was I was like, uh this is what I want to do. I want to be a musician, I want to be a drone, I want to be a professional musician. And um so I was playing with older guys and seniors and stuff, which was pretty cool. But my um my school, my high school had concert band, and then if if you went to the next step up, you were in a symphonic band. Yeah. And then there was obviously the marching band, and then there was also the jazz band after school, and also a music theory class. Yeah. Five different opportunities to play and learn music in a public school outside of Detroit. And this is again late, so this is late 70s. And if I didn't have those opportunities for sure, I probably would have never graduated and I and I and I wouldn't have been able to, you know, continue my studies and continue to be excited about music and found my tribe, my friends, and you know, all that stuff that's so important, especially at that age. And and graduated and immediately started playing in in bands and bars in Detroit. I'm like, that's it. I've made it. Yeah, I'm a professional musician. I'm in these stinky ass six nights a week, three sets, covers, some originals, walking around in these beer soak bars in my bare feet. Like so stupid. And and but I loved it. Making $165 a week. Yeah. But it was great. It was great. It was a great experience. And I'm I'm so lucky I had that. You're paying your dues. You I was doing big time getting my $10,000. I did that on and off for probably about eight years until I moved to California.

SPEAKER_04 8:01

When I walked in the house, I saw kind of in the living area this three-shot picture of Ringo Starr. Yeah. Yeah. And as you're telling me that story, it kind of reminds me of what I've heard Ringo Star tell that story of you know, those those days back in Liverpool, and there's they're just, you know, on the some back Cavern Club and in the Hamburg where they're playing eight sets a night or whatever.

SPEAKER_00 8:24

Yeah. So that's important to have that. There's no shortcuts in, I think, you know, and you gotta put in your time, you gotta work hard, and if you love it, you're gonna want to do it. But that will help make things happen, really. Yeah, you you just gotta do the work. You gotta get the reps. And culture now for young people, unfortunately, everything's they want it quick and the phone and and and I really, you know, there's there's something about having a passion for something and really working hard at it to get really good at it, um, is I think, you know, a really important aspect of of anything, but certainly art and music.

SPEAKER_04 9:02

Totally agree. Uh, did you have early influences? I mean, we we talked a little bit about Ringo, maybe Led Zeppelin and some of these others. Like, did you do you uh admire, aspire to certain people in certain groups at that time, the classic rock?

SPEAKER_00 9:16

I did. I did. Um my brother had a really good record collection as he was two years older than me. So, and he would get really pissed at me because I'd go in his room and he wasn't there and I put the headphones on. He had the Morantz uh you know, old school stereo, and me listening to Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin and and and a lot of the English hard rock blues bands, like um, I love you know, Jimi Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell on drums, The Who, Keith Moon obviously Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple. I love Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, um, you know, Dave Bowie and and and yeah, so many, humble pie. Like my brother had a he he I I just yeah, I kind of definitely was very influenced by by the stuff that he liked, but a lot of the stuff that was on the radio too. Sure. So I liked a lot of pop music and growing up in Detroit, a lot of Motown. And um I used to go to sleep at night with the little radio next to my bed, and and you know, I think that probably seeped into my subconscious while I was sleeping or something. CKLW, the motor city, and it was in Windsor, it was in Canada actually. Yeah, but it was a Detroit station. So um, yeah, those drummers and those, I mean, and those drummers had that swing. They had because they were listening to probably some of their parents' music in the you know, 50s and 40s and Elvis, and but even before that big band stuff, I've talked to some of those guys. Um so that those those that music and those drummers, certainly at the at my my you know, the beginning when I was a teenager, those that was really influential to me.

SPEAKER_04 11:03

Yeah. Did did you get to meet any of your heroes?

SPEAKER_00 11:05

I have. I've been lucky. I've been around a long time now. So yeah, I've I've played with Ian Pace from Deep Purple. Uh, we've done a couple of seminars together. Um, he's amazing. Um, not I never met Mitch Mitchell, never met Keith Moon, never met John Bonham. Um but, you know, lots of guys that that other drummers, like even American drummers like John Densmore from The Doors, and um Frank Beard from Z Z Top, and Joey Kramer from Aerosmith, and and um, you know, those guys. And then like a lot of really great studio drummers that have played on so many important and incredible records. Like Jim Keltner is out here. He's played with everybody. There was a drummer he's passed away, his name is Hal Blaine, who who probably played the most recorded drummer, maybe musician. He was in a um he was in a studio band, I guess they're called the Wrecking Crew. There's a movie, there's a movie about him, but they played on all the Beach Boys records and all the Oh, very cool. All yeah, all this stuff that um Phil Spector did when the studio in rock and roll was booming in the mid-60s, probably for 15 years. If you if you turn on, you know, that radio station from that time, yeah, you'd hear Hal playing drums. And he was amazing, had amazing stories. Like you play with every Frank Sinatra, I always press the you know, you name it, yeah, the carpenter. So I I I didn't aspire to be a studio musician, but I I always wanted to like pick these guys' brains. Like, what was it like, and how did you do that, and da-da-da-da, and what kind of drums, you know, all that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_04 12:47

From your perspective, though, can you see like everyone's uh I would imagine that it's sort of like you know, our fingerprint. Like every drummer has their own style, their own technique, their own whatever. Is did you find that to be true? Well, um there's some crossover similarities, like everyone kind of holds it the same way.

SPEAKER_00 13:05

Yeah, I mean I think the thing about drumming be not being necessarily certainly in rock and roll, a a um like melodic instrument. You're keeping time, and you know, drums do sound different. You know, you know when a Genesis or a Phil Collins record comes on, you know the sound of those drums. You know that's Phil Collins, you know Led Zeppelin, you know John Baum. Nobody sounds like that. Um, you know, and and Stuart Copeland from the police, who I really love, like very very distinct, identifiable, distinct personality on the drums. That's you know, that's that's not as common. Um and when when that can come through, you know, that's really something special. And then of course it's the context, the songs of the band that you're in. You know, Stuart Copa's not gonna sound right in fucking Led Zeppelin, but like you know what I mean? And you hear Keith Moon playing, he's not gonna sound right in the Beatles and all that. But in their own thing, it's really um something really magical when when um they have such a a voice on an instrument. So it takes time. Some come right out of the box. I think John Bonham was first Led Zeppelin recording he was like 20 years old. He's doing good times, bad times, and the doubles on the foot, and you're like, What? Yeah, and that's him.

SPEAKER_04 14:26

Yeah, or Neil Pert or something, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:29

And Neil as well, also, and but I don't think Neil probably sounded as much Neil until he found the guys in Rush. Yeah, you know, he was was an uh and then he was another one I got to talk to as well. And is it true like they say you shouldn't meet your heroes, but like is that a myth? Um I would I I think it's more of a myth. I mean, you know, um guys all speak the same language. Yeah, I mean, the people that have been successful and and um have longevity, you you can't kind of be an asshole for the you know, I mean there's no gatekeeping going on like you're sharing experiences. Especially drummers. Yeah. For whatever reason, like I've done some drum, I don't do them too much anymore, but drum like clinics or seminars where you go, whatever, to the guitar center and you play, and a couple hundred drummers or musicians show up and you play and you talk about technique or you talk about how you uh approach music or the band or whatever. And like 200 drummers are coming, but like guitarists and bass players do like 20 guys show.

SPEAKER_05 15:31

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:31

It's weird. It's weird. So you meet other drummers. I don't know if it's the guys in the back or or or I don't know that everyone's been in my experience, you know, there's not a lot of ego.

SPEAKER_04 15:44

Yeah. Good dudes, like, yeah. Maybe you're right. There's something to that, like there's the front man, yeah, and then there's the guy in the back who's like putting it all together.

SPEAKER_00 15:51

And the guitar players posing, and you know, everybody's different, but I don't want to generalize too much. But for the most part, I've my experience is that yeah, the drummers are happy to share, and and sort of there there is this kind of community of like um, you know, we're all in this together kind of thing. Yeah. I love that. Yeah, it's cool.

SPEAKER_04 16:12

Yeah. So um you left Michigan, you came out to LA. Yeah. This was uh mid to late 80s, right?

SPEAKER_00 16:18

Yeah, 1988. Yeah, in August of 1988. Um, and I joined Chili Peppers in December.

SPEAKER_04 16:26

And uh for those who know the backstory, you know, there's some things going on with the band, you know, uh uh tragic death, some things happening.

SPEAKER_00 16:36

Little bit, little bit of disarray at that point. Yeah. But John Freshante, our guitarist, had just joined. He'd been in the band a few months, 18 years old, first band he was ever in. He was a huge Chili Pepper fan. And Flea and Anthony, and and they were just looking for uh they were looking for drummer Jack Ion's original drummer had left after Hello passed. And um I, you know, again, it's it's it's it's it's fate or or luck and opportunity, and you're prepared when that happens. I think all those things sort of just happened. And a friend of mine that that was friends with this girl that knew John, knew they were looking for a drummer, that kind of thing. And you tell John and and he calls me up and I come down. And I knew of the Chili Peppers. I uh they were, you know, they were kind of underground-ish college you know, starting a little bit. Yep. And I'm all the guys with the socks on their dicks. Oh, yeah, okay, I know who that is. And I'm like, do they have a record deal? And my friend was like, Yeah, I'm like, great, I'll try out for them. Great. So I knew of them, but I wasn't like a big fan. I didn't have their records or anything. Yeah. So I had to go out and get a cassette and listen to it and figure out some of the songs. And and you know, that was it. Yeah, and we started working, and I but I was like, I don't know how long this is gonna last. Maybe four months, maybe we'll make a record, who knows? 38 years later, here we are.

SPEAKER_04 18:02

Amazing. Yeah. I mean, you kind of like from the outside looking in, it looked like you're the guy who's kind of all business. Oh. Okay. Like, you know, you're sort of the glue. Yeah. The one we can count on. Okay. I mean, a lot as I think about and what I know about the Beatles, kind of like a Ringo, right? Yeah. Ringo's underestimated. Yeah. Because he's really the guy that would, you know, when John and and uh Paul would fight or have a disagreement, or George would walk out because he was pissed or whatever. Like he would kind of get them all back together and be the voice of reason.

SPEAKER_00 18:32

I I you know, I think again, it's it's part of the personality of the instrument. You're like the anchor, you're the heart, you're kind of the quarterback, you know, you're setting tempo and dynamics and arrangement stuff, and and you know, everybody knows the band is only as good as their drummer. I mean, there's not any great bands with an okay drummer. It's like, so it's a really, you know, yeah, it's an it's an important part, and and band dynamics are different in in all bands, but um yes, I know that the guys in my band can can can you know can count on me to be solid and and be there and reliable. And um yeah, it's it's uh yeah, it's an interesting dynamic, but um, you know, through the year, I mean we're talking a lot of years, a lot of a lot of this, yeah, which is normal. It's just because you're in a band that people know about, you they see it and they hear about it, but it's like any relationship, you know, there's a lot of give and take and compromise and um stuff being in a band, but it's very rewarding. It's like it's amazing.

SPEAKER_04 19:41

Yeah, yeah, it seems like it's it's like a little family. Um and it also seemed like you know, your style coming out of the box was like hard charger, like you had this reputation for yeah playing drums harder than you. Yeah, I'm a hard hitter.

SPEAKER_00 19:53

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:53

The power. Um but it worked for you. I mean, that was that was the energy.

SPEAKER_00 19:57

Yeah, uh, you know, that's with it. I mean, it's kind of how I know how to do it. I mean, uh, you have to be musical and play what's right for for the songs. But yes, I would say that part of definitely part of my style is you know, power and um and try to be, you know, succinct and and clean, but but kicking their ass. You know, I want to kick people that's the way I plan. That's where I I like it. I like that. That sounds good to me.

SPEAKER_04 20:41

Yeah. Well, you know, that's uh on this joke, we talked to a lot of, you know, founders who started companies or business people or you know, uh incredible brains have come up with technologies and whatnot. The common thread is you know, you've got to just have your own distinct style. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:56

In fact, you know, sets you apart from from from there's so much noise out there. How do you carve your niche?

SPEAKER_04 21:03

Yeah, and it's it's it's both the challenge and the opportunity. So a lot of people will, you know, uh look to who someone who's already successful and and and try and replicate that. Copy it.

SPEAKER_00 21:13

Yeah, copy it. But why why did they become successful? Not because they probably copied it for someone else. You can take like we steal, I steal from I see somebody doing something good. I'm like, I want to do that. Or, oh, that's not good. I don't want to do that.

SPEAKER_05 21:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:28

Those I think that's that's normal and and a good thing to do. You don't want to completely rip somebody off, but there's nothing really new under the sun, especially with with music. I I hope that there is something completely different. That would be amazing. But um yeah, that's that's there's there's things to be um influenced by or emulate, but copying, you know, yeah. I don't think that's gonna it's not gonna set you apart.

SPEAKER_04 21:57

Yeah, you're always second, third, or fourth. You're you know the You're never the original. And so to really become, you know, elite or have the staying power that you guys have had. Yeah. And you have had, you know, uh as this, you know, uh person who's found, you know, paved the way for for many others to come. Um, you know, your son included, like, you've got to be, you gotta have the courage to like, you know, be you. What's that quote? It's like, you know, no one else's is no one else's you, so you might as well be you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:25

You're the best you you can be.

SPEAKER_00 22:26

Yeah. Uh Keith Moon is the best Keith Moon there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 22:29

And and that's really like, I think a lot of people get lost trying to find their path because they they see a shiny object or they see something that's already working and they think, oh, I'm just gonna do something like that. But like, that's not the way. You know, the way is I don't think you sit down uh you know to try and write a platinum record either.

SPEAKER_00 22:49

No, you have to be authentic. It has to come from the heart, and it has to and and you know, we make records for us. Sounds kind of selfish, but we make records that we like. We're not trying to, what's the guy on the chart doing or you know? We don't and and um I think that's really important because that's the thing that connects with people, the humanity of it, the authenticity of it. It's not always gonna be great, but like you have to do the best that you can do at that time, and you know, you work hard at it, and you and and it it's it's it's important it's important for us as musicians as a band to always try to change and grow and not do the same thing. Why don't you play that song from California Kid? Play one like that. I was really we did that in 1999. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's a long time ago. We're different people, we're a different band, you know. We're not gonna do that again. I'm glad you like those, and we'll play those for you when we come to your town. But for our record, we want to make where we're at as people and as the musicians right now. I and that that's that's that's important to us. I don't know that everybody has that same um, you know, that they want to do that, but for us, that's that's what we we like to do.

SPEAKER_04 24:06

And I think that's the secret susser there. Talk about how you worked with Rick Rubin. Yeah. Uh it sounds like some of his his influence in there. Talk about that experience over there.

SPEAKER_00 24:17

Well, Rick Rubin's been producing Renat Shili Piper Records since 1991, Blood Sugar Sex Magic. And um, you know, you have to trust when a person's a producer and and and and is helping you make your music better when you make records, you have to trust them. You have to trust their their um you know what they like and what they don't like. And Rick Rubin has a very wide spectrum, a musical palette. He's done everything from Johnny Cash to run DMT.

SPEAKER_04 24:47

Yeah, but back in the 90s, he was still he was kind of like Beastie Boys. I mean, but it was narrow, more narrow than it was now.

SPEAKER_00 24:53

No, he did, you know, he had done the cult and slayer and like heavy stuff, and he'd done a lot of hip-hop. That's where he came from in in his world. Um, you know, but he hadn't had as much under his belt. But he definitely loved, you know, AC DC and Zappoint about, you know, we had similar, not exactly, you know, we all have very different we have we there's places where we cross, but we all have very different tastes in music. Um, I think that's important because if everyone has the same thing, it's gonna be a little more It's gonna sound the same. It's gonna be a little more now. So um and and so we we trust Rick. He's he's such a great listener. He's such a big music fan. He just loves music. Um but his for us in '91 and since it was he was to us the first guy that made it sound like uh what we sounded like in the room.

SPEAKER_04 25:52

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:52

You know, so it's very kind of stripped back production, very organic and and um not a lot of bells and whistles. It's he likes to hear the singer like, you know, there's not a lot of reverb or stuff, you know. Yeah the drums are punchy, everything's kind of stringed in your face. And you can't hide. There's no hiding. Yeah, you gotta be good.

SPEAKER_04 26:16

So did he make you play any alternative things besides the drums to sort of get that get that out of you, or were you always no?

SPEAKER_00 26:24

Um, he just worked with us, obviously, really good with arrangement, and what about this, and do that twice, and that I can imagine him like, give it to me on the spoons or something like no, he's down for anything, like, and that's the other thing that was really uh helpful and has been is that he's very patient, and it's like if you have an idea, everyone's ideas are are heard, which is really great. Sometimes that's not the case in musical situations, even if it sucks, even you think like, and I've said many times, this is probably the worst idea, but what if we did this for this bridge section? And and and you know, sometimes be like, no, yeah, let's do but everyone we try everything, and Rick is always like, Yeah, let's try it. Yeah, yeah. And you never know because sometimes you try something, maybe it's not you know the right thing for that moment, but that could trigger somebody else. Flea might go, oh wait, what if I do this? Do that, oh no, no, no. And like those kind of creative things are really important, and that's how you get to do come up with like unique or different things. Um, Rick's really good with that. And and you know, he's just like just uh, you know, he just loves music and he's he he's our friend and we've known him for so long and we trust him and we trust his musical ear, and he's really he's really good at at no having that that objective not in the band, I wrote this part or this is my song, you know. He doesn't give a shit about anything. He's just play it. Yeah, that's you know, he's often he's like we would, you know, we uh often m write lots of of material, lots of music, and then end up using, you know, 15 songs, but we'll write 30, and we'll we'll be we'll we'll we'll get together and make music and then we'll invite him in to hear it, you know, and it's kind of like fun. And yeah, Rick's coming in, you know, and he'll sit there, we'll play some stuff. And he doesn't he doesn't like start producing right there, but he's like, Oh, that's good. What else you got? Uh and we're like, oh, wait till you hear this one. Boy, I love this is fucking great. We'll put this on and you love, and then he'll be like, Yeah, what else you got?

SPEAKER_03 28:40

Yeah, gives you the gladiators on that thing. What else? What else you got?

SPEAKER_00 28:44

We're like, that's awesome. He's like, Yeah, but you did that like the 10 years ago. What yeah, and then all we get is this thing from this jam from Tuesday. He's like, that's awesome. Make a song out of that. Yeah, that's really good. We're like, what? I don't even remember. He's like, oh no, like so those are helpful. Um, he's just uh a creative, helpful guy.

SPEAKER_04 29:04

So we love him. So I want to talk about the business of the chili peppers for a second, but also I'm curious about the music. So I know you've talked about the process, like what the order of operations is before, whether it's the you know, the lyrics, the music, you know, what comes first. But can you remind me of what the process is?

SPEAKER_00 29:21

Yeah, um usually, historically with the red eye chili pepper, to the music comes first, and then Anthony, he's there when we're we're writing songs, or somebody will have um, John will have a a a riff or or or or something, an idea from from home, or if we have a bass line or whatever, or I'll start a drum beat when we're all together. So there's those those are ways that that music starts. There's us just improvising together. Often when we go, you know, a little room not much bigger than this, and you know, we start playing, and somebody picks a key and we jam, and um often songs can come out of that. Anthony's always there, and he's he's he gets inspired by the music. So fortunately, we have you know a little recording thing and he'll take it home, and or he'll be like in the moment, oh, I really like that, or so it's usually the music first and then lyrics and melody after that. But on a couple occasions, he had like basically like poems written down, and one of those was Under the Bridge. Yeah, yeah. I heard that story. Yeah, right. Yeah, and he had this thing, and he had his, you know, and I didn't think he was with Rick. And Rick's like, what's that? He's like, Oh, it's this poem thing I wrote, but you know, he's like, What is it? He's like, It's time for the band. He's like, can I see it? So there again, like recruitment. And he had a little melody for it, and and we ended up writing a song. And at that time, we didn't write too many sort of you know, more mellower songs, you know. We were pretty, you know. Yeah, it's hardcore. Yeah, yeah. So that was the other thing too. I think he felt like this isn't, you know. And you know, so that that song came lyrics and melody first, and it's been one of our more popular numbers. And then fast forward 99, he um had traveled quite a bit and had lyrics for California Cation. And again, we tried to put music to, we couldn't, we tried all these different ways, reggae, and I couldn't finally when we were getting ready to record, and again, Perseverance and Rick knowing he's like, There's a good song in that. I'm telling you, you guys gotta figure out how to support it. And when John came in, it's just a simple chord. Like we were trying to overthink it. Yeah, and so two of our most popular numbers. So I think you know, if Anthony's got any poems lying around, we need to hear 'em. Yeah, I think but mostly mostly with music first.

SPEAKER_04 31:57

Yeah. Uh let's let's talk a little bit about the business of music. Um I'm sure, and I can only guess, you know, during that time when you guys were seeing tremendous success, you know, there was probably a lot of money offered to go do this tour or go that way or do this. Like, how did you guys approach the business of it? Like, um did you talk uh among yourselves to decide? Did you have someone managing your brand, your business? Like, did you guys have a say in that? Talk to me about that.

SPEAKER_00 32:28

Yeah. We're very involved in in all aspects of the band. So um, yeah, we choose, you know, our agents, we choose our managers and um legal people. We've had the same lawyers since the very beginning. Um, you know, and the music business has changed quite a bit from 1985, you know. So um it's important to we've always we've always tried to keep the integrity as much as you can to your to your to the band, the band's name and our music. Um, yes, often you're you know asked, Well, you, you know, here's gazillion dollars for a Pepsi commercial, and they want to change the words, and they're like, No. Yes, no. That's not us. No, that's not us. And so we do come from this kind of sort of punk rockish indie background. Uh we were very um anti-establishment. Yeah, and you know, sell out and you know, people that would do commercials or or lend their music. Of course, now this is 30 years ago. Now, music is everywhere, it's more acceptable. Uh no, are we gonna use a chili pepper song and a freaking hemorrhoids ad? No. But or Snickers or what like stuff that we like, like people often come to us for film and and television. And if it's a cool show or if it's uh of somebody that we know or or there's a connection that feels authentic to us, then we'll get involved in it. But we're we're very very hands-on with all that stuff because it's it's it's important how you're perceived in the world and 100%. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 34:13

Um in my world, we call that on brand. Yeah. You know, and we talk a lot about brands. This show is called Behind the Brand. Yeah. Um do you think much about the that word at all? Like, you know, the brand of the Red Hop Chili Peppers or the brand of Chad Smith? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:27

Um, you know, not really. Uh I I I I'm conscious of it. I I understand it, and and I know that it's a it's it can be a really good thing. Um, you know, we're fortunate that we our band has been together for so long and and successful, and I feel still relevant. And that chili pepper logo that you see, you know, it's pretty iconic and stood the test of time. Yeah. So um we have to be kind of again, we're we're we're we're pretty careful with how we how our music is used and how our brand is seen. It sounds like um but we're we're we're we're sensitive to it. Yeah. Yeah. It sounds like you're really dialed in, but just like in in the We're not pursuing stuff to like, yeah, you know, because fortunately, thank God, you know, we're we're still people come to us. Yeah. You know, we're not out there hustling and and all that. You know, our our manager looks for opportunities and good things and new different things that could be seen as and really cool with the band. And um, we're always open to all that stuff. Um that surprise you because it doesn't surprise me. I mean, the surprise the hell out of me. The music is held up. I mean, it's that's crazy to me though. But like if I had when I it's good, and I think that you know, we've made a lot of good records and and we're a really great live band, and and um those two things I think are you know are two of the probably most important things, especially um now with touring is like is is where a lot of the revenue comes from. Yeah. You know, streaming, you get like a penny, it's on all billion streams. Like I saw our song, I think Danny California was like seventh song, go billionth streaming on like what it would be like, I don't know, iTunes or or yeah, whatever it is.

SPEAKER_04 36:22

Where things go viral.

SPEAKER_00 36:23

Yeah, or or or whatever platform that you're on, Spotify, whatever it is. Um that's awesome. But yes, because and you know, it's it's I don't if I knew why, other than yes, it's authentic and we we mean it and we play from the heart and it's human and we make mistakes and we're just you know but we're we we do the best that we can do whenever that is. So I think people appreciate that, they like the human connection, they and we can play our instruments well. Well, I think it resonates. I think it does resonate. And I see now more than ever, now that we've been doing so long, we our last tour that we did. I see, you know, the parent with the kids. That's what I was gonna say in the past and the kids like singing the song and the parent. I'm like, yeah, wow. Yeah, that's that's amazing.

SPEAKER_04 37:17

So I would have never uh, you know. I I think that's uh one major culture shifts. You know, if you think about your grandpa or his, you know, your grandpa.

SPEAKER_00 37:25

People want to like, I didn't want to like my parents' music. This one, Frank Sinatra and all this Black Sabbath, loud. I want to piss up, I want my music, which I'm sure that they hopefully still have, but for some reason, I'm very grateful for it. Our music is somehow connected, and it's like it's it's people of all ages dig it.

SPEAKER_04 37:49

This is my point. I was saying this has kind of been the cultural shift where, you know, like you your grandpa, your your dad's dad's dad, like turn that Elvis stuff down, you know, what's with the you know, hips, you know, that loud. Yeah. But now, you know, heading into you know, maybe 70s, 80s, you know, the generation of people that grew up with all this great music, um, they are now passing it down to their kids. And then their kids are right on just like them. So they're becoming these fans. And so there's been this resurgence. And you see it through, you know, social media is just the medium by which it travels. And so everyone's so connected. Yeah. Um, and with more and more people being connected, then it's shared. And then all of a sudden you have this whole kind of world that's connected to your music. Yeah. That's a beautiful thing.

SPEAKER_00 38:36

Yeah. That's that's been the big difference, I think, is that culturally and and media and how people consume music. Now we did a tour 10 years ago where we played places we'd never played before. Like where? Estonia and and like a lot of European places. Yeah. Um, you know, little little eastern bloc places, and we were just like, we'll go anywhere where 10 to 15,000 people show up, we'll go play there. And I bet they all knew all the words. They did, yeah. And they were like, Oh my, you know, we're playing Istanbul and Tel Aviv, blah, blah, blah, blah. Places probably 15 years ago, you would go and tour where you could sell CDs. Sure. Because that you you you that was really flipped. Yeah. It used to be, you know, you tour to support your record. Now, for bands like, I don't know all that, but but for us, it's like, sure, we want people to love our new music, but like really the new album and and all the stuff around that really supports the tour. Oh, Chili Peppers gonna, oh, they're gonna come play. Okay, I'll hear some new song, but they're gonna play all the old shit that I like. Yeah. So we, you know, we played, yes, lots of places where I'm like, dude, there's how these uh like, you know, in Russia and play, how do they even know? Yeah. And they know.

SPEAKER_04 39:58

Well, so is it maybe a good segue to you know the influence of music, how important it is. I know that you're involved in this new philanthropic program, this this program. Can you kind of break it down? Tell me what this after school music program is all about, why you started it, and yeah, how it works.

SPEAKER_00 40:15

Of course. So, yeah, it's um through my foundation, the Chad Smith Foundation. I don't like saying my name, it sounded weird, but yeah, should be the Chad Smith family. My nephew Lewis is the executive director, and my brother Brad is also involved in it, but we do have other people outside of it, doesn't end in the name Smith. Um you know, it's it was really started because we wanted to music education is so important. You know, having a place for young people to go and be exposed to music, um, have the have instruments that they can play. We want people to play an instrument when I uh DJ, whatever you want to do, anything music. And then we want the education part, the teachers. We needed teachers to to be involved. So we want all that, get that so so kids have a have an outlet to be able to pursue their passion and for the next generation of kids to get out there, and we want the next, you know, Bruce Bringstean or Prince or whoever to come out of whatever little town that they're in. Yeah. Or and and so we're we're providing that for people.

SPEAKER_04 41:28

The timing is right. I mean, that actually it's we've been needing it for decades probably. The school programs getting cut, you know, art, music, you know, all the important stuff. Yeah. Of course, it's you know, we need math and science, but we also need music and and art.

SPEAKER_00 41:42

Yeah, just as just as much, you know. Yeah. Those are the fun subjects. Not to say, if you have a crazy scientist or a mathematician, uh fun to them, I know, great. Yeah. But traditionally, like making music in art, but to your point, and and and again, this would resonate with me because uh it's a no-brainer for me because when I was in high school, I I had these programs and got me through school and kept me um excited about my passion, which is music, because I knew what I wanted to do at that point. Yeah. But when when when there's art and music in schools, attendance rate is up, graduation rates is more, people do better in their other subjects, um, families get involved as well, they're making the the trees for the play or whatever. Like, there's there's so many positive things around art and music, and um, yeah, unfortunately, that's the the first thing that gets cut out out of out of funding.

SPEAKER_04 42:39

So And I might guess that a lot of kids are born artists. I mean, it sounds like you were a drummer from you know eight and eight. Yeah. Yeah. You just knew it was, you know, intuitive. Yeah. How many other kids are born like that, but they don't have a program opportunity, and that just sort of gets squashed and they say, go to law school or be an accountant, or you know.

SPEAKER_00 42:59

Yeah, to do things, you know, you gotta make a living, or you got, you know, or you get pressure from other places. You, Johnny, you're gonna be a lawyer, you're gonna be a doctor like your dad, or you know, you know, we we want people to be able to have the opportunity to be exposed to to art and music. And um, if I can help in any way, if I can get one person to start playing the drums or guitar or be in a band or whatever, like I love it. Yeah. I probably love it more now than I did when I was in high school and and and playing on those little bars in Detroit. Uh it's like it's if you can do what you love to do and make a living at it, whatever that is, but just to you need to, you know, you need help to get started, we're here to we're here for that. Yeah. So where are you rolling out and how's it work? Um, right now there's two s uh college scholarships that we have. One is in the University of Minnesota, where both my parents attended and were graduates. So, and I was born in Minnesota, actually. Well, we all of us, but um, we moved to Michigan shortly after, like three years after I was born. So I have a real connection to Minnesota. So we did an opening there. I played with the marching band at halftime. Oh, fun. Did Chili Peffer song. That's cool. Yeah. Did you get the whole like the No, I was on the drum set. Oh, okay. Yeah, I wasn't like on the Tri-Toms or the Quad Toms. Time numbers are fun, though, right? Those are all you know, when I was in high school, so this is 1979, when the marching band, they were like, um, I think, I think they wanted me to play symbols. I was like, I don't want to play symbols. And they and so this was the first time of tri it was tri-coms, so it's three. And they were one, yeah, three toms, you put the thing over heavy. But there was no music, there was no tri-Tom music. Okay. So I just fucking keep the moon my way.

SPEAKER_03 44:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 44:53

You're advising.

SPEAKER_00 44:54

And then all rig me. And they were like, I then I remember my guy kept going like this. I was like, this is awesome. But um, yeah, no, that uh I just played the jump set and with the band, and it was really fun. 300 P 300 Pete's half-time show with their homecoming. And then, of course, growing up in Michigan, outside of Detroit, I was a big U of M guy. So we have a scholarship there as well. And I got to play with their bands and have a great time in Michigan. So those two we're gonna add more, but right now we uh put it uh a student that needs to help put them all four years to the music program. Nice. And then my like I say, right now we're starting in Milwaukee. It's gonna roll out, but right now we we're gonna, we're gonna, we wanna really like figure out what works and and that's the pilot program. Yes. Yep. And that's also that's with the Boys and Girls Club. That's with um Salvation Army is helping us as well. Um Notes for Notes is a local place as as well. And there's one more which is Lewis can probably tell you that I uh another collaborator with us as well, and uh, it escapes me at the second. But all these things are having a place, places to go for kids to play, instruments, music education, and then it's like a school of rock kind of thing, right?

SPEAKER_03 46:26

A little bit. And we're also working with school of rock. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:29

And NAM and and all the instruments that we like, you know, we're just we're just just gathering the tribes and and getting everybody to help. So I like it. Everyone's been great so far.

SPEAKER_04 46:41

A lot of people watch this show. They have their own companies or they have their own things. Please, please! This is an awesome thing. Yeah. We'll put it in the show notes how people can get a hold of you, reach out and and be part of it. Down below.

SPEAKER_00 46:54

Look, I think it is the yeah. Um, yeah, there's the yeah, the again, ChadSmithFoundation.org, and and there's all ways to donate and get involved and however you want to um would be most appreciated. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 47:08

I love it. Yeah. Okay, now Chad Corbin, I'm gonna ask you what what Red Hot Chili Peppers questions that I did not ask, Chad, that you are dying to ask. Oh my gosh. Put you on the spot here, Brad. Yes, I am. Yeah, yes, tough questions. You're you're my inside guy.

SPEAKER_00 47:24

You have one qu I gotta give you one question, you better fucking make it good. Oh it is. It's heating up.

SPEAKER_01 47:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:32

So wait, what is your main drums, bass? Bass bass. Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 47:36

He's legit. He could pull that bass down and probably play.

SPEAKER_00 47:38

I'm sure he can. That's Duff's bass. I play with Duff McKay from Guns every once in a while. We have a yeah, that's but something happened to her. I think the electronics got fucked up.

SPEAKER_01 47:52

Maybe get big. Oh, it looks like it the back is kind of the the the pot poly. Something. I don't know if it's working quite right. Anyway. Which was which is the one you said that looks like yours? Is it that I got a music man stingray? Yeah, fun. No, it's a four stream. Yeah, it's a four string. Those are good. But love them, love them, yeah. But uh few. But uh, yeah, I guess one question. Here's one.

SPEAKER_04 48:18

Um is gonna be like a stay away from the camera so you can answer it, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:26

Um if you had to choose or can candy choose, do you have the favorite show? Favorite show?

SPEAKER_00 48:34

Ooh, that's you asked the tough questions, Chad. Um let's see. Um yeah, I don't I don't know. Like, you know, the first time he went to Japan sticks out for me right now because it's like it was 1990. What is it? Club Cheetah? Probably. How do you know? He knows he evidence.

SPEAKER_01 49:11

I I was telling Brian, and this is a little embarrassing. I've probably seen every live show of Drew Gas on YouTube.

SPEAKER_00 49:19

Right, they're all out there now, right? Yeah, they're all out there. I don't know if that was the first one we did, but like um I'm I remember I don't know if it was clip, yeah. Um, but I remember the the just the Japanese audiences were so different. But they like their their culture, obviously, is just they were so polite. And we're playing, you know, and we're used to people jumping. This is 1990, we were playing clubs with people jumping on stage and just crazy shit all the time, right? And we're fucking doing our thing, bam. They probably picked up your trash afterwards, too. And and like like clapping like this for this, and then you hear pin drop, like quiet, and they're just all staring at us like we're in a fucking zoo, right? We're like, look at these freaks. The promoters go, that gives us the greatest show we ever. We were like, what? We didn't know. Like now they're much more westernized. Now we've been back a million times, and they're they they're like, you know, they know how to do it. But back then, it was very different. So I remember that being like, wow, this is like so different. But it's so if you've seen a lot of concerts, like this, the ones that you've probably seen that are out like the like the Slaying Castle one, is yeah, we I think we made a DVD out of it. That was a great concert. That was really fun. The Irish people were really loving us back then. That was really fun. We played it, we played it a couple years earlier with you too, and we're like, wow, this is this is and the Irish, they just, you know, they're Irish.

SPEAKER_04 50:55

They're they wanna not much else to do over there, though, really.

SPEAKER_00 50:59

They love their Guinness and they're they're just such passionate people. They're great. So though that was a fun time. Um, we played these Hyde Park concerts in in London. We played three of these big outdoor concerts. Um, those are really fun. Again, those who got recorded and stuff. So those stick out to me, but like I'm I'm trying to think of like there was one like this there's shows, like I don't know that I just remember of like having the cops chase us out because we were doing, you know, weird shit. And and one in Green Bay, me and Flea got chased out. Yeah, we had to run through the woods. I guess you can't show pubic hair in in Green Bay. It's been against the rule whenever that was, a long, long time ago. So we're playing our last song with socks on, and there's two cops on the side of the stage, and our uh our real manager times like, you know, these cops are gonna arrest you, you know. I was like, Well, we're gonna go that way. And you like distract him and we finished playing and we ran out and it was cold. Green Bay, it was fucking cold too. And we're like, man, and we're running through the fucking wood, through the park, too. Like somehow there was like a wooded area, and we like ran and ran ran ran ran. And we ended up in somebody's house. Like, it's like it was like out of a freaking movie. Like, finally we walked and we're all tired and cold. And we're like, I bet we can go back now. And so we got law. We saw this house. We've never been there. So this is like midnight now, and we just knocked on the door. As one does. As one does. But there's these like two naked dudes. Like, I don't think this, I don't know if we have the sons. Maybe we had towels at this point, but something, but we were we're like, you know, they put thought we were a couple of fucking aliens. I mean, well, we uh we tried to explain, and they let us in and we played like video games for a while. We cooled off. Super nice in Green Bay. Nice people. I remember playing video games. They gave us tea, and we didn't get arrested on that one. But yeah, I mean, so many, uh I don't know. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. But usually, I guess sometimes it would be like you fell off the stage, or so, you know, something like catastrophic, you know, playing Woodstock with giant light bulbs on your head. Like, what the what were we thinking? Like that, and it was so spinal depth, like we hadn't actually tried them on until literally like before this we went out. Like, I'm like, is mine on? And Nabar was like, oh it was so oh god, we did some nutty shit back in the day, but you know.

SPEAKER_04 53:44

I saw this picture when I was walking through the house to get here uh you with Ozzy.

SPEAKER_00 53:50

Yeah, yeah, I love Ozzy. Yeah, we miss Ozzy. Uh I got to make his last two solo albums and help write songs and record with those with uh producer, my good friend Andrew Watt, who I work with quite a bit. And yeah, I mean Ozzy Osborne. He's like, and he's so funny, he's like the best dude. He just wants to be one of the guys. Like he was really hurting, he had fallen and bucked up his neck really bad and had surgeries. It had been like six months of him like just being in the house, like not doing anything. And we did a um uh post Malone was doing a record, and Ozzy got Ozzy to come over and sing on it. And he had such a great time. His his daughter Kelly was like, Yeah, I want you to come over and sing on a song by this guy postman. I was like, who's the postman? He didn't know he was like, but so it but he was like had a great time, and then we were like That was a great collab, actually.

SPEAKER_04 54:52

I remember that.

SPEAKER_00 54:53

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so we got we did record, we did a record with him, and and and um, you know, he Yeah, he he was just he was he was amazing. He's he was but just like doesn't disappoint like funny and he's farting, he's telling jokes, and he's peeing the planter, and he's he's telling these guys like talk about stories. You know, we'd do a session and he'd sing and we'd get done at the end of the day. Tell us another story about when you were cut David Lee Ross's hair in the bar and hamburger. We're like, he had a million and million and one and loved to tell him and was a good storyteller. So he was just awesome, and it was I feel so fortunate to be on the on the the last show, the back to the beginning show and see Black Sabbath and play with all those bands and and um yeah, and and you know, and then him just passing two weeks after that was crazy. So but he went out, he went out like like what a great way. It was incredible in his hometown, a stadium full of people. The love was there, it was great. Left it all, left it all that way. He he did. He's there's they don't make him then there's no more Ozzy Osborne. He's unbelievable. So I I feel so fortunate to be friends with him and and make music with him, yeah. Because he's a big influence, his band. And him. You know, I wore those Sabbath albums out, yeah. Like I got to play, what do we play together? Sweet leaf or something, I can't remember now. It's just like I feel like I'm like 12 years old in my bedroom, you know? It's a it's it's great. Music is the healer, music is the is the thing that that connects people all over the world. Or you're just in your room with your buddies and you make a song, and then maybe you can like now you can record so easily, you can put it out, go, you know, play in the basement on Saturday and invite your friends over, or maybe you get to go play in a little club or something, and then then girls come around.

SPEAKER_04 57:00

Like it's all good, man. Can take you right back, you know, like I can hear a song, and it's like where I was.

SPEAKER_00 57:07

Isn't that one of the best things about art and especially music? Yeah. The car or the girl or the whatever. Yeah. The heartbreak, the heart of course, all of it. Yeah. That's there's there's nothing I you know, nothing, but like that's a big part of the soundtrack of your life. So if you can be part of that, I I just I think it's amazing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 57:32

Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner. Sometimes I feel like this is a good idea.