Experience Is Everything

Best known as the driving beat behind one of Australia’s most legendary bands - The Screaming Jets, Craig “Rosie” Rosevear or “Rosie” as he is popularly known, has notched up an impressive tally of over 6 000 gigs, performed on over 20 albums including 4 Gold and 2 platinum and produced a best selling instructional video entitled How to Tic Toc In Rock. In addition to this Rosie has ammassed an impressive academic portfolio including a Postgraduate Degree in Marketing, University studies in Psychology, a CERT 4 in Workplace Training and Assessment and has 11 years teaching experience in Music industry Skills at the Hunter Institute of TAFE. His time at the top of the Australian Music Industry has enabled him to work with top Musicians and Producers who have worked at the highest level alongside bands such as U2 and Aerosmith.

Starting his career at a young age with the Sydney Youth Orchestra, Rosie then became lead drummer for the next 5 years with the Newcastle Combined High Schools Marching Band a.k.a The Marching Koalas .The Marching Koalas was a wonderful musical experience for Craig and besides a great musical education, Craig was fortunate enough to tour Japan and the UK with the band. Craig also juggled his position as lead drummer with the Koalas with his role as principal percussionist with the award winning Broadmeadow High School Concert Band (now called “The Hunter School of Performing Arts”.)

Big changes were in the wind for Craig when in 1990 he was asked to join his first “signed “ Rock Band - B.B.Steal. Signed to Polygram the band had a worldwide release with the album “On the Edge” which was soon to impress the biggest band in the world at that time Def Leppard. A major tour support slot with “Leppard” was soon underway.

After the demise of B.B.Steal Rosie soon had a call from another high profile rock band, The Screaming Jets. It was here that Rosie was reunited with some of his former “Newie Mates”. “The Jets were a wonderful experience for me throughout my 8 years and I learnt a lot about musicianship, the music industry and mate ship”. During his tenure with the band The Jets were awarded 4 gold albums, played an average of 300 shows a year toured Australia extensively as well as the U.S and the U.K.

2001 saw Rosie once again packing his bags…this time with passport in tow. The appeal of an offer to live & perform in the US proved too strong however this meant relinquishing his favoured role in the Jets. “It was a tough decision…but I always love a challenge. I wanted to see if I could hang with the big boys” quips Rosie.

Success wasn’t too far away. After establishing himself in LA as a solid timekeeper and big hitter, Rosie scored a gig with Albanian superstar Simaku as well as the rock band Cinderglass. After a handful of gigs a Cinderglass home recorded demo CD slipped under the door of music industry big wig saw the band secure a development deal with DreamWorks.

“I had a great experience with the guys from Cinderglass…we were like brothers” say Rosie. “We played some great shows in LA and things were really happening for us… We were rehearsing at the same studio and hanging with some cool dudes, bands like The Chilli Peppers, Audioslave (formerly Rage Against the Machine) and the Murderdolls (with Joey Jordinson from slipknot).

…Unfortunately things were also happening at DreamWorks. A change in management at the label saw the sacking of many staff members as well as the axing of bands with development deals such as Cinderglass.

“I never imagined that practicing my scales and paradiddles when I was a little 10 year old kid would one day get me to the top of the music industry and be able to make so many friends and meet my idols…the fact that I can make a successful career out of it as well, is just icing on the cake. Luckily for me there were some people around me who always gave me support and the right advice to get me to the top…my parents and drum teacher”.

Now Rosie has a family of his own he has decided to pack the touring suitcase under the bed and give back to the thing that got him to where he is today….this desire is called ROSIE’s School of Rock !! “The School of Rock is something I’ve wanted to accomplish for a long time”, says Rosie. “During my time in LA I was always checking out what the music schools were doing over there. I’ve taken some great ideas and combined them with what’s been successful for me as a teacher in the past and come up with a great recipe. It was just a matter of finding the right people and location”

Rosie's belief in “giving something back” has lead to many public speaking engagements some of which include: AUSMUSIC, NBN Television, Mc Happy Day, Police Youth and Citizens Club and the commencement of the Job Pathways program .In 1998 Craig launched a High School music education program for the premier of NSW, Bob Carr.

“Craig is an excellent teacher and communicator, with many years of experience to back up his skills and principles. He is highly disciplined and motivated and consequently well respected in the Australian Music Industry.”
- Lindy Morrison
Phonographic Performance
Company of Australia

Right now Rosie is still pounding the skins. His band the Retro Rockets have just released their 3rd CD entitled Cars, Guitars and Girls from Mars. The band attracts a wide audience from punks to old time rockers and have been recently invited back to perform at two of the biggest rockabilly events in the southern hemisphere including the Wintersun festival on the Gold Coast and the Beach Hop in New Zealand.

In addition to the Retro Rockets, Rosie enjoys his time in the drum chair for legendary Rockers DV8 who have reunited and have recently recorded their second live album called “Live 2 Rock”