Modern Drummer Magazine

So what of drumming’s future? What will happen when computers become even further integrated into our daily lives and playing routines? How will such buzz phrases as “the Internet of Things??? and “Industry 4.0??? change the way drummers interact with their environment? A basic understanding of electronic instruments, which is already a required part of a working drummer’s vocabulary, will surely become more ingrained in our skill sets. Or will some as yet unknown drummer or technology alter the game entirely?

In the mid-’70s, a relatively unknown drummer named Ron Spagnardi had a big idea: to create the first independent magazine for and about drummers. He had no funds to speak of, and even less experience in publishing. He did, however, have the will. Now he just had to find the way.

As Modern Drummer celebrates its fortieth anniversary, we thought it would be fun to look back at some of the important milestones in the history of drum gear—especially those that came on the scene during the MD years. Enjoy!

The greatest session drummers of yesteryear would dart from one legendary L.A. or New York studio to the next, where they’d crank out smash hits that the world would be singing along to a few short weeks later. Today’s busiest recording drummers are more likely to be found in their own tricked-out home studios, experimenting with unheard sounds and challenging themselves—and listeners—with increasingly demanding feats of limb independence....

Throughout the arts there are the trailblazers who establish the paths that others follow. Beginning in the mid-’90s, Zach Danziger began exploring and building what he calls his “hybrid electronic drumkit.??? Many drummers have augmented acoustic drums with electronics, but no one has gone further than Danziger in developing a unique language that merges the rapidly advancing field of computer-enabled music-making electronics with traditional drums....