An Editor's Overview
Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
45 Years of a Vibrant Community
It’s just unbelievable how quickly 45 years can go by. It was 1977, when founder Ron Spagnardi launched what the world would come to know, love, and behold as Modern Drummer magazine. Modern Drummer is much more than a magazine.…
Moments in the Mist
I didn’t realize how badly I had mucked it up until years later. I started Sound & Vision Studios in 1983—transforming the former annex of a metal shop in San Francisco’s bohemian-artist backwater of Potrero Hill—with band mate Neal Breitbarth.…
It’s Only Rock and Roll
Welcome to a very special MD tribute to the Rolling Stones’ Charlie Watts. I grew up in that era where a question like “Beatles or Stones?” sort of told you about someone. I always thought it was crazy, because although…
Creative Calamities
Ringo put a very fine point on it when he sang, “It don’t come easy.” Sure, there are lucky schmoes who seem to attract celebrity, accolades, and riches without appearing to have much talent, or even an ounce of ambition.…
Burn, Baby, Burn!
Hello, everyone. I hope your summer has been going as well as it can be. Welcome to another special issue of Modern Drummer. Come on, you have to admit the last few issues have been pretty amazing. (Thank you, MD…
Celebrating Drummers and the MD Community
This month’s issue represents another milestone in Modern Drummer’s storied history: Sheila E. is the Modern Drummer Readers Poll 2021 Hall Of Fame inductee! It’s hard to believe that Sheila is the first woman to be recognized by our readers…
The Power of Exciting an Audience
Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but Nandi Bushell is the youngest drummer ever to grace the cover of this magazine. (Honorable mention to 16-year-old Tony Royster Jr., who appeared on the January 2000 cover along with Dennis Chambers.)…
How a Dave Weckl Performance Changed My Life
I’ll never forget the first time I saw Dave Weckl play the drums. At the time, I had heard Dave on records, but had never seen him play live or on TV. One fateful day, I happened to have the…
Give the Drummer Some!
Hi, everyone! Welcome to the April 2021 issue of MD. I was hoping by the time I would be writing this editorial we’d be back to some sort of normalcy. Unfortunately, such is not the case yet. Fortunately, day-by-day, it’s…
Reset, Reflect, and Revive
Welcome to the March 2021 issue of Modern Drummer. Historically, this is the issue that we create and ship to the annual Winter NAMM Show. Like pretty much every live event planned for 2020 and beyond, however, the in-person 2021…
The Modern Drummer Festival Returns!
Another year has flown by, and what a year it was! 2021 is here and with it a new beginning. Modern Drummer is as committed as ever in uniting and inspiring the worldwide drumming community. It was in this spirit…
Be a Dreamer, and Don’t Stop Believing
I hope all is as well as can be for you in these still uncertain times. Since my last editorial, the world has gone a bit nutty, and we’ve all been going through some changes, frustrations, and fears. We all…
Playing to Type
People like to put other people in psychological boxes, and boxes within those boxes: Being an artist takes a certain kind of personality. And among artists, your average actor is said to be like this, while a musician is like…
Identity Crisis…Embraced
“What do you do?” That’s such a common question, and one that’s often asked innocuously whenever I meet someone for the first time. But more and more, I’m having trouble answering as simply as I should. Am I a drummer?…
