Mark Griffith
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.
Jimmy Madison: Drumming. Climbing. Living.
There is always a lot to be learned from a drummer who has been successful in the music business for 60 years. Jimmy Madison has seen it all. In 1966, he toured with Lionel Hampton. He came to New York…
Greg Clark Jr. Taking Things Seriously and Keeping Things Interesting with Will Smith and Stanley Clarke
When you talk to Greg Clark Jr. there are two words that you will hear him say many times: “interesting” and “100 percent!” They are also the two words that might best describe him and his drumming. After listening to…
Lamb of God’s Art Cruz: Learning and Listening, Musical Moments, and Healthy Obsessions
After hitting the East LA music scene with his band Winds of Plague and spending four years and doing four records with Prong; Art Cruz got the call of a lifetime in 2018. Lamb of God was one of his…
It ALL Comes Back Around
The fact that the first names that Lamb of God drummer Art Cruz mentioned, when I asked him about his drumming influences, were Michael Shrieve, David Garibaldi, Dave Lombardo, Chris Adler, and Poncho Sanchez, made me smile. These are not…
Adonis Rose: New Orleans Drumming, and Much More!
You can’t talk about New Orleans without talking about great drummers and drumming. In the last few years, Modern Drummer has featured New Orleans drummers Johnny Vidacovich, Joe Dyson, Herlin Riley, Teddy “Tif” Lamson, and others. The lineage of influential…
Summer Drum Reading
Summer is here! If you are touring you will be logging many hours in busses, vans, and planes. If you are vacationing, there may be hours at the pool, lake, or beach. Maybe you are a homebody and just enjoy…
Bruce Gust: Broaden Your Base
If you’re an NHL hockey fan, you may have heard about the “Bongo Anthem.” It is a unique version of the National Anthem sung by Bruce Gust, a nine-year veteran of the USMC and a former national recording artist. While…
Paulina Villarreal of The Warning
Since forming in 2013, The Warning have been working and rocking non-stop. Their latest album Keep Me Fed drew critical acclaim and attention. The Warning draws strength and power from a lifetime of sisterhood and music. The Mexico-born sister trio—Daniela…
Lucky Sevens
In this month’s educational column’s you might see a theme: Sevens (or septuplets.) But why sevens? First, playing seven equally spaced notes within a beat has nothing to do with playing in 7/4 or 7/8. Sevens are a natural rhythmic…
Chad Sexton: The Musical Unity of 311
In 35 years as the drummer for 311, Chad Sexton and 311 have recorded 14 studio records, two live records, four EP’s, and four DVD’s. Several of their recordings have resulted in platinum and gold records and numerous hit tunes,…
It Takes a Village to Create a Drummer
Think back to when and how you started drumming? Many of us grew up listening to the radio, hearing recordings, seeing drums on TV, watching MTV, attending concerts, and eventually going to drum clinics, watching drum videos, and going down…
Raphaël Pannier: Breaking Down Borders
Last year, Raphaël Pannier released his recording Live in Saint Louis, Senegal. When I first listened to it, I liked it because it was something new, the combination of a jazz quartet and an African Sabar drumming group was something…
Tambour Major Khadim Niang: Sabar and Homage to Doudou N’Diaye Rose
As drummers we are always hearing about our connection to Africa, and how the roots of what we do as drummers ultimately leads back to Africa. The African connection to drumming has been emphasized by popular drummers from Art Blakey…
Josh Freese Gives Us, Just A Minute.
A few years ago, Josh Freese was thrown in the spotlight by joining the Foo Fighters. Then he got even more attention when he was let go by the Foo Fighters. But Josh Freese is so much more than that!…
