Peter Erskine
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.
Jack Magnet Science
As I was flying high above the clouds en route from Reykjavik, Iceland to the USA. I’d only heard of Reykjavik when I was a younger man in connection with the summit held there in 1986 between the United States…
Out Now June 2024
Modern Drummer is spotlighting new recordings that have the drums at the center of their sound. These recordings might be drummer-led, or just include a high-quality, special, or unique drumming and musical performance from the drummer and/or musicians in the…
Shelly and his Mannerisms
This month’s column is written by Kevin van den Elzen who hails from the Netherlands and now makes his home in Los Angeles. Kevin received his master’s degree at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California…
Sorry Charlie…
Much like a melodic “ear worm” that works its way into your brain, the running theme of TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube drumming videos has gotten its claws into my consciousness and conscience. The idea of “certainty” is not (for me)…
Shelly Manne: “You Can’t Have 2 and 4 Without…”
What is the essence of a musician? How do we quantify their achievements, their history, their sound, and their very being? For many of us, such revelations came by way of LPs — oftentimes not-to-secret communications from the past, but…
As Time Goes By
“The fundamental things apply, As time goes by …” So goes the song written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931, made famous by its appearance in the classic film, Casabalanca. The man who composed the score for that film and others…
The Twain Shall Meet
I started my musical studies at age 5 by taking drum lessons, I was certain that my place in the world would be that of a jazz drummer. Watching television as a child, it was Leonard Bernstein who best captured…
It’s a New Year, Twelve Advice’s of the Holidays
Now is a good time to pass along some drumming tips that are important to me, and I hope that you will find these helpful as well. I will list them in numerical sequence, but not necessarily in any order.…
Peter Erskine remembers Dom Famularo
The recent passing of Dom Famularo left the drum world reeling in loss. Many of us knew that Dom had been bravely fighting the pancreatic cancer that was ravaging his system, and his relatively brief period of remission brought a…
Is that a Sinatra Drummer in your Pocket, or are you Glad to See Me?
Photo by Tom Ranier Shortly after receiving word that my name appeared at the top of a list in the Modern Drummer 2023 Reader Poll (for Jazz, a list that includes Brian Blade, Terri Lyne Carrington, Joe Farnsworth and…
Drumming for the Brain: Unlocking the Neurological and Psychological Benefits of Rhythmic Therapy
I’ve known this month’s guest columnist Karl Sterling for just about as long as I’ve been a professional drummer (fifty years ago his parents used to bring him to gigs when I was the drummer for Stan Kenton). A former…
Just Duet
The greatest joy in education comes when the student teaches the teacher. Jake Reed and Ryan Shaw (who is highlighted in Jake’s guest column) both studied with me at USC. They not only do me and the Thornton School of…
Keeping Score
Music should not be a contest. The great Hungarian composer Bela Bartok is quoted as having said that competitions should be for horses, not musicians. He refused to sit on competition juries because he didn’t want the decisions on his…
Knowing When to Say Goodbye
A life-long commitment to any job or ideal is noble. But sometimes it’s just time to pack up your things, say “thanks, bye,” and hit the road. While folding the cards and getting up from the table might seem like…
