June 2025 – Volume 49 • Number 06
Articles in June 2025
TWO MONTHS OF COVER INSPIRATIONAND ADVICE
Modern Drummer’s last two cover interviews should act as true inspiration and advice for drummers everywhere. John Hoffman came out of nowhere to earn the gig as the new drummer for Primus. There were other drummers competing for that gig…
Sonny’s Gold Sparkle Founders Reserve Kit
This month’s Modern Drummer Kit of the Month comes to us from Sonny Flint. Sonny’s main rock kit is a hand-crafted British Drum Company Founders Reserve kit with a Gold Sparkle wrap, roundover bearing edges, and Palladium hardware. The shells are Rock…
Variety is the Main Ingredient, The Rule of Threes
365 days in a year. That’s 52 weeks. 12 months. 525,600 minutes. And so on. While some minutes will be more exciting, interesting, or pleasurable than others, every minute is to be cherished. Lucky you, just LOOK at how many…
ROLAND'S NEW WIRELESS TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY, PORTER & DAVIES ON TOUR, NEW 64 AUDIO ASPIRE UNIVERSAL IEM MODELS, WAVES FREE PLUGIN PACK
New Roland DrumLink Wireless Products Roland has announced the official release of the DrumLink wireless system and related products. Developed in partnership between Roland and Drum Workshop (DW,) DrumLink is a new wireless triggering technology for electronic pads, cymbals, and drum…
Evans Drumheads: Level 360 All-Around!
The idea of the Mylar plastic drum head goes back as early as 1952. By the end of 1956, drummer Chick Evans had partnered up and founded Evans Products, Inc. It was this new Evans company that made it happen.…
Rebounding with Excellence.
ProMark Drumsticks were founded in 1957 by Herb Brochstein. Since that period, ProMark has evolved to become a leading staple in drumstick innovation and manufacturing. As is commonly known today, the company is now owned and operated by D’Addario. Since…
Brandon Pertzborn: The Relentless Pursuit of Giving the Music Exactly What It Needs
I can’t think of another drummer who has had a run as successful as Brandon Pertzborn. In less than a decade, he has gone from being a hungry young drummer on the Dallas-Fort Worth music scene to being a member…
Chris Adler Chapter Two: FirstBorne
With a new band called FirstBorne and a debut record called Lucky that is coming out in July, legendary and influential drummer Chris Adler (ex of Lamb of God and Megadeth) is starting a new chapter in his musical life.…
Savannah Harris: Slick, Swagger, and Swing!
When Terri Lyne Carrington goes out of her way to tell you about a drummer and Christian McBride hires that same drummer for his new band, it is someone that you NEED to check out! That drummer is Savannah Harris,…
Bassist Antoine Fafard, Composing for the Great Modern Drummers
After ten recordings that have featured some of the greatest modern drummers ever, bassist and composer extraordinaire Antoine Fafard has a story to tell. He began by leading, touring, and recording five records with his own Canadian fusion band Spaced…
Earth, Wind & Fire's "Getaway" from the recording Spirit, Fred White, Drummer
This month’s transcription is a tribute to the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire. The track “Getaway” appears on the band’s seventh studio album “Spirit,” released in 1976. Among the group’s lineup was drummer Fred White—one of three brothers in the…
Press Play & MOVE
“The real knowing is in the playing. Drums give up their true secrets only to players, not PhDs.” Mickey Hart I once heard a health expert ask, if you could do just one thing for your overall well-being that would…
Progressive Drumming Essentials: Understanding Odd Time Signatures
Progressive Drumming Essentials is a collection of articles originally written for Modern Drummer magazine. They are exactly what the title says, PROGRESSIVE drumming essentials. This series of articles, and the book that contains them all, represents a great deal of…
Master Studies II: Paradiddles with Fill-Ins Using Multiple-Rebound Strokes
As a follow-up to Joe Morello’s legendary Master Studies book, he released Master Studies II in 2006. Joe was a masterful teacher and helped many great drummers with their musicality, technique, and touch. Joe was also masterful at creating exercises,…
Rhythm Vocabulary Development Series Part 3: Filling in the Spaces in 6/8
Rhythm as Space: In our last installment, we explored how rhythmic vocabulary can be expanded by understanding rhythm as space—a concept that becomes even more powerful in odd time signatures like 7/4. This month, we shift our focus to a…
More from the Frankie Banali Collection
Frankie Banali was best known as a member of Quiet Riot, the Los Angeles based metal band whose 1983 breakout album Metal Health was the first heavy metal album to top the Billboard album chart. They racked up huge hits…
Out Now June 2025
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 high-quality, special, or unique drumming and musical performances from the drummer and/or musicians in the band. This…
DeAndre Hemby's Teddy Swims Touring Kit
Drums: SJC Drums - 16x22 Kick, 7x8, 7x10, 7x12 Rack Toms, 14x16 and 16x18 Floor Toms, 6.5x14 Brass Snare, 6.5x14 Maple Snare.Heads: Evans - EC2 and EC Reso on rack toms; EMAD and EC Reso on floor toms; HD Dry on main…
Clement Anthony “Clem Burke” Bozewski November 24, 1954 – April 6, 2025
Clem Burke is known as the influential drummer for Blondie, he was a member of Blondie from 1975 until his death and appeared on every Blondie recording and every hit. According to Burke, Blondie combined the influences of The Beatles,…
The New Breed: Concepts
Gary Chester’s groundbreaking book The New Breed is influential and legendary. The book, Gary’s teaching methods, and his Concepts are deeply intertwined. They are a lifelong commitment of dedication, study, and development. Before we start practicing Gary Chester’s Systems, Reading…