Sheila E
Photos from the 2021 Modern Drummer Festival For the second year in a row, the global pandemic chased the Modern Drummer Festival to an online venue. But we were unbowed. Presented by the MD team and produced by Thom Mozloom’s crew at M Network, we were able to unleash one …
Celebrate Your Choices for the Extraordinary Drummers of the Past Year It’s that time again for the Modern Drummer staff to thank the community for making possible our annual Readers Poll. Your enthusiasm for all things drumming, your knowledge of drum culture, and your well-considered votes are what have steered …
Our Newest Hall of Fame Member Defines Purpose and Passion Sheila Escovedo’s journey from growing up in a legendary family of percussionists, to seeing Karen Carpenter playing drums when she was just eight or nine, to performing with her dad Pete in Azteca when she was 15 years old, and …
A lot of percussionists—and drummers, too—have that problem of overplaying. The way you overcome it is by developing discipline. I learned all about discipline when I became a session player. I’d go into the studio and the producer would say, “Okay, let’s hear what you hear on the song.” I’d …
15 MD Cover Artists Reveal the Big Ideas That Put Them on the Road to Success The abundance of educational material online, as well as great teachers to mold your passion and enthusiasm into technique and musicality, are massively beneficial to those seeking proficiency on the drums. But even with …
Sheila Escovedo is striking and diminutive, and can spark a band with the flash of a smile or an outrageous, ingenious percussion lick.
Highly regarded for manufacturing some of the finest keyboard and timpani mallets for concert and marching players, Innovative Percussion also offers a range of drumset sticks for jazz, big band, studio, rock, Latin, and other contemporary styles.
Joey Waronker, Sheila E, Greg Eklund, John Hollenbeck, Matt Laug, Raymond Herrera, Jeff Sipe, Shane Evans, Todd Sucherman, Drori Mondlak, Billy Cobham, Gavin Harrison, Neal Busby, Ron Spagnardi, Osami Mizuno, Jennie Hoeft, Billy Ward, Rick Mattingly, Curt Bisquera, Pat Mastelotto, Ian Paice
Carter Beauford, Jim “Soni” Sonefeld, Elvin Jones, Omar Hakim, Tim Alexander, Trilok Gurtu, Dave Lombardo, Sheila E., Peter Michael Escovedo, Walfredo Reyes, Jr., Narada Michael Walden, Jonny Cragg, Eric Kamau Gravatt, Levon Helm, Ciarlante, Yuval Gabay, Billy Mintz, Chet McCracken, Eddie Bayers, Max Weinberg, Simon Phillips
In this Issue: Bill Stewart, Sheila E., Terri Lyne Carrington, Hilary JOnes, Kate Schellenbach, Patty Schemel, Dawn Richardson, Denise Fraser
In this Issue: Sheila E., Dave Lombardo
Posted: November 16, 2022
DRUM WORKSHOP PUTS INNOVATION ON DISPLAY AT 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Multi-day program of talks and workshops celebrates drummers, the drumming community, and DW’s heritage of innovation; opening night introduced new products that honor the past and excite for the future. Kicking off a celebration open to the entire community, from the general public to artists, dealers, distributors and enthusiasts alike, …
Posted: November 1, 2021
12 Drummers Drumming
Monday, November 1, 2021, on Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen’s 58th birthday, we are announcing a special upcoming auction called ’12 Drummers Drumming’ to benefit his Raven Drum Foundation. For the past 37 years, PNC has calculated the prices of the 12 gifts from the classic holiday song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The PNC …
Posted: July 22, 2021
Sheila E. is Crowned First Female Winner of the Modern Drummer Readers Poll Hall of Fame
The Queen of Percussion, Sheila E., is having a great summer. Besides being back to touring, it was announced in June, that the Latin Recording Academy will honor Sheila E. and her father Pete Escovedo with a Lifetime Achievement Award on November 17th in Las Vegas. On July 20th, Modern Drummer, the worldwide leading …
Posted: September 1, 2020
Modern Drummer Festival 2020
Modern Drummer is rebooting its world-famous Drum Festival on September 12 at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time with a live-streaming event honoring the late, great Rush drummer Neil Peart. Proceeds of ticket sales will benefit brain tumor research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The event, which will be produced and distributed …
Posted: June 30, 2020
Ringo Starr To Celebrate 80th Birthday with Starr Studded Charity Broadcast, “Ringo’s Big Birthday Show”
The event, which benefits Black Lives Matter Global Network, the David Lynch Foundation, MusiCares, and WaterAid, airs on Youtube July 7 and featured performances by Ringo, Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Gary Clark Jr., Sheryl Crow, Sheila E, and Ben Harper. Starr continues his peace and love initiative and invites everyone …
Posted: June 25, 2020
Hit Like a Girl 2020 World Champions Announced
World champions named in the 2020 Hit Like A Girl contestfor female drummers and beatmakers. Six of today’s most exceptional amateur drummers and beatmakers from Russia, Indonesia, Malawi, China, and the United States were recently announced as the World Champions of the ninth annual Hit Like A Girl contest. The …
Posted: July 18, 2019
MD Subscriber and Ringo Starr Peace and Love Contest Winner Bryan Shadden Shares His Experience
This year, because of Ringo and the good people from Modern Drummer magazine, I got to share the experience with Sir Richard in person!
Posted: October 19, 2018
Top Drummers Join Forces for Beat Hunger Campaign
The November issue of Modern Drummer includes a news item on the hunger-awareness campaign Beat Hunger, which recently brought together a number of pro drummers to help publicize the ongoing need for nutritious food and support for Haitians living in extreme poverty. A few of the participants were kind enough …
Posted: October 7, 2016
Latin Percussion Hosts New York and Los Angeles Artist Events
Latin Percussion (LP) recently hosted artist “family reunion” events in both New York and Los Angeles. LP artists were joined by staff and executives from LP’s parent company Drum Workshop, Inc. to celebrate the legacy and to toast the future of the more than fifty-year-old percussion brand.
Posted: June 30, 2016
Sheila E Pays Homage to Prince With New Ultra-Custom DW Drumset
Sheila E played a one-of-a-kind DW custom kit as part of a special musical celebration honoring Prince at the BET Awards, June 26 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Posted: November 13, 2015
On the Beat With Katie Herron of StarBenders: Reckless Punk and Classic Rock ’n’ Roll
Hi! My name is Katie Herron and I am the drummer in the glam punk ’n’ roll band, StarBenders. I was born and raised in Decatur, Alabama, affectionately known as the River City. The conservative nature of the South birthed a fire of rebellion and the need for individuality….
Posted: November 2, 2015
Dom Famularo’s Teachers List
Over the course of his forty-year career traveling the globe to teach, perform, and conduct clinics, Dom Famularo has interacted with some of the finest drummers and drum instructors in the world. The following list contains many of those names, organized by country/continent. If you’re looking for top-notch drum instruction, …
Posted: October 16, 2014
Drummer Blog: Cirque Du Soleil’s Amaluna’s Didi Negron on Living Your Dream
As a traveling musician in the traditional big top, I am able to implement my strong music theory background and improvisational skills while providing accompaniment and action on stage as my role of the “Goddess of Rhythm.???
Posted: March 11, 2013
Richard Danielson of Vintage Trouble
My name is Richard Danielson, and I’m the drummer for Vintage Trouble. Our music has been described as many things. I like to call it “primitive soul.???
Posted: December 19, 2012
Keith Harrison of the Pineapple Thief
Question: What do you call a guy who hangs out with musicians? Answer: A drummer! With the prospect of being the butt of such drummer jokes, I have to ask myself the question, “Why did I choose to play drums????
Posted: December 3, 2012
Drum Doctors’ Ross Garfield
Hi MD readers! This is my first ever blog, and I wanted to tell you how I got to work on the upcoming Superman soundtrack.
Posted: May 8, 2012
D’Arcus Curry, Angieszka Matusczak, and Karmi Santiago Announced as Winners of Hit Like A Girl 2012
The sponsors and supporters of “Hit Like A Girl 2012??? are proud to announce the winners of the first ever drumming contest for girls and women. (read more)
Posted: April 26, 2012
International Jazz Day to be Celebrated with All-Star Concerts in Paris, New Orleans, and New York
On Friday, April 27, UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova and UNESCO goodwill ambassador Herbie Hancock will kick-off the first annual International Jazz Day with a full day of events including live performances, master classes, and discussions.
Posted: March 19, 2012
Tim Walsh of the Stepkids
I’m Tim Walsh of the Stepkids, and I’m excited to be on here and hope to add to the wealth of knowledge that is MD’s awesome thirty-five-year history…
Posted: February 1, 2012
What You Need to Know About…Drum Thrones
by Billy Brennan The throne is the foundation of any player’s groove and is an incredibly important purchase for any prospective customer. As is a common theme in drum-related products, there’s no right or wrong choice—round versus saddle style, soft versus firm, and spindle versus hydraulic are just a few …
Posted: August 1, 2011
Jess Bowen of the Summer Set
My name is Jess Bowen, and this is my second blog for MD. If this is your first time reading, here’s a basic run-through of my band and myself…
Posted: January 24, 2011
Tony “Thunder??? Smith: Lou Reed’s Sensitive Powerhouse
by Rich Mangicaro The longtime Lou Reed drummer’s fascinating musical journey. Tony “Thunder??? Smith is one happy guy. Ever since I first met him over twenty years ago, I’ve found that joy and excitement just emanate from him when he’s talking about music. He couldn’t hide it, even if he …
Posted: April 20, 2010
Sheila E: Way Beyond Latin
Sheila E, daughter of veteran percussionist Pete Escovedo, developed her natural talent by watching family members and friends gather in her home. Sheila was only eighteen when she carved her spot in music history, playing the hippest of gigs, like sessions with George Duke and Herbie Hancock….
Posted: March 29, 2010
Daughters’ Jonathan Syverson
Hello, humans. My name is Jonathan Syverson, and I’ve never actually written any sort of blog. But as anyone who knows me would tell you, I absolutely LOVE talking about myself, and since Modern Drummer was kind enough to come asking, it would be my pleasure to oblige. Back in …
Posted: March 26, 2010
Dennis Chambers: Fiercely Comin’ At You From Multiple Directions
Dennis Chambers was born on May 9, 1959, and started playing the drums at the young age of four. By his sixth birthday he was already playing in nightclubs. Strictly self-taught, at the age of eighteen Dennis went straight from high school to playing with George Clinton’s Parliament Funkadelic, where …
Posted: May 15, 2009
Petrel's Rebekah Petrel
I’m twenty years old and a singer/songwriter/musician and drummer/keyboard player for Petrel, a rock/pop band my sisters Jessica and Destiny…
Posted: May 15, 2009
Petrel’s Rebekah Petrel
I’m twenty years old and a singer/songwriter/musician and drummer/keyboard player for Petrel, a rock/pop band my sisters Jessica and Destiny…
Posted: December 15, 2007
Allison Miller: Freedom Jazz-Folk-Pop-Rock Dance
Since moving to New York in 1996, Allison Miller has thrived by refusing to acknowledge musical borders. Alli, as she likes to be called, has allowed her sincere love of pop and rock music to ground her jazz playing–and her passion for jazz to elevate her pop prowess….
Posted: November 10, 2007
LA Drummer/Instructor Pamela Manganaro
In 1989 Drum Workshop vice-president John Good asked me if I could throw a curve ball. “You bet,” I said. And that was my welcome into the DW family. I was now an official Drum Workshop artist, the quintessential symbol of a professional drummer who made it…
Posted: October 5, 2007
Felix “D’kat” Pollard
Felix Pollard’s drums weren’t the only thing pounding after he got a last-minute call to play for Lionel Richie’s 2004 performance on Oprah. The thought of performing for two legends in his hometown of Chicago with no rehearsal gave the drummer the worst headache of his life….
Posted: May 12, 2004
Prince’s John Blackwell: An Interview
John Blackwell always listened to his dad’s advice, and it’s paid off, big time. “Growing up, my dad used to tell me, ‘If you want to make any money in this business, play in the pocket.'”…
Posted: May 12, 2004
Dennis Chambers: Santana Now: A Force Of Nature
A rhythmic force of nature since its inception in San Francisco’s Mission District in 1966, the Santana band has always set the bar high. And now, with superstar drummer Dennis Chambers joining percussionists Raul Rekow and Karl Perazzo, the bar (and the expectation) is even higher.
Posted: May 12, 2004
Raul Rekow
A rhythmic force of nature since its inception in San Francisco’s Mission District in 1966, the Santana band has always set the bar high. And now, with superstar drummer Dennis Chambers joining percussionists Raul Rekow and Karl Perazzo, the bar (and the expectation) is even higher.
Posted: May 12, 2004
Karl Perazzo, Dennis Chambers and Raul Rekow with Santana
A rhythmic force of nature since its inception in San Francisco’s Mission District in 1966, the Santana band has always set the bar high. And now, with superstar drummer Dennis Chambers joining percussionists Raul Rekow and Karl Perazzo, the bar (and the expectation) is even higher….
Posted: November 11, 2021
Special #TBT Veterans Day Podcast with Billy Amendola, Lauren Monroe, Rick Allen and friends. An extraordinary collection of music’s most influential & legendary drummers have joined Rick Allen of Def Leppard & Raven Drum Foundation in their mission to provide trauma recovery & healing for veterans and to help reduce the rate …
Posted: August 26, 2021
Welcome to MD’s #ThrowbackThursday Podcast with Sheila E.! We had a blast with Sheila and honored her with the announcement of winning the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame Award; picked by the readers of MD. Sheila made history for us with this prestigious award as the first-ever woman to be …
Posted: July 22, 2021
This week’s Modern Drummer Podcast features the newest member of the MD Hall of Fame, The Queen of Percussion, Sheila E. Join Billy Amendola and David Frangioni as they announce the award to Sheila and congratulate her as the first woman ever to be inducted in the magazine’s 45 year …
