June 2022 – Volume 46 • Number 6
Articles in June 2022
Latin Percussion Expands Carlos Santana Signature Series, The Alex González Signature Cowbell
Latin Percussion (LP) is proud to announce another milestone collaboration with multi Grammy Award winner and philanthropist, Carlos Santana. The existing line-up of Santana branded drums and collectables now features Africa Speaks and Black Magic instruments to further complement the…
Canopus Jonathan Pinson Signature Snare Drum
As an in-demand player, Jonathan Pinson needed a snare that suited his approach to jazz, while also being versatile enough to adapt to any musical situation. The result from his collaboration with Canopus drums is a practical, versatile, and vintage…
“How To Get What You Want” Breakdown
We were in the studio one day trying to get different drum sounds and I was playing this minimalistic beat to hear what was going on in the recording. When we were listening back to it, I said, ‘We should…
Behind the Legends
The Modern Drummer LEGENDS books are a rare opportunity for a drummer to talk about and examine his entire drumming career. Kenny Aronoff has been covered quite thoroughly in his many past Modern Drummer feature interviews. In those interviews he…
Karen Carpenter: Close To Her Drums
Karen Carpenter’s intuitive choice of instruments was drums, but she had to break down a few invisible walls, crack a few glass ceilings, and crash a few cymbals along the way. However, by the height of her career with her…
Tracktion Presents Chop Suey A New Kick Drum Plugin
Tracktion Corporation is proud to present Chop Suey, the new kick drum plugin from Dawesome and the renowned techno producer Björn Torwellen. Watch the launch video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-SfZsc4fCY Sinee and Dawesome is a collaboration between mathematician and AI veteran Peter…
Wiktoria Bialic: Taking Over the Scene from Every Angle
Wiktoria Bialic fell in love with music at a young age - the key word being music! She played violin until she discovered her connection to rhythm, after which she gravitated towards percussion. After 12 years of education in classical…
Donn Bennett’s Drum Vault: Bun E. Carlos’ Cheap Trick-Sgt. Peppers Ludwig Drum Set (and more…)
I first met Cheap Trick drummer, Bun E. Carlos in the early 1990s. We’ve been buying, selling, and trading each other drums for decades. When he taught a drum clinic at my shop in the late 1990s, he surprised everyone…
Double Bass Drumming
Today, many drummers are playing complex rhythms with their feet that some drummers struggle to play with their hands. The speed of the extreme double bass drumming heard in modern (speed, black, and death) metal bands is astounding. Many younger…
Jordan West
Jordan West is a talented musician who is harnessing the power of creative midi controllers and electronic drums to help elevate and support the artists she tours and records with. Her videos that showcase live looping and hybrid drumming are…
Sabian Anthology Cymbals
The new Sabian HHX Anthology series was designed to deliver the full spectrum of both ride and crash in each cymbal, without compromising sound or feel. Sabian and Jojo Mayer’s goal behind Anthology was to allow the individual to designate…
Todd Sucherman’s Pearl Masterworks series Styx touring kit
The kit shown here is a Pearl Masterworks series outfit that Todd Sucherman used with Styx over 10 years of touring. It features a stunning Bubinga wood finish- with bass drum heads to match. The bass drum heads that match…
Peter Erskine-Lauren Ellis: Women in Drumming, Mentorship
This month’s Jazz Insights column focuses on my former USC student and teaching assistant Lauren Ellis. Her bio informs us that, “Lauren is a drummer, composer, and educator from Wellington, Aotearoa, New Zealand. There, she studied at the Te Kōki…
Luna Percussion Vista Series Peruvian Style Cajon and Gig Bag
Blending the World of Fine Art with the Art of Advanced Instrument Building. Luna Percussion, a division of Luna Guitars, sent over their newest Peruvian Style Cajons, the Vista series Wolf and Deer models. These drums feature an incredible wood…
Karol G’s Giulliana Merello
When I met Giulliana Merello I didn’t know what to expect. In front of me sat a brilliant young woman who had one of the biggest drumming gigs in the world playing with superstar Karol G. I didn’t know what…
Vic Firth Introduces new stick and Rute Models
Nate Smith Signature Stick Nate Smith is renowned globally by drummers for his unique pocket, versatility, musicality, and infectious energy he brings to the drum set wherever he goes. His new signature series drumstick from Vic Firth feels like an…
Touring Life and Lessons
For this month’s article, I’m going to share some of my experiences from over the years while on tour with various artists. I’ve been fortunate enough to have done many different “levels” of tours, everything from stadiums to smaller 200-300…
A Salute to Women in Drumming
While we were planning this month’s Salute to Women in Drumming issue, I happened to be talking with Peter Erskine. We talked about the fact that singling out women drummers could be counter-intuitive, and segregating people by anything other than…