May 2021 – Volume 45 • Number 5
On 17th May 2021
I’ll never forget the first time I saw Dave Weckl play the drums. At the time, I had heard Dave on records, but had never seen him play live or on TV. One fateful day, I happened to have the TV tuned to PBS, and there was Dave playing with the Chick Corea Elektric Band. During the song “Rumble,” Dave did a drum solo, and in the middle of the solo, he triggered electronic drums from his acoustic kit. To say I was inspired would be a gross understatement. I was hooked, and that moment of how drums, electronics, technology, and music could all converge so powerfully—and in such an awesome and innovative manner—changed my life forever. In fact, it had a huge impact in forming what would become my life’s work in music technology.
Not every story about experiencing Dave’s playing will result in life-changing events, but you’d be surprised at how many do. He is a true, modern-day innovator, and he continues to evolve his own playing, as well as the art of drumming and education.
I’m really excited that Dave is making his sixth appearance on the cover of Modern Drummer, and sharing some very powerful insights on how to take one’s craft—in this case, drumming, but it applies to any art form—and continually grow. Dave’s online school—of which I’ve been a member since its inception—is a great learning platform for drummers at all levels.
Articles in May 2021
Brooke Colucci - The Drumming Prodigy Powers Plus
Who cares? That’s my attitude about Plush. Who cares that it’s an all-female band? Who cares that none of the band members are even 21 years old yet? Who cares that they have become social-media darlings, and who cares the…
Don Heffington - Remembrance of a Talent
Dec 20, 1950 – March 23, 2021 Drummer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Don Heffington died on March 23, after a short-term fight with leukemia—a loss so many were not ready for. Born into a musical family in Los Angeles, Heffington was…
Who Is Your Favorite Post-Beatles Drummer on Any Former Beatle’s Solo Albums?
Apparently, the Modern Drummer community loves their post-Beatles drummers. When we reached out on our Facebook page to query you about your favorite drummers on the solo albums of Paul, John, George, and Ringo, we received quite a flurry of…
Rogers Drums, January 1977
It seems fitting that two far-reaching events were marked by the inaugural January 1977 issue of Modern Drummer: the beginning of MD’s now 45-year reign as the foremost publication for drums and drummers, and an advertisement—our only full-page advertiser at…
Dave Weckl
The Sublime Power of Supporting Music with “Special Sauce” What inspires the human spirit to pursue and achieve greatness? In the case of six-time Modern Drummer cover artist and MD Hall of Famer Dave Weckl, there are many levels of…
Yamaha - DTX6K3-X Electronic Drumset
A simple, powerful, and compact solution to keep you playingwhen acoustic drums aren’t an option. Yamaha makes great gear. Period. When it comes to drums—specifically electronics—the company always succeeds in delivering high-quality products to keep you inspired to practice and…
Crashes in Your Fills
The stereotypical rock drum fill might be a measure of 16th notes cascading around the kit from snare to toms, but there are many other options. As we progress as players, we want to increase our vocabulary of beats and…
Doc Sweeney Drums - Legend Series M22 Drumset
A divine steam-bent beech setup that’ll make you want to retire your vintage kit for good. In case you haven’t been paying attention, Doc Sweeney Drums is straight killing it with its creative, innovative, and inspiring approach to the solid-shell…
Corey Coverstone - Dirty Honey Beats the Odds
So-called media pundits can blather on and on about rock music being dead, but all a true believer needs to do to put the lie to such talk is bring up Dirty Honey. This is a rock band that didn’t…
Developing Speed Naturally
Almost all young drummers attempt to see how fast they can play at some point. This is a natural stage of development. It is sort of like flexing your muscles just to see how strong you are. Technique is needed…
Donn Bennett’s Drum Vault
The Paul “Jamo” Jamieson Collection The Rolling Stones rented this vintage Gretsch set for its 1997 “Saint of Me” video shoot. It’s almost impossible to talk about drums in Los Angeles without Paul Jamieson’s name coming up. “Jamo”—as he is…
Sly Dunbar
Modern Drummer, April 1985 Certain people expect me to shine all the time, but artists can’t be at their best every day. No one is perfect. If a song is a good song, it’s much easier for me to play…
Interview with Jazz Musician Tony Williams
Just what is a Tony Williams? Many of his admirers have described his style as: “Free,” “He doesn’t really play rudimental things,” “He’s loose,” “There’s something out of the ordinary about what he does,” and, “It’s different.” If those descriptions…
The Importance of Writing Notation
We have all heard that it’s very beneficial for drummers to learn how to read music. I completely agree. For me, it was one of the many game changers for my drumming. Learning to understand basic notation gave me the…
Thommy Price
Rock and Roll Hitmaker Brooklyn, New York’s Thommy Price has spent the large majority of his career playing and touring with a diverse array of iconic bands and artists. His four-decade career spans countless gigs and recordings from Mink DeVille…
Ralph Peterson Jr. - A Look at the Life
May 20, 1962 – March 1, 2021 Ralph Peterson Jr.—who came to prominence in the 1980s as one of jazz’s swinging, improv-driven “Young Lions”—succumbed to cancer on March 1. He was just 58 years old. Peterson’s commitment to bebop—as well…
Earthworks Audio - DK7 Drum Mic Kit
An ideal multi-mic package for capturing the purest essence of your drumset. The DK7 seven-piece microphone set by Earthworks provides everything you need for detailed and accurate multichannel drum recordings and live-performance amplification. This kit includes four DM20 clip-on gooseneck…
Denny Seiwell - Revisiting a Classic
Denny Seiwell became Paul McCartney’s first post-Beatles choice as his drummer when he was brought into the sessions for Paul and Linda McCartney’s Ram album in 1970 and ‘71. Soon thereafter, Seiwell was invited to join the McCartney’s new project,…
10 Pieces of Wisdom from the MD Archives
In its 45 years of publication, Modern Drummer has collected essential data from thousands of remarkable drummers, percussionists, and educators. Throughout our 45th anniversary in 2021, we will offer some features that celebrate the musicians, editors, writers, and photographers who…
