September 2020 Issue – Volume 44 • Number 9
Articles in September 2020
Stay Inspired!
It’s a great honor to write my first Overview since becoming CEO and publisher of the world’s longest-standing drum publication—and well beyond that, resource—for drums, drumming, and drummers. I’ve been an ardent reader of Modern Drummer since 1979, two years…
Stick Technique Revisited
Part 3: Downstrokes, Taps, and Upstrokes If we used only free strokes, our playing would become pretty dull, since every note would be played at the same stick height and dynamic level. In order to add accents and dynamic contour…
18 Drummers to Follow on Instagram
Worldwide pandemic or not, we’re all spending more time online nowadays, and there’s plenty of drumming action happening on the social media platform Instagram, which allows users to upload photos and videos. With a video length restriction of sixty seconds,…
Roland - TD-27KV V-Drums
A top-quality mid-level kit with next-level components. This year Roland introduced two new configurations of electronic drumsets. One is the Acoustic Design, which features full-size wood shells, wrap finishes, and enhanced response for a more authentic playing experience. We’ll cover…
On the Road to Rockford
This month we present Joseph Ciucci’s Ludwig Mod Orange Club Date set and Acrolite snare. Both were manufactured in December of 1967 and purchased from famed Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos, who is a well-known vintage drum enthusiast. “On…
Critique
RECORDINGS Sweet Spirit Trinidad The latest release by one of Austin’s sharpest and most prolific musical troupes finds drummer Danny Blanchard focusing on the groove. Sweet Spirit is the dance floor–friendly pop inverse of fellow Austin band A Giant Dog.…
Jojo Mayer Style and Analysis Part 1
The iconic drummer Jojo Mayer and his band Nerve are an anomaly within a sea of artists in the electronic dance music scene. However, their collective influences run much deeper than the genre might suggest. With a pedigree in jazz…
Mike Johnston
Mike Johnston is a trailblazer in online education, having seen the immense potential within the platform when YouTube first launched in 2005. Today his aesthetic and educational delivery is seen as the benchmark. MD: How long have you been involved…
Joe Russo
When you search his name on the internet, you’ll be surprised to find a website claiming that he was knighted by Prince Charles some years back because he’d given the royal such inspiring drum lessons. He himself will be the…
Online Education
Online music instruction existed long before the coronavirus came along, but there’s no denying that the pandemic has had a huge effect on the life of the average working musician, who almost overnight saw live playing opportunities nearly evaporate. Hopefully…
5 Fun Lessons to Get Today’s Youth into Drumming
If your child is banging his or her dinner utensils around and smacking pillows with plastic lightsabers, it’s likely time to transition your budding rhythmatist to some drum lessons. The challenge is how to maintain the entertainment factor of bashing…
Russ Miller
Russ Miller has been a staple of the Los Angeles studio scene for many years, and he’s recorded with everyone from Ray Charles to the Psychedelic Furs and appeared in house bands for television shows. Miller has created his instructional…
Bill Bachman
Bill Bachman is a world-renowned educator with twenty-five years of teaching experience, including more than fourteen years in online education. He specializes in hand technique and rudimental drumming. MD: What came first, providing online content or offering online lessons? Bill:…
Arturia - AudioFuse 8Pre
A simple, sleek, and super clean-sounding audio interface with enough channels for eight mics. As if becoming a proficient drummer wasn’t hard enough, in today’s technological landscape being able to record yourself well is arguably of equal importance. Objectively speaking,…
Bill Rieflin (1960–2020)
Bill Rieflin did more than just adapt his drumming skills to fit musical settings as vastly different as the Revolting Cocks and Robyn Hitchcock. He used those skills to make significant contributions live and in the studio to three incredibly…
Avenues to Excellence
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…
Beats and Fills
A Smattering of Favorites from a Few Top Pros This month we’ve gathered a collection of favorite beats and fills from some of the top drummers in the world.Each of these transcriptions was pulled from a Modern Drummer exclusive video…
Inspired Instruction
Five Drum Students Celebrate the Teachers that Mentor Them Our online education issue features interviews with several of the top educators working in online drum instruction today. We thought it would be equally interesting to turn the tables and ask…
Dave Weckl
Dave Weckl is one of the most accomplished drummers of his or any generation, having toured and recorded with everyone from Chick Corea to Paul Simon. Inducted in the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2000 and named one of…
