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Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
On the Beat With Five Knives’ Shane Wise: Practicing to Videogame Soundtracks
Hello, Modern Drummer readers. My name is Shane Wise, and I am the drummer for the alt-electro-pop group Five Knives. Our debut album, Savages, came out on June 2, and you can check it out via iTunes or Spotify. The…
On the Beat With Rob Thomas’ Abe Fogle: Checking In From Tour Rehearsals
Hi, MD readers! Well, it looks like things are coming together, and I am getting ready to go on tour again with Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas. I am extremely excited about the tour, the gear that I have, the people…
On the Beat With Travis Orbin of Darkest Hour
Hello MD! Back in November 2011, my producer/engineer friend Taylor Larson informed me that Darkest Hour was renting a space at his studio for some upcoming tours. (This was shortly after they parted ways with their longtime drummer.) Taylor recommended…
On the Beat With Nate Arling of the Last Vegas and Urge Overkill: Top Ten Touring and Gigging Tips
Hi MD readers! My name is Nate Arling, and I live in Chicago, Illinois. I play drums in the Last Vegas and Urge Overkill. I also do studio work and have played 1,000-plus shows in fifteen-plus countries at clubs, garages,…
On the Beat With Journey Guitarist Neal Schon and Drummer Steve Smith: Discussing Neal’s Latest Solo Album, Vortex
Neal tells Modern Drummer, “What can I say—it’s Steve Smith! He is bombastic and very inventive on all the tracks. I do usually have a certain groove in my head and will usually hum it out to explain what I’m…
On the Beat With Peter Ulrich of the Peter Ulrich Collaboration
Hi MD readers. This is Peter Ulrich, former drums/percussion for Dead Can Dance, and currently with the Peter Ulrich Collaboration. Our latest album, Tempus Fugitives, was released on April 21, 2015, and it picks up where our debut album, The…
On the Beat With Josh Groban’s Dave DiCenso: Discussing His New Book, “Rhythm and Drumming Demystified???
Hello fans of music, drumming, and Modern Drummer! My name is Dave DiCenso. I currently play drums for singer Josh Groban, and I am a professor at Berklee College of Music. I want to let you all know I have…
Drummer Blog: Top Canadian Drummer Jayson Brinkworth Checks In
Hello, all modern drummers out there! Jayson Brinkworth here, writing from Canada. I hope this finds you all grooving and inspired beyond belief these days. I am writing this while flying to my next gig, and I just finished the…
Drummer Blog: Billy McCarthy on the Documentary Ferocious Drummers
Hello Modern Drummer readers! My name is Billy McCarthy, and right now the trailer for my documentary film, Ferocious Drummers, is up at www.kickstarter.com. With this film, I am hoping to move drummers to a place they hardly visit on…
Drummer Blog: Martin Levac on Channelling Phil Collins
Hello Modern Drummer, my name is Martin Levac and I am a drummer, singer, keyboardist, lyricist, and composer, best known for my on stage impersonation of British drummer and singer Phil Collins. My passion for the music of Genesis and…
Drummer Blog: Salvador Placencia and Garrett Ray of Fool’s Gold
Garrett Ray of Fool’s Gold Greetings drummers of the modern age! We are Salvador Placencia and Garrett Ray, percussionist and drummer for the band Fool’s Gold from Los Angeles. We thought it would be fun to interview each other to…
Drummer Blog: Shauney Recke on Keeping an Open Mind and Being Prepared for Anything
Hello drummers and all others. My name is Shauney Recke, known to most as Shauney Baby, a name I adapted some time ago in my hometown of Washington, DC while playing in the first-ever all female go-go band called Pleasure.…
On the Beat: Bayside’s Chris Guglielmo Explains the Hits Between the Hits
Hi, Modern Drummer people! My name is Chris Guglielmo, and I play drums in a band called Bayside. I play Ludwig drums, Sabian cymbals, Promark sticks, and Evans heads. I remember getting my first set of drums in middle school.…
Drummer Blog: Downtrend’s J.D. Hall on Fusing Backwoods Heritage and Metal
Greetings, MD readers! My last blog was back in 2010 and much has happened since then. I am currently slamming the skins for the Pikeville, Kentucky–based hard rock/metal band Downtrend. We are signed to an indie label called Vision Metal…
