drum blog

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.

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Adam Gray of Texas in July

My name is Adam Gray, and I play drums for a band called Texas in July. I started playing at a very young age, using pots, pans, and sticks from the woods. At age four I received my first drumkit,…

Modern Drummer
May 18, 2011

Gunnar Olsen of Knights on Earth

Hello, Modern Drummer readers, my name is Gunnar Olsen. I’m from New York City, and have been a professional drummer for over fifteen years. My band, Knights on Earth, is preparing to release our first album, Move Slow Life Ends. Knights on…

Modern Drummer
May 17, 2011

Joe Morello: 1928–2011

No one has done more to reveal the inner science and outer beauty of odd time signatures than the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s beloved drummer. Friend and student Steve Fidyk created this fitting musical tribute. Click here to view the complete transcription…

Modern Drummer
May 17, 2011

Kurt Reifler of Kill Kurt Reifler

I play guitar and sing in Kill Kurt Reifler, a two-piece rock ’n’ roll circus of sorts. I write songs as a drummer (which is the instrument I really play) and translate the rhythms I hear in my head to…

Modern Drummer
May 16, 2011

Cory Procter of Free Reign

Hello to all MD readers! My name is Cory Procter, and I am the drummer in the heavy metal band Free Reign. We have a different dynamic than most bands in that three of the four members in our group play…

Modern Drummer
May 13, 2011
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Brian Chase: Indie Invention, Jazz Heart

Brian Chase burst onto the scene at the turn of the millennium with the indie rock/garage punk band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Chase first met vocalist/pianist Karen O while attending the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio in the late ’90s.…

Modern Drummer
May 13, 2011

Kind Beats’ Andrew McAuley

Hey, everyone, I’m back to let you all know about some big developments that have happened over the last year—and believe me, there have been quite a few! The first thing is that I have become an official endorser of…

Modern Drummer
May 11, 2011

Justin Foley: Killswitch Engage’s Rulebreaker

Killswitch Engage drummer Justin Foley doesn’t quite fit in with the normal metal drummer stereotypes. For one, he’s classically trained, having received his undergraduate degree in percussion from the University of Connecticut and his master’s degree from the prestigious Hartt…

Modern Drummer
May 5, 2011

Ryan Luciani of Empires

Hey, all, my name is Ryan Luciani, and I play in the Chicago rock band Empires. I’m very grateful to have been asked to write a blog for Modern Drummer, since I’ve been reading the magazine for years. First things first!…

Modern Drummer
May 4, 2011

Mike Mangini of Dream Theater

by Mike Haid The announcement that Modern Drummer Hall of Famer Mike Portnoy had left his longstanding position as the reigning king of prog-metal drumming with Dream Theater sent shockwaves through the drumming community. Who could replace such an iconic figure…

Modern Drummer
May 4, 2011

Ryan Shutler of Lazarus A.D.

Hey, MD readers, my name is Ryan Shutler, and I play drums for the metal act Lazarus A.D. I’ve spent the better part of this year touring in support of our new album, Black Rivers Flow. I was born in Gurnee, Illinois,…

Modern Drummer
May 4, 2011

Nate Morton of The Voice

Hi, MD readers. I thought I had faced musical challenges and done difficult gigs. And I believed I knew what it was like to learn a large amount of material in a short time—recording ten songs in a day seemed like…

Modern Drummer
May 2, 2011
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Susan VanHecke, author of Raggin’ Jazzin’ Rockin’: A History of American Musical Instrument Makers

Hey, drumheads! So, you already know that Zildjian cymbals and Ludwig drums are among the world’s finest. But how much do you really know about the people behind the famous names? I’ve recently written a book to clue us all…

Modern Drummer
May 1, 2011

Jay Michaelis of State Line Empire

Hey Modern Drummer readers! I’m super stoked to be writing a blog for all of you, as I’ve been an avid longtime reader. I guess it all started when I was five, when I saw Buddy Rich and Animal from the…

Modern Drummer
Apr 26, 2011
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