On the beat
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 Roberta Flack’s Brandon Mullen: Working With Artists and Making Time for His Own Band
Hi, MD readers! This is Brandon Mullen, drummer for Roberta Flack, I’m happy to share what I’ve been up to lately. It’s been an honor to work with the legendary Roberta Flack for about four years now. In addition to…
On the Beat With the University of Miami’s Steve Rucker
Hi, Modern Drummer readers! My name is Steve Rucker, and I’ve been the Director of Drumset Studies at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami for over thirty-five years. It’s been an awesome ride, and I’m honored…
On The Beat With Studio Drummer Lee Levin: Tracking for Macy’s Fourth of July Spectacular
Hi, I am so fortunate to make my bread and butter doing what I always dreamed of as a kid—being a studio drummer. Whether you aspire to be a recording musician or work in any other aspect of this amazing…
On the Beat With Andrew “Stix??? Cotterell of Feed Her to the Sharks: Rockstar Mayhem Festival Spotlight
G’day Modern Drummer readers. My name is Andrew “Stix” Cotterell, and I play for the Australian band Feed Her to the Sharks. We are a metalcore/deathcore band that incorporates an array of shredding guitar, driving drums, and catchy melodies, and…
On the Beat With Multi-Instrumentalist Max Frost: Getting Drum Sounds in the Studio
What up, MD readers! My name is Max Frost, and I’m a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer on Atlantic Records from Austin, TX. My career has had a broad focus but drums are my original, underlying obsession. I play drums on…
On the Beat With Dave Sundberg of Sister Sin: Rockstar Mayhem Festival Spotlight
Hey, hey, cymbal breakers, beat keepers, and MD readers! My name is Dave, and I annihilate the drums for Sister Sin. This is actually the second time I have been blessed to write a little something for Modern Drummer and…
On the Beat With Richard Lee Jackson of Jonathan Jackson and Enation: Passion, Practice, and Playing
Hi, guys and girls! Richard Lee Jackson from Jonathan Jackson and Enation here. I started drum lessons as a kid after hearing the band Chicago, with Danny Seraphine, on the radio, and I’ve been in love with drums ever since!…
On the Beat With Joey Muha of Jungle Rot: Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival
Hello, MD! Wow! I can’t believe I’m typing this right now. I spent many of my early drumming days reading and watching Modern Drummer, one of my favorites being the 2005 Modern Drummer Festival DVD. After saving up money from…
On the Beat With Nick Baverman of Brent James and the Vintage Youth: New Record and Summer Touring
What’s up, Modern Drummer readers! My name is Nick Baverman. I play drums for Brent James and the Vintage Youth out of Cincinnati, Ohio. We’ve got kind of a southern, country-ish hard rock thing goin’ on. I love playing in…
On the Beat With Alan Balamut of Rivers of Nihil
Hello, everyone! My name is Alan Balamut, and I am the drummer for Rivers of Nihil. I joined the band early of 2014, and we have been doing a lot of touring with bands such as Whitechapel, Carnifex, Death, Obituary,…
On the Beat With Educator Dave Black: You Gotta Know When to Hold ’Em, Know When to…Roll ’Em
Hi everyone! I’m Dave Black, vice president and editor-in-chief with Alfred Music. I’d like to share a fun way of learning with you. While not quite an accurate telling of the famed Kenny Rogers lyric, the sentiment is correct—as a…
On the Beat With Pete Parada of the Offspring: The Audition; Or, the Fine Art of Being Over Prepared
Hi MD, Pete here. We’ve all been there. Anyone who has ever held any kind of gig has had to go through some kind of audition. They can range anywhere from nerve-wracking to downright terrifying, depending on the situation. Auditions…
On the Beat With Abe Fogle of Rob Thomas: Checking in From the Road, Part 2: Hail the Drum Tech!
Hi, MD readers! Here we are keeping it moving along, at week number three of nine. There are certain factors that can grow on you on the right tour as it progresses. You get to feel out situations, people, the…
On the Beat With Billy Idol’s Erik Eldenius: Checking in From the Road
Hello, Modern Drummer readers. Erik here, and I’m writing to you from my hotel room in Zurich, Switzerland. We are about four weeks into the Billy Idol summer tour. What’s particularly exciting about touring Europe in the summer is that…
