Drummers on Drumming

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306 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud

  1. The Drum Panel: The Rockefeller Center Method

    4 november 2026 · 49 min

    Afspelen
    This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel with Brendan Buckley and Luke Adams. Lees meer

    Brendan has toured and recorded with Shakira, Morrissey, Tegan and Sara, Perry Farrell, and many others. Luke is an LA drummer, producer, mixer, and studio owner who works across touring, recording, and remote sessions.

    In this episode:

    Why freelancers often confuse a busy calendar with personal worth

    How turning down the wrong gigs can also make the phone stop ringing

    Why time away from the drums can sometimes improve your playing

    Learning to practice the skills your actual work demands

    Why playing slowly may be harder and more useful than playing fast

    Finding the strongest time feel in a band, even when it isn’t the bass player

    The subtle ways drummers guide a band through breakdowns and tempo changes

    The difference between developing a good sound and creating a gimmick

    Why a live drum track should offer something programming cannot

    If you enjoy the show, please rate and review it wherever you listen!

    Got a question for The Drum Panel?

    [⁠SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION HERE⁠]

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠…

  2. The Drum Panel: The state of feel

    28 oktober 2026 · 38 min

    Afspelen
    This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel with Fred Eltringham and Sterling Laws. Lees meer

    Fred is the longtime drummer for Sheryl Crow and has also played with The Wallflowers, The Chicks, and k.d. lang. Sterling is a drummer, producer, and musical director whose credits include Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan, Kim Gordon, and Liz Phair.

    Highlights from this episode:

    The danger of treating a hired gig like you have ownership in the project

    Why loyalty and hard work never make a touring musician fully irreplaceable

    Loving certain drummers even when their influence never appears in your playing

    What’s the state of feel?

    Why the list of great drummers is much longer than the list you would trust to represent you

    How recording yourself can prepare you for the pressure of a major session

    We also work through a listener question about measuring success when you’re a hired player. If you have something you’d like us to discuss on a future episode, submit it below.

    Got a question for The Drum Panel?

    [SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION HERE]

    If you enjoy the show, please rate and review it wherever you listen!

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

  3. The Drum Panel: What you don't know is part of your voice

    21 oktober 2026 · 37 min

    Afspelen
    Have a question for The Drum Panel? Lees meer

    [⁠SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION HERE⁠]

    This week on Drummers on Drumming, we're back with another installment of The Drum Panel with my co-host Eric Urrea and guest Ben Masters.

    Ben is a drummer, producer, and songwriter here in LA who's worked with artists like Grace VanderWaal, LÉON, and friend of the pod Chance Fameghetti, AKA Free Arlo. He's also someone whose musical instincts I've really come to admire, especially when it comes to knowing what a song needs and what it doesn't.

    In this episode:

    Why the music you haven't listened to might be just as important to your musical identity as the music you have

    How percussion can completely change the momentum of a song without changing the drum groove

    Why playing the same songs hundreds of times might actually make you a more attentive musician

    Being happier than ever with your career while questioning whether you can sustain the pace

    Practical ways to deal with nerves, physical tension, and losing focus onstage

    What actually makes someone a “good hang”

    Why audiences might notice something without ever realizing it.

    We also answer our first listener-submitted questions! If you've got something you'd like us to discuss on a future episode, please write in via the link at the top of the shownotes.

    If you enjoy the show, please rate and review it wherever you listen!

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

  4. The Drum Panel Needs Your Questions!

    14 oktober 2026 · 5 min

    Afspelen
    This week on Drummers on Drumming, I'm taking a quick break from our usual format to ask for your help! Lees meer

    First, a huge thank you to everyone who filled out the recent listener survey. Your feedback has already helped improve the show, and I want to keep that going.

    I'm officially introducing Listener Questions as a regular part of The Drum Panel. The idea is simple: You submit questions, and I'll bring them to the panel for discussion.

    Have a question for The Drum Panel?

    [SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION HERE]

    Nothing is too simple, too obvious, or too ridiculous. You don't need to be a professional drummer, either.

    Some ideas to get you thinking:

    Motivation, practice habits, and getting out of a creative rut

    Navigating gigs, band dynamics, and the music industry

    Technique, gear, and developing your own sound

    Balancing music with work, family, and everyday life

    Opinions, frustrations, or anything you've always wanted to ask other drummers

    You can submit anonymously, and the link will be available in the show notes of every episode moving forward.

    Thanks again for listening and helping make this show better. I'll be back next week with a regular episode and some great guests on the way!

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

  5. The Drum Panel: Tantric drumming...

    7 oktober 2026 · 44 min

    Afspelen
    This week on Drummers on Drumming (powered by Big Fat Snare Drum), we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel with Mark Stepro and Chase Elodia. Lees meer

    Mark plays with The Wallflowers and has worked with artists like Butch Walker and Brett Dennen, and Chase plays with Hudson Freeman and is getting ready to release his new record, Real Ones, on October 23rd.

    Check out Chase's music ⁠HERE⁠

    We continue putting the new Drum Panel format to work, using a few loose categories to give the conversation some direction without keeping us from going down whatever rabbit holes come up.

    In this episode:

    What people are actually getting when they hire you beyond someone who can play the parts

    Knowing a song well enough that you don’t need the usual safety nets

    Adding drums to a song without ruining what already makes it great

    Getting so good at serving other artists that your own music gets neglected

    Whether music actually needs to be released to feel finished

    Translating what an artist says they want into what they actually mean

    Records that gave us permission to make different choices behind the kit

    Finding creativity inside really simple drum parts

    Whether “serving the song” can become an excuse for not making an interesting choice

    Touring, having a family, and accepting that there might not actually be such a thing as balance

    Plus, Tom Petty, Steve Ferrone, Brian Devendorf, Alan Myers, Stewart Copeland, Vinnie Colaiuta, and a lot more.

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voic…

  6. The Drum Panel: did someone leave shoes in the dryer ?

    30 september 2026 · 43 min

    Afspelen
    This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel with Eric Urrea and William Goldsmith. Lees meer

    William is the drummer for Sunny Day Real Estate and was also the original touring drummer for Foo Fighters. I’ve had him on the podcast before, and he’s incredibly funny, down to earth, and always really thoughtful about this stuff without taking any of it too seriously.

    We continue putting the new Drum Panel format to work this week, hitting questions from The Work, The Playing, The Why, Drummer Problems, Records + Drummers, The Hang, and Hot Takes.

    In this episode:

    The stuff we leave out when people ask how our careers are going

    Who first made us comfortable enough to sound bad in front of them

    Getting out of your own way when coming up with drum parts

    How much of our taste was decided when we were kids

    Why certain drum sounds just feel right to us

    What to do when you hate the programmed drum part you’re being asked to play

    The difference between playing the part and figuring out what somebody actually wants from it

    Drummers people assume influenced us who really didn’t

    Hitting too hard in the studio

    Playing the record exactly versus capturing the spirit of the original drummer

    Some pretty fucking great stories involving David Bowie, Foo Fighters, Sunny Day Real Estate, and more

    As always, we also end up talking about creativity, influence, ego, and all the shit we should probably be paying therapists to listen to.

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find y…

  7. The Drum Panel: be where your pigfeet are

    23 september 2026 · 45 min

    Afspelen
    This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel with Eric Urrea and Gunnar Olsen. Lees meer

    We’re continuing with the new format for the Panel, using a few loose categories to give the conversation some direction without keeping us from going down whatever rabbit holes come up.

    A lot of this one ended up being about how your relationship with drums changes the longer you do it.

    In this episode:

    The gigs you would've killed for ten years ago that you might not take now

    Separating being busy from actually feeling successful

    What happens to your playing when you get nervous

    How much technique actually matters if what you’re doing sounds good

    Knowing when a song actually needs a fill

    Why constantly recording and analyzing yourself can sometimes take something away from playing

    Leaving a band when you still love the people in it

    Drummers we understand completely differently now than we did when we were younger

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠
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  8. The Drum Panel: The kickflip of drums (NEW FORMAT)

    16 september 2026 · 56 min

    Afspelen
    This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel with Eric Urrea and Cain Daniel. Lees meer

    This episode is also a test run for a new format for the Panel. After going through the listener survey, I wanted to give these conversations a little more structure while still leaving plenty of room for us to go wherever the conversation takes us.

    In this episode:

    What actually makes you recommend another drummer for a gig

    What we’re listening to while we play that has nothing to do with the drums

    How we choose the right gear for different gigs

    Taking a gig you really want when the money sucks

    Famous drum parts we might not understand the hype around

    Horrible gigs that somehow led to something good

    Having your own voice versus being adaptable enough to make a living

    Whether you actually need to read music to be a professional drummer

    A few Hot Takes to finish things off

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  9. The Drum Panel: Can I practice having better taste?

    9 september 2026 · 40 min

    Afspelen
    This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel. Lees meer

    I’m joined by Eric Urrea, an independent drummer from Chicago who plays with Marina City and La Armada, and Adam Christgau, who has toured and recorded with artists like LP, Troye Sivan, MARINA, Sia, Miley Cyrus, Angel Olsen, Kacey Musgraves, Tegan and Sara, and more.

    I had just finished a week of rehearsals where we were recording everything, listening back, and picking apart what was actually working. So I came into this one with a bunch of thoughts I wanted to throw at Eric and Adam.

    In this episode:

    Why the best-sounding snare might not be the most fun one to play

    Tuning drums for the microphone versus the room

    Shells vs plugins

    Why dynamics might matter just as much as timing

    The painful importance of recording and listening back to yourself

    Why a great-feeling show doesn’t always sound great the next day

    Whether you can actually practice having better taste

    Learning the difference between what you think you’re playing and what’s actually coming out

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠
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  10. The tests results came back...

    4 september 2026 · 9 min

    Afspelen
    Thanks again for filling out the survey! Lees meer

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  11. Five-ish records that might finally get you into jazz

    2 september 2026 · 39 min

    Afspelen
    This week on Drummers on Drumming, I’m bringing back a re-edited 2021 conversation with my friend Anthony Fung. Lees meer

    The premise was simple: five-ish records and drummers that might finally get you into jazz.

    Anthony explains what makes each drummer distinct, from Tony Williams’s fearless choices to Roy Haynes’s light touch, Elvin Jones’s rolling feel, and Billy Higgins’s unmistakable swing.

    We also talk about Anthony’s path from discovering drums through Drumline to studying at Berklee and the Herbie Hancock Institute.

    If jazz has ever felt hard to enter, this episode offers a great place to start.

    Artist - The New Tony Williams LifetimeAlbum - Believe ItRelease Year - 1975Key Track - “Fred”Drummer - Tony Williams

    Artist - Miles DavisAlbum - My Funny Valentine: Miles Davis in ConcertRelease Year - 1965Key Track - “Stella by Starlight”Drummer - Tony Williams

    Artist - Miles DavisAlbum - ‘Four’ & More: Recorded Live in ConcertRelease Year - 1966Key Track - “Walkin’”Drummer - Tony Williams

    Artist - Chick CoreaAlbum - Now He Sings, Now He SobsRelease Year - 1968Key Tracks - “Steps–What Was,” “Matrix,” “Windows”Drummer - Roy Haynes

    Artist - John ColtraneAlbum - A Love SupremeRelease Year - 1965Key Track - “Part I: Acknowledgement”Drummer - Elvin Jones

    Artist - McCoy TynerAlbum - SupertriosRelease Year - 1977Key Tracks - “Moment’s Notice,” “Blues for Ball”Drummers - Tony Williams and Jack DeJohnette

    Tony Williams plays on “Moment’s Notice.” Jack DeJohnette plays on “Blues for Ball.”

    Artist - Lee MorganAlbum - CornbreadRelease Year - 1967Key Tracks - “Cornbread,” “Ceora”Drummer - Billy Higgins

    The album was recorded in 1965, which explains the year mentioned during the conversation. It was released in 1967.

    Artist - Max RoachAlbum - We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now SuiteRelease Year - 1960Key Track - No individual track namedDrummer - Max Roach

    ---

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  12. I Need Your Help With What Comes Next

    26 augustus 2026 · 11 min

    Afspelen
    PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS SHORT LIL EPISODE: Lees meer

    Click HERE for the Listener Survey.

    Or HERE.

    Or even HERE.

    What about HERE you ask? Hell yeah HERE too.

    ---

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    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠
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  13. YOU VOTED! Your favorite cymbal intros...

    19 augustus 2026 · 48 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    Today, I’m joined by my trusty co-host Eric Urrea, and one of my best friends, Kris Mazzarisi, owner and founder of Big Fat Snare Drum, and drummer for Winnetka Bowling League.

    Over on the Big Fat Snare Drum Instagram page, we asked our followers to name their favorite cymbal intros. Here are the results plus a few honorable mentions from the peanut gallery.

    ---

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    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠
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  14. The Drum Panel: Full belly dry diaper

    12 augustus 2026 · 36 min

    Afspelen
    This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re jumping back into part two of my conversation with Brendan Buckley, Zack Albetta, and Eric Urrea. Lees meer

    In this episode:

    How much production a live show actually needs

    The modern skills working drummers are expected to have

    Keeping your identity while adapting to the gig

    Why space can sound bigger than layers

    Whether a live show is for the artist or the audience Why a quiet crowd doesn’t always mean a bad show

    Winning over a room that didn’t come to see you

    Stories involving Rage Against the Machine, Van Halen, Damien Rice, and bucket percussion

    If you haven’t heard part one yet, I’d recommend starting there.

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

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    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  15. The Drum Panel: Fifty shades of grey to leave your lover

    5 augustus 2026 · 40 min

    Afspelen
    This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel. Lees meer

    I’m joined by Brendan Buckley, drummer and producer for artists like Shakira and Tegan and Sara; Zack Albetta, Broadway drummer and co-host of the Working Drummer podcast; and Eric Urrea, an independent drummer from Chicago who plays with Marina City and La Armada.

    This is part one of our two-part conversation.

    In this episode:

    Why changing your mind can be a good thing

    Getting through creative slumps

    How making drums your job changes your relationship with playing

    Vulnerability in music and performance

    Backing tracks and modern live shows

    When polish starts removing the human element

    Strong opinions, disagreements, and plenty of gray area

    If you enjoy the show, please rate and review it wherever you listen.

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

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    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  16. Big Fat Five: Richard Spaven

    29 juli 2026 · 40 min

    Afspelen
    This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re revisiting a conversation with Richard Spaven, originally recorded in early 2021. Lees meer

    Richard has worked with artists including José James, Flying Lotus, Gang Starr, The Cinematic Orchestra, and Jameszoo. His solo work blends acoustic drums with the feel and texture of hip-hop, drum and bass, dubstep, and electronic music.

    In this episode:

    Teaching with honesty and helping students find their own voice

    Treating dynamics as another layer of coordination

    Creating programmed precision on an acoustic drum kit

    Keeping complex grooves soulful and easy to feel

    How the Amen break changed modern music

    Living inside a music scene instead of simply studying it online

    Learning from electronic beats without separating machines from musicians

    Why smaller, higher-pitched kick drums can leave more space for the bass

    If you enjoy the show, please rate and review it wherever you listen.

    Richard also has a chapter in Volume One of the Drummers on Drumming book, where he goes deeper into several of the records discussed here.

    ---

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    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  17. The Drum Panel: Clarity creates opportunity

    22 juli 2026 · 42 min

    Afspelen
    This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel. Lees meer

    This is part two of a two-part conversation with myself (⁠Ben⁠) ⁠Eric Urrea⁠, and ⁠Kyle Adams⁠.

    Kyle plays drums for Cartel and does a ton of session work from his studio outside of Seattle.

    In this episode:

    Posting from purpose instead of chasing likes

    Building a small, loyal audience over going viral

    Where a drummer’s sound truly comes from

    How different gear can change the way you play

    Removing the small barriers that kill creative momentum

    Balancing music, family, work, and social media

    Making your career goals clear to the people around you

    How genuine connections led Kyle to Cartel and Gretsch Drums

    If you enjoy the show, please rate and review it wherever you listen.

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  18. The Drum Panel: I didn’t pay for flams on four!

    15 juli 2026 · 47 min

    Afspelen
    This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel. Lees meer

    This is part one of a two-part conversation with myself (Ben) Eric Urrea, and Kyle Adams.

    Kyle plays drums for Cartel and does a ton of session work from his studio outside of Seattle.

    In this episode:

    Why tempo can feel different on stage

    Trusting, and questioning, your internal clock

    Big cymbals, smaller cymbals, and changing taste

    Shedding old influences

    Mike Portnoy, Elon Rubin, Josh Freese, and Taylor Hawkins

    Drumming identity and imposter syndrome

    Fitness and longevity behind the kit

    Posting from purpose versus pressure

    If you enjoy the show, please rate and review it wherever you listen.

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  19. The Drum Panel: Are we just musical sperm donors?

    8 juli 2026 · 47 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    Today, I’m joined by my co-host Eric Urrea (Marina City, La Armada) and returning guest Zack Albetta (Broadway's & Juliet , Working Drummer Podcast) for another installment of The Drum Panel.

    In this episode:

    The problem with ranking drummers

    Playing the gig you are meant to play

    Learning from teachers who do not gig

    Technique versus musicianship

    Why “proper technique” is not always one-size-fits-all

    Listening to your body behind the kit

    Click tracks, backing tracks, and modern live shows

    Whether rock has become too polished

    The difference between consistency and humanity

    Why the drummer’s voice still matters

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  20. Big Fat Five: Carla Azar (Autolux, Jack White, PJ Harvey)

    1 juli 2026 · 43 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, I’m joined by Carla Azar for a new installment of Big Fat Five. Lees meer

    Carla is the drummer, a vocalist, and a creative force behind Autolux. She has also worked with artists like PJ Harvey, Jack White, T Bone Burnett, Jim Keltner, and more. But as you’ll hear in this conversation, the résumé is only part of the story.

    Carla’s playing has a rare kind of tension to it. It can feel mechanical and human at the same time. Heavy, strange, precise, loose, hypnotic, and deeply musical. She does not talk about drums as a way to show off. She talks about them as tone, shape, feel, texture, and response.

    In this episode, we get into the records and drummers that helped form her voice.

    CARLA'S BIG FAT FIVE:

    Artist - James Brown

    Album - Star Time

    Release Year - 1991

    Key Track(s) - "Funky Drummer,” “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud”

    Drummer - Clyde Stubblefield, Jabo Starks

    -

    Artist - Can

    Album - Tago Mago

    Release Year - 1972

    Key Track(s) - “Mushroom,” “Halleluhwah”

    Drummer - Jaki Liebezeit

    -

    Artist - The Beatles

    Album - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

    Release Year - 1967

    Key Track(s) - “A Day in the Life”

    Drummer - Ringo Starr

    -

    Artist - Jimi Hendrix

    Album - Are You Experienced

    Release Year - 1967

    Key Track(s) - “Manic Depression,” “Fire,” “Are You Experienced?,” “The Wind Cries Mary”

    Drummer - Mitch Mitchell

    -

    Artist - Aphex Twin

    Album - Come to Daddy

    Release Year - 1997

    Key Track(s) - “Bucephalus Bouncing Ball,” “Come to Daddy - Mummy Mix”

    Beat Architect - Richard D. James

    -

    HONORABLE MENTIONS:

    Charley Drayton - The first person Carla met and saw play in person and thought, “I want to play exactly like him.” He turned her onto the Star Time box set and the soul music that helped shape her playing.

    -

    Arist - J Dilla

    Album - Donuts

    -

    Artist - Timbaland

    Key Track(s) - Jay-Z’s “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” and “Nigga What, Nigga Who”

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

  21. Terry Keating on the Mystery, Feel, and Gear of John Bonham

    24 juni 2026 · 1 uur 26 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    Terry Keating of the Bonzolium YouTube channel joins the show for a deep, hilarious, and wildly passionate dive into the world of John Bonham.

    This is a re-airing of an older episode that originally centered around five less obvious Bonzo tracks. And yes, we do get there. But with Terry, the joy is in the detours. This conversation moves through Bonham’s feel, the mystery of his gear, Led Zeppelin’s live chemistry, the obsession around Ludwig drums and Paiste cymbals, the difference between human time and perfect time, and why Bonzo still feels almost impossible to fully explain.

    Terry is one of my favorite sources for anything Bonham-related. He brings the kind of energy that makes you want to go back and listen to Led Zeppelin with fresh ears.

    In this episode, we talk about:

    • Why The Song Remains the Same was Terry’s gateway into Bonham• Bonham’s swing, feel, and natural sense of time• Why Zeppelin likely never needed a modern click-track mindset• The difference between human time and quantized perfection• Why Bonham felt like the conductor of Led Zeppelin• The strange magic behind Bonham’s snare sound• Why drummers are still obsessed with his exact gear• Ludwig, Paiste, 26-inch bass drums, and the mystery of the 15-inch depth• Terry’s friend George Fludas and the art of playing Bonham correctly• The “Bonham engine” and why his physical approach still feels unique• Five deeper Bonzo tracks, including:• “I’m Gonna Crawl”• “In the Light”• “Darlene”• “No Quarter” live• “Dazed and Confused” live

    This one is loose, nerdy, funny, and full of the kind of Bonzo talk only true Zeppelin heads can provide.

    Check out Terry’s work on the Bonzolium YouTube channel.

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the wor…

  22. The Drum Panel: Cynicism, Gimmicks, and Angine de Poitrine

    17 juni 2026 · 43 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    Today, I’m joined by my co-host Eric Urrea (Marina City, La Armada) and returning guest Zack Albetta (Broadway's & Juliet , Working Drummer Podcast) for another installment of The Drum Panel.

    In this episode:

    Angine de Poitrine and the rise of microtonal math-rock weirdness

    Masks, costumes, performance art, and the word “gimmick”

    Why musicians can be so quick to dismiss what they don’t understand

    Cynicism as both a shield and a trap

    The danger of bonding through negativity

    How touring can breed complaints if you let it

    Choosing to be positive without being fake

    Why “I don’t get it” is sometimes enough

    Art, context, and the death of context

    Whether success in music is ever really linear

    ---

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    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠
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  23. YOU VOTED! Your favorite worst sounding snare drums...

    10 juni 2026 · 51 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    Today, I’m joined by my trusty co-host Eric Urrea, and one of my best friends, Kris Mazzarisi, owner and founder of Big Fat Snare Drum, and drummer for Winnetka Bowling League.

    Over on the Big Fat Snare Drum Instagram page, we asked our followers to name their favorite worst-sounding snare drum.

    What does that even mean?

    Who the hell knows.

    But people had opinions. Strong ones.

    So I took the most popular and most repeated answers, made a list of the top 16 picks, and today, we’re going to talk through them.

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠
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  24. The Drum Panel: Chick Corea's cheap but good advice for playing music in a group PART TWO

    3 juni 2026 · 50 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    This episode is a new installment of The Drum Panel, and it’s Part TWO of TWO of diving into Chick Corea’s Cheap But Good Advice For Playing Music in a Group.

    I’m joined by good friend of mine ⁠Rafa Vidal⁠, who also plays with the band Almost Monday, who are currently killing it, and of course ⁠Eric Somers-Urrea ⁠is back on the panel.

    In Part One, we covered numbers 1 through 6. Today, we’re finishing the list with numbers 7 through 16, which get into some really good stuff: balance, intention, taste, space, relaxation, ego, and what it actually means to serve the music.

    As always with The Drum Panel, we’re not pretending to have all the answers. We’re just using these ideas as a jumping-off point to talk about playing music, being in bands, staying creative, and trying to become better musicians without losing our minds.

    ———

    Chick Corea's Cheap But Good Advice For Playing Music in a Group.

    Play only what you hear.

    If you don’t hear anything, don’t play anything.

    Don’t let your fingers and limbs wander. Place them intentionally.

    Don’t improvise on endlessly. Play something with intention, develop it or not, then end off and take a break.

    Leave space. Create space. Intentionally create places where you don’t play.

    Make your sound blend. Listen to your sound and adjust it to the rest of the band and the room.

    If you play more than one instrument at a time, like a drum kit or multiple keyboards, make sure they are balanced with one another.

    Don’t make any of your music mechanically or just through patterns of habit. Create each sound, phrase, and piece with choice, deliberately.

    Guide your choice of what to play by what you like, not by what someone else will think.

    Use contrast and balance the elements: high/low, fast/slow, loud/soft, tense/relaxed, dense/sparse.

    Play to make the other musicians sound good. Play things that will make the overall music sound good.

    Play with a relaxe…

  25. The Drum Panel: Check your Self 1 before you wreck your Self 2

    27 mei 2026 · 40 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    This week on The Drum Panel, I’m joined by my co-host Eric Urrea, an independent drummer from Chicago who plays with Marina City and La Armada, and Steve Durham, who is new to The Drum Panel but returning from Big Fat Five.

    Steve has worked with artists like Louis Tomlinson, Mumford & Sons, Foals, Wolf Alice, Aurora and a bunch of others. But the reason I wanted him in this conversation is because we’d recently been talking about that voice in your head when you’re playing. The one that judges your ideas before they even come out.

    So that became the jumping-off point.

    We got into the inner critic, why creativity can feel scary when there’s no structure, what changes when you stop trying so hard, how tension shows up in your body, playing to a click without becoming stiff, and whether being in a band is still worth it.

    It’s a good one. Very Drum Panel.

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
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  26. Big Fat Five: Tosh Peterson (Lady Gaga, Alkaline Trio) breaks down the records, mentors, and moments that shaped his drumming voice

    20 mei 2026 · 25 min

    Afspelen
    What is up? Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This week I’m re-airing a classic Big Fat Five episode with Tosh Peterson. Lees meer

    Long before playing with Lady Gaga and Alkaline Trio, Tosh sat down with me to break down the records, mentors, and moments that shaped his drumming voice. We talk about discovering Thomas Pridgen at 10 years old, learning how to command a stage from Tommy Lee, what Snoop grooves taught him about making people move, and the lessons he learned touring with Nick West at just 16 years old.

    Inside this episode:

    Meeting Thomas Pridgen for the first time and eventually studying with him for years

    Why groove and making people dance mattered more than playing perfectly

    Learning confidence, leadership, and stage presence on tour with Nick West

    Tommy Lee, pyrotechnics, and why Tosh believes drummers should steal the spotlight

    The influence of Tosh’s dad and the roots of his playing style

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
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  27. The Drum Panel: E-MAN is not a collector ok

    13 mei 2026 · 25 min

    Afspelen
    What is up? Lees meer

    Ben here.

    Another Drum Panel this week powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.

    This one’s with Eric Urrea and E-MAN. We got into studio vs live drumming, why some players obsess over the grid, and whether modern editing has actually made people more musical…or just safer.

    E-Man had a great point about how at a certain level, everybody can already play close to the click. What actually separates people is sound. The way the drums feel in the room. The way the snare reacts in the verse versus the chorus. The weird little details that actually make a performance feel human.

    We also talked about:

    Why a little ugliness in drumming can actually make things feel better

    Punching in takes vs forcing full performances

    The reality that basically everybody is getting “fixed” in modern recordings

    The one cymbal E-MAN would steal from jazz history if he could

    Goosebumps moments from Nicole Scherzinger, Blink-182, and Dagny

    Whether any of us ever really stop trying to sound like our heroes

    Kenny Aronoff’s weird tom setup and the chaos of panning it in the studio

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
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  28. The Drum Panel: His mouth time can finally relax on a bullet train to Iowa

    6 mei 2026 · 52 min

    Afspelen
    Ben here. Lees meer

    On this week’s episode of Drummers on Drumming (powered by Big Fat Snare Drum), we’re back with another round of The Drum Panel.

    Joining me:

    Gunnar Olsen:
    Currently out with Puscifer

    Eric Urrea:
    One of my favorite drummers to talk shop with because he somehow makes existential drum conversations feel practical.

    This episode starts with Gunnar talking about completely losing the plot during a fill in 5… accidentally playing it in 6… then having to find his way back into the song in real time while thousands of people watched.

    From there, things spiraled beautifully.

    We talked about:

    Why messing up live might actually make a show feel more human

    The weird pressure of trying not to visibly “count” on stage when you’re hearing a click track

    The difference between “giving” a great show and actually having a great show

    Whether your real musical voice only shows up when you’re alone

    The strange mental game of joining an established artist and figuring out how much of “you” should show up in the parts

    Why some of the best gigs happen when nobody notices the drummer at all

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
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  29. The Drum Panel: Jessica screams at Ben to shut up.

    29 april 2026 · 47 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    I’m Ben Hilzinger, and this is another segment of The Drum Panel.

    Joining me:

    Jessica Burdeaux (@jburdsbeats)
    Touring drummer (Covet, City Mouth) and content creator balancing real-world gigs with online presence.

    George Martinez (@skinnygeorge)
    Former full-time studio drummer turned educator, content creator, and all-around thoughtful voice on longevity.

    In this episode:

    “It’s complicated” — how your relationship with drums changes over time

    The weird shift from loving music more than drumming itself

    Why chasing constant growth can actually burn you out

    Letting students (or bandmates) make their own mistakes

    The difference between chaos on tour vs. stability later in life

    Content creation vs. real life: what actually matters

    The pressure of the algorithm and why it messes with your head

    Posting what you should vs. posting what’s actually real

    Why documenting your own growth beats chasing views

    The moment Instagram stopped making sense for everyone

    Touring, playing live, and why that still beats the internet

    The balance between being a musician and being a human

    Saying no to gigs, content, or work that drains you

    Why stepping away actually makes you better when you come back

    The quiet insecurity of band feedback (trash can endings, anyone?)

    Being your own worst critic… and why that never really goes away

    What each of us is secretly proud of in our playing right now

    Groove, touch, and making simple parts feel really good

    Being easy to work with vs. being flashy

    Why feel, energy, and stage presence still get you hired

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and pers…

  30. The Drum Panel: The corkboard at Piggly Wiggly

    22 april 2026 · 49 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    I’m Ben Hilzinger, and this is another segment of The Drum Panel.

    This week I’m joined by Eric Urrea (La Armada, Marina City) and Matt Crouse (Working Drummer podcast).

    In this episode:

    Why doing less with your podcast might be the only way to keep it alive

    The quiet way a podcast can land you real gigs years later

    Craigslist vs. Nashville vs. “just being in someone’s brain”

    The real thing bandleaders notice that has nothing to do with chops

    Caring vs. coasting, and why people can feel it instantly

    The weird mental spiral of over-practicing and then freezing on stage

    Why taking a break might fix something faster than grinding it

    The shift from loving drums to needing them, and what that cost

    We re-address whether drummers deserve songwriting credit… and why it’s still messy

    Why some songs wouldn’t exist without the drum part, even if no one admits it

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  31. The Drum Panel: We’re just junkies

    15 april 2026 · 49 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming ...a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum... Lees meer

    In this episode of The Drum Panel, I’m joined by Jared Shavelson (Joyce Manor, The Bronx, Seal) and Mike Robinson (Say Anything, Slayyter, Oliver Tree).

    In this episode:

    Playing festivals - yay nay or meh

    The pefectly “sized” tour

    The backline details that matter most when you’re trying to play your best

    How each of us thinks about success, growth, money, and career momentum

    Why big milestones can feel surreal in the moment and strangely empty right after

    The pressure of chasing goals in music when the target keeps moving

    What really makes a gig feel worth it, beyond the size of the stage

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
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  32. James Gadson: The Groove Behind "Use Me," "Kissing My Love," "Dancing Machine," and More

    8 april 2026 · 36 min

    Afspelen
    This week’s episode is a special one. Lees meer

    In light of James Gadson’s passing, I wanted to bring this conversation back to the top of the feed. James was one of the all-time greats, and getting to talk with him was a real honor. The audio is a little raw, he was on his phone, moving around, doing his thing, but the stories are gold, and honestly, that’s part of what makes it feel like James.

    Back when Big Fat Five was still the main format of the show, I asked James to bring in five records that shaped him. Instead, he flipped it and brought in songs he played on that shaped his career. That turned out to be even better.

    We get into the grooves behind Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band’s "Express Yourself," Dyke and the Blazers, "Dancing Machine" by the Jackson 5, Bill Withers classics like "Use Me" and "Kissing My Love," Cheryl Lynn’s "Got to Be Real," and even Beck’s "Paper Tiger." Along the way, James talks about jazz, Motown charts, studio instinct, restraint, feel, pocket, practicing with intention, and why the hi-hat has to talk.

    This one is a reminder that a simple groove is not simple. It’s deep. And James Gadson was one of the deepest to ever do it.

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
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  33. The Drum Panel: Preptides. Prepto-Bismol and how to maintain that prep in your step

    1 april 2026 · 30 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    In this episode of The Drum Panel, I’m joined by Eric Urrea (Marina City, La Armada) and Kris Mazzarisi (Founder of BFSD / Winnetka Bowling League)

    -

    In this episode:

    Why prep pay still is not standard, even though most drummers are expected to show up overprepared

    The weird state of touring right now, from DIY scenes disappearing to arena tours barely breaking even

    The last breakthroughs we’ve each had in our own playing, from posture to vocabulary to control

    Easy things that make a drummer more effective on stage

    The difference between playing quietly with sticks and changing the whole sound of the kit

    Whether traditional grip has any real practical use in modern drumming

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  34. John Stanier (Helmet, Battles, Tomahawk) shares the records that shaped his playing

    25 maart 2026 · 39 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    We're here with another segment of Big Fat Five and today’s guest is John Stanier of Battles, and if you know anything about powerful, creative, unmistakable drumming, you already know why I was excited for this one. John was also a founding member of Helmet, has played with Tomahawk, and has built one of the most unique voices on the instrument over the last few decades.

    I saw him play once in Seattle and honestly felt bad for his snare. He hits with so much force, but there’s also so much thought behind it. He’s a powerhouse, but he’s also super articulate, deeply creative, and clearly hears the instrument in his own way.

    I’ve known about John for a long time, so getting to finally sit down with him was a real treat, and he did not disappoint. He was kind, energetic, sharp, and just really fun to talk to.

    JOHN'S BIG FAT FIVE:

    Artist - Rush
    Album - Permanent Waves
    Release Year - 1980
    Drummer - Neil Peart

    -

    Artist - Siouxsie and the Banshees
    Album - Juju
    Release Year - 1981
    Key Track - "Arabian Knights"
    Drummer - Budgie

    -

    Artist - Return to Forever
    Album - No Mystery
    Release Year - 1975
    Key Track - "Sophistifunk"
    Drummer - Lenny White

    -

    Artist - D.O.A.
    Album - Bloodied But Unbowed
    Release Year - 1983
    Key Tracks - "The Prisoner," "Slumlord," "Waiting For You"
    Drummer - Chuck Biscuits

    -

    Artist - Yes
    Album - Fragile
    Release Year - 1972
    Key Track - "South Side of the Sky"
    Drummer - Bill Bruford

    -

    HONORABLE MENTIONS:

    Artist - Led Zeppelin
    Album - Houses of the Holy
    Drummer - John Bonham

    -

    Artist - Billy Cobham
    Album - Spectrum
    Drummer - Billy Cobham

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and pe…

  35. Drummers On Food On Tour On Drumming (Lactaid is sick)

    18 maart 2026 · 47 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    This week, we’re celebrating the release of Mike Robinson’s new Food on Tour Guide. Mike has toured with Say Anything, Oliver Tree, K.Flay, and many more and this guide is built from years of eating on the road.

    It’s a curated digital map with more than 2,000 spots across three layers: food, drink, and tiki. It gets updated regularly and helps save you from wasting money on bad meals while touring.

    To celebrate, Mike, Eric, and I each share five spots that have stood out to us over our combined decades on the road. Once you download the guide, you can find links to all the places mentioned in this episode by searching Drummers on Eating.

    But in the meantime, here are the picks:

    Ben’s picks:

    Slick Rock Burrito – Spokane, WA

    Decibel Sake Bar – New York City, NY

    Molinari Delicatessen – San Francisco, CA

    Thai Station – Carrboro, NC

    Ichiran – Brooklyn, NY

    Eric’s picks:

    Kopp’s – Milwaukee, WI

    Aqui Con El Nene – Tucson, AZ

    Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles – Los Angeles, CA

    Nicoletto’s – Nashville, TN

    Terry Black’s BBQ – Texas

    Mike’s picks:

    Brat House – Milwaukee, WI

    Sotto – Cincinnati, OH

    Rossi & Sons – Poughkeepsie, NY

    Nong’s – Portland, OR

    Mai-Kai – Fort Lauderdale, FL

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
    Learn more about your ad choices. …

  36. The Drum Panel: What is a blue groove?

    11 maart 2026 · 53 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming...a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    In this segment of The Drum Panel, I’m joined by Eric Urrea (Marina City) and Matt Starr (Sarah McLachlan) for a conversation that starts in the weeds and slowly turns into therapy.

    We kick things off with some proper nerd talk about trash can endings, stingers, and the infamous shugidaboom. From there, the conversation opens up into music education, what band programs still get right, and what probably needs to change if we want young musicians to feel like there’s a real place for them.

    Along the way, we talk about community, ego, self-direction, and why playing with other people is still the part of music you can’t really learn from a screen. Then the back half gets more reflective, as we get into success, creative identity, and the weird pressure of trying to make something that actually feels meaningful.

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  37. The Drum Panel: Is the sound in the room with us right now?

    4 maart 2026 · 52 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming...a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    In this segment of The Drum Panel, I’m joined by Eric Urrea (Marina City) and Ralph Alexander (Poppy) for one of those conversations that goes everywhere.

    We start with life on the road and the physical reality of playing demanding shows night after night. From there we get into practice routines, creativity, and the strange balance between working hard and actually allowing yourself to rest.

    Eric also brings in a few spicy listener takes, which sparks some fun debates about jazz vs rock, whether technical drummers lose their feel, and the never-ending argument about electronic drums.

    Somewhere along the way we end up talking about confidence, why most drummers struggle to say they actually like their own playing, and how your influences slowly shape the way you hear the instrument...who'd have thought?

    In this episode:

    Ralph shares the story of the Slayer shirt he’s carried to every show for over twenty years

    The first drum parts we learned that actually felt like a real breakthrough

    A debate about whether learning jazz really makes you a “better” drummer

    Why some drummers worry that learning more might ruin their feel

    The role rest and downtime play in creativity

    Whether electronic drums should even be compared to acoustic drums

    A rare moment where drummers admit they might actually like their own playing

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠www.big…

  38. The Drum Panel: Does "good" technique HAVE to feel good?

    25 februari 2026 · 1 uur 11 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    This is another segment of The Drum Panel featuring myself, Sarab Singh (MUNA), and Brendan Buckley (Shakira).

    In this episode, we talk about:

    Getting over the fear of recording at home and figuring out certain techniques later in your career

    Why some producers and artists choose emotional takes over technically perfect ones

    When quantizing, sample replacing, or comping starts to blur the line between your playing and studio editing

    The tension between technique and comfort—and why great technique doesn’t always feel great

    What makes a groove feel “bad,” and how context, consistency, and taste shape that judgment

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  39. Tim Very (Manchester Orchestra) shares the five records that shaped his playing [Revisited]

    18 februari 2026 · 50 min

    Afspelen
    What is up? Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    I decided to move this episode toward the top of the feed and revisit it.

    Last weekend, Tim Very, the drummer for Manchester Orchestra, passed away. While we weren’t super close, we stayed in touch over the years. He was kind enough to be part of my first book, and he also came on the podcast to do a Big Fat Five. That’s what you’re going to hear today.

    Going back and listening to this conversation was a real gift. Tim was such a creative drummer. Powerful, playful, and always deeply respectful of the song. He knew exactly where to sit in a part. You can hear how thoughtful he was, not just as a musician, but as a person.

    Quick heads up about the audio. He was calling in from the back of his tour bus over Zoom. The Wi-Fi was rough. There’s some generator noise. The first half isn’t perfect, but what he says is worth it.

    About halfway through, the connection dropped completely. And just to show you the kind of guy he was, he re-recorded his final three picks as voice notes and sent them to me so the episode could still come out on time.

    That’s Tim.

    I first saw him live at The Fillmore in Philadelphia in 2018. I didn’t buy a ticket. I was playing upstairs at The Foundry with my band. To get to our dressing room, we had to walk along a path overlooking the main room. Manchester Orchestra was sold out below us.

    It’s either motivation or humiliation, depending on how your tour’s going.

    But I remember watching him and thinking, this guy really understands how to serve a song.

    So with that said, this is Tim Very’s Big Fat Five. The five records that helped shape his playing.

    I hope you enjoy it. And I hope it inspires you the way it inspired me revisiting it.

    TIM'S BIG FAT FIVE:

    -

    Artist - Foo Fighters

    Album - The Colour and the Shape

    Release Year - 1997

    Key Track - "Hey, Johnny Park!"

    Drummer - Dave Grohl / William Goldsmith

    -

    Artist - AC/DC

    Album - Highway to Hell

    Rele…

  40. The Drum Panel: Chick Corea's cheap but good advice for playing music in a group PART ONE

    11 februari 2026 · 42 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    This episode is a new installment of The Drum Panel, and it’s Part One of Two diving into Chick Corea’s Cheap But Good Advice For Playing Music in a Group.

    I’m joined by good friend of mine Rafa Vidal, who also plays with the band Almost Monday, who are currently killing it, and of course Eric Somers-Urrea is back on the panel. We start off reacting to a post from Tommy Igoe about drum education and who should really be setting the agenda in lessons. That opens the door to a bigger conversation about intention, listening, and what it actually means to function inside a band.

    From there, we break down the first six pieces of Chick’s advice and what they look like in real life:

    Play only what you hear.

    If you don’t hear anything, don’t play anything.

    Don’t let your fingers and limbs just wander—place them intentionally.

    Don’t improvise endlessly—play something with intention, develop it or not, but then end off, take a break.

    Leave space—create space—intentionally create places where you don’t play.

    Make your sound blend. Listen to your sound and adjust it to the rest of the band and the room.

    We also get into a Rafa's new endeavor called Touch Grooves. Check out more information on that HERE

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

  41. Patch Mahoney (Hilary Duff, Bebe Rexha) shares the records that shaped his playing.

    4 februari 2026 · 50 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Big Fat Five, a segment of Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This episode is a first for the show. For the first time ever, Big Fat Five has two hosts. I explain it more at the top of the episode, but today Eric Urrea is joining me as a co-host. Eric’s someone I trust musically and personally, and having him in the room added a different kind of energy and flow that I really loved. It felt natural, and honestly, it raised the bar. Lees meer

    Our guest today is Patch Mahoney. Patch and I share the same lockout facility, and I walk past his room all the time. I’ve wanted to have him on the show for a while, not just because he’s a great drummer, but because he’s genuinely one of the nicest dudes around. Patch plays with Hilary Duff, Bebe Rexha, and many more and has built a career rooted in taste, feel, and adaptability. We sat down and talked through the records that helped shape him into the drummer he is today, and along the way we got into things like practice habits, recording yourself, restraint, gospel influence, drum tones, and how a drummer’s voice actually develops over time. And with that, here’s Patch Mahoney’s Big Fat Five.

    PATCH'S BIG FAT FIVE:

    -

    Artist – Tower Of Power

    Album – Tower Of Power

    Release Year – 1973

    Key Track – “What Is Hip?”

    Drummer – David Garibaldi

    -

    Artist – Steely Dan

    Album – Aja

    Release Year – 1977

    Key Track – “Aja”

    Drummer – Steve Gadd

    -

    Artist – Phoenix

    Album – Bankrupt!

    Release Year – 2013

    Key Track – “Entertainment”

    Drummer – Thomas Hedlund

    -

    Artist – Young The Giant

    Album – Home Of The Strange

    Release Year – 2016

    Key Track – “Titus Was Born”

    Drummer – Francois Comtois

    -

    Artist – Transformation Worship

    Album – Overflow: The Album (Live)

    Release Year – 2024

    Key Track – “Impossible? (Nothing At All) – Live”

    Drummer – Tony Taylor

    -

    Honorable Mentions:

    Glory Sound Prep – Jon Bellion

    Random Access Memories – Daft Punk

    The Captain and Me – The Doobie Brothers

    ---

    Get Your Co…

  42. The Drum Panel: Gunnar would request a bald cap first

    28 januari 2026 · 46 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming ... a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    This week's Drum Panel features myself (Ben Hilzinger) alongside Eric Urrea (Marina City) and Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer) aka **The Dream Team**

    We talk about:

    The specific tools we each use to stay on top of gigs, holds, and payments

    The not-so-obvious challenges of over-scheduling and saying “yes” to everything

    Gunnar’s hot take on whether live percussionists should be allowed cymbals

    How double-drummer bands actually work, including famous examples and personal wish lists

    The real anxieties and logistics behind committing to tours vs. staying available for “dream” gigs or family

    Practical advice for 22-year-old drummers moving to new cities—and why being physically local still matters for working players

    Social media as a calling card: when it helps, when it’s oversaturated, and how to post for the gigs you want

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  43. The Drum Panel: The Bubble Solution

    21 januari 2026 · 58 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming ... a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum Lees meer

    This week’s Drum Panel has me joined by Mark Stepro and Kris Mazzarisi for a wide-ranging conversation about what happens when gigs fall through, routines get shaken, and you’re forced to rethink how you want to work and live as a drummer.

    In this episode, we talk about:

    How to respond when a major gig disappears

    Why direct, personal outreach still beats mass posts

    Aging, touring, and shifting priorities

    Social media’s role vs real relationships

    Practicing vs working, and why confusing them stalls growth

    Tracking progress without over-measuring

    Onstage anxiety, depersonalization, and mental spirals

    Balancing family, business, touring, and sanity

    Letting go of shame around how your brain works

    Building a career that isn’t dependent on constant touring

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠
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  44. The Drum Panel: A narcissist and a self-deprecator walked into a bar [gig]...

    14 januari 2026 · 39 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    This week’s Drum Panel features me, Ben Hilzinger, alongside George Martinez (aka @skinnygeorge) and Eric Urrea from Marina City.

    We talk honestly about rejection, identity, and what actually gets built in the moments when things don’t go your way.

    In this episode, we talk about:

    Rejection as a mirror, not a verdict, and how quickly one “no” can distort your self-image

    The danger of ruminating on tiny moments, and how over-analyzing the past steals energy from the present

    Why authenticity matters more than perfection, and how trying to manage how others see you leads to bad fits

    The hidden value of “failed” prep, and how deep study always compounds even when the gig disappears

    The emotional difference between ego pain and income fear, and how each one shapes your reactions

    Balancing confidence and self-doubt, and why artists need both to stay sharp and grounded

    How unclear communication creates unnecessary emotional weight, and what that reveals about professional culture

    Why creative freedom often shows up disguised as disappointment

    New Year’s intentions around health, connection, communication, and long-term sustainability

    Letting go of shame around how you work, and learning to build systems that actually fit you

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠…

  45. The Drum Panel: We all chose Grandma as our least favorite

    7 januari 2026 · 53 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
    Happy New Year. This week’s Drum Panel features me, Ben Hilzinger, alongside George Martinez (aka @skinnygeorge) and Eric Urrea from Marina City.
    Lees meer

    In this episode, we talk about:

    Burnout as a signal, not a failure, and how to tell when you actually need to step back

    The success trap of linking worth to being busy, and how scarcity thinking keeps you stuck

    Dependability, kindness, and the invisible parts of your reputation that shape your career

    Grace under pressure, and what tech failures and bad shows reveal about who you are on stage

    Confidence without arrogance, and how to take your craft seriously without taking yourself too seriously

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  46. My favorite moments from 2025 - Part Two

    17 december 2025 · 47 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    This week features another batch of my favorite clips over the past year. Let me know if you agreeeee.

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  47. My favorite moments from 2025 - Part One

    10 december 2025 · 41 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    This week features a few of my favorite clips over the past year. Let me know if you agreeeee.

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  48. The Drum Panel: 15 sec > 15 min

    10 december 2025 · 1 uur 5 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    Featuring myself, Ben Hilzinger, with Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer, TrackTribe) & Eric Urrea (Marina City)

    Inside this episode

    The real life of high-output music production

    How drummers survive the modern content grind without losing their mind

    Touring vs session vs teaching: finding the mix that keeps you sane

    When your “Instagram drum sound” fights your natural playing

    How to meet heroes backstage without being that guy

    Building drum sounds, dealing with phase, and chasing ideas that actually feel good

    Progress, burnout, and what it means to “feel like a drummer” again

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  49. The Drum Panel: Choose your hard, but don't get bajiggity

    26 november 2025 · 56 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    This week features me, Ben Hilzinger, alongside Eric Urrea (Marina City) & Zack Albetta (Working Drummer podcast, & Juliet Broadway tour)

    Inside this episode:

    When to chase a stable gig and when to walk away

    How Broadway touring shapes your mind, body, and playing

    Staying confident when you’re surrounded by people who could change your career

    The honest math behind consistency vs freedom

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    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok
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  50. Madden Klass (Chappell Roan, Boygenius) shares the records that shaped her playing

    19 november 2025 · 46 min

    Afspelen
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Lees meer

    This is another installment of Big Fat Five, where I invite my favorite drummers on the show to break down the five records that shaped how they approach the instrument. Today’s guest is Madden Klass.

    Madden grew up in New York and built a reputation as a player who can seamlessly transition between power, finesse, and tight technical playing without losing the heart of the song. She’s toured with Boygenius, Chappell Roan, Watsky, Mike Doughty, Wheatus, Big Wild, Matt Maltese, Nat & Alex Wolff, Allison Ponthier, and Dixie D’Amelio, while also carving out her own sound through original projects. With roots in progressive rock and pop, Madden has always treated the drum chair as part of the composition, not just the support.

    MADDEN'S BIG FAT FIVE:

    Performance - Ilan Rubin's solo at the 2011 Guitar Center Drum-Off

    Drummer – Ilan Rubin

    -

    Artist – Battles

    Album – Glass Drop

    Release Year – 2011

    Key Track – "Futura"

    Drummer – John Stanier

    -

    Artist – Hiatus Kaiyote

    Album – Live in Revolt EP

    Key Track – "Sphynx Gate"

    Drummer – Perrin Moss

    Artist – The Aristocrats

    Album – The Aristocrats

    Release Year – 2011

    Key Track – "Bad Asteroid"

    Drummer – Marco Minnemann

    -

    Artist – Ash Soan

    Release Year – 2020

    Key Track – "Ghostship Time-out" (video)

    Drummer – Ash Soan

    ---

    Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

    🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠…