Drummers on Drumming
A podcast for drummers who think too much. Ben Hilzinger talks to the greats about creativity, identity, staying sane, and finding purpose behind the kit. Got a question for The Drum Panel? Submit it HERE for a chance to have it discussed on the show. --- Powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. For more inforamtion, check outĀ www.bigfatsnaredrum.comĀ and follow us onĀ Instagram.
The Drum Panel Needs Your Questions!
This week on Drummers on Drumming, I'm taking a quick break from our usual format to ask for your help!
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]
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The Drum Panel: Tantric drumming...
This week on Drummers on Drumming (powered by Big Fat Snare Drum), weāre back with another installment of The Drum Panel with Mark Stepro and Chase Elodia.
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 ā HEREā
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 g...
The Drum Panel: did someone leave shoes in the dryer ?
This week on Drummers on Drumming, weāre back with another installment of The Drum Panel with Eric Urrea and William Goldsmith.
William is the drummer for Sunny Day Real Estate and was also the original touring drummer for Foo Fighters. Iāve had him on the podcast before, and heās 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 + Drumme...
The Drum Panel: be where your pigfeet are
This week on Drummers on Drumming, weāre back with another installment of The Drum Panel with Eric Urrea and Gunnar Olsen.
Weāre 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 Sepa...The Drum Panel: The kickflip of drums (NEW FORMAT)
This week on Drummers on Drumming, weāre back with another installment of The Drum Panel with Eric Urrea and Cain Daniel.
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 weāre listening to while we play that has nothing to do with the...The Drum Panel: Can I practice having better taste?
This week on Drummers on Drumming, weāre back with another installment of The Drum Panel.
Iām 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 wa...
The tests results came back...
Thanks again for filling out the survey!
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Get Your Copy of theĀ Drummers on DrummingĀ Book Today
šÆĀ ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ClickĀ hereĀ toĀ orderĀ now!ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā
Drummers on Drumming (the book)Ā takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the worldās greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, itās packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether youāre 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...
Five-ish records that might finally get you into jazz
This week on Drummers on Drumming, Iām bringing back a re-edited 2021 conversation with my friend Anthony Fung.
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 Williamsās fearless choices to Roy Haynesās light touch, Elvin Jonesās rolling feel, and Billy Higginsās unmistakable swing.
We also talk about Anthonyās path from discovering drums through Drumline to studying at Berklee and the Herbie Hancock Institute.
If jazz has ever felt hard to enter, this...
I Need Your Help With What Comes Next
PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS SHORT LIL EPISODE:
Click HERE for the Listener Survey.
Or HERE.
Or even HERE.
What about HERE you ask? Hell yeah HERE too.
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Get Your Copy of theĀ Drummers on DrummingĀ Book Today
šÆĀ ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ClickĀ hereĀ toĀ orderĀ now!ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā
Drummers on Drumming (the book)Ā takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the worldās gr...
YOU VOTED! Your favorite cymbal intros...
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
Today, Iām 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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Get Your Copy of theĀ Drummers on DrummingĀ Book Today
šÆĀ ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ClickĀ hereĀ toĀ orderĀ now!ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā
Drum...
The Drum Panel: Full belly dry diaper
This week on Drummers on Drumming, weāre jumping back into part two of my conversation with Brendan Buckley, Zack Albetta, and Eric Urrea.
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 doesnāt always mean a bad show Winning over a room that didnāt come to see you Stories involving Rage Against the Ma...The Drum Panel: Fifty shades of grey to leave your lover
This week on Drummers on Drumming, weāre back with another installment of The Drum Panel.
Iām 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...Big Fat Five: Richard Spaven
This week on Drummers on Drumming, weāre revisiting a conversation with Richard Spaven, originally recorded in early 2021.
Richard has worked with artists including JosƩ 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 bre...The Drum Panel: Clarity creates opportunity
This week on Drummers on Drumming, weāre back with another installment of The Drum Panel.
This is part two of a two-part conversation with myself (ā Benā ) ā Eric Urreaā , and ā Kyle Adamsā .
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 drummerās sound truly comes from How different gear can change the way you play Removing the small barriers that kill creative momentum Balan...The Drum Panel: I didnāt pay for flams on four!
This week on Drummers on Drumming, weāre back with another installment of The Drum Panel.
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 lo...The Drum Panel: Are we just musical sperm donors?
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
Today, Iām 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 āproper techniqueā 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 po...Big Fat Five: Carla Azar (Autolux, Jack White, PJ Harvey)
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, Iām joined by Carla Azar for a new installment of Big Fat Five.
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 youāll hear in this conversation, the rĆ©sumĆ© is only part of the story.
Carlaās 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...
Terry Keating on the Mystery, Feel, and Gear of John Bonham
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
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 Bonhamās feel, the mystery of his gear, Led Zeppelinās live chemistry, the obsession around Ludwig drums and Paiste cymbals, the...
The Drum Panel: Cynicism, Gimmicks, and Angine de Poitrine
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
Today, Iām 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 āgimmickā Why musicians can be so quick to dismiss what they donāt understand Cynicism as both a shield and a trap The danger of bonding through negativity How touring can breed complain...YOU VOTED! Your favorite worst sounding snare drums...
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
Today, Iām 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 re...
The Drum Panel: Chick Corea's cheap but good advice for playing music in a group PART TWO
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
This episode is a new installment of The Drum Panel, and itās Part TWO of TWO of diving into Chick Coreaās Cheap But Good Advice For Playing Music in a Group.
Iām joined by good friend of mine ā Rafa Vidalā , who also plays with the band Almost Monday, who are currently killing it, and of course ā Eric Somers-Urrea ā is back on the panel.
In Part One, we covered numbers 1 through 6. Today, weāre finishing the list with numbers 7 through 16, whic...
The Drum Panel: Check your Self 1 before you wreck your Self 2
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
This week on The Drum Panel, Iām 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 weād recently been talking about that voice in your head...
Big Fat Five: Tosh Peterson (Lady Gaga, Alkaline Trio) breaks down the records, mentors, and moments that shaped his drumming voice
What is up? Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This week Iām re-airing a classic Big Fat Five episode with Tosh Peterson.
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 ol...
The Drum Panel: E-MAN is not a collector ok
What is up?
Ben here.
Another Drum Panel this week powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
This oneās 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 musicalā¦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 vers...
The Drum Panel: His mouth time can finally relax on a bullet train to Iowa
Ben here.
On this weekās episode of Drummers on Drumming (powered by Big Fat Snare Drum), weāre 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 5ā¦ accidentally playing it in 6ā¦ then having to find his way back into the song in real time while thousands of peopl...
The Drum Panel: Jessica screams at Ben to shut up.
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
Iām 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:
āItās complicatedā ā how your relationship with drums changes over time The weird shift from loving music more than drumming i...The Drum Panel: The corkboard at Piggly Wiggly
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
Iām Ben Hilzinger, and this is another segment of The Drum Panel.
This week Iām 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. ājust being in someoneās brainā The real thing bandleaders notice tha...The Drum Panel: Weāre just junkies
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming ...a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum...
In this episode of The Drum Panel, Iām joined by Jared Shavelson (Joyce Manor, The Bronx, Seal) and Mike Robinson (Say Anything, Slayyter, Oliver Tree).Ā
In this episode:
Playing festivals - yay nay or meh The pefectly āsizedā tour The backline details that matter most when youāre 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 rig...James Gadson: The Groove Behind "Use Me," "Kissing My Love," "Dancing Machine," and More
This weekās episode is a special one.
In light of James Gadsonās 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, thatās part of what makes it feel like James.Ā
Back when Big Fat Five was still the main format of the show, I asked James to bring i...
The Drum Panel: Preptides. Prepto-Bismol and how to maintain that prep in your step
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
In this episode of The Drum Panel, Iām joined by Eric Urrea (Marina City, La Armada) and Kris Mazzarisi (Founder of BFSD / Winnetka Bowling League)
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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 weāve each had in our own playing, from posture to voca...John Stanier (Helmet, Battles, Tomahawk) shares the records that shaped his playing
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
We're here with another segment of Big Fat Five and todayās 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 wi...
Drummers On Food On Tour On Drumming (Lactaid is sick)
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
This week, weāre celebrating the release of Mike Robinsonās 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.
Itās 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...
The Drum Panel: What is a blue groove?
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming...a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
In this segment of The Drum Panel, Iām 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 thereās a...
The Drum Panel: Is the sound in the room with us right now?
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming...a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
In this segment of The Drum Panel, Iām 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 de...
The Drum Panel: Does "good" technique HAVE to feel good?
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
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 comfortāand why great technique doesnāt al...Tim Very (Manchester Orchestra) shares the five records that shaped his playing [Revisited]
![Tim Very (Manchester Orchestra) shares the five records that shaped his playing [Revisited] episode artwork](https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/a7dbab14-0bc8-11f1-9437-17199a66a16c/image/079ef2615281b6b5c8d13ee037841282.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress)
What is up? Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
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 werenāt 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. Thatās what youāre going to hear today.
Going back and listening to this conver...
The Drum Panel: Chick Corea's cheap but good advice for playing music in a group PART ONE
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
This episode is a new installment of The Drum Panel, and itās Part One of Two diving into Chick Coreaās Cheap But Good Advice For Playing Music in a Group.
Iām 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 settin...
Patch Mahoney (Hilary Duff, Bebe Rexha) shares the records that shaped his playing.
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. Ericās 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.
Our guest today is Patch Ma...
The Drum Panel: Gunnar would request a bald cap first
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming ... a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
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 āyesā to everything Gunnarās 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 tou...The Drum Panel: The Bubble Solution
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming ... a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum
This weekās 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 youāre 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 mediaās role vs real relationships Practicing vs workin...