Feature Stories
Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
Yoko Ono Talks Drums With Modern Drummer
by Billy Amendola At the young age of seventy-six, there’s just no slowing down for artist, activist, and avant-garde queen Yoko Ono, widow of the late Beatle John Lennon. Her latest CD, Between My Head And The Sky, made with…
Catching Up With Gregg Bissonette
Have you seen the movie The 40-Year-Old Virgin? Or watched Spinal Tap perform on The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien? Or maybe caught a rerun of the ever-popular NBC sitcom Friends? If so, you’ve heard one of the most versatile…
Drumming On TV
by Ken Micallef The December 2009 issue of Modern Drummer featured the story “Drumming On TV,” an insider’s look at the ins and outs of the unique craft of the contemporary television drummer. The article featured SNL’s Shawn Pelton,…
A Different View: Paul Shaffer
By Billy Amendola MD's December issue, out now, features a Different View interview with bandleader Paul Shaffer from The Late Show With David Letterman, whose autobiography, We'll Be Here For The Rest Of Our Lives, was released recently. For this…
Brian Delaney: Guiding The New New York Dolls
by Billy Amendola As an addition to our November Portraits piece, MD continues our conversation with the New York Dolls' Brian Delaney with a fun question… MD: So, everybody wants to know: Would you have joined the band if you…
Eric Harland: Always Ready To Receive The Muse
by Michael Parillo In our November feature, Harland enlightens us to all sorts of technical matters, including achieving precise strokes on drums and cymbals, conserving energy, and strengthening the weaker hand and foot. Here’s more of our conversation. We kick…
Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp 2009 Interview
The Los Angeles Rock 'N Roll Fantasy Camp held this past April 29 through May 4 was a huge success. For founder and creator David Fishof, it marked the eleventh camp session overall.
Municipal Waste and Burnt By The Sun Drummer Dave Witte: Exclusive In-The-Studio Performance
When photographer Scott Kincaid shot Municipal Waste drummer Dave Witte for the October issue of Modern Drummer, he brought along his video camera and filmed Dave playing along to two tracks. Here Dave gives us the rundown of his approach…
Municipal Waste and Burnt By The Sun Drummer Dave Witte: Exclusive In-The-Studio Performances
Dave Witte gives us the rundown for his approach to "A Party To The Unsound Method" by Burnt By The Sun.
Web Exclusive Interview with Drew Steen and Jerry Roe
Drew Steen has been the drummer for teen pop sensation Demi Lovato for a little over a year now, and Jerry Roe is the new beatkeeper for 2008 American Idol runner-up David Archuleta. Steen and Roe met for the first…
Branford Marsalis' Take On Jeff "Tain" Watts
Reflections From Jeff Watts’s Longtime Collaborator by Ken Micallef Since Jeff “Tain” Watts’s first recording with Wynton Marsalis in 1981, saxophonist Branford Marsalis has been at the drummer’s side, providing material, inspiration, and employment. Tain has appeared on practically all…
Neil Peart: More Reasons To Love
When we threw out the net asking drummers to share with us the reasons why they love Neil Peart’s drumming, so many wanted to chime in, we couldn’t fit everyone’s comments in the story. So we held our interviews with…
Dave McAfee with Toby Keith
Story and photos by Sayre Berman Things haven’t changed much for Dave McAfee. He played the drums as a kid, and he plays the drums as an adult. He moved around a lot as a kid, and he moves around…
Beyoncé's Marcie Chapa
Story and photos by Sayre Berman Anyone who saw her perform as a young girl knew that it was just a matter of time before Marcie Chapa would carve out a name for herself in the ranks of talented percussionists.…
