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Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
On the Beat With Katie Herron of StarBenders: Reckless Punk and Classic Rock ’n’ Roll
Hi! My name is Katie Herron and I am the drummer in the glam punk ’n’ roll band, StarBenders. I was born and raised in Decatur, Alabama, affectionately known as the River City. The conservative nature of the South birthed…
On the Beat With Damon Wilson of the Temperance Movement: Opening For the Rolling Stones
Hi MD! For the past months we’ve played shows in all sorts of places across America. Large theatres. Small clubs. Sports bars. Board rooms. Radio stations. You name it, we’ve played it. But nothing beats Friday June 12, 2015 in…
On the Beat With Kurt Wubbenhorst of One Hundred Thousand: Breaking Through With Cohesiveness
Hi MD, I was fourteen when I sat behind a drumkit for the first time, and I had a mission. It wasn’t to play like my drum heroes—frankly, I didn’t have any yet. But I had songs, and I was…
On the Beat With Damon Grant: Fifteen Tips I Learned After Music School
This list is in no particular order, and they all should be number one because they are all important. Have fun and smile! People will hire you more if they like to be around you. Remember people’s names, because everyone…
On the Beat With Sean Heenan of Attila: Crazy Hot Days on the Warped Tour
What’s up, Modern Drummer readers? My name is Sean Heenan and I play drums for the band Attila. I’m super stoked to be given the chance to write this “On the Beat” for Modern Drummer, so I’d like to start…
On the Beat With Josh Eppard of Coheed and Cambria: When Did You Really Start Playing?
Hello Modern Drummer readers. Josh Eppard here. I thought I would touch upon a question we’ve all been asked a million times: “When did you start playing”? I would assume we all answer this with the age that we picked…
On the Beat With Jeff Mozingo and the Awaken Project: Saving Lives
Wow, what an honor to connect with the MD family and share what playing drums is allowing us to do to save lives. I’ve lived in the St. Louis area my entire life (go Cardinals!), and I’ve played drums since…
On the Beat With Frankie Valli’s Craig Pilo: Getting and Keeping the Gig
Hi, it’s been a few years since I checked in with Modern Drummer, so it’s really great to be back and punch in with fellow drummers and like-minded individuals to share a few ideas! I teach part time at the…
On the Beat With Jaska Raatikainen of Children of Bodom: Changes
Hello, MD readers! My name is Jaska Raatikainen and I play in a Finnish metal band called Children of Bodom. I started playing the drums when I was twelve years old. A year later I started a band with a…
On the Beat With Ryan Meyer of Highly Suspect: Keep Your Buckets Full
Hi MD! I was born and raised on Cape Cod, Massachusetts and I grew up the youngest of three boys (my twin brother Rich, who plays bass is in the band, has me by eighteen minutes). Since I can remember,…
On the Beat With Les DeMerle: 2015 Amelia Island Jazz Festival
Hi, MD readers, drummer and Amelia Island Artistic Director Les DeMerle here and I’m excited to share all the information about the upcoming 2015 Amelia Island Jazz Festival (AIJF) that will be held October 4-11. Jazz guitar pioneer, Larry Coryell,…
On the Beat With Burn Halo’s John “Bad Bones??? Duarte: Talking Influences and New Album
Hey Modern Drummer readers! JD “Bad Bones” here, and it’s an honor to be a part of Modern Drummer magazine. It is true what they say—hard work and determination do pay off. As a young boy, drumming just came naturally…
On the Beat With the University of Miami’s Steve Rucker
Hi, Modern Drummer readers! My name is Steve Rucker, and I’ve been the Director of Drumset Studies at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami for over thirty-five years. It’s been an awesome ride, and I’m honored…
On the Beat With Andrew “Stix??? Cotterell of Feed Her to the Sharks: Rockstar Mayhem Festival Spotlight
G’day Modern Drummer readers. My name is Andrew “Stix” Cotterell, and I play for the Australian band Feed Her to the Sharks. We are a metalcore/deathcore band that incorporates an array of shredding guitar, driving drums, and catchy melodies, and…