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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 Steve Grantley of Stiff Little Fingers and RT-Zed: Touring and Raising Profiles
Hi, I’m Steve Grantley, drummer for the legendary UK punk band Stiff Little Fingers (SLF) and I’m thrilled to once again be featured on the Modern Drummer website. 2016 looks to be a busy year for me. I set off…
On the Beat With Nick Cesarz of Vinyl Theatre: Talks Tour Challenges and Debut Album
Hey, MD readers! My name is Nick Cesarz and I play drums in Vinyl Theatre. We’re an alternative rock group based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I started playing drums when I was nine years old, taking lessons through high school…
On the Beat With Josean Orta of Fit For an Autopsy: Motivated to Innovate
Hello, music and drums have been crawling through my veins since I was five years old. I remember scavenging my house to find anything that would resonate when struck and use it to create music while driving my parents insane…
On the Beat With Paul Wandtke of Trivium: Working on the Same Wavelength
Hello Modern Drummer readers! I’m Paul Wandtke and I just landed a new “drumming home” with the Orlando based heavy metal titans Trivium. I just made my live debut at Knotfest in Mexico by performing in front of over 40,000…
On the Beat With Chris Reeve of Filter
Hi Modern Drummer readers! 2015 has been a huge year full of opportunity and struggle—but you think we musicians have it tough? Let me tell you about a group of kids I was honored to meet this year when I…
On the Beat With Ed Francis of Rhythm Workshops: A Magical Music Mission
Happy drumming everyone! My name is Ed Francis (Mr. Ed) and I’m the cofounder and executive director at Rhythm Workshops as well as a drum coach at Round Rock Drums—I have the best job(s) in the world. Rhythm Workshops (a…
On the Beat With Tazz Washington: Conversational Drumming
Hello MD, Tazz Washington here. I am originally from South America. I am the baby of thirteen children and my mom was an African ceremonial dancer when I was a child. Watching her and playing drums with the elders heavily…
On the Beat With Drummer/Educator Bruce Aitken: Takin’ It to the Streets
Hello, everyone! I’d like to first say a huge thanks to Modern Drummer for this opportunity to share what’s happening in my life these days. Some of you may know me from creating the Cape Breton Drum Festival for many…
On the Beat With Shane Wise of Five Knives: Electronic Energy
Hi MD, this is a bit different! My first love is metal music, but electronic dance music, whether it's trap, house, or techno, has always wooed me with its unique way of bringing so much energy with little to no…
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…
