< PreviousModern Drummer June 2022 8 Peter Erskine-Lauren Ellis: Women in Drumming, Mentorship By Peter Erskine T his month’s Jazz Insights column focuses on my former USC student and teaching assistant Lauren Ellis. Her bio informs us that, “Lauren is a drummer, composer, and educator from Wellington, Aotearoa, New Zealand. There, she studied at the Te Kōki New Zealand School of Music under Lance Phillip and Roger Sellars (Ian Carr’s Nucleus, house drummer at Ronnie Scott’s.) Since graduating in 2011, Lauren Ellis has made her mark leading and playing for a number of well-known groups including: Richter City Rebels, Gold Nugget Pawn Shop, The Presidents of Funk, Hip Town Bangers, and Son Clave. Those names reflect the varied styles and her versatility as a player, running the gamut from New Orleans second-line to funk, to hard bop, and salsa. She has also been the drummer for New Zealand’s premier jazz orchestra, The Rodger Fox Big Band, for a number of years. They have performed with luminaries such as Joey DeFrancesco, Mike Stern, and James Carter. The band tours both in New Zealand and internationally, including appearances at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Her association with the band has led to a number of educational opportunities including coaching bands and adjudicating high- school jazz competitions country-wide. Lauren is currently based in Los Angeles where she recently graduated with a master’s degree at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. There she studied under the tutelage of Peter Erskine and acted as his teaching assistant for 2 years. Lauren proudly endorses Vic Firth sticks and Zildjian Cymbals and can be seen and heard playing on Tamburo’s new line of drumsets. Erskine states, “I can tell you that Lauren Ellis is one of the finest drummers and musicians on the scene right now. I’ll have to admit that I am more used to being interviewed versus conducting an interview, but our talk proved to be productive, informative, and fun. However, I did approach this piece with some hesitation. I explained this to Lauren as we got started. Peter: Modern Drummer is doing an issue focused on female drummers, and they asked me to do a column related to that. At first, I thought that the mere segregating of female drummers is a bit counterintuitive to the whole point of not segregating people by anything other than the way they play. However, at the same time we should do whatever we can to make up for years of a male- dominated patriarchal orientation and business. For example, take the drum industry. There’s been a lot of progress, due in great part, to the fact that Zildjian is now run by the daughters and granddaughters of Armand Zildjian, and there are no male successors in line. That’s healthy because the music industry was an “old boys’ club” for too long. So that’s the approach I want to take. But I want to highlight your career through the mentor/ student lens. So how did you get started drumming? Lauren : I had wanted to learn drums for a while, but my parents made me wait until I got to intermediate school (age 12.) I played piano since I was four and I was allowed to learn the drums if I continued studying the piano, which is one of the most useful things I’ve learned. My first experience playing the drums was in a rock band, and then the jazz band in high school where our band director had us listening to recordings of Count Basie. We were all fans of Jaco’s big band, in particular his recording of “The Chicken.” However, I didn’t receive much in the way of formal drum set instruction at the time. But I did manage to watch and listen to a fair amount of Max Roach in the early days of YouTube. Eventually, I met Rodger Fox who took me under his wing. PE : Did you find that you felt a sense of solidarity by allying yourself physically and psychically with the only other female in the band? LE: Yes, the baritone player and I became really good friends, we lived in the same apartment complex. I think we naturally gravitated towards one another at school as well. It’s not something I thought about so much at the time. But looking back, in a program of 120- odd students, it was kind of weird and disappointing that there were only two of us (female instrumentalists.) PE: Did you become aware of prejudice in terms of, “You’re a female musician, that’s fine” or, “Oh, you’re a female musician, but wait… you play the drums? Maybe that’s not fine?” LE: Yes, there were always silly comments. When I would show up with my gear to a gig people would say, “Oh you’re the singer,” right off the bat. I’ve even had someone ask me, “Who is playing drums tonight, your boyfriend?” That happened as I was setting up my drum June 2022 Modern Drummer 9 set. Unfortunately, these kinds of assumptions are pretty common, and you do have to fight the urge to let it impact the way you perform. There is always that sense of, “Okay, now I feel like I have to prove that I can do my job to this guy”. PE: So instead of it having a negative impact on your confidence it seems to have had the opposite effect. It seems to have steeled your resolve, like, “I’ll show these guys.” LE: I wasn’t too fazed by it. I didn’t really care. I was there to play the drums and make music. PE : The point of view of a woman seeing herself in a situation like that, and that attitude of “I’ll show them!” I regard that as an essential drummer attitude to have, in any event, and for any gender. LE: Agreed! I think for women, we’re constantly underestimated and there’s an added layer of expectation put on us. I come into a performing situation knowing that some people are already going to be expecting more from me, they’re probably thinking, “Okay, let’s see if you can actually play?” But I also don’t want to go into a musical situation with the attitude of “I’m going to show off all my chops,” I don’t want to play that way. It doesn’t serve the music or the musicians I’m performing with, so I’ll just do my thing and play how I play. Men have the luxury of not dealing with that, there isn’t an added pressure of people making assumptions about their skill level based on their gender. PE : In my old days, I encountered a youth bias. Then I got older. However, when you’re a woman musician you’re constantly facing this. Would you say that attitudes have become more enlightened over the years? LE: Yeah, especially over the last few years. There’s still a long way to go, but things are moving in the right direction. PE : What advice would you give to the readership of the Modern Drummer, which I’m sure includes school-aged drummers, male and female. Is there anything you want to pass along, such as, “Hey guys don’t be jerks,“ or “Hey, girls, don’t worry if the guys are jerks…” LE: Just keep doing it, if you enjoy playing music, keep at it. If you can find some good mentors, great. If they’re women, that’s even better. But I don’t think that applies only to female musicians, I would argue that it’s equally (if not more important) that young men have mentors that are women at some point in their musical journey as well. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any female role models or teachers when I was learning. However, I am lucky that my male mentors have all been incredibly supportive and encouraging. PE : Wow. That’s a tremendous point. At least you didn’t run into any “Whiplash” teachers. LE : Not so far. PE : If parents came to you and their daughter wanted to play the drums what advice would you give to the parents or the daughter? LE : Do it. And Lauren continues to do it. At USC she set a new bar (particularly during the pandemic lockdown) for teaching drumset to non-drummers (a drumming proficiency course of which we are mighty proud.) Her recital, realized under the same tortuous conditions of lockdown, was a masterpiece of creativity and performance. Her abilities to compose, arrange, record, and edit videos makes her a standout example of the new generation of creators. OUR WORK AS MENTOR AND STUDENT AT USC Not only was Lauren my drum student and teaching assistant at USC, but we established a close mentor-student relationship. For the next part of this article, I went back in my files to create a compendium of some instructional notes that I typed up during our lessons together (dating back to September 2019.) I have included them below, I have also included some of Lauren’s current reflections on my notes. Let the Music Do the Work PE: Practice the art of letting go by achieving the physical and simple reality of letting go of your old drumming devices and concerns. LE: This was one of the best pieces of advice Peter gave me and I still think about it often. Peter said this to me in our very first Modern Drummer June 2022 10 lesson, I remember being nervous to play for him, I hadn’t had lessons in a long time, I was reverting back to bad habits and overthinking everything. As you can imagine, with that mindset nothing I played felt or sounded good. Let go and let the music do the work! A simple idea that is easier said than done but something I try to apply to every musical situation I find myself in. PE: Lots of terrific solo stuff, but then you would falter (with the execution or the time) and you did not seem convinced yourself. If you’re not convinced, it’s hard to expect your audience to be convinced. PAY ATTENTION … you’re telling a story. Not displaying your technique for others to see and hear. LISTEN to what you’re playing instead of judging what you’re playing. LE: This comment encompasses a lot of what I struggled with as an improviser. I would constantly evaluate and critique what I was hearing, right after I played it. I was so preoccupied with being unsatisfied and beating myself up for the ideas that I had just played, that I wasn’t serving the music as I should have been. Peter really helped me to learn to be present and in-the-moment, whether it was good or bad. If there was a not so good moment, so what? It’s been and gone. Things go by so fast that there’s no use dwelling on them. We also spoke a lot about playing with conviction, intent, and honesty. No matter the setting. Perhaps one of my favorite sayings of Peter’s is “You don’t have to change the world with your drum solo.” PE: The other issue that arises in our spontaneous duet: You’re copying what I’m doing. It would be better for you to USE and LEVERAGE what I (the other musician) am doing, while HONORING what the other musician is doing. ALWAYS be aware of the contrapuntal possibilities. LE : This is such a great concept and so true. I’m sure many of us rhythm section players have (at times) been guilty of overdoing it when trying to create musical interplay, I know I am. Listening, leveraging, and honoring the ideas of others makes for far better and more interesting musical conversation! Not only has this been applicable to my drumming and teaching, I’ve also found it to be incredibly useful for composing and arranging, particularly for jazz orchestra where you have to take into consideration 17 instruments that all vary in range, timbre, and roles. Plus, here is my usual advice to students: Give Yourself Permission to Play and to Have Fun As the reader can see, Lauren and I went to quite a few different places in our studies, and yet the song remained the same: Making it sound good / making the music dance / and playing in such a way that everyone else sounds better. She learned her lessons well and I am very proud of her. Lauren Ellis’ Links: www.laurenellismusic.com Papatūānuku, one of my big band charts on my YouTube channel. I also have drumming videos on my Instagram, @laurenisellis, and here’s a link to that too: https://www.instagram.com/laurenisellis/ To learn more about Peter grab your copy of his Legends book at moderndrummer.com/shop Check out Peter’s Modern Drummer profile page at moderndrummer.com HTTPS://DISCORD.GG/DRUMS HTTPS://TWITTER.COM/DRUMSNFT HTTPS://CLUB.MODERNDRUMMER.COM NFTs NFTs NFTs POWERED BY COMING SOON COMING SOON Join the World's Most Cutting EdgeModern Drummer June 2022 12 Latin Percussion Expands Carlos Santana Signature Series, The Alex González Signature Cowbell L atin Percussion (LP) is proud to announce another milestone collaboration with multi Grammy Award winner and philanthropist, Carlos Santana. The existing line- up of Santana branded drums and collectables now features Africa Speaks and Black Magic instruments to further complement the line. See Carlos Santana talking about percussion and playing the new products here. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=IlUnAU0l--c. Santana’s relationship with LP spans more than fifty years. During that time, he and his band members have played a wide variety of the company’s percussion instruments, both live and in the studio. The band’s signature blend of Latin infused rock, jazz, blues, salsa and Africa rhythms have become synonymous with LP. The all-new Africa Speaks congas are constructed utilizing 3-ply Siam Oak staves, and are finished in a Yellow Stain Lacquer that is embellished with the “African Mask” graphic art from Santana’s 2019 release. Included in the collection are matching Bongos (LP201AX- SAS), Quinto (LP522X-SAS), Conga (LP559X- SAS) and Tumba (LP552X-SAS). All are custom fitted with handpicked rawhide heads and chrome Comfort Curve II® rims. See Carlos playing the new congas here. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=NBBzgkYuBAg Also new to the LP Santana offering are a newly-designed set of 10 and 11-inch Aspire Black Magic congas. The drums come complete with a sturdy double conga stand (LPA646-BM), while a matching set of bongos (LPA601-BM) is also available. The Siam Oak shells are finished in a stunning Black Sparkle Lacquer with black powder coated hardware and natural rawhide heads. Watch the video on the Aspire Black Magic congas here. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=8qfpVUk6I7k To satisfy LP and Santana fans alike, two new Santana mini- tuneable congas have also been added to the collection. The first design is an exact mini replica of the Africa Speaks pro conga. Others include an elegant Black Lacquer drum featuring the Santana Lion Art album artwork and a White Lacquer drum with the classic Abraxas artwork. The tuneable and playable minis are 11” tall with 4-1/2” rawhide heads, a mini Comfort Curve® rim and brushed nickel plated hardware. Watch the video on the Mini congas here. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=i5hkEjGNg1g Carlos Santana commented “It is an honor to partner with LP and share the Africa Speaks & Black Magic Congas/ Bongos with the world. Since the 1970’s LP has been the heartbeat of music and especially Santana music. LP products have impeccable integrity, craftsmanship and are a must have for any percussionist. Combined with the vision-art of Santana, these Congas and Bongos are the condiments, nutrients and ingredients to a delicious life.” To find out more about the Africa Speaks, Black Magic and mini-conga ranges, plus all the other Latin Percussion products, please go to https://www.lpmusic.com/ #wearerhythm Founded in 1964, Latin Percussion (LP) is the largest hand percussion instrument brand in the world. The company offers an extensive line of hand percussion instruments and percussion accessories including patented designs such as the Jam Block®, Ridge Rider Cowbell® and Egg Shaker. Many of the world’s top artists play LP including: Giovanni Hidalgo, Richie Gajate-Garcia, Karl Perazzo, Stewart Copeland, Steve Gadd, Travis Barker, Mike Portnoy and Cindy Blackman-Santana among others. For more information, visit www.lpmusic.com The Alex González Signature Cowbell Latin Percussion is delighted to partner with Maná drummer Alex Gonzalez to introduce our newest cowbell to its range of world class percussion instruments. Made in the USA, the Alex González Signature Cowbell is an 8” mountable cowbell with a rich cutting sound, that is low pitched and moderately dry. Alex and his band Maná created a revolución in music by becoming the most successful Latin-American band of all time, winning multiple Grammy, Latin Grammy and Billboard Latin Music awards. The versatile drummer deftly manipulates the many 13 June 2022 Modern Drummer stylistic changes in the band’s sound, elegantly switching between energetic reggae grooves and hard-hitting rock anthems. The LP Rock Ridge Rider cowbell has been a part of Alex’s arsenal from the very beginning, and we are honored to work with him to create the Alex González Signature Cowbell, an instrument that truly reflects his personal sound. The collaboration resulted in a distinctive cowbell that is embellished with a striking rose graphic synonymous with Maná and familiar to fans all over the world. The rose artwork is embedded into the metal using LP’s proprietary process to deliver long lasting, great looks. The bell is loud and rock ready. The high impact ridge offers just the right overtones, making it perfect for both studio and stage. The patented Jenigor bar dampens sound and resists denting giving the instrument a long-playing life. The patented LP® Vise-Clamp tightly grips 3/8” to 1/2” diameter arms, making it a go to bell for heavy hitters. For more information, visit www. lpmusic.com “This Cowbell is just awesome!!! Says Alex Gonzalez. “I’ve been playing LP since 1984, and to this day their instruments are such and important part of my sound. This cowbell represents and celebrates the history I’ve had playing LP and I’m so honored that LP made this happen!! I hope MANÁ fans all over the world will love this cowbell as much as I do! Viva LP! Viva MANÁ!” https://www.lpmusic.com/ alexgonzalezbell For more information, visit www.lpmusic.com Ed Sheeran, Olivia Rodrigo And Wolf Alice Tours Use Porter & Davies Porter & Davies are delighted to welcome more drummers to their ever growing family. Drummers that are using their Silent Tactile Monitors include new additions: Joel Amey of Wolf Alice, Jack Lawrence-Brown with White Lies, Ashton Irwin of 5 Seconds of Summer and many more. Joel Amey , of multi award winning band Wolf Alice, has recently purchased not one, but THREE BC2s. This light, portable, tough tactile monitor allows him to feel and experience what he plays with unparalleled response and sensitivity. Carl Griffin, Wolf Alice Tech and Monitor Engineer said, “It was instantly a game changer. I can’t express how much I love those things! Joel was instantly more comfortable on the kit and with monitoring too.” Jack Lawrence-Brown, drummer with arena band White Lies and Ashton Irwin drummer with 5 Seconds of Summer also now use BC2s. Others include, Ben Barter (Lorde), Mikey Randon (Bruce Foxton), Drew McKeon (Michael Bolton), Børge Fjordheim (Session Drummer), Jeremy Hoenig (Melvin Seals) Bruce Briggz (Cirque Du Soleil), Dave Anderson (The South) and Ben Anderson (North to Nashville) who also purchased a Porter & Davies Gigster. Mark Pusey , long time session drummer for Ed Sheeran will be joining him on his world tour for the first time. The production team of the 2022 Brit Awards Songwriter of the Year, purchased the BC2rm for Pusey to use on the tour. It has the same features as the BC2 but has been designed in a 2U 19” rack-mount layout. Purchasers of TT6 Equipped Thrones, both round and saddle formats include Chris Reeve, drummer for Avril Lavigne, the multi Grammy Award nominated singer. He recently recorded her new album Love Sux and will be accompanying her on her world tour using his saddle throne. Talking about his TT6 Equipped Throne Reeve said, “The TT6 has just been incredible. I could never go back. It’s a whole-body experience that has me so connected with my drums it’ll be sad to play without it. Thank you so much guys. I’m ultra-proud to be part of the Porter & Davies fam.” Veteran drummer, Sean Moore of festival headliners Manic Street Preachers, Jim Macaulay (The Stranglers,) Steve Rodford (The Zombies,) and Gunner Olsen will also be using their TT6 Equipped Thrones for a busy summer of festivals and tours. With the Porter & Davies bespoke 1000W TT6 super transducer the thrones have all the sensitivity, speed, dynamic range, and punch of the Porter & Davies regular ones. But they have the added advantage that they can be driven by a stage amp from the monitor desk position. Moa Munoz , bass player with Grammy Award winner, Olivia Rodrigo, now uses a KT Platform. The KT Platform is a highly versatile piece of equipment used by bass players, keyboardists, guitarists and DJs. It is a portable platform musicians can stand on to feel and hear their playing internally. Users can choose to monitor their own instrument, or a mix from the monitor board. To find out more about Porter & Davies and to purchase their hand- assembled products please go to porteranddavies.co.uk/.Modern Drummer June 2022 14 ProMark Drumsticks Partners with Anika Nilles to Launch Signature Stick ProMark Drumsticks is thrilled to announce the launch of the Anika Nilles Signature Stick, available now. The Anika Nilles Signature Stick is made from hickory with an acorn wood tip. It measures .545”/ 13.8mm in diameter and 16” / 406.4mm in length with a lacquered finish. Inspired by the ProMark Rebound 7A, Anika’s stick features a slightly thicker diameter, a more drastic taper, and a smaller tip for increased response and articulation. “I love these sticks!” says Anika Nilles. “They feel so different in the most positive way. The smaller tip makes such a big difference! It is sharpening my sound and makes it so much easier to control cleanliness in speed. In general, the stick supports me in the best way when it comes to all the details and finesse work. Also, the color and overall look are amazing!” Anika Nilles made her debut in 2013 by releasing YouTube videos with her unique com positions and playing style. In the years since, she has built up a large, devoted following, with nearly 23 million video views, and has toured as an in-demand clinician all over the world. Anika’s playing style is distinguished by her strong groove, finesse in technique, unique sound, and her ability to make odd rhythms sound easy and musical. Anika released her first educational book, called Pad Book, in 2020. She also released her second full-length album with her band Nevell, which was immediately listed on the iTunes Top 40 Jazz Releases chart and climbed its way to number #3. Well known in the drumming community, Anika won the Modern Drummer Readers Poll for “Best Up And Coming Artist” as well as “#1 Rising Star” in DRUM! Magazine in 2015 and 2016. She was also awarded “Best Clinician” on UK’s Music Radar in 2018. Anika works as an educator at the Popakademie-University for Popular Music and Music Business in Germany, Nexus ICA /UK, and as a guest lecturer for DRUMEO. The Anika Nilles Signature Drumstick will run $21.50 and will feature the new ProMark Drumstick branding rolling out this April. To learn more please visit: https://ddar.io/AnikaNilles.PR. and https://www.daddario.com Tracktion Presents Chop Suey A New Kick Drum Plugin Tracktion Corporation is proud to present Chop Suey, the new kick drum plugin from Dawesome and the renowned techno producer Björn Torwellen. Watch the launch video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-SfZsc4fCY Sinee and Dawesome is a collaboration between mathematician and AI veteran Peter V (Aka Dawesome) and German techno star Björn Torwellen. Peter V is the creator of the powerful sound engine, Abyss, a synthesizer with a fresh and unique approach to music production. https://www. tracktion.com/products/abyss The multi-talented artist, DJ and music producer Björn Torwellen said of Chop Suey, “This plugin is the result of what I’ve learned about kick drum design over 20 years.” All music makers know a kick drum is one of the most essential elements of beat driven music and getting it to work well with the bass is fundamental to a successful track. Musicians are always looking for the perfect kick, one that combines a nice transient with a cool punch and a boomy tail. Most applications layer sound. This rarely works for kicks, resulting in a weak and muddy mess. The versatile Chop Suey plugin allows users to sequence rather than layer elements thus removing any phasing issues, leaving a kick sound which has a crisp transient, punchy body and thundering end. Chop Suey is a visual precision tool that allows users to finely edit each element of the sound, shaping individual parts without affecting or weakening the others. The plugin workflow has been designed to respond quickly to parameter variations meaning it can react rapidly to changes in resonance consequently minimizing zipper noises or artefacts. Made by music makers, for music makers Chop Suey is a sound design power house which offers everything needed to build complex, hard-hitting bass drums for house, techno, hip-hop and all other styles of dance music. Launch price will be $58 until 22nd May 2022, normal price $89. To find out more please go to www.tracktion.com/products/chop-suey15 June 2022 Modern Drummer Los Cabos Drumsticks Salutes Women in Drumming Los Cabos Drumsticks are proud to endorse a talented roster of female- identifying artists. From metal to country, and every genre in between, LCD are represented globally by award winning female musicians. Through their #ThinkPink campaign, LCD also make significant contributions to Breast Cancer Can Stick It! and to the Canadian Cancer Society. At the LCD factory, women play a pivotal role in assuring that their products that are played around the world are of superior quality. LCD value equality and representation, and are thrilled to celebrate women in music! #HitLikeaGirl #BreakTheBias #LCDArtistFam Here’s a list of female musicians that currently represent Los Cabos Drumsticks: 1 - Amy Hall @amy_drums 2 - Andrea Alvarez @andreaalvarezaa 3 - April Samuels @breastcancercanstickit 4 - Chrissy Ras @chrissyrazz 5 - Coralie Herve @coralie.herve 6 - Carly Brown @carly.drums 7 - Becky Russell @beckyrusselldrums 8 - Jayda Hansen @jaydadrums 9 - Jaquita Jones @quita.j 10 - Samantha Landa @slandadrums 11 - Jodi Dunlop @little_wonder 12 - MARI 13 - Paloma Estevez @palomaestevez15 14 - Nadine Paulin @n_a_d_ine_af 15 - Krista Wodelet @kristawodelet 16 - Michelle Graves @michelle.e.graves 17 - Stefanie Zaenker @stefzaenker 18 - Skarlett Saramore @skarlettsaramore 19 - Marisa Testa @marisa_testa_musician 20 - Lenore Maier @lenorsecode 21 - Zoë McMillan @zomcmillan 22 - Emily Anne @emilyanne_drums 23 - MIKA 24 - Marcia Hanson @marciahanson 25 - Danielle Barkman @daniellebarkmandrums 26 - Ellen War @ellenwar 27 - Maya Miller @mayamilleresq 28 - Nicola Presavage @nicolapresavage 29 - Jenine Cali @je9ine 30 - Eliza Enman-McDaniel @elizaenmanmcdaniel 31 - KAMY DRUMS @kamy.drums 32 - Jona Kristinsson @jonakristinsson 33 - Anni Müller @annimuellerdrums 34 - Juliana Antidemon @antidemonjuliana To find out more please go to www.loscabosdrumsticks.comModern Drummer June 2022 16 Luna Percussion Vista Series Peruvian Style Cajon and Gig Bag Blending the World of Fine Art with the Art of Advanced Instrument Building. By Brian Hill L una Percussion, a division of Luna Guitars, sent over their newest Peruvian Style Cajons, the Vista series Wolf and Deer models. These drums feature an incredible wood inlay of natural landscape on the playing surfaces with an attractive wood body. Launched in 2005, Luna Guitars dedicated themselves to creating high quality authentic instruments with a unique look and sound designed to inspire the creative spirit. The Vista series cajon has a birch wood body with a mahogany stain finish. The drum measures in at 20”(h) x 11.5”(w) x 12”(d). I found the dimensions of the box to be very comfortable to sit and play for an extended period of time. However, Luna included an adhesive pad that can be attached to the top sitting area to hedge that bet of comfort. The front playing surface is a handmade, thin panel created from a combination of tropical woods that make these two cajons very unique. The Vista Deer scene incorporates Padauk, Blackwood, Spalted Maple, Quilted Mahogany and Koa. Mother of Pearl is used to shine the moon while Teal Abalone creates a glistening stream. June 2022 Modern Drummer 17 The Vista Wolf Cajon panel combines Blackwood, Koa, Padauk, Mappa Burl, Movingui, and Flame Mahogany. Again, the moon shines of Mother of Pearl. Other features include a four-and-a-half-inch acoustic port, and four sturdy, non-slip rubber feet to keep to the drum body off the ground allowing it to freely resonate. An internal snare apparatus with external adjusting knob, adds yet another dimension to the sound by pressing the snares against the playing surface to create a snappy, snare-like sound. An Allen Wrench is included and mounted inside the drum to allow for adjusting the snare sound. Luna Percussion also includes a handy, backpack style carrying case. Made of a hardy, padded material sown with stout stitching, this case will get you to the gig easily and stylishly. A large front pocket incorporates the same heavy–duty zipper as the rest of the case to keep extras secure and convenient. The sound of these drums is very rich and authentic. Warm, deep lows, muted or open, produce a very earthy, bottom-end sound. Rich, crackling highs and mid-tones penetrate nicely. Cajons, unlike congas and djembes, produce a nice “neutral” percussive sound that comes across very earthy, perfect for the small group or singer-song writer environment. Similar to drums akin to djembes, a cajon can mimic the vibe of an acoustic drum set or be their own unique thing. Cajon brushes and other varieties of implements offer yet another dimension of possibilities in sound and rhythm and come out nice and clean. I built my first cajon in the 1980’s while working as a percussionist and find the Luna Percussion Cajons to be right up there with the best on the market! They are well built and well thought out, these beautiful and artistically designed drums are a no-brainer for the discerning percussionist who demands quality sound with a stand- out look. Street price is $299.00. Check out all that Luna Percussion has to offer at: lunaguitars.com/cajon.Next >