Working Drummer

From Cuba, Dafnis Prieto’s revolutionary drumming techniques and compositions have had a powerful impact on the music landscape, nationally and internationally. His various awards and honors include a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, a GRAMMY Award for Back to the Sunset (2018), two additional GRAMMY nominations, two Latin GRAMMY nominations (including Best New Artist in 2007), and the Jazz Journali...

As an internationally acclaimed drummer and percussionist, Bill Ransom has played some of the world’s biggest halls with a host of world-famous artists. While building his performing career Bill also worked as an educator, guiding countless young drummers into professional careers. One passion fueling another. He has toured and recorded with artists including Patrice Rushen, Aretha Franklin, Mario...

Originally from Garland Texas, Chris Brush moved to Nashville in the fall of 1999 after college to play drums professionally. Over time, session opportunities ignited a passion in Chris as he began to work toward getting off the road full time, and move into the studio scene. Along the way Chris discovered that engineering, mixing, and music production were as exciting to him as drumming. He put t...

Jamey Haddad's career as a drummer and percussionist has spanned five decades, countless genres, and multiple continents. For over 25 years, he’s had a close relationship with Paul Simon, playing alongside Steve Gadd on multiple records and live projects. He has appeared on over 170 recordings and has played with a wide range of artists from Joe Lovano to Yo Yo Ma, and his career as an educator ha...

Newsboys is one of the biggest bands in Christian music history, having sold more than 10 million records across 23 recordings and garnering boundless accolades, including 1 RIAA® Platinum certification and 8 Gold certifications, 30 #1 radio hits, four GRAMMY® nominations, two American Music Award nominations and multiple Dove Awards. With signature songs like “We Believe,” “Born Again” and the un...

Russ Lawton has spent most of his career in and around New England from Cape Cod to Boston to Burlington Vermont. For almost 25 years, he has been the drummer for the Trey Anastasio Band. He also has an organ trio project called Lamp that is about to release their second record and tour in support of it, and has played with countless other bands and artists from blues to Afro beat. In this episode...

Robert Blair is a Nashville TN based drummer with decades of live and studio experience. Originally from South Carolina, Robert's early love and commitment to drumming led him to working and touring by the age of 16 with players many years his senior. At the age of 21, he made the move to Nashville where he's built a reputation as a solid and reliable player with a professional sound. Not only doe...

Jose Medeles is the owner of Revival Drum Shop in Portland and the author of several books including The Stoic Drummer. In his former life, Jose was an LA based working drummer and toured and recorded with The Breeders and many other artists, and also did a stint working at the famed Pro Drum Shop in Hollywood. Most recently, Jose became the brand manager for the relaunch of Slingerland Drums. In...

Rich Scannella has played for some of the most iconic superstars in the music industry. Rich has played, toured, and or recorded with legendary artists: Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Jon Bon Jovi & The Kings of Suburbia, Tonic, Brian Fallon (Gaslight Anthem), Adam Duritz (Counting Crows), Joe Elliot (Def Leopard), Neal Schon (Journey), Michael Anthony (Van Halen), Gene Cornish (The Rasca...

A native of South Florida, percussionist Murphy Aucamp studied classical percussion at Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, while simultaneously studying rumba in the streets of south Florida. He is a graduate of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, where he studied under Steve Rucker, Dafnis Prieto, and John Yarling. Murphy’s performing credits include appearances with Blue...

Tim Baltes is a drum-centric American music professional living in Nantes, France. Tim has accrued years of social strategy, copywriting, product development, and MI retail operations experience bolstering manufacturers, distributors, and retailers alike. Tim has advised drummers including Curt Bisquera (Johnny Hallyday, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Tom Petty), Michael Urbano (Sheryl Crow, Smash Mouth...

Ben Hilzinger is a Los Angeles-based drummer and songwriter with 20+ years of performing, recording and teaching experience.  Currently the drummer for Eve 6 and Cannons, Ben has also written, recorded, and/or toured throughout the USA/internationally with MXPX, Fitness, Mike Herrera, Party Nails, We Shot The Moon, Glorybots, Ever So Android, Jake Cummings, Josh Eacrett, Dave Cavalier, and many mo...

Dylan Wissing is a session drummer based in Hoboken, New Jersey, who has recorded for such artists as John Legend, Drake, Kanye West, Jay-Z and Eminem. He is best known as the drummer on Alicia Keys’ Grammy award-winning hit, “Girl on Fire,” and is heard in national ads for AT&T, American Airlines, Valvoline, Behr Paints and Banana Republic. Dylan teaches the art of recording and session drumming...

Master Gunnery Sgt. Chris Rose has spent the majority of his professional career in his role as percussionist, drumset specialist, and soloist with the United States Marine Band. "The President’s Own" comprises 160 members and takes various forms depending on the event or occasion they’re playing for and the instrumentation needed for it. As you’ll hear, this affords Chris the opportunity to play...

In years past for milestone episodes, we would do something kinda special or make a big deal out of it in some way. This is definitely our biggest milestone yet but it comes at a time when neither of us (Zack & Matt), really have a lot of time to organize anything much more involved than a regular episode. We tried to line up a special guest but the scheduling didn’t quite work out. We’re confiden...

Dave DiCenso began his career in the late 80s on the metal scene in his hometown of Boston. He later studied at the Drummers Collective in New York and went on to enjoy a successful and varied career touring and recording with Steve Morse, Hiromi, John Petrucci, Duran Duran, Josh Groban, and many others. He is the author of several books including Universal Rhythms for Drumset and his most recent,...

Dango is a professional drummer based in Nashville, TN who is currently drumming for Grammy award winning artist Scott Stapp – the voice of Creed. He is also a member of the platinum selling worship band, Sonicflood. He has performed with bands and artists all over the world, from the US, to South Africa, to Europe, and South America. He graduated from Belmont University, with a Bachelor’s Degree...

Jano Rix is a drummer, multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer who has been the third member of The Wood Brothers for over a decade. He started as a hard core jazz pianist, earning a degree from the University of Miami and playing experimental jazz on the New York scene, but he gravitated back to the drums, his dad's instrument, and steered his path back to other styles of music. T...

Brandon Green is a biomechanics specialist, fitness educator, gym owner and drummer. Brandon’s online presence, often recognized as “Drum mechanics”, explores educational biomechanics perspective on fitness, drums and life. Brandon provides a series for all called the "Drum Ergonomics Blueprint" as well as his "Drum Forever Fitness Community". In this episode, Brandon talks about: The Drum Ergonom...

Aaron Redfield grew up in San Diego and started his career on that scene. In addition to his long tenure as the drummer for The Greyboy Allstars, he has compiled a long list of touring and recording credits including Elton John, Ceelo Green, and Foster the People. After 15 years living and working in LA, he has moved is family back to San Diego and operates from there. In this episode, Aaron talks...

Martina Barakoska is a drummer and musician who in her considerably short career has gained notable achievements. Deep and thoughtful yet energetic and playful, her style reflects her love of modern music and her fascination with the power of the drums. Throughout the years, she has maintained continuous growth of success preaching individuality, quality, and persistency. Winning an award for the...

Caleb Whitlock grew up in Charlotte and has been based there for two years after having attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He tours nationally with singer/songwriter Ethan Regan, plays locally with a variety of acts, records in his home studio, and also works as a post-production engineer. Making part of his living doing post-production and editing, and how that differs from...

Chad Wackerman’s professional career began in 1978 with the Bill Watrous Refuge West Big Band. Since then he has amassed a remarkable body of work including a seven year association with Frank Zappa, with whom he toured the USA and Europe and recorded 27 albums including the London Symphony recordings. He has also recorded 8 albums and toured with guitar legend Allan Holdsworth, played on the ‘One...

John R. Beck, Professor of Percussion at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, also teaches at Wake Forest University. He is the principal percussionist of the Winston-Salem Symphony and is a member of the Greensboro Symphony, Brass Band of Battle Creek, and the Philidor Percussion Group. A former member of the United States Marine Band, for 10 years he performed regularly with the...

As a performer, session player, instructor, producer and clinician, Matt Crowning is more than a "drummer's drummer.” He is a "musician's drummer" that brings a wealth of talent, experience, and style to each situation. Matt's diverse performance background ranges from Country, Pop, Rock, Big Band, Jazz and R&B. His work includes performances with various Curb Records, Disney Records / Disney Chan...