Working Drummer

In 2021, drummer Dave Moraata become the newest member of the band Saving Abel. Originally from a small Mississippi town (Philadelphia), Dave eventually made his way to Nashville, Tennessee in 2017. In between raising a young family and holding down a full time job, Dave took every opportunity to introduce himself to the rock scene in Nashville through jam nights, tribute shows and subbing gigs fo...

Sam Merrick has been in the drum chair for the touring production of Hamilton since January 2018. Prior to that, he was a busy freelancer in New York, working a bartending job for some of that time, and playing a wide range of gigs from weddings to Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings. When the pandemic shut down Hamilton, he relocated to the Washington, DC area and set up a home studio where he has done...

As a drummer/percussionist, producer, engineer, arranger, songwriter, conductor and composer Chuck Palmer has performed and recorded with a myriad of artists including Foreigner, AG, Gil Goldstein, RJD2, Frank Ocean (Channel Orange), Dave Eggar, Esperanza Spalding, Norah Jones, Cellogram, Dr. Ralph Stanley, The City And Horses, John Patitucci, Earwig, Five For Fighting, Amber Rubarth, O.A.R., Wawa...

Cameron Tyler has been based in Las Vegas since 2017, where he is involved with numerous shows including Cirque du Soleil's Ka. He spent the first chapter of his career in Los Angeles learning the ropes of touring and recording, but relocated to Vegas in search of more affordable housing and studio space, and more creative autonomy as a drummer and producer. In this episode, Cameron talks about: W...

Bobby Jarzombek is currently the drummer for progressive metal band Fates Warning, vocalist Sebastian Bach, and country music legend George Strait. He has also recorded and toured extensively with the Halford band, featuring legendary Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford as well as the long-running New York City metal institution Riot. Bobby made his recording debut with Juggernaut on "Baptism Under...

George Sluppick is an American drummer born in Memphis, Tennessee, specializing in blues, funk, soul and R&B music. In 1986, he graduated from Overton, a prestigious creative & performing arts high school. Growing up in Memphis, he shared the stage with many legends, including BB King and Rufus Thomas and just one year after his high school graduation at age 19, he went on the road with blues guit...

Joe McCarthy has led a diverse career as drummer/percussionist, bandleader, producer and educator in a myriad of settings from symphony orchestra to bebop, big band, afro cuban, theater and beyond. Joe is the founder, leader, producer and drummer of The New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band, winner of the 2008 Latin Grammy for Latin Jazz Album of the Year, and nominated in the same category for the...

Stephen Chopek is a musician living and working in Atlanta, GA. Prior to releasing his first solo album in 2012, he spent over 10 years drumming on tour and in the studio with Charlie Hunter, John Mayer, and Jesse Malin among many others. He had just returned home from a tour playing drums with former Soul Coughing frontman Mike Doughty when an explosive songwriting streak hit him. While in the th...

August 7th, 2021 the first annual Music City Drum Show was held in Nashville Tennessee. Music City Drum Show was created to unite the drumming community in the Greater Nashville area and beyond. Organized by drummer Landon Hall, the Music City Drum Show was focused on drum displays, sales, networking, and clinics. Big thanks to all who participated in our "Front line war correspondence recording"....

Aaron Serfaty was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He began playing drum set at the age of fifteen and started to play professionally at seventeen. He did extensive work as a session and touring drummer from 1980 until 1991 with local and international artists. In 1991 he moved to Los Angeles to study Jazz and African American studies at the California Institute of the Arts. Aaron has also taken lesson...

This episode features six amazing drummers with a wide range of experience, discussing the many unique aspects of gigging in Nashville's downtown tourist district known as lower Broadway. Some have referred to it as "The Honkytonk Industrial Complex". This scene is not for everyone but, for those who are willing to slug it out in the trenches of lower Broadway and perform for a mostly over served...

As the touring drummer for Childers, Rod Elkins is the heartbeat of a rhythm section that includes Elkins’ high-school friends and college bandmates who’ve been playing together for the past 10 years. That band, The Food Stamps, has performed sold out concerts around the world, including a headline debut at Red Rocks Amphitheater, concerts at the Ryman Auditorium, The Grand Ole Opry, Mountain Stag...

Blake Fleming is a percussionist known for his involvement with several influential experimental bands and has recently written his first book, The Book of Rhythm, an unprecedented collection of 5,096 meticulously organized rhythms for all instruments. His drumming has been written about in such major publications as The New York Times, NPR.com, Spin, Rolling Stone, MOJO, Modern Drummer, DRUM!, Da...

Joe Bergamini maintains a diverse career as a drumming performer and educator. Joe is constantly behind the kit for everything from prog rock to Broadway to his touring gig, The Doowop Project. He stays equally busy as the drum editor for Hudson Music, where he has overseen the creation and production of countless books and videos featuring many of the world's greatest drummers. He is also an auth...

Stephen Bidwell was born in Washington, DC and grew up in nearby Reston, Virginia. Since being first handed drumsticks in the late 80s he has studied and lived in West Virginia, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and New York but has called Austin, Texas home since 2005. Somewhere in those travels he earned a Bachelors degree in classical percussion and a master’s degree in jazz studies. Since early 2018 he...

Drummer Jim White is an active performer and educator. His first musical experiences took place in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, where he studied percussion with Paul Yancinch, Mike Cebulski, Sonny Emory, and Jeff Sipe. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Jazz Studies/Composition from Middle Tennessee State University, and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Texas.  While a...

Once a year, we sit down with our buddy Nick Rufinni of Drummer’s Resource to shoot the shit. Each of our careers and podcasts are always on the move, heading in different directions with different challenges, and it’s good to unpack things and talk about what’s coming at us and how we’re moving through it. In this episode, Matt, Zack and Nick talk about * Social media strategies* Re-entering gig...

Originally from a small town in Long Island, New York, Jeff Fabb made the move to Los Angeles shortly after high school at the age of 18. Jeff moved to L.A. looking for more opportunities in music and that’s just what he found. The journey was slow, answering classified ads—everyone that placed ads said they were going to be the next big thing, but he just wanted to get out there and play. After a...

A Grammy-nominated and studied musician of several decades, Dena’s versatility has afforded her opportunities to play in a variety of settings – from arenas to rock clubs and Broadway to recording studios. She has been highlighted in several drum publications, including the September 2018 issue of Modern Drummer Magazine. Dena has held the drum chair for several Broadway and Off-Broadway productio...

Mark Stepro is a Los Angeles-based musician originally from Galion, Ohio. He is currently performing and recording with singer-songwriter-producer Butch Walker (Dangerbird Records), with whom he has been working since 2011, as well as singer-songwriter Brett Dennen (Elektra Records). He recently recorded the upcoming album by the Wallflowers, “Exit Wounds,” their first release in ten years.  Since...

Ross Pederson has been in New York for over a decade after going through the famed North Texas program and studying with Ed Soph. He tours and records with a number of notable New York based acts including Grace Kelly and Manhattan Transfer, and records, mixes, and produces at his home studio in Brooklyn. In this episode, Ross talks about: * Moving into a new house and starting a home studio from...

A professional musician since 1972, Doane Perry has been called one of the most prolific and versatile drummers in contemporary music. His career spans over 28 years with the internationally acclaimed progressive rock band Jethro Tull, incorporating 18 world tours, countless records, videos, and DVDs, and a Grammy. As a performer, composer or producer, he has appeared on more than 100 records to d...

A professional musician since 1972, Doane Perry has been called one of the most prolific and versatile drummers in contemporary music. His career spans over 28 years with the internationally acclaimed progressive rock band Jethro Tull, incorporating 18 world tours, countless records, videos, and DVDs, and a Grammy. As a performer, composer or producer, he has appeared on more than 100 records to d...

After years of steady touring and teaching, Steve set about cultivating a Youtube audience. In hundreds of videos, Steve analyzes drummers and drum parts from every imaginable genre and era, deconstructing the techniques and musical concepts that make them great. At 36,000 followers and over 6 million views, his channel’s popularity as a Youtube resource is on the rise and not looking back. In thi...

Jack was born and raised in the Boston, Massachusetts area. Influenced by a musical family, he started playing drums at the age of nine and was playing in rock bands by the time he was twelve.  He’s toured and recorded with many different artists over the course of his career including Joe Cocker for 20 years, recording and playing on all Tina Turner tours for 28 years, as well as tours with Elton...