Drummers on Drumming

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. I’m Ben Hilzinger, and this is another segment of The Drum Panel. Joining me: Jessica Burdeaux (@jburdsbeats) Touring drummer (Covet, City Mouth) and content creator balancing real-world gigs with online presence. George Martinez (@skinnygeorge) Former full-time studio drummer turned educator, content creator, and all-a...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. I’m Ben Hilzinger, and this is another segment of The Drum Panel. This week I’m joined by Eric Urrea (La Armada, Marina City) and Matt Crouse (Working Drummer podcast). In this episode: Why doing less with your podcast might be the only way to keep it alive The quiet way a podcast can land you real gigs years later Crai...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming ...a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum... In this episode of The Drum Panel, I’m joined by Jared Shavelson (Joyce Manor, The Bronx, Seal) and Mike Robinson (Say Anything, Slayyter, Oliver Tree).  In this episode: Playing festivals - yay nay or meh The pefectly “sized” tour The backline details that matter most when you’re trying to play your best How each o...

This week’s episode is a special one. In light of James Gadson’s passing, I wanted to bring this conversation back to the top of the feed. James was one of the all-time greats, and getting to talk with him was a real honor. The audio is a little raw, he was on his phone, moving around, doing his thing, but the stories are gold, and honestly, that’s part of what makes it feel like James.  Back when...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. In this episode of The Drum Panel, I’m joined by Eric Urrea (Marina City, La Armada) and Kris Mazzarisi (Founder of BFSD / Winnetka Bowling League) - In this episode: Why prep pay still is not standard, even though most drummers are expected to show up overprepared The weird state of touring right now, from DIY scenes d...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. We're here with another segment of Big Fat Five and today’s guest is John Stanier of Battles, and if you know anything about powerful, creative, unmistakable drumming, you already know why I was excited for this one. John was also a founding member of Helmet, has played with Tomahawk, and has built one of the most unique voices o...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This week, we’re celebrating the release of Mike Robinson’s new Food on Tour Guide. Mike has toured with Say Anything, Oliver Tree, K.Flay, and many more and this guide is built from years of eating on the road. It’s a curated digital map with more than 2,000 spots across three layers: food, drink, and tiki. It gets upd...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming...a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. In this segment of The Drum Panel, I’m joined by Eric Urrea (Marina City) and Matt Starr (Sarah McLachlan) for a conversation that starts in the weeds and slowly turns into therapy. We kick things off with some proper nerd talk about trash can endings, stingers, and the infamous shugidaboom. From there, the conversatio...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming...a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. In this segment of The Drum Panel, I’m joined by Eric Urrea (Marina City) and Ralph Alexander (Poppy) for one of those conversations that goes everywhere. We start with life on the road and the physical reality of playing demanding shows night after night. From there we get into practice routines, creativity, and the s...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This is another segment of The Drum Panel featuring myself, Sarab Singh (MUNA), and Brendan Buckley (Shakira). In this episode, we talk about: Getting over the fear of recording at home and figuring out certain techniques later in your career Why some producers and artists choose emotional takes over technically perfect...

What is up? Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. I decided to move this episode toward the top of the feed and revisit it. Last weekend, Tim Very, the drummer for Manchester Orchestra, passed away. While we weren’t super close, we stayed in touch over the years. He was kind enough to be part of my first book, and he also came on the podcast to do a Big Fat Five. Tha...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This episode is a new installment of The Drum Panel, and it’s Part One of Two diving into Chick Corea’s Cheap But Good Advice For Playing Music in a Group. I’m joined by good friend of mine Rafa Vidal, who also plays with the band Almost Monday, who are currently killing it, and of course Eric Somers-Urrea is back on the panel. W...

Welcome back to Big Fat Five, a segment of Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This episode is a first for the show. For the first time ever, Big Fat Five has two hosts. I explain it more at the top of the episode, but today Eric Urrea is joining me as a co-host. Eric’s someone I trust musically and personally, and having him in the room added a different kind of energy and flow t...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming ... a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This week's Drum Panel features myself (Ben Hilzinger) alongside Eric Urrea (Marina City) and Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer) aka **The Dream Team** We talk about: The specific tools we each use to stay on top of gigs, holds, and payments The not-so-obvious challenges of over-scheduling and saying “yes” to everything Gunnar’...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming ... a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum This week’s Drum Panel has me joined by Mark Stepro and Kris Mazzarisi for a wide-ranging conversation about what happens when gigs fall through, routines get shaken, and you’re forced to rethink how you want to work and live as a drummer. In this episode, we talk about: How to respond when a major gig disappears Why...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This week’s Drum Panel features me, Ben Hilzinger, alongside George Martinez (aka @skinnygeorge) and Eric Urrea from Marina City. We talk honestly about rejection, identity, and what actually gets built in the moments when things don’t go your way. In this episode, we talk about: Rejection as a mirror, not a verdict, and how quic...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Happy New Year. This week’s Drum Panel features me, Ben Hilzinger, alongside George Martinez (aka @skinnygeorge) and Eric Urrea from Marina City. In this episode, we talk about: Burnout as a signal, not a failure, and how to tell when you actually need to step back The success trap of linking worth to being busy, and how scarcity...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This week features another batch of my favorite clips over the past year. Let me know if you agreeeee. --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drumme...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This week features a few of my favorite clips over the past year. Let me know if you agreeeee. --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Featuring myself, Ben Hilzinger, with Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer, TrackTribe) & Eric Urrea (Marina City) Inside this episode The real life of high-output music production How drummers survive the modern content grind without losing their mind Touring vs session vs teaching: finding the mix that keeps you sane When your “Instagram dru...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This week features me, Ben Hilzinger, alongside Eric Urrea (Marina City) & Zack Albetta (Working Drummer podcast, & Juliet Broadway tour) Inside this episode: When to chase a stable gig and when to walk away How Broadway touring shapes your mind, body, and playing Staying confident when you’re surrounded by people who could chang...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This is another installment of Big Fat Five, where I invite my favorite drummers on the show to break down the five records that shaped how they approach the instrument. Today’s guest is Madden Klass. Madden grew up in New York and built a reputation as a player who can seamlessly transition between power, finesse, and tight tech...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This week’s panel features Eric Urrea, me, and a new friend of the podcast, Brian Blake from Real Friends. Brian shares his experiences making a living in pop-punk, dealing with impostor syndrome, and finding ways to keep joy alive when your passion becomes your paycheck. Eric and I explore the feeling of "faking it" on stage, th...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This week’s The Drum Panel features me, Eric Downs, and Chance Famighetti (aka Free Arlo). Eric’s the music director behind Nicky Youre’s current live show—the same gig Chance once bluffed his way into before I took over. Together, we dig into what it means to actually sound human on stage in a world obsessed with perfection. Eri...

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. We’re back with my bestest mouse, Chance Famighetti, aka Free Arlo. Last week we covered how he bluffed his way into the drum chair for Nicky Youre only to be replaced by me :) This time, we go deeper. We discuss self-worth tied to art, the stress of carrying your own project versus the ease of being a hired gun, and why chasing...