The History of Drumheads with Ben O'Brien Smith

The Lessons of Robbie Gonzalez with Rob Hart: Rob Hart takes us through audio clips of his former mentor and teacher Robbie Gonzalez which gives us first hand knowledge and ideas of this great mind of drumming. Robbie Gonzalez was a Berklee professor, prolific recording artist, and performed with greats like Al Di Meola. This episode features many great recordings of Robbie performing live and also working in the lesson room with Rob Hart. This is a continuation of the "mentors series" that Rob has been doing here on Drum History Podcast. The other episodes include clips with Mike Clark, Steve Smith, Tony Williams and more to come. by Drum History

67 min listen

The History of Recording Drums with Jay Petach: Jay Petach takes us through the history of recording technology, dating back to the 1800s with early tech such as the Phonograph, Edison's Cylinders, and everything that led up to the eventual use of magnetic tape followed by computers, which allowed for multi-track recording of musicians as we know it today. Jay teaches us how drummers used to be "mixed" by placing them in the back of the room, how a full drum kit (plus a band) would be recorded on a 2-track system, the rise of gates, reverbs, and effects on drums, and so much more! by Drum History

56 min listen

New Temporary Schedule and New Studio!: Hey everyone! I am launching a temporary bi-weekly show schedule with two new episodes per month. We are currently in the midst of an attic renovation which has bumped me out of my normal Drum History Studio for the next month or two. It has been chaos recently with having a newborn and i've got some new stuff going on with traveling to California for work but this has pushed things a bit over the edge where scheduling has been very tricky. by Drum History

6 min listen

Ellis Tollin: Drumming's Unsung Legend with Anthony Amodeo: Ellis Tollin is a world class performer who played on hit records, started a very successful music store in Philadelphia called Music City which hosted countless performances of greats such as Louie Bellson, Max Roach, Art Blakey, and many more. Ellis is known as being the father of the Drum Clinic, and he was also close personal friends with Buddy Rich. This episode shines a light on his rise as a performer at the peak of the Jazz explison, his need to pivot after arthritis made his drumming career come to an end, his involvement with the Rogers Drum Company and the Dyna-Sonic snare and his passionate feud with William F. Ludwig. by Drum History

66 min listen

The Budget Guide to "Sleeper" Drum Gear with Gerry Porter: Gerry shares with us drums and cymbals that are often overlooked and under marketed, but sound just as good as the equipment that is 10x the price. "Sleeper Gear" by definition is drum gear that you might walk right past at a music store or never even consider trying, when in reality it sounds great and can be found at a bargain price. by Drum History

65 min listen

(The Vault) The History of Gretsch Drums with John Sheridan: (First Aired Feb 2019) "That Great Gretsch Sound" has been around since 1883, join me as I talk with John Sheridan about the full history of this iconic company! by Drum History

54 min listen

Drums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon with Joel Selvin: Jim Gordon went from being the first call drummer of his generation who played on hundreds of hit records, to becoming a victim of the chemicals in his brain that caused him to murder his mother in a schizophrenic episode. Joel Selvin describes his Jim Gordon's life and his book perfectly with this description: "The blazing rock opera of the greatest drummer of all-time, Jim Gordon, from the legendary Wrecking Crew to redefining rock on the Seventies’ biggest hits and outrageous tours, and ultimately to the most shocking crime in rock history—a story of musical genius, uncontrollable madness, and the big fill" by Drum History

55 min listen

Who is Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Drummer?: Did you know that Alfred Hitchcock used a drummer on the set of the 1963 classic thriller, 'The Birds'? The real question is: who is this mystery drummer, and how/why did Hitchcock employ a percussionist to perform during the filming of the movie? I have been researching this topic for the last few weeks and have made some amazing discoveries about the on-set drummer, and great information that goes beyond just this topic. Alfred Hitchcock is one of the best filmmakers of all time, and he knew the power that drums can have on people. Find out everything I have learned about it in this episode! by Drum History

17 min listen

A Look at Alex Van Halen's Gear (Part 2) with Kurt Ekstrom: (Part 2 Covers 1985-2015) Alex Van Halen is responsible for inspiring a generation of young drummers to pick up drumsticks because of his virtuosic playing and HUGE drum sets. Kurt Ekstrom joins us on the podcast to guide us through each and every one of Alex's iconic drum sets and all the accessories and details that make them absolutely one of a kind works of art! by Drum History

104 min listen

A Look at Alex Van Halen's Gear (Part 1) with Kurt Ekstrom: Alex Van Halen is responsible for inspiring a generation of young drummers to pick up drumsticks because of his virtuosic playing and HUGE drum sets. Kurt Ekstrom joins us on the podcast to guide us through each and every one of Alex's iconic drum sets and all the accessories and details that make them absolutely one of a kind works of art! by Drum History

134 min listen

(The Vault) The History of Sabian Cymbals with Andy Zildjian: Andy Zildjian is the president of Sabian Cymbals and takes us on a very fun journey through the history of the company that dates back to its founding in 1981 by his father, Robert Zildjian. This episode features tons of great information about his famous family in general and we discuss the factors that caused the split in the family and become the iconic Sabian cymbals that we know today. by Drum History

60 min listen

Designing a Mega Drum Set with with Mike Mangini: Mike Mangini is famous for being an incredibly talented drummer and teacher, but also for creating some of the most elaborate and breathtaking drum sets of all time. He breaks down his first kit, which he used with Extreme, consisting of RotoToms in an 'Apex Shape.' Then, we jump to his 2010s Dream Theater kit, which was a modern marvel of drum set engineering. After that, we discuss his current kit, used for his great new album, 'Invisible Signs,' and learn about the WHY and HOW he creates the design and shape of these kits. by Drum History

57 min listen

(The Vault) Ringo Starr's Life and Gear with Gary Astridge - New Video!: Gary is a historian and expert on all things Ringo Starr. He has curated Ringo's collection of original Beatles drum kits and is full of great stories about Ringo that you won't hear from anyone else! We talk about a biography of Ringo, A description of all of his drum sets through the years, and Garys involvement with Ringo and his drums including over 4 million dollars in auction sales from Ringo's collection that Gary curated. by Drum History

64 min listen

Exploring Silent Film Era Drums and Traps with Nick White: Nick White has the worlds largest collection of Silent Film Trap instruments, and he recently used them in the Martin Scorcese film, Killers of the Flower Moon. Nick shares some of his favorite instruments and sounds in this episode including automotive, train, animal, impact, and comedy sound effects, plus many more. Nick was on the show over 200 episodes ago and now he is back with more instruments and knowledge than ever before! by Drum History

71 min listen

How to Make a Career as a Drummer with Henrique De Almeida: Henrique has had a prolific drumming career as a performer, Berklee professor, author, studio musician, clinician, and business owner. In this episode, he teaches us a clear path to create a successful and fulfilling career as working drummers through multiple different outlets. We cover topics such as do you need to read to be a pro drummer? What happens if you don't want to be a teacher? How important is social media to your career? - and much more. Henrique really drives home the importance of working harder than every other drummer because competition is higher than ever, but it is very possible to make a great living as a drummer. by Drum History

74 min listen

(The Vault) The History of Keller Shells with Justin Owen: (4/30/2019) Keller has quietly made drum shells for many of the worlds greatest drum brands - learn about how the company got its start in 1946! I talk with Justin Owen, Special Accounts Manager at Keller Products, about how this company has been at the center of the drum universe for over 70 years and managed to remain out of the limelight. by Drum History

48 min listen

Drum History Podcast Intro Challenge is live!: Thanks to everyone who submitted videos of themselves playing the Drum History Podcast intro music for the 2023 Drum History Intro Challenge to help me celebrate 5 years of the Podcast. We got 33 great submissions from all over the world and they are all unique and sound amazing! Check it out on YouTube - by Drum History

3 min listen

(The Vault) The Birth of the Drum Set with Dr. Jaz Sawyer: (Released May 2019) Did Papa Jo Jones invent the Hi-Hat with the help of a plumber? Find out in this episode! Jaz takes us from the beginnings of drumming in Africa through the advent of the modern drum set as we know it today. The amount of different cultures drumming styles that blended together leading up to "double drumming" goes much deeper than I ever thought. by Drum History

46 min listen

A Look at Tony Williams Cymbals (Part 4: 1963-1997) with Paul Wells: Paul Wells closes out the 4 part Tony Williams series with a deep dive into TW's legendary cymbals, and his Sticks and Heads. Tony Williams is one of the most iconic drummers of the 20th century, with a meteoric rise from his days with Miles Davis to his Lifetime project, and he became jazz royalty through his tireless pursuit of pushing our instrument to its limits. Tony Williams will always be one of the greatest drummers of all time, and his cymbals are almost as legendary as his playing. However, it wasn't always just the vintage K's or the Gretsch monster kit... We cover every single detail in this 4-part series, from his childhood Slingerland Radio Kings, through his yearly change of Gretsch kits in the 60s, the advent of the big yellow kits, and his transition to DW. by Drum History

125 min listen

A Look at Tony Williams Gear (Part 3: 1990-1997) with Scott Garrison: Scott Garrison was Tony Williams drum tech from 1994 through Tony's passing in 1997. He takes us on a journey through the gear and his experiences with Tony Williams in great detail. Tony Williams is one of the most iconic drummers of the 20th century, with a meteoric rise from his days with Miles Davis to his Lifetime project, and he became jazz royalty through his tireless pursuit of pushing our instrument to its limits. Tony Williams will always be one of the greatest drummers of all time, and his gear is almost as legendary as his playing. However, it wasn't always the big yellow monster Gretsch kit... This episode covers his time with DW Drums, his experimentation with double bass drumming, new cymbals and hardware, and a tons of amazing stories. by Drum History

89 min listen

A Look at Tony Williams Gear (Part 2: 1975-1990) with Paul Wells: Paul Wells takes us on a journey through the gear of Tony Williams in extreme detail. Tony Williams is one of the most iconic drummers of the 20th century, with a meteoric rise from his days with Miles Davis to his Lifetime project, and he became jazz royalty through his tireless pursuit of pushing our instrument to its limits. Tony Williams will always be one of the greatest drummers of all time, and his gear is almost as legendary as his playing. However, it wasn't always the big yellow monster Gretsch kit... We cover every single detail in this 4-part series, from his childhood Slingerland Radio Kings, through his yearly change of Gretsch kits in the 60s, the advent of the big yellow kits, and his transition to DW. We also cover his cymbals, sticks, heads, and hardware in a later part of the series—the cymbals deserve an entire episode! by Drum History

109 min listen

A Look at Tony Williams Gear (Part 1) with Paul Wells: Paul Wells is back on the show to take us on an a journey through the gear of Tony Williams in extreme detail. Tony Williams is one of the most iconic drummers of the 20th century with a meteoric rise from his days with Miles Davis, to his Lifetime project, and becoming jazz royalty through his tireless pursuit of pushing our instrument to its limits. Tony Williams will always be one of the greatest drummers of all time, and his gear is almost as legendary as his playing, but it wasn't always the big yellow monster Gretsch kit... We cover every single detail in this 4 part series from his childhood Slingerland Radio Kings, through his yearly change of Gretsch kits int he 60's, the advent of the big yellow kits, and his transition to DW. We also cover his Cymbals, sticks, heads and hardware in a later part of the series - the cymbals deserve an entire episode! by Drum History

96 min listen

(The Vault) The Roots of Reggae Drumming with Gil Sharone: Gil is a world renowned drummer who shares his deep passion and knowledge for Reggae drumming in this great episode, He takes us through all the sub genres such as ska, rocksteady, dub, and dancehall. Plus he teaches us about the legends in Reggae drumming such as Lloyd Knibb and Carlton Bennett, and the gear that these Jamaican drummers would use when playing with icons such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Lee Perry and many more. by Drum History

55 min listen

From “War Dogs” to Drum Machines with David Packouz: David Packouz was the subject of the 2016 film 'War Dogs' (starring Miles Teller and Jonah Hill), which chronicled his incredible experience as a contract gun runner for the US government during the Iraq War. In complete contrast to that, he has more recently created a top-of-the-line drum machine called the Beat Buddy, which captures the feel of a real drummer in a pedal. David shares the story of his wild experiences as a "war dog" and how he made the enormous leap to becoming the inventor of the Beat Buddy. by Drum History

66 min listen

5 year Anniversary of Drum History! (Listener Video Project): Thank you to everyone who has supported the show over the last 5 years! I am excited to announce a project where I am going to make a video showcasing you guys performing the Drum History Podcast Into music. Shoot a video of yourself performing and send me the files to drummingwithbart1@gmail.com by November 7th, 2023 and I will edit everything together! After that date, I will put the link for the video in the description of this video and you can find it on my YouTube channel! by Drum History

13 min listen

Exploring Calfskin Drum Heads with Rob Cook: Rob Cook joins me to discuss all things calfskin drumheads in this interesting and educational episode! We talk about the differences between calfskin and other animal skin heads, the level of durability, how temperature affects them, what happened to the industry when plastic heads came along and much more! Rob Cook is the founder of Rebeats, runs the Chicago Drum Show and is a renowned author and historian. by Drum History

75 min listen

Mind. Body. Drums. - Drumming and the Nervous System with Adam Gust: Adam Gust teaches us how understanding Neuroscience, The Vegus Nerve, and listening to your body and emotions can help you be a better drummer with less pain and tension in your body. Adam began this quest to combine brain science and drumming after traumatic experience where he lost the ability to play the drums after walking through a plate glass window which shattered all over his hands. He applied what he learned and is now back to drumming better than ever and is on a mission to share this knowledge with the drumming community! by Drum History

59 min listen

The Rarest Cymbals in the World with Gerry Porter (Hazelshould): Gerry Porter deals in the finest drums and cymbals in the world at hazelshould.com, and he shares his immense knowledge of ultra-rare, famous, and valuable cymbals with us in this unique episode! We talk about what makes the Istanbul K's so rare and sought-after, the power of a celebrity owned cymbal (Tony Williams, John Bonham, Roy Haynes), and rare cymbals that aren't just Zildjian Rides - such as hi-hats, splashes, and crashes that you should be on the hunt for! Gerry also gives us the tip on what he thinks is the next thing in the drum world that will blow up in value and be a collectors item. by Drum History

69 min listen

(The Vault) The Medal of Honor Drummer Boy with Marlene Targ Brill: Released 12/2020 - Orion was a 14 year old drummer boy in the Civil War when he earned the Medal of Honor for an extremely courageous act in battle. Marlene Shares his amazing story that begins when he enters the war at 12 years old through the rest of his life, and the lives of his musical family. We learn all about drummer boys and the role they played in the war, including Johnny Clem - the youngest noncommisioned officer in army history who began as a drummer. by Drum History

46 min listen

The Lessons of Mike Clark with Rob Hart: Mike Clark is one of the most respected jazz, funk, and fusion drummers of the 20th century with his own unique style and approach to the kit. Rob Hart joins me back on the podcast to share recordings of a lesson he took with Mike in 1992 which grew into a 30+ year friendship. We go through 8 clips that were recorded in a San Francisco Apartment with a mix of Mike Clark and Rob Hart playing which makes this a very fun and interesting episode! by Drum History

54 min listen

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The History of Drumheads with Ben O'Brien Smith

The History of Drumheads with Ben O'Brien Smith

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