Drummers on Drumming

Latest Episodes:

The Drum Panel: be where your pigfeet are Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel with Eric Urrea and Gunnar Olsen.

We’re continuing with the new format for the Panel, using a few loose categories to give the conversation some direction without keeping us from going down whatever rabbit holes come up.

A lot of this one ended up being about how your relationship with drums changes the longer you do it.

In this episode:

The gigs you would've killed for ten years ago that you might not take now
Separating being busy from actually feeling successful
What happens to your playing when you get nervous
How much technique actually matters if what you’re doing sounds good
Knowing when a song actually needs a fill
Why constantly recording and analyzing yourself can sometimes take something away from playing
Leaving a band when you still love the people in it
Drummers we understand completely differently now than we did when we were younger

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Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

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The Drum Panel: The kickflip of drums (NEW FORMAT) Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel with Eric Urrea and Cain Daniel.

This episode is also a test run for a new format for the Panel. After going through the listener survey, I wanted to give these conversations a little more structure while still leaving plenty of room for us to go wherever the conversation takes us.

In this episode:

What actually makes you recommend another drummer for a gig
What we’re listening to while we play that has nothing to do with the drums
How we choose the right gear for different gigs
Taking a gig you really want when the money sucks
Famous drum parts we might not understand the hype around
Horrible gigs that somehow led to something good
Having your own voice versus being adaptable enough to make a living
Whether you actually need to read music to be a professional drummer
A few Hot Takes to finish things off

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The Drum Panel: Can I practice having better taste? Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel.

I’m joined by Eric Urrea, an independent drummer from Chicago who plays with Marina City and La Armada, and Adam Christgau, who has toured and recorded with artists like LP, Troye Sivan, MARINA, Sia, Miley Cyrus, Angel Olsen, Kacey Musgraves, Tegan and Sara, and more.

I had just finished a week of rehearsals where we were recording everything, listening back, and picking apart what was actually working. So I came into this one with a bunch of thoughts I wanted to throw at Eric and Adam.

In this episode:

Why the best-sounding snare might not be the most fun one to play
Tuning drums for the microphone versus the room
Shells vs plugins
Why dynamics might matter just as much as timing
The painful importance of recording and listening back to yourself
Why a great-feeling show doesn’t always sound great the next day
Whether you can actually practice having better taste
Learning the difference between what you think you’re playing and what’s actually coming out

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The tests results came back... Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

Thanks again for filling out the survey!

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Five-ish records that might finally get you into jazz Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

This week on Drummers on Drumming, I’m bringing back a re-edited 2021 conversation with my friend Anthony Fung.

The premise was simple: five-ish records and drummers that might finally get you into jazz.

Anthony explains what makes each drummer distinct, from Tony Williams’s fearless choices to Roy Haynes’s light touch, Elvin Jones’s rolling feel, and Billy Higgins’s unmistakable swing.

We also talk about Anthony’s path from discovering drums through Drumline to studying at Berklee and the Herbie Hancock Institute.

If jazz has ever felt hard to enter, this episode offers a great place to start.

Artist - The New Tony Williams Lifetime
Album - Believe It
Release Year - 1975
Key Track - “Fred”
Drummer - Tony Williams

Artist - Miles Davis
Album - My Funny Valentine: Miles Davis in Concert
Release Year - 1965
Key Track - “Stella by Starlight”
Drummer - Tony Williams

Artist - Miles Davis
Album - ‘Four’ & More: Recorded Live in Concert
Release Year - 1966
Key Track - “Walkin’”
Drummer - Tony Williams

Artist - Chick Corea
Album - Now He Sings, Now He Sobs
Release Year - 1968
Key Tracks - “Steps–What Was,” “Matrix,” “Windows”
Drummer - Roy Haynes

Artist - John Coltrane
Album - A Love Supreme
Release Year - 1965
Key Track - “Part I: Acknowledgement”
Drummer - Elvin Jones

Artist - McCoy Tyner
Album - Supertrios
Release Year - 1977
Key Tracks - “Moment’s Notice,” “Blues for Ball”
Drummers - Tony Williams and Jack DeJohnette

Tony Williams plays on “Moment’s Notice.” Jack DeJohnette plays on “Blues for Ball.”

Artist - Lee Morgan
Album - Cornbread
Release Year - 1967
Key Tracks - “Cornbread,” “Ceora”
Drummer - Billy Higgins

The album was recorded in 1965, which explains the year mentioned during the conversation. It was released in 1967.

Artist - Max Roach
Album - We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite
Release Year - 1960
Key Track - No individual track named
Drummer - Max Roach

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I Need Your Help With What Comes Next Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS SHORT LIL EPISODE:

Click HERE for the Listener Survey.

Or HERE.

Or even HERE.

What about HERE you ask? Hell yeah HERE too.

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YOU VOTED! Your favorite cymbal intros... Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.

Today, I’m joined by my trusty co-host Eric Urrea, and one of my best friends, Kris Mazzarisi, owner and founder of Big Fat Snare Drum, and drummer for Winnetka Bowling League.

Over on the Big Fat Snare Drum Instagram page, we asked our followers to name their favorite cymbal intros. Here are the results plus a few honorable mentions from the peanut gallery.

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The Drum Panel: Full belly dry diaper Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re jumping back into part two of my conversation with Brendan Buckley, Zack Albetta, and Eric Urrea.

In this episode:

How much production a live show actually needs
The modern skills working drummers are expected to have
Keeping your identity while adapting to the gig
Why space can sound bigger than layers
Whether a live show is for the artist or the audience Why a quiet crowd doesn’t always mean a bad show
Winning over a room that didn’t come to see you
Stories involving Rage Against the Machine, Van Halen, Damien Rice, and bucket percussion

If you haven’t heard part one yet, I’d recommend starting there.

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The Drum Panel: Fifty shades of grey to leave your lover Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel.

I’m joined by Brendan Buckley, drummer and producer for artists like Shakira and Tegan and Sara; Zack Albetta, Broadway drummer and co-host of the Working Drummer podcast; and Eric Urrea, an independent drummer from Chicago who plays with Marina City and La Armada.

This is part one of our two-part conversation.

In this episode:

Why changing your mind can be a good thing
Getting through creative slumps
How making drums your job changes your relationship with playing
Vulnerability in music and performance
Backing tracks and modern live shows
When polish starts removing the human element
Strong opinions, disagreements, and plenty of gray area

If you enjoy the show, please rate and review it wherever you listen.

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Big Fat Five: Richard Spaven Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re revisiting a conversation with Richard Spaven, originally recorded in early 2021.

Richard has worked with artists including José James, Flying Lotus, Gang Starr, The Cinematic Orchestra, and Jameszoo. His solo work blends acoustic drums with the feel and texture of hip-hop, drum and bass, dubstep, and electronic music.

In this episode: