Drummers on Drumming

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**Drummers on Drumming**

A podcast for drummers who think too much. Ben Hilzinger talks to the greats about creativity, identity, staying sane, and finding purpose behind the kit.
Powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. For more inforamtion, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

Latest Episodes:

My favorite moments from 2025 - Part One Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

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.

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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.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok

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The Drum Panel: 15 sec > 15 min Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

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 drum sound” fights your natural playing
How to meet heroes backstage without being that guy
Building drum sounds, dealing with phase, and chasing ideas that actually feel good
Progress, burnout, and what it means to “feel like a drummer” again

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The Drum Panel: Choose your hard, but don't get bajiggity Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

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 change your career
The honest math behind consistency vs freedom

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok

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Madden Klass (Chappell Roan, Boygenius) shares the records that shaped her playing Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

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 technical playing without losing the heart of the song. She’s toured with Boygenius, Chappell Roan, Watsky, Mike Doughty, Wheatus, Big Wild, Matt Maltese, Nat & Alex Wolff, Allison Ponthier, and Dixie D’Amelio, while also carving out her own sound through original projects. With roots in progressive rock and pop, Madden has always treated the drum chair as part of the composition, not just the support.

MADDEN'S BIG FAT FIVE:

Performance - Ilan Rubin's solo at the 2011 Guitar Center Drum-Off

Drummer – Ilan Rubin

Artist – Battles

Album – Glass Drop

Release Year – 2011

Key Track – "Futura"

Drummer – John Stanier

Artist – Hiatus Kaiyote

Album – Live in Revolt EP

Key Track – "Sphynx Gate"

Drummer – Perrin Moss

Artist – The Aristocrats

Album – The Aristocrats

Release Year – 2011

Key Track – "Bad Asteroid"

Drummer – Marco Minnemann

Artist – Ash Soan

Release Year – 2020

Key Track – "Ghostship Time-out" (video)

Drummer – Ash Soan

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The Drum Panel: The Freddy Krueger Method Nov 12, 2025

Show notes

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, the tendency of drummers to overthink their playing, and how small mistakes can ruin your night if you let them. In this episode, we discuss:

The journey from feeling confident to realizing how much there is still to learn.
Brian's experience with the moment he thought, "Maybe I'm not good enough to be doing this," and how that thought motivated him to move forward.
Eric's nightmare scenario of being asked to "play a drum solo" in the middle of a set.
The ways stage banter can feel scripted and how bands should acknowledge it.
The idea that filming every show can help combat perfectionism, but also damage your ego.
The unglamorous yet essential skill of honest communication within bands after difficult performances.

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 ⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠TikTok

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The Drum Panel: The most musical thing you can do isn’t musical Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

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. Eric opens up about imposter syndrome as an MD, Chance explains how he rewired his brain to stop overthinking fills, and I share what it’s like being critiqued for the first time by another drummer.

We also discuss: • Why drummers should separate identity from the instrument • Producing vs. drumming—and how one mindset improves the other • Improving via recording yourself before the haters get involved • The art of being coached without losing your confidence

We wrap by talking about playing for the audience versus the band, knowing your “why” on stage, and how to build a live show that feels real, messy, and alive.

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 ⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠TikTok

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The 2nd mouse started asking questions... Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

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 fame can warp the very reason we make music in the first place. Chance opens up about struggling with persona-over-songs culture, learning to let go of the algorithm, and building a career that actually feels good.

We also get into: • How live gigs shape your sound more than the practice room • Eye contact on stage and the strange intimacy of being watched • Pocket aces, missed opportunities, and knowing when to shift plans • Free Arlo’s new music and finding pride in the work again

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 ⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠TikTok

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I interview the guy I replaced... Oct 22, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This week’s episode features my buddy Chance Famighetti, also known as Free Arlo. He was the first drummer for Nicky Youre—the artist we both now tour for—but these days he’s behind the piano while I’m on drums.

It’s a wild and funny conversation about how Chance said “yes” to playing drums for Nicky… before he actually knew how. What started as a bluff turned into a crash course in drumming, arenas, and self-belief. We dig into how producing helped him fake his way through those early gigs, what it felt like to play arenas without knowing how to set up a hi-hat clutch, and how saying yes to one opportunity changed his entire life.

We also talk about his artist project Free Arlo, lessons from touring, why personality keeps you the gig more than skill, and how he’s built a creative life that spans piano, drumming, and sound design.

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 ⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠TikTok

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Anika Nilles (Rush) shares the records that shaped her playing Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. If you haven’t heard, RUSH just announced a run of new shows with Anika Nilles behind the kit. I’m beyond excited for her—she’s going to absolutely crush those songs.

For anyone who isn’t familiar with Anika, I wanted to bring our 2020 conversation back to the top of the feed. It’s one of the first interviews I ever recorded, so I definitely sound like a baby, but I still love this one.

Technically, this was back in the Big Fat Five era—before the current format was established—but you’ll get the idea. I had such a blast, and Anika will also be part of another project I’ve got in the works.

In the meantime, enjoy revisiting my chat with Anika Nilles and learning more about the music that helped shape her into the unstoppable musician she is today.

ANIKA'S CHOICES:

Artist – Toto
Album – The Seventh One
Release Year – 1988
Key Track – "Mushanga"
Drummer – Jeff Porcaro

Artist – Nerve
Album – The Distance Between Zero And One
Release Year – 2011
Key Track – "Loot"
Drummer – Jojo Mayer

Artist – The John Scofield Band
Album – Überjam
Release Year – 2002
Key Track – "Überjam"
Drummer – Adam Deitch

Artist – Foo Fighters
Album – There Is Nothing Left To Lose
Release Year – 1999
Drummer – Taylor Hawkins / Dave Grohl

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 ⁠Click here to order now!⁠

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠, and ⁠TikTok

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The Drum Panel: Infiltrating hardcore with collared shirts Oct 08, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to The Drum Panel with me, Ben Hilzinger, alongside Eric Urrea and Kris Mazzarisi. We cover a lot of ground today, but most of our conversation centers around image—what it means, how it evolves, and why it matters. It’s a loaded topic that hits everyone differently, but we do our best to share honest takes from our experiences as working musicians. Think of it as equal parts peer therapy and real-world advice for drummers coming up in the scene.

Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.

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