Drummers on Drumming

Latest Episodes:

The Drum Panel: Trash Can Lids, Technique Traps, and Amateur Traits May 14, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. In this episode of The Drum Panel, host Ben Hilzinger is joined by Sterling Laws and Fred Eltringham for an insightful roundtable on all things DRUM.

Meet the Panelists:

Sterling Laws: Grammy-nominated drummer from the Pacific Northwest, now based in Los Angeles, known for collaborations with Olivia Rodrigo, Kim Gordon, and more.
Fred Eltringham: Nashville-based drummer, a mainstay with Sheryl Crow since 2012, with credits including The Wallflowers, The Chicks, and kd lang.

In today's episode, we discuss:

Dream pieces of gear from music history.

Albums they wish they could have witnessed being recorded.

Balancing technique and groove, and the idea that overemphasis on technique might mask a lack of feel.

Essential, budget-friendly gear they rely on.

Personal experiences of re-evaluating their approach to the drum set.

Common drumming advice they find questionable, such as rigid techniques or creative limitations imposed by producers.

Trends in drumming they're eager to see fade.

Identifying traits that distinguish amateur drummers in live settings, like cymbal choices and hi-hat control.

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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.

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Big Fat Five: David Garibaldi (Tower of Power) Shares His Top 5 Influential Records May 07, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming…a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.

I’m back with another installed of Big Fat Five — a segment of the podcast where we dive into the five records that shaped the way great drummers approach their craft.

My name is Ben Hilzinger and today’s guest is someone whose playing and educational work has impacted me personally in a big way. David Garibaldi is not only the legendary drummer of Tower of Power, but his book Future Sounds has been one of my go-to practice tools ever since my good friend Sarab Singh first turned me onto it. In this conversation, David shares the five records that shaped his unmistakable sound and approach to rhythm. I’m so honored to have him on — let’s get into it. I hope you enjoy my chat with David Garibaldi. Cheers!

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DAVID'S BIG FAT FIVE:

Artist - Count Basie

Album - Breakfast Dance and Barbeque

Release Year - 1959

Drummer - Sonny Payne

Artist - Sly & The Family Stone

Album - Whole New Thing

Release Year - 1967

Key Track(s) "Underdog," "If This Room Could Talk"

Drummer - Greg Errico

Artist - Aretha Franklin

Album - Aretha Live @ The Fillmore West

Release Year - 1971

Drummer - Bernard Purdie

Artist - The Meters

Album - Look-Ka Py Py

Release Year - 1969

Key Track(s) "Looka-Py-Py," "Rigor Mortis"

Drummer - Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste

Artist - James Brown

Single - "I Got The Feelin'"

Release Year - 1968

Drummer - Clyde Stubblefield

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Artist - Maceo & All The King's Men

Album - Doing Their Own Thing

Release Year - 1970

Drummer - Melvin Parker

Maceo Parker

Album - Made By Maceo

Release Year - 2003

Drummer - Jamal Thomas

Artist - Ray Barretto

Album - Que Viva La Musica

Release Year - 1972

Key Track - Alafia Cumaye

Timbales - Orestes Vilato

Artist - Herbie Hancock

Album - Maiden Voyage

Key Track - Maiden Voyage

Release Year - 1965

Drummer - Tony Williams

Artist - Miles Davis

Album - Four and More

Release Year - 1966 (Recorded in 1964)

Drummer - Tony Williams

Elvin Jones...all his recordings...(especially McCoy Tyner's album Inception)

...and MANY more...

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Big Fat Five: Jacopo Volpe (Post Malone, Salmo, Damiano David) Shares His Top 5 Influential Records Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

We’re back with another installment of the Big Fat Five—where I invite on a drummer that inspires me to break down the five records that shaped their voice behind the kit.

My name is Ben Hilzinger and today’s guest is Jacopo Volpe. Born and raised in Italy, Jaco has played with Vanilla Sky, Post Malone, Damiano David, The Bloody Beetroots, Salmo, Portugal. The Man, and a bunch more. He’s got power, chops, groove, and the kind of confidence that only comes from playing on the biggest stages in the world.

I’ll let Jaco tell you more about his journey, but for now, let’s dive into the five records that helped shape who he is behind the kit. Cheers.

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JACO'S BIG FAT FIVE:

Artist - Elton John

Album - Night and Day Concert - Live at Wembley

Release Year - 1984

Key Track(s) - "Crocodile Rock;" "I’m Still Standing"

Drummer - Nigel Olsson

Artist - Toto

Album - Toto Live in Paris

Release Year - 1990

Key Track(s) - "Rosanna." "Hold The Line"

Drummer - Jeff Porcaro

Artist - Stevie Ray Vaughan

Album - Live from Austin, Texas

Release Year - 1995/1997

Key Track(s) - "Texas Flood," "Cold Shot"

Drummer - Chris Layton

Artist - Blink-182

Album - The Mark Tom and Travis show

Release Year - 2000

Key Track(s) - "Dumpweed," "Don’t Leave Me," "Mutt"

Drummer - Travis Barker

Artist - Foo Fighters

Album - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

Release Year - 2007

Key Track - "The Pretender"

Drummer - Taylor Hawkins

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The Drum Panel: From Garibaldi to Game Show Apr 23, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to The Drum Panel—a roundtable-style discussion on all things drums.

This week, I’m joined—as almost always—by my co-host Eric Urrea, and today’s special guest is Jeremy Taggart: longtime drummer for Our Lady Peace and co-host of the Taggart and Torrens podcast, where he blends his love of music, comedy, and all things Canadian. At the end of the day, we’re just good buddies—and those are the kinds of people I like to have on The Drum Panel.

This episode kicks off in the middle of a little rant I was having about a recent encounter with David Garibaldi… which, if you stick around long enough, you just might hear for yourself. Let’s hop in. Cheers.

In this episode, we discuss:

Jeremy’s dream piece of music memorabilia
The records he wishes he could’ve been a fly on the wall for
Making peace with not keeping every skill sharp—and choosing what to let slide to serve your personal sound
Singing while drumming
A round of Word Association
And of course…Trivia!

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Big Fat Five: Sam Cohen (Glitter Party) Shares His Top 5 Influential Records Apr 16, 2025

Show notes

What is up!? We’re back with another installment of Big Fat Five, where I invite on drummers who’ve inspired me to break down the five records that helped shape their unique voice behind the kit.

This week’s guest is Sam Cohen—a Canadian drummer who, much like Marco Kleebauer a few weeks back, popped up on my Explore Page and instantly caught my ear.

Sam also makes music under the name Glitter Party—a solo pop project he writes, records, and mixes entirely in his home studio up in Toronto. It’s raw, nostalgic, catchy, and perfectly saturated—DIY in the best sense of the word.

He does a great job of setting up his backstory and artistic approach right at the top of our chat, so I’ll shut up—for now.

Hope you enjoy the five records that shaped Sam Cohen into the musician he is today. Cheers!

Check out all of Sam's links HERE

SAM'S BIG FAT FIVE:

Artist - Amy Whinehouse

Album - Back to Black

Release Year - 2006

Key Track - "He Can Only Hold Her"

Drummer - Homer Steinweiss

Artist - James Brown

Album - Star Time

Release Year - 1991

Key Track - "I Got The Feelin'"

Drummer - Clyde Stubblefield, Jabo starks, Melvin Parker

Artist - Al Green

Album - Lets Stay Together

Release Year - 1972

Key Track - "Lets Stay Together"

Drummer - Al Jackson Jr

Artist - The Band

Album - Music from Big Pink

Release Year - 1968

Key Track - "The Weight"

Drummer - Levon Helm

Artist - John Coltrane

Album - Giants Steps (mono)

Release Year - 1960

Key Track - "Countdown"

Drummer - Art Taylor

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The 5 Pillars of Drumming Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

What is up?! Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming — a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. My name is Ben Hilzinger, and today’s episode is a little different.

A few months ago, I was sent a book by drummer and educator Mark Feldman — founder of Bang! The Drum School. The book is called Drumming Decoded: The Secret Code to Quickly Go From Newbie to Confident Drummer. It’s a relatively quick read at around 180 pages, but it’s surprisingly comprehensive.

Now, I usually try to steer clear of too much “insider baseball” on this podcast because I want everyone to feel part of the conversation. That said, I also realized I haven’t really addressed beginner drummers directly in a lot of my content.

So I brought Mark on not only to promote his book (which I do recommend — link’s in the show notes), but also to have a conversation about building a solid foundation from day one. And while this book and convo are definitely geared toward novice drummers, there are a ton of takeaways that can help any drummer — no matter where you're at in your journey.

So, whether you’re just picking up sticks for the first time or you're revisiting the fundamentals, I hope you dig this episode. Even if you think you’ve heard it all before... you might just grow a little more.

Here’s to the beginners — keep going. You got this!

Check out Bang! The Drum School HERE

Snag your copy of Drumming Decoded HERE

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ALSO...Get Your Copy of the my book Drummers on Drumming Today!

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The Drum Panel: What IS Rock?, Social Anxiety & "Networking" as a Drummer Apr 02, 2025

Show notes

Episode 13 of The Drum Panel

Welcome to The Drum Panel—a show where a rotating group of professional drummers engages in roundtable discussions pertaining to all things DRUM.

For today's panel, we have my co-host Eric Urrea and special returning guest, Mike Robinson.

Today we discuss:

What the hell does it mean to be "rock"?
Dealing with social anxiety and imposter syndrome while trying to network for your career.
Why the word "networking" is gross

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Big Fat Five: Marco Kleebauer (Drummer/Producer) Shares His Top 5 Influential Records Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

This is another installment of Big Fat Five, a segment where I ask some of my favorite drummers to break down five records that had a major impact on their approach to music.

This week, I’m joined by Marco Kleebauer—an Austrian drummer and producer who very recently popped up on my Instagram Explore page… and instantly peaked my interest. His drumming is minimalist yet experimental, and his analog-leaning recording approach is exactly the direction I want to explore with my own sound. This is just another reason I love doing this podcast—I get to discover someone new, connect with them, and then bring them to your attention, too!

Go check out his website HERE where you can purchase his original music, grab some drum break packs, and explore playlists featuring artists he’s either collaborated with or who’ve used his drum breaks in their own music. And some exciting news… Marco is releasing a book called Notes on Drum Recording by the end of this year. It’s all about how to record drums in a small, less-than-ideal room—which, let’s be honest, is the reality for most of us (myself included). So be sure to follow him on Instagram—not only for a bunch of reasons you’ll soon discover, but also to stay updated on the book’s release.

Marco dives into his backstory right at the top of our chat, so I’ll get out of the way. But I implore you to listen to the entire episode—he sprinkles some very tasty nuggets throughout.

Alright, here are the five records that helped shape Marco Kleebauer into the highly sought-after producer and drummer he is today. Cheers!

Check out his website HERE

Follow him on Instagram HERE

MARCO'S BIG FAT FIVE:

Artist - The Beatles

Album - Revolver

Release Year - 1966

Key Track - "Tomorrow Never Knows"

Drummer - Ringo Starr

Artist - Led Zeppelin

Album - Led Zeppelin 1

Release Year - 1969

Key Track - "Good Times Bad Times"

Drummer - John Bonham

Artist - Jimi Hendrix

Album - Are You Experienced

Release Year - 1967

Key Track - "Fire"

Drummer - Mitch Mitchell

Artist - Silver Apples

Album - Silver Apples

Release Year - 1968

Key Track - "Program"

Drummer - Danny Taylor

Artist - Flaming Lips

Album - The Soft Bulletin

Release Year - 1999

Key Track - "Race for the Prize"

Drummer - Steven Drozd

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Big Fat Five: Dee Simone (Doechii, Alison Wonderland, Madame Gandhi) Shares Her top 5 Influential Records Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

This is another installment of Big Fat Five, a segment where I ask some of my favorite drummers to break down five records that had a major impact on their approach to music.

Today, I’m joined by Dee Simone, a Bay Area-raised dummer currently based in Los Angeles. She’s funky, powerful, dynamic, and incredibly versatile behind the kit.

I have to give credit where it’s due—this interview wouldn’t have happened without Bill Burr. I was listening to his podcast when he gave a glowing review of Doechii’s recent Tiny Desk Concert for NPR, specifically shouting out Dee’s playing. For those who don’t know, Bill is a fantastic drummer himself, so that endorsement sent me down a rabbit hole of Dee's performances. Obviously, I have zero regrets.

Dee has shared the stage with an impressive list of artists, including Doechii, Alison Wonderland, and Madame Ghandi to name a few. She’s done a lot, yet she remains humble and hungry, and this was a really fun conversation.

Read Dee's Shoutout LA Feature HERE

DEE'S BIG FAT FIVE:

Artist - John P. Kee

Album - The New Life Community Choir feat. John P. Kee Not Guilty - The Experience

Release Year - 2000

Key Track - “Rain On Us,” "Right Here,” “I Do Worship”

Drummer - Calvin Rodgers

Artist - The Roots

Album - Things Fall Apart

Release Year - 1999

Key Track - “The Next Movement,” “Act Too (The Love Of My Life,” “You Got Me”

Drummer - Questlove

Artist - Kim Burrell

Album - Live In Concert

Release Year - 2001

Key Track - “I’ll Keep Holding On,” “Holy Ghost,” “Anything”

Drummer - Calvin Rodgers & Robert “Sput” Searight

Artist - Beyoncé

Album - HOMECOMING: THE LIVE ALBUM

Release Year - 2019

Key Track(s) - “Life Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” “Sorry,” “Bow Down,” “You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No)”

Drummer - Venzella Joy Williams

Artist - Thundercat

Album - Apocalypse

Release Year - 2013

Key Track - “Lotus and the Jondy,” “Heartbreaks + Setbacks,” “Without You”

Drummer - Thomas Pridgen

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The Drum Panel: Self-Promotion, Authenticity in Pop Gigs, and the Double Pedal Dilemma Mar 13, 2025

Show notes

Episode 12 of The Drum Panel

Welcome to The Drum Panel—a show where a rotating group of professional drummers engages in roundtable discussions pertaining to all things DRUM.

Today, we've got two fantastic guests joining the conversation:

First up is Eric Leiderman. Eric is a producer at Late Night with Seth Meyers, where for years he oversaw the rotating drummer chair—regularly bringing in incredible drummers to fill in with the 8G Band when bandleader Fred Armisen couldn't be there. Eric’s done a ton to elevate the drumming community, and we’re stoked to have him on.

We're also joined by Neal Daniels, an amazing drummer who's worked with artists like Liz Phair, LP, and Matchbox Twenty. Neal always brings thoughtful perspectives to the panel, and we’re excited to have him back.

Today we discuss: