The Drum Roll

COOP3RDRUMM3R & Dylan Taylor

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 30 May 2013 15:42:00 +0000

Drum Roll Please…This week I am going to talk about two YouTube drummers, COOP3RDRUMM3R and Dylan Taylor. Months ago, I featured Cobus Potgieter and Luke Holland. Every time I am on YouTube I watch drum covers. These guys, when it comes to their videos, are hands down the best of the best in video quality, technique, and inventiveness.

COOP3RDRUMM3R is a really cool account to subscribe to. His uploads are consistent. He uploads at least 3-4 videos on a weekly basis. What is so unique about his channel is that he does drum covers to video game theme songs and does a video montage of live video game play while he is covering the theme song of the video game. It is a really cool aspect to his channel. Another thing about COOP3RDRUMM3R is that he is really easy to reach via Twitter. He really cares about his subscribers and tries to interact as much as he possibly can with them. Aside from his awesome covers, COOP3RDRUMM3R has educational videos as well. He has stick trick tutorials, how to become sponsored by YouTube, his story about how he came to be a drummer, and other really cool videos where subscribers can actually get to know him. Fun fact, he is also known for having the cleanest cymbals throughout YouTube.

The only word that can possibly describe Dylan Taylor is monstrous. He plays like a monster. An analogy would be like if you are watching Animal play live drums from Sesame Street, but his aggressiveness is what I love so much about his style. His channel brought something new to the table when it comes to doing drum covers. Every cover has kind of a story element to it or specific atmosphere. In his Somebody That I Used To Know (Drum Remix), he is seen looking through pictures and then puts them all into his snare. At the end of the video he opens his snare back up and the pictures are in pieces. I love that because not only does it relate to the song, but at that point it is more than just a drum cover.

So head on over and check out their channels. I promise you’ll learn and have fun watching each of them do their thing behind a kit. Also be on the lookout for the next Danny Miami Drum cover to be coming out real soon!

Bad Rabbits

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:05:00 +0000

Drum Roll Please…This week I’ll be featuring one of my favorite bands, Bad Rabbits. I came across Bad Rabbits about 3 years ago. I was looking on the vans Warped Tour page and scrolling through the lineup. I started checking out bands I had never really of and when I heard Bad Rabbits boy was my mind blown away. At that moment, I knew that I had found a gem.

Back during that time, Bad Rabbits had a little over 2,500 likes on Facebook but after they came off the Warped Tour their numbers grew to over 22,000. Since Warped Tour, I have been following their career very closely. Around the time of the tour they had released one EP called Stick Up Kids. Every song on that EP just made you get up, dance and sing your heart out. After about two years, Bad Rabbits hit the studio. They just released their new album, American Love, this past week. I was so pumped for their new album, that I actually covered their hit single “We Can Roll” on my YouTube channel after I promise I had made to them back in March.

I had the pleasure of seeing Bad Rabbits again at the Social in Orlando, Florida. It was one of the best concert experiences I have ever had. It was one of the best for several reasons. Firstly the size of the venue was so small that it made the concert super intimate. By intimate I mean that the band could personally interact with each and every fan. On another note, the size of the venue also made it really easy to be able to meet with the band after the show and provided the opportunity to spend some time talking to them. Enough about my personal experiences with the Bad Rabbits though, let me share some more news as to why you should check them out!

Bad Rabbits has come along way from their hometown in Boston. This Friday, May 17, they are going to make an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. To pump up the release of American Love, Can’t Fool Me was sampled on ESPN First Take. Finally, I predict they are going to win a Grammy for Best New Artist within the coming years. Head on over to badrabbits.com, check out their music, merch and story, I promise you will be impressed and those dancing shoes will be ready to go.

BLOG Post 2 for BPD

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 03 May 2013 02:55:00 +0000

Drum Roll Please…last week I discussed by business plan and conducted some research about experts on writing business plans. This week I am going to discuss what I took away from that research and how I applied it to my business plan. The key things include: targeting your audience & continuing research.

My business is a business that is constantly evolving and changing. When one is so passionate about a business, one can easily get distracted and stubborn and lose sight that the business is ultimately for the customer and not for the founder! So targeting your audience can never be forgotten and within my marketing plan, I have made sure to never lose sight of not only my vision but the vision of my audience and what they want out of my company and brand. Aside from targeting my audience, my business is all about research and constant research. It is all about changing the percussion industry and the percussion industry is changing on a daily basis. So for my business in particular, continuing research means finding more efficient ways to make my product as well as ultimately creating a more durable drumstick that creates new genres and styles of percussion.

If you take a look at my business plan, you can see that I am very conservative. You can see that I am not necessarily a risk taker right off the bat because I am a perfectionist. I am such a perfectionist that I know that my company and brand must grow slowly because in the percussion industry the only thing that matters is quality and nothing else. My business slowly grows and doesn’t take any loopholes because I will never sacrifice quality. Continuing constant research is my plan because I know by continuing that work, I will one day change the percussion industry forever. Thanks for reading!

Dr. Steve Gedeon & Angelo Meneguzzi

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 01:55:00 +0000

Drum Roll Please…This week I will be talking about business plans. Yes you heard me correctly, business plans. The cool thing about business plans is the passion that lies behind the idea. I believe that it’s the passion followed by the numbers that sell an idea. But, let’s look into what two experts have to say about business plans.

Dr. Steve Gedeon was the 1^st place prizewinner of the 3E Learning Award for his workshop Investment Negotiation, as well as a professor in Entrepreneurship & Strategy at the Ted Rogers School of Management. I looked into what Dr. Gedeon had to say about business plans because he highlights the easy things people tend to forget about when working on their business plans. He focuses on two simple questions, what is the business and whom are you selling to. It is easy to over complicate a simple idea. It is also very simple to forget to target your audience. Targeting the right audience is crucial because the efficiency of your business solely depends on that. However, one thing that he indicates as being one of the most important things is the executive summary. Like I said, passion behind the idea sells the business. Looks like Dr. Gedeon and I are in the same boat. He says the executive summary is important because that is what makes you credible as an entrepreneur and worthy of an investment. Aside from Dr. Gedeon, I would also like to share someone else’s insight.

Another expert on business plans is Angelo Meneguzzi. Angelo Meneguzzi has more than 10 years of experience as a professional in the entrepreneurial world. He talks about how continuing research is so crucial to business plans. In other words, just because you finish up the actual document does not mean research comes to a halt. I think that is important. No research is a waste of time in my eyes. You can learn how to be more efficient through more research and the more you research the more accurate your forecasts and audience will be.

I hope you enjoyed my post on business plans. Till next time.

Risen Drums Getting Popular!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:55:00 +0000

Drum Roll Please…this week I am going to talk about one of my favorite percussion companies, Risen Drums. Risen Drums has come a long way from the last time that I spoke with founder, Keith Anderson. About two years ago when I was in my Introduction to Management class at Full Sail University, I had to interview a manager for a presentation assignment. I chose Keith Anderson because of the passion that he has for his company and for percussion.

Our conversation began with me saying how much I appreciated the brand, Risen Drums, and how more people should be aware of this company. I asked him about their marketing efforts and his response was that they relied on word of mouth for the most part. He didn’t want to force growth on the company because business was good. Therefore, no marketing efforts were really displayed by Risen Drums. However, there has been significant change.

Steve Goold purchased a masterpiece from Risen Drums, the Glo Kit. It’s a white acrylic kit that changes colors due to the LED lighting system within the drum set.

The kit is now on tour with Owl City because Steve was hired as their drummer for the tour. This is why Risen Drums has had to open up a second shop in Minnesota due to more orders. The kit has been on the Tonight Show as well! This is all new for Risen Drums. I wish I could ask Keith as to whether or not he ever saw this coming. Due to this masterpiece, traffic to their website and brand awareness has increased significantly.

The brand has become a lot more recognizable. Their social media accounts are more active and interactive. Their Instagram is always being updated with their unique designs. Risen Drum’sFacebook account pushes out a lot of status updates that interact with those that like the page and their YouTube account has some new videos. However before all of that involvement, something happened that hinted the company to interact more with the world and push their brand out to the masses and that something was Steve Goold. Aside from their social media accounts, their company blog has also been used to push out some amazing company news and updates. They have become more recognizable in the custom drums industry and therefor are easy to find through search engines.

Check out Risen Drums! I promise you are in for a treat!

Digital Marketing in the Percussion Industry

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 03:21:00 +0000

Drum Roll Please…This week I am going to talk about different percussion companies that are doing interesting things when it comes to digital marketing. So let’s get started. Recently the NAMM show was held in LA. This is one of the biggest music industry expos in the world where every music company brings their “A” game.

Companies like Vic Firth and Vater Percussion use those that they sponsor to their advantage. You have several artists making YouTube videos to share their experiences at the show with the world. This is great because not only do the brands become more recognizable but also viewers get a chance to see certain artists that are associated with certain brands. For example, Vater Percussion sponsors Adventure Drums. His channel is dedicated to teaching drums in a fun quirky way. He has two different videos from NAMM with two different characters that he uses on his channel.

Aside from that, artists sponsored by Vic Firth were at the booth talking with consumers and other industry professionals representing the company and sharing their own updates as well as the company’s updates.

NAMM is a place where the public can only become aware of what is going on through digital media. Whether it is Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, NAMM’s official site or other blogs and websites, digital media and marketing was the only way to let the public know about the latest in the music industry when it came to sharing the news about NAMM.

Another example of digital marketing can be found in custom drum companies such as SJCCustom Drums. SJC built certain kits to display at NAMM for the world to see. The trick was that through social media and digital marketing they were able to sell those custom kits so quickly. People hopped on them right away because they knew that these kits weren’t just any SJC but they were special because they were specifically made to display at NAMM and show off their “A” game.

It is safe to safe that these days digital marketing is the primary way to reach percussion consumers because it is the easiest way to reach so many of them at once. Those passionate about percussionist know where to find the latest news and let me tell you it is all through digital media! Thanks for reading!

The Drumstick Industry and the Law

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 13:20:00 +0000

Drum Roll Please...This post is centered on the drumstick industry and the law. After tenuous research, I have come to find that drumstick companies haven’t created any buzz whatsoever when it comes to legal issues. I have researched such legal issues as trademark infringement, product liability, or contract infringement. It’s pretty funny how companies like VicFirth, Regal Tip, Pro Mark, Zildjian and others have avoided legal issues through the power of protecting their brands and product line.

This month, I have been learning about Entertainment Law. The first week’s lecture was based around terminology, liabilities, and contracts. One of the topics discussed was product liability. Companies usually protect themselves by putting warnings and disclaimers on their products. I own a fresh pair of “?uestlove” Signature Series Vic Firth Sticks which are still within the packaging; however, it does not contain any warning or disclaimer. I also have a pair of Regal Tip Brushes still with the packaging and have also found it does not contain any warning label or disclaimer on the packaging. This stirs my curiosity.

After having played drums for almost 5 years, I have encountered certain issues when playing with any pair of drumsticks. These issues include the obvious breaking of the sticks, as well as blisters and calluses on my hands. The blisters have been caused by improperly holding the sticks. However, I wonder can the company still be held liable by the percussionist if the drumsticks are not identified with a disclaimer reflecting, WARNING: This product may cause blisters, splinters, and any other wood related injuries. Beware of the sticks breaking while being used. I can also recognize liability when it comes to children using the product. Putting an age limit would help protect the company if a child were to hurt themselves using their product. I guess it goes to show that when it comes to these products such as drumsticks, mallets, brushes, hot rods etc. a warning is not necessary (I am currently laughing).

My research leads me to conclude that no one has poked their eye out with a drumstick yet, therefore, these companies have been safe from lawsuits. Looking forward into my future I definitely plan to legally protect myself a little bit better than these companies when it comes to liability. Thanks for reading and as always keep on drumming.

(The click-through links provided are click through links to the warranties and disclaimers for use of their websites for the companies listed above)

Ludwig's Vistalite History

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 21:07:00 +0000

Drum Roll Please…. This week I want to talk about acrylic drum sets. I have always been obsessed with the look of an acrylic kit. However, I never actually researched how acrylic drum sets came to be. So let me tell you a story about Ludwig.

When I think of Ludwig, the first thing that comes to mind is a beginner’s kit. When I went to Sam Ash to do some research on different drum sets, Ludwigs always seemed to me as a good beginner’s kit. However, I never knew that it was Ludwig that created the first acrylic drum sets in 1972. The notorious drummer that made these beautiful pieces of art so famous was John Bonham of Led Zeppelin. Although acrylic kits sold like hot cakes, those at Ludwig still had many kinks to work out because acrylic kits, in the 70s, failed to maintain shell integrity. The acrylic would crack and tear, due to retuning and tightening of drumheads. Despite the challenges, Ludwig persevered and in 2001 they launched newly modified Vistalite kits.

Ludwig’s Vistalite kits now deliver a tone that is pure with a round tone. They sound as if they are just in full attack mode when being struck. The shells are now fully stabilized due to dual reinforced seams. On stage these kits make a statement that’s for sure! It is because of Ludwig’s perseverance that acrylic drum sets are now made by other companies such as RCI Starlite, Acrylic Drums Heaven, Risen Drums, DDrum and many more. One day, I will rock an acrylic kit of my own, but for now give a shout out to Ludwig for their endless effort in changing the world of percussion.

Risen Drums

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 22:49:00 +0000

Drum Roll Please…This week I want to feature a company that truly motivates me to play percussion. I stumbled upon this company about 3 years ago when I was just searching on Google for custom drums. There are many companies that have saturated the custom drum market, as well as many go-to companies because of the awesome branding and marketing they have done. However, this one company caught my eye, Risen Drums.

When I entered the Risen Drum website, there was already something different about it. Not only is the site kind to the eye, but it is also easy for anyone to learn what Risen Drums is all about. On the intro page, there is a video where founder, Keith Anderson, talks about the brand and his passion.

So what is Risen Drums all about? The brand is centered on passion and God. Keith is so passionate about drums that he figured why not make them himself. I had the opportunity to interview Keith about one year and a half ago. During the interview, he spoke about how he just dove into the deep end when it came to learning how to build drums. He kept swimming deeper and deeper to find the uniqueness he so desired and he found it in the venting process. Every drum has holes built around it to allow the air to escape when a drum is hit. Risen Drums does it differently. So differently, that it is one of their trade secrets and it is partly what makes these unique drums a Risen Drum.

Aside from the venting process, the company itself is a family. You, as a consumer, become a part of the family when you purchase a Risen Drum. Becoming a part of this family comes with its perks, such as life time warranty and unlimited networking opportunities. The company holds percussion events such as their recent event, The Drumset and the Kingdom, which involved percussionists playing for a much bigger purpose than just to play.

So at the end of the day, how can you not fall in love with Risen Drums? The branding is there, the quality is there, the uniqueness is there, and most importantly the family is there. I want to give a shout out to Keith Anderson for being a true inspiration in my percussion career. Thanks for creating such an awesome company!

Self-Taught Success Feat. Cobus Potgieter & Luke Holland

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:19:00 +0000

Drum Roll Please...What’s the difference between teaching yourself how to do something and having someone else teach you? Well, to me there is a significant difference. You see I am a self-taught drummer and I am glad I have taught myself how to play. The reason is because I believe learning on your own is what drives passion. Some people need to teach themselves how to do certain things because when it comes to that one thing they don’t want someone holding them accountable for it. They want to hold themselves accountable. I fell in love with drums and have been further developing my skills slowly. It all comes with time! However, I have a couple of people I look up to as a reference of what I want to be able to do one day! Something that my mom always says is “no matter how old you are you will never stop learning”. With that said, I am going to introduce to you two drummers I follow on a constant basis.

Cobus Potgieter

This is a self-taught drummer all the way from South Africa. He influences me due to his outlook on learning percussion. He always wants to learn something new about percussion. He has a hunger for just wanting to dig deeper into something he loves. Aside from his hunger, you can always see the passion he has to play drums in every one of his videos. He is just so thrilled sitting on that throne! I know Cobus would directly agree with my mom’s quote because he is always learning something new everyday from either other percussionists or himself. It is that desire to learn more that has brought him so much success, such as his own instructional DVD which is all about learning how to play drums by ear and learning all of his techniques! He has his own documentary and has raised tons of money on Kickstarter from all of his supporters in order to record his own album with other artists around the world! This guy leaves me speechless with his passion and drive!

Luke Holland

What I love about Luke Holland is his technicality! This guy started teaching himself how to play drums at age 10 and has become a monster behind the drum set. What this guy has to offer is so much technique and complex fills that leave your mind blown! At the age of 18, Luke already accrued over 10 million views on his YouTube account. This guy’s success through YouTube opened the door to his professional percussion career. In 2010, Luke was asked personally by Adam Grey of Texas in July to fill in for him at on of their shows. He is now touring the globe with The Word Alive and has many more opportunities ahead of him! Luke Holland shows me that dedication and love for something can drive you to wherever you want to go! Luke and Cobus are the same in that area. They both wanted something more from drums. That more was sharing their talent with others.

These two percussionists are amazing at what they do! Their hearts for music and drumming are in the right place. They continue to inspire many percussionists through constant interaction on social media. They are a clear example of how far passion can take you. They display, through their skills, how so much love for something can take you wherever you want to go!

Brad Davis & Adventure Drums

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 17:16:00 +0000

Drum Roll Please…this week I bring to you Brad Davis and his company, Adventure Drums. First off, I would like to say that Brad is one interesting character! It’s the fact that he is silly, creative, loud, and awkward that attracts me to his videos and company. Brad’s 20 years as a musician has given him enough background to be able to communicate to several audiences in a fun, new, and quirky way.

Brad Davis started out as a slap-bass player and likes to say that he “has always been interested in playing for the song instead of totally shredding and melting peoples’ faces.” He’s played with the band Reeve Oliver, where he spent most of his career and has also worked with producers, such as Howard Benson and Neal Avron. Howard Benson has worked with acts such as P.O.D., My Chemical Romance, and Hoobastank. Neal Avron is credited with working with Yellowcard, Fall Out Boy, Linkin Park, and others. Aside from his musical career, Brad has become passionate about sharing his abilities and career experiences with those who are willing to watch and listen.

That is why Adventure Drums was started. It was started so that Brad can change the industry he loves so much by teaching drums through funny faces and flare. There are some instructional videos, where he associates names with certain rudiments and fills such as “bucket-o-fish”, “chicken taco”, and “pea soup” (). Aside from his creative fill naming skills, he also loves to make funny awkward faces when he plays to his drum covers. Did I mention he loves to dress up too? All in all, Brad Davis is a unique percussionist. He truly makes playing and learning percussion fun and exciting! I remember I tweeted him once saying “the faces he makes when he plays drums is always a Kodak moment”. He responded, “You should see the faces my feet make!” So there you have it, Brad Davis and Adventure Drums. Go check out his videos and maybe buy a t-shirt!

The Percussion Arts Society

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 21:59:00 +0000

Drum Roll Please…This week’s post is all about PAS, the Percussive Arts Society. As percussionists we have to be aware of certain organizations that exist to teach us about an industry we are so passionate about. PAS is an organization with over 7,000 members and 50 chapters located across the United States with another 28 international chapters. Our industry is filled with passionate drummers. We just have to network with them; but, first let’s learn a little about PAS.

PAS is located in Indianapolis. They host one of the biggest percussion conventions, the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. This convention hosts the top names in the world of percussion. PAS is all about promoting percussion, education, research and performances. However, how does PAS relate to what I have in store for the industry that I am so passionate about?

Well, The Percussive Arts Society has many things to offer. The most important thing that PAS has to offer is its network. The network that PAS has built up is what all of us percussionists should be taking advantage of. One particular theme in most of my posts is, impact the industry you are most passionate about. I love drums, but in order to leave my mark I must find those that can help me make my impression. Aside from its network, PAS can also help you further develop your talent through the clinics it offers. If we want to change something about what we love, we must be fluent in the language of percussion. The only way to be fluent is to be educated and to practice!

PAS is an organization creating a future for drummers across the world. Head on over to pas.org and check out more information! You will be impressed as to the opportunities this organization can create for you! Do what you love! Keep on drumming!

Mark Applebaum Gone Mad!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 21:29:00 +0000

Drum Roll Please...allow me to introduce the “Mad Scientist of Music” Mark Applebaum. Mark Applebaum breaks the rules when it comes to music. It is his questions and boredom that drives him to surpass the boundaries that people such as Beethoven and Bach placed before him. That is the area where I can personally relate to Mark, as I want to become the “Mad Scientist of Drumsticks”. I want to be able to break the boundaries of drumsticks like Ahead did with their carbon fiber drumsticks or like Vic Firth did with different tip designs. I have many questions, all which still have yet to be answered as my research continually progresses. But what surprised me most about Mark is his boredom with music. How can that be?

Mark Applebaum is so bored with music he went out and created his own instrument out of junk. That is the kind of character that I truly admire. Common themes in most of my posts have been about people who find a problem with what they love and decide to do something about it. Boredom drove Mark to change something about what he loved most. In his TED talk he played a Beethoven piece and amazed the crowd. He followed their applause by saying that it is a boring piece. That made me laugh however, he did have a valid point. Sometimes we fall so in love with our passion that we can run dry of our passion at some point. This is where change is necessary. This is when questions need to be asked. This is the point where innovation is created.

Mark Applebaum took his boredom and innovated an instrument. The instrument was complex in its design and was not aesthetically pleasing however; it did its job, which was to create music. At one point Mark asks the audience “Is this music?” Everyone has his or her own opinion on what is music but the real question lies in accepting the other side’s argument. All in all, watching Mark satisfying his boredom has driven me to accept others view on what music is to them, for music is art at the end of the day. Not only that but to continue to push forward while asking questions about what I love most, drums, drumsticks, cymbals, drumheads etc. Lastly, Mark displays leadership through innovation. Change something about what you love, lead the way and make an impact! Keep on drumming!

The Blue Man Group

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 18:36:00 +0000

I personally feel that percussionists are always trying to make some sort of new sound. Well this past week I had the pleasure of being able to experience percussion unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I was able to watch The Blue Man Group. The Blue Man Group is a group of three percussionists who have innovated the world of percussion and sound design by creating rhythms and melodies while using unique things. So what is The Blue Man Group all about?

Chris Wink, Phil Stanton & Matt Goldman, founded the Blue Man Group. The Blue Man Group is very unique in their branding and creation concept. The Blue Men are bald because Chris, Phil & Matt wanted to create a character that was “exposed and stripped down”. They wanted to get “below the cultural mask”. These three were fans of Butoh dancers from Japan. These dancers were bald and covered themselves in a grey powder. They felt that their baldness added a sense of vulnerability and emotional nakedness. Another influence behind the creation of The Blue Men was the Silver Surfer. The Silver Surfer is also bald but the founders felt as if the baldness meant something completely opposite from that of the Butoh dancers. In the Silver Surfer’s case the baldness contributed to his persona of a superhero. So all in all the founders believe that The Blue Men’s baldness gives off a sense of emotional nakedness, vulnerability and a superhero’s persona simultaneously. However, the amount of Blue Men, three, was not planned and the color blue ‘just felt right”. Next is the Blue Men’s origins, where are these guys from? Well the founders did not want them to be aliens but instead characters coming to life from a painting. However, that idea was scratched and instead they left that part of the story out. They left it to the audience’s imagination. That’s some insight on the Blue Man Group and its inception but now allow me to talk about my experience.

I was blown away by how creative percussion can be. Yea I have heard of using PVC pipes and an instrument and oil barrels but cereal? That part of the show really captured my attention and ultimately made my night! To see that percussionists are going beyond to find new sounds and creative ones at that truly inspires me as a drummer. What I took away from the show was to never let go of what you love! If you love drums then find a new sound, different dynamic, different wood, different style or different way of doing something! All in all be creative, be unique and bang away!

dB DrumShoes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 15:23:00 +0000

Drum Roll Please...this week’s post is all about dB Drumshoes. Yup that’s right I said it, “DrumShoes”. Shoes specifically designed for drummers. The crazy thing about drummers is that I personally know many that love playing without shoes. However, most of us can be a bit hardheaded because even though we cut ourselves up many if us still don’t wear shoes while we play. So some may ask well why do drummers like to play drums barefoot? Well some feedback that I have received has been that they can’t feel the pedal when they play with shoes also that, it allows for easier and faster pedaling. For some shoes are too heavy so they resort to play without shoes. That is where dB got the idea to make shoes specifically designed for drummers from.

dB Drumshoes “Designed by a drummer for drummers!” This is another perfect example of a passionate percussionist finding an unmet need in a market and taking advantage of it! The Groove is a pair of mesh shoes that have a low-cut ankle with padding for your heel. It also has arch support on top of anti-microbial insole liner. It is also flexible on the outer sole, toe support and unique laces. These features are important because there are two different ways to play the bass drum with your foot, heel down or heel up. Another awesome thing about dB is that their shoes have been rocked by some pretty heavy names. Names include Sam Applebaum from Veil of Maya, Boone Daughdrill from The Band Perry, Matt Byrne from Hatebreed, Ben Harclerode from White Chapel, Chris Adler from Lamb of God, Chicago’s Tris Imboden and Cannibal Corpse’s Paul Mazurkiewicz. What a lineup of artists that have tested these shoes out!

As I keep stumbling across these innovative companies, I ask myself what will I find next or better yet who will I find next that decides to change and impact an industry that they truly love. The percussion industry is an industry all about making and creating sound. These days nothing sounds the same anymore and something can always be changed about the way one thing sounds. For a drummer there is always an adventure and a mission. That is what I love about this industry so much!

Soultone Cymbals

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 03:04:00 +0000

Drum Roll please…for this week's post I will be introducing a company I came across on Twitter. As a percussionist, I find that I am overwhelmed with seeing big brands such as Zildjian, Vic Firth, Tama, etc. I also find that I want to know more about companies that are hidden throughout this awesome industry. As a business graduate and current grad student, finding out the motivation, stories, and inception behind new companies intrigues me. This is where Soultone Cymbals come into play.

Iki Levy founded Soultone Cymbals in 2003. Iki Levy is a percussionist that has worked with several names in the industry. He has worked with acts from Paula Abdul & Donna Summers, to the High School Musical Cast and O-Town. Iki had this to say "I wanted to use the best products possible, and I had the opportunities, but I was not happy with anything those companies were producing". Now, that is what I'm talking about! A percussionist that says he wants to change what makes him unhappy so that he can make a difference in an industry that he is passionate about is something to truly admire. So what makes Soultone Cymbals unique enough? Well let me tell you!

Soultone Cymbals are hand-hammered cymbals in Turkey. The company is meticulous about their product and strives to bring only the best to their customers. When their cymbals are imported to the US, the cymbals are then handpicked and sorted into matching sets. Iki says, “The blend of the metals we use is our own process that employs a balance of proper weight and tone properties. This creates the real difference between Soultone Cymbals and any other brand”. So far, what I love about Soultone is that they are telling you, the consumer, why you should buy their product and why you should give them a chance. Soultone Cymbals also offer both traditional and modern sounds with less strenuous effort, more control, and of course a sound that pushes the drummer to keep jamming! So how much more unique can Soultone possibly get, well their touch and feel of their cymbals have a more responsive bounce to the stick which allows for improved precision without losing the dynamics.

So take a chance and check out Soultone! They deserve it. I love companies that take the time to answer questions, reach out to consumers and teach them about what they stand for, their mission, and ultimately their story!

Introduction. Thumb Thang & CCP

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 23:50:00 +0000

First off I would like to introduce myself. I am Daniel Botana, a passionate percussionist who has taught himself for the past 5 years. As a percussionist, I find myself in a world filled with many questions about this industry that I am so passionate about. These questions range from why consumers should represent certain brands, to what makes these companies different from one another, and what is so unique about each one. That is what this blog is all about. This blog is meant to bring information to you, the reader, surrounding the latest of the latest in the percussion industry and why you as a consumer should represent certain brands in the industry. A quick side note, to keep up to date with quick information head on over to twitter.com and follow @BotanaDrums.

Recently, through my Twitter account, I was able to find out about a new innovated product, the Thumb Thang, and a custom drum company, Chicago Custom Percussion (CCP).
The Thumb Thang was created by Ed Bettinelli to add texture and sound to what a drummer is playing. The Thumb Thang is a hands free shaker that is attached to your thumb via a Velcro strap. The average drummer may be wondering if this product causes strain on your hand while playing. The Thumb Thang does not cause any strain. According to their product description, this is due to its design and engineering. This product won’t affect your mobility or handiness. Its balance comes from three different chambers filled with different sized beads, which give this shaker its unique sound and texture. To keep up with Thumb Thang, follow their account on twitter @ThumbThang!

Let’s move on to the next exciting piece of research, Chicago Custom Percussion (CCP). One question that has been rolling through my mind is what makes custom drum shops unique from one another. I connected with the owner, Tony Gulli, of CCP via twitter. I then emailed him a whole bunch of questions as to why percussionists should go to them to get their custom drums and what distinguishes them from the rest. CCP distinguishes themselves from the kind of shell they make their drums with. They give the customer full power over the kind of shell they want. In other words, what the customer wants the customer gets. CCP distinguishes themselves through their customer service and experience. Their customers are their family. “We give one on one attention before, during, and after an order…for the normal drummer, who might not be an artist, I personally check in on them from time to time. I’ll still email people who bought a drum from CCP five years ago.” This is exactly what I am looking for. Prove to me why I should go to you and buy your drums. Percussionists should look to CCP for not only a great kit made to their exact specs, but also to become part of a family that will truly take care of them! For more information on CCP, follow them on twitter @CCPercussion.