Drummers on Drumming

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

This week on The Drum Panel, I’m joined by my co-host Eric Urrea, an independent drummer from Chicago who plays with Marina City and La Armada, and Steve Durham, who is new to The Drum Panel but returning from Big Fat Five.

Steve has worked with artists like Louis Tomlinson, Mumford & Sons, Foals, Wolf Alice, Aurora and a bunch of others. But the reason I wanted him in this conversation is because we’d recently been talking about that voice in your head when you’re playing. The one that judges your ideas before they even come out.

So that became the jumping-off point.

We got into the inner critic, why creativity can feel scary when there’s no structure, what changes when you stop trying so hard, how tension shows up in your body, playing to a click without becoming stiff, and whether being in a band is still worth it.

It’s a good one. Very Drum Panel.

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🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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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What is up? Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This week I’m re-airing a classic Big Fat Five episode with Tosh Peterson.

Long before playing with Lady Gaga and Alkaline Trio, Tosh sat down with me to break down the records, mentors, and moments that shaped his drumming voice. We talk about discovering Thomas Pridgen at 10 years old, learning how to command a stage from Tommy Lee, what Snoop grooves taught him about making people move, and the lessons he learned touring with Nick West at just 16 years old.

Inside this episode:

Meeting Thomas Pridgen for the first time and eventually studying with him for years

Why groove and making people dance mattered more than playing perfectly

Learning confidence, leadership, and stage presence on tour with Nick West

Tommy Lee, pyrotechnics, and why Tosh believes drummers should steal the spotlight

The influence of Tosh’s dad and the roots of his playing style

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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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What is up?

Ben here.

Another Drum Panel this week powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.

This one’s with Eric Urrea and E-MAN. We got into studio vs live drumming, why some players obsess over the grid, and whether modern editing has actually made people more musical…or just safer.

E-Man had a great point about how at a certain level, everybody can already play close to the click. What actually separates people is sound. The way the drums feel in the room. The way the snare reacts in the verse versus the chorus. The weird little details that actually make a performance feel human.

We also talked about:

Why a little ugliness in drumming can actually make things feel better

Punching in takes vs forcing full performances

The reality that basically everybody is getting “fixed” in modern recordings

The one cymbal E-MAN would steal from jazz history if he could

Goosebumps moments from Nicole Scherzinger, Blink-182, and Dagny

Whether any of us ever really stop trying to sound like our heroes

Kenny Aronoff’s weird tom setup and the chaos of panning it in the studio

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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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Ben here.

On this week’s episode of Drummers on Drumming (powered by Big Fat Snare Drum), we’re back with another round of The Drum Panel.

Joining me:

Gunnar Olsen:
Currently out with Puscifer

Eric Urrea:
One of my favorite drummers to talk shop with because he somehow makes existential drum conversations feel practical.

This episode starts with Gunnar talking about completely losing the plot during a fill in 5… accidentally playing it in 6… then having to find his way back into the song in real time while thousands of people watched.

From there, things spiraled beautifully.

We talked about:

Why messing up live might actually make a show feel more human

The weird pressure of trying not to visibly “count” on stage when you’re hearing a click track

The difference between “giving” a great show and actually having a great show

Whether your real musical voice only shows up when you’re alone

The strange mental game of joining an established artist and figuring out how much of “you” should show up in the parts

Why some of the best gigs happen when nobody notices the drummer at all

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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

I’m Ben Hilzinger, and this is another segment of The Drum Panel.

Joining me:

Jessica Burdeaux (@jburdsbeats)
Touring drummer (Covet, City Mouth) and content creator balancing real-world gigs with online presence.

George Martinez (@skinnygeorge)
Former full-time studio drummer turned educator, content creator, and all-around thoughtful voice on longevity.

In this episode:

“It’s complicated” — how your relationship with drums changes over time

The weird shift from loving music more than drumming itself

Why chasing constant growth can actually burn you out

Letting students (or bandmates) make their own mistakes

The difference between chaos on tour vs. stability later in life

Content creation vs. real life: what actually matters

The pressure of the algorithm and why it messes with your head

Posting what you should vs. posting what’s actually real

Why documenting your own growth beats chasing views

The moment Instagram stopped making sense for everyone

Touring, playing live, and why that still beats the internet

The balance between being a musician and being a human

Saying no to gigs, content, or work that drains you

Why stepping away actually makes you better when you come back

The quiet insecurity of band feedback (trash can endings, anyone?)

Being your own worst critic… and why that never really goes away

What each of us is secretly proud of in our playing right now

Groove, touch, and making simple parts feel really good

Being easy to work with vs. being flashy

Why feel, energy, and stage presence still get you hired

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices