For those of you who frequent this little percussive corner of the interwebs, you might recall a post I put up last year about a charity event called The Big Beat. This event gathers drummers in several cities throughout the country to play the same groove at the same time. It’s a simple concept, but very cool and extremely fun. And most importantly the event raises money for a cause that should be near and dear to every musician’s heart:  The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, a non-profit organization that donates musical instruments to underserved schools, community music programs and individual students nationwide.

The biggest difference from last year is that The Big Beat is rumbling into St. Louis this year! Our local Five-Star drum shop, Drum Headquarters, along with ten other shops around the country, will coordinate The Big Beat on Sunday, November 1st. The event will take place at the Family Arena is St. Charles, MO.

The festivities will kick off at 11:00 AM and there will be a ton of fun activities in which to participate throughout the day, including live music, opportunities for all participants to play along with a band at the same time, plus raffles and giveaways of more that $12,000.00 worth of percussion gear from some of the industry’s best-known manufacturers. Also, one lucky attendee in one of the eleven cities will win a kick drum head with the Rush “Snakes & Arrows” artwork and autographed by Neil Peart. Nice!

The day will reach its summit at 4:45 PM CDT when all the drummers in each of the eleven participating cities begin playing the same beat in unison at exactly the same time. This will be coordinated via streaming Internet video with each local conductor following the primary conductor who will be in Seattle. This will be the largest collection of drummers ever assembled to play in unison like this, so you’ll want to be there!

What’s more, the event is open to everyone:  Experienced, novice and non-players alike. Even if you’ve never played drums before, you can register for the Big Beat, bring a hand drum and participate in the event from the seats of the Family Arena.

Here is the complete schedule for the day:

• 11:00am: Drum Set check-in / load-in opens at the loading dock entrance at the rear of the Family Arena. Raffle table opens.
• 12:00pm: Take part in the Big Beat Band sound check. The first raffle drawing follows the sound check. World’s Fastest Drummer competition opens.
• 12:30pm: Play along with the Big Beat Band, followed by raffle drawings.
• 1:30pm: Play along with the Big Beat Band, Drum Set Big Beat rehearsal, followed by raffle drawings.
• 2:00pm: Hand Percussion check-in opens in the front lobby of the Family Arena.
• 2:30pm: Play along with the Big Beat Band, followed by raffle drawings and fundraising awards presentation.
• 3:00pm: Hand Percussion Big Beat rehearsal.
• 3:30pm: Drum Set / Hand Percussion Big Beat rehearsal. World’s Fastest Drummer competition closes.
• 4:00pm: Final raffle drawings and World’s Fastest Drummer awards presentation.
• 4:45pm: Perform the Big Beat with over 1200 drummers in 11 cities in the world’s largest multi-city drum set event via an internet video connection.
• 5:00pm: The Big Beat STL 2009 comes to a close. Tear down and load out.
• The schedule of events can change without notice. Watch DrumHeadquarters.com and your email inbox for updates

How do you register? It’s easy. You can register online today by visiting the Drum Headquarters online store or download the registration form and drop it off with your $10 registration fee at Drum Headquarters in Maplewood, MO.

If you’re not interested in attending The Big Beat but would like to make a donation to the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, you can make it via a FirstGiving web site setup for this event.

The Big Beat St. Louis is presented by Drum Headquarters, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Five-Star Drum Shops. Other sponsors include DW Drums, Sabian, Mapex, Pro-Mark, Istanbul Cymbals, Regal Tip, Direct Sound Extreme Isolation Headphones, Dream Cymbals and Gongs, Computer Solutions, Shirts Anytime and Whitney Design Works.

If you have any questions about the event, be sure to check out these great FAQs, or you can contact me or Jim Uding and the crew at Drum Headquarters.

As far as drumming events go, it doesn’t get more fun or more impactful than The Big Beat. Rather than spending a Sunday afternoon lying around watching football, why not spend $10 and come hang out with your fellow drummers, do some playing, win some cool gear and make a difference for young musicians all over the country.

Wow, where does the time go?

One weekend last summer, while sitting around banging away on my practice pad, I discovered something about playing about which I thought it would be cool to write an article and share with my drumming brethren. But alas, I’m not a writer for Modern Drummer, nor had I received any invitations from other popular online drumming forums to contribute.

So I decided to start DrummBlog.com, and today it turns one.

I’d like to thank all of you who faithfully read my posts here and for all the great feedback you’ve given me over the past three hundred sixty-five days. I’ve enjoyed our conversations and the new contacts I’ve made along the way. It has been fantastic trading information and ideas about playing with you and I’m looking forward to another year of the same.

To celebrate, I’m happy to present, for the first time anywhere, the new DrummBlog logo. It will adorn the site from this day forward.

As I’ve said all along, I consider this an interactive forum, so please feel free to send ideas and suggestions along via the comments section or the email link above. I’m always glad to hear from you and will incorporate your ideas into the site whenever possible.

Again, thanks for reading.

The astounding Ronald Bruner Jr. will be appearing live on DrumChannel.com on Thursday, June 25th at 8:00 PM CDT. As if that wasn’t enough, Bruner will be chatting with some of his drumming idols:  Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Will Kennedy, Terry Bozzio and his father, Ronald Brunner Sr.

In addition, Brunner will also be performing with The Bruner Brothers during the broadcast.

If you have questions of anyone on the broadcast, be sure to tune into DC Chat during the show.

What last week’s conversation with Neal Peart, Terry Bozzio and Doane Perry was for prog rock drumming, this live event will be for jazz drumming. Be sure to check it out.

This coming Thursday, June 18th, drummers around the world will have the opportunity to see a live interview with three legendary percussionists.

Neil Peart, Terry Bozzio and Doane Perry will give a live interview at 8:00 PM CDT Thursday evening on DrumChannel.com. Details on the broadcast are sketchy at this point, but with a lineup like that, it’s sure to no be boring.

Don’t miss it.

As I mentioned in my post last week, the Zildjian on Tour event came into St. Louis yesterday. It was held at Drum Headquarters in Maplewood and Jim Uding and his team did a great job putting it together.

Craigie Zildjian

As I walked in the door of Drum HQ, I was greeted by CEO Craigie Zildjian. I stopped and chatted with her briefly about the how the tour had been going and the previous day’s stop at Explorers Percussion in Kansas City, Missouri.

Craigie joined Zildjian in 1976 and joined her father, Armand, and grandfather, Avedis III, in running the company, the first time in the company’s history when three generations of Zildjian’s were working together. She became Zildjian’s first female CEO in 1999. She sits on the Board of Directors of NAMM and the Board of Advisors for the International Association of Jazz Education.

I ordinarily don’t get too excited about meeting executives from hardware manufacturers, but this was actually an extremely cool opportunity. I’ve been playing Zildjian cymbals since I started playing in 1978. In fact, I still have a 16” crash cymbal on my kit that I bought from a graduating senior in high school in 1984 – it still sounds as good today as it did back then and is one of the reasons I still play only Zildjian cymbals. Meeting Craigie gave me not only the opportunity to share my great experience with her, but to also learn about some of the many prototypes that were on display at the event.

Steve Gorman

Standing near the front table with Craigie was Steve Gorman, drummer for The Black Crows. I’ve been listening to this cat’s playing for years and it was very cool to get the chance to meet him and talk drumming for a little while. Steve is a very cool and personable guy and I really enjoyed having the opportunity to talk with him in such an informal milieu.

Cymbal Prototypes

Zildjian brought about a dozen or so cymbal prototypes with them that were on display throughout Drum HQ for attendees to try out. The prototypes ran the gambit of styles and sizes and there were some pretty exciting innovations.

My favorite was a 24” thin ride cymbal. It was very dry, but had great overtones and wash. The most compelling feature of this cymbal was the pre-set rivets every couple inches around the circumference of the cymbal. This gave it a sound very reminiscent of Elvin Jones. This wouldn’t be the right cymbal for playing with Lake 32, but if I had a steady jazz gig, I would definitely be investing in this cymbal. There were also some outstanding heavy crash cymbals on display as well. I’m looking forward to seeing the final shipping versions of these cymbals!

What I Bought

Once the conversations were had and the pictures were taken, it was time for me to look around as all the Zildjian cymbals in the place were on sale. I’ve been wanting to purchase a Zil-Bel bell chime to use in a couple of Lake 32 songs. I’ve also wanted to add a heavier crash cymbal to my current kit. I’m currently playing a set of 16” crashes, including an A Custom Fast Crash and a K Custom Dark Crash. These are more appropriate for a classic rock kind of sound, but Lake 32’s sound is evolving into a heavier, modern sound and I need a crash that can double as a ride during the louder choruses.

I was considering the 18” A Custom Projection Crash when I was approached by one of the Zildjian reps working at the event. I told him what I was looking for and he suggested I try one of the A Custom Rezo Crashes. I hadn’t heard of this brand before and learned it’s the newest of the sub-brands under the A Custom series. We setup the 18” version of both the Projection and the Rezo on some stands and I hit both. The difference was subtle, but definitive. While the Projection Crash had solid, metallic sound, the Rezo displayed all the power of the Projection Crash but had a much better high end and a beautiful wash. And at just $200, it didn’t take long to make the buying decision on that.

I also purchased a 6” Zil-Bel, one of the only effects cymbals I have on my kit, and again, I got a great event price for it as well.

This was a great event and a hell of a way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon in St. Louis. Thanks and a big shout-out to Jim and the crew at Drum Headquarters for continuing to bring quality drumming events to our part of the country.

Jim Uding and the crew from Drum Headquarters in St. Louis will be hosting Zildjian on Tour this coming Sunday, June 7th from noon until 5:00 PM. This will be a phenomenal opportunity for your to:

• Meet company CEO Craigie Zildjian and other factory experts
• Play and buy one-of-a-kind Zildjian Sound Lab prototypes (these will be available only on the day of the event)
• Enjoy great prices on Zildjian cymbals, drums sticks and other accessories
• Get a free pair of sticks and a classic black t-shirt with the purchase of a Zildjian cymbal
• Register to win other great Zildjian prizes, including the nationwide grand prize:  A trip to the Zildjian factory
• Local rock station KSHE will be broadcasting live from the event from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

As if that wasn’t enough, you’ll have the opportunity to meet and chat with Zildjian artist Steve Gorman, drummer for the Black Crows who will be there from 12:30 to 3:30.

All in all, this will be a great afternoon. You get the chance to meet the people who make Zildjian cymbals, meet a famous drummer who plays them and even get the chance to walk away with some new hardware and a great price. Not doing anything on Sunday afternoon. I can think of worse ways to spend it.

And, just to wet your appetite, here’s a quick video of Steve Gorman in action. Check out these groove chops and tell me you don’t want to meet this guy.

A couple of months ago, I posted about the "Drum Your Way to Hollywood Contest" that Dixon Drums was sponsoring. Well, Dixon announced the winner about a week ago and I wanted to be sure to mention it here. The winner of a Dixon Demon drum kit and a trip to Hollywood, CA to play live Westlake Studios in front of an A&R panel is Lou Mars. Here's a video of Lou's winning performance at Herried Music in California:

Congratulation Lou on a job well done.

How would you like to get together with several thousand of your fellow drummers across the US to try and set a world record? You'll have your opportunity on November 2nd if you participate in The Big Beat.

Five-Star Drum Shops across the country are gathering drummers to set the world record for the most drummers playing the same beat simultaneously. The following Five-Star stores are participating and taking registrations for this event:

• Donn Bennett Drum Studio, Bellevue, WA - bennettdrums.com
• Buffalo Drum Outlet, Buffalo, NY - buffalodrumoutlet.com
• Columbus Percussion, Columbus, OH - columbuspercussion.com
• Resurrection Drums, Hollywood, FL - rezdrums.com
• The Percussion Center, Houston, TX - percussiononline.com
• Memphis Drum Shop, Memphis, TN - memphisdrumshop.com
• Just Drums, Toronto, ON - justdrums.com
• Drum World, Tulsa, OK - drumdaytulsa.com
• Stebal Drums, Willowick, OH - stebaldrums.com

Please be aware that, based on my visits to each of these sites, each location is managing their local event differently.

If you want to participate, your should register early to ensure that you get your bag-o-goodies. All participating drummers will have the opportunity to win cool prizes from some top drum manufacturers and one lucky winner will get a Ringo Starr autographed drumhead. So, if you live in one of the nine of the cities above, get out and register for The Big Beat today. If I did, I would.

I'll be playing with Lake 32 this coming Sunday, October 12th in support of a great charity event, Feed the Need. This event was organized by a local Pizza Hut restaurant to raise money in the battle against world hunger, a cause all of us in Lake 32 are proud to support.

This will be a full day of live music and fun (this event is family friendly, so please feel free to bring kids along). Here is the schedule for the day:

12:00 Noon: Oh, Falco!
1:00 PM: Sunday but Summer
2:00 PM: Becca Harper
3:00 PM: Fight! Fight! Fight!
4:00 PM: Darrel
5:00 PM: BAMF!
6:00 PM: Lake 32
7:00 PM: Cake Eater

The address for the venue is:

Elks Lodge
1163 Tom GinneverAve
O'Fallon, MO 63366

Map

Admission to the concert is free, but Feed the Need will be taking donations, so please consider making one to this very worthwhile organization.

See on Sunday!

I've mentioned before that I actually play drums for two local bands here in St. Louis: The Meteor Pilots and Lake 32. These two projects have always existed pretty much mutually exclusive from each other.

That will change this Saturday, August 23rd when both bands play back-to-back at the Race for the Rivers charity festival. This event features a canoe and kayak race down the Missouri River. All proceeds from the race and the festival go to the Greenway Network's clean water education, restoration and recreation projects to promote the conservation of the delicate river ecosystem.

Several local bands will be playing on the main stage in Frontier Park throughout the day. The music schedule for this Saturday is:

12:00 noon: Cake Eater

1:00 PM: Watching Judas

2:00 PM: Dancing Cadavers

3:00 PM: Marlow Honey

4:00 PM: Race for the Rivers Award Ceremony

5:00 PM: Meteor Pilots

6:00 PM: Lake 32

7:00 PM: Ken Kase Group

For a map and directions to Frontier Park in classic "old town" St. Charles, Missouri, click here.

There will also be local musicians playing acoustic sets in between the acts on the main stage.This will be a great day of local St. Louis music and a terrific opportunity to contribute to a great charity event as well. If you're in the area Saturday afternoon, be sure to come by and enjoy the festival.