Drumming and the body!

In this post, Kevan interviews Dan Aldworth, a Kinesiologist and RMT, specializing in sports injury and rehabilitation. This interview is almost an hour long…and could have gone for 3, easily!…which gives a great overview about the systems of the body and how it relates to the sport of Metal Drumming. This is a very serious topic, ESPECIALLY for Metal drummers, due to the stress and intensity with which we play! In this interview, Dan and Kevan talk about body mechanics, the importance of posture and alignment, warming up and cooling down, stretching, etc. Watch the interview HERE

Some pointers on Drum Tuning

Kevan sits down in “The Cage” with Brodie Riske, a drum product expert at Long & McQuade music stores, to give a basic overview of drum tuning. This tutorial is meant to be an introduction to the concepts in drum tuning, as well as some of the basics of choosing the correct heads for your own application. This video is intended to set you up to start experimenting on your own, with getting to know the character of your drums! This video is 35 minutes long.

Cymbal Discussion

We go in-store for this one, and talk with Product Specialist Brodie Riske (a.k.a. Gigantor! haha He’s 6’9″..without shoes!). There are SO many choices when it comes to cymbals…where do you begin?!? Hopefully this will help to answer some of those questions!

Kit Tour

There have been many requests for a “tour” of The Cage….so here you have it! We do a really in-depth explanation and walk-around of the monster kit and talk about all the gear, how the rack system and drums were built, as well as little tips and tricks to make your own setup more efficient, both in your playing and also when it comes to tear down and set-up for playing live.

Protect Your Ears!!!

This is DEFINITELY a rant! I have seen and played with waaaaaay too many musicians who don’t use hearing protection!?!?! Absolutely f@%$ing nuts, if you ask me!! We’re musicians!? Our ears are VITAL!!!! Some people don’t understand the importance. Some people don’t know what the options are. Some people don’t know the proper way to use it. Some people simply think it’s “not cool.” Oh?? But being f*@#ing deaf is?!?! I’ve talked to musicians in their 30′s and 40′s who have been playing music their whole lives…with no hearing protection…who now have to sleep with a fan on beside the bed just to drown out the ringing so that they can sleep!?!? Just like the reference in the article, they would compare the volume of the ringing in their ears to the volume of a vacuum!? Don’t be stupid, people!! This article was written in 1989, so some of the references are a little dated, but all the information is totally valid, and worth the read. It is HIGHLY recommended that you take a glance at it! View here!

Pedal Discussion

We go back in-store for this one, and talk with Product Specialist Brodie Riske, about kick pedals. While this discussion is not a “review” of various pedals (that will be coming soon!), we wanted to give a general overview of the choices offered by the major brands, and help to dispel some of the marketing myths.

Pedal setup for double kick playing- Starter.

Another in-store discussion about some general guidelines to help you set up and start experimenting with your kick pedals. A pre-cursor to the in-depth discussion we do in the 0-250 Kick Program on how to fine-tune your pedals for ultimate performance!