Drummers on Drumming

This week’s guest is Ben Satterlee…I know I say this a lot, but Ben is one of my favorite players right now and for good reason. Similarly to a previous guest, Madden Klass, I love Ben’s ability to wear two hats: a hard-hitting monster of a showman AND a nuanced, controlled pocket player … aaaaand he wears them quite well. We discuss how every gig from coffee shops to arenas has molded his unique playing style and hopefully you can walk away with a better understanding of how his priorities can sink into your practice. We also touch on a topic that I wish more people talked about; anxiety. I certainly deal with it on a daily basis and I am grateful that Ben was willing to open up about his past and the ways he dealt with professional hurdles. I hope this goes without saying, but please don’t ever hesitate to reach out to me via Big Fat Snare Drum or my personal account @benhilzinger. I’m always here to talk or listen. Support is out there guys. Anyways…enjoy the show!

Find out about all the Big Fat Snare Drum Products at www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram / Facebook/ Twitter.

This episode is also sponsored by Waves Audio. This podcast would take me soooo much longer to edit if it wasn't for the Waves Vocal Rider plugin. It "rides" the fader in real-time and keeps both my and my guest's audio at a consistent level without the need to overcompress. I also use an endless of amount of their plugins for my musical recordings such as Abbey Road Saturator, CLA Drums, the SSL Channel, and many more. We are an affiliate member of Waves and if you purchase any Waves plugin via the link below, you directly support the show and me. I love you.

To view the entire Waves Catalog:

https://waves.alzt.net/xYDXy

Podcast Artwork by Trevin Frame

This week’s guest is Erasmo "Wasmo" Huerta. Erasmo is a Big Fat Snare Drum artist and one hell of a drummer. While he was born and raised in Venezuela, he currently resides in Miami, Florida. He had reached out a few weeks back and wanted to chat about his views on the influence that music from America and the United Kingdom has had in the Latin drumming community. I’ll be the first to admit that I am pretty insecure over my lack of knowledge pertaining to Latin drumming and this definitely re-inspired me to dive deeper.

Find out about all the Big Fat Snare Drum Products at www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram / Facebook/ Twitter.

This episode is also sponsored by Waves Audio. This podcast would take me soooo much longer to edit if it wasn't for the Waves Vocal Rider plugin. It "rides" the fader in real-time and keeps both my and my guest's audio at a consistent level without the need to overcompress. I also use an endless of amount of their plugins for my musical recordings such as Abbey Road Saturator, CLA Drums, the SSL Channel, and many more. We are an affiliate member of Waves and if you purchase any Waves plugin via the link below, you directly support the show and me. I love you.

To view the entire Waves Catalog:

https://waves.alzt.net/xYDXy

Podcast Artwork by Trevin Frame

This week’s guest is Madden Klass and I've really been looking forward to this conversation. Madden is definitely one of my favorite players today and I wanted to get her on to discuss her ethos on technique, practicing, and just overall approach to how she prioritizes what she focuses on when it comes to becoming a better player. I have a feeling Madden is going to be on some very timeless and impactful records in the future and I was happy to be able to get a chance to chat. That being said, I almost didn’t release this episode because (in my first question, mind you) I said “in Long Island" instead of “on Long Island” and all my credibility was blown from the get-go…alas, I decided to move forward with putting it out…I guess its worth it in the long run. Or is it on the long run? Whatever. Enjoy the episode. Cheers.

Today's episode is brought to you by Clearsound Baffles. Clearsound Baffles are a transparent, acoustic shielding product that dampen loud instruments and significantly improve live sound. They dampen harsh, high-end frequencies, eliminate a huge amount of bleed into the open mics on stage, and they let your drum kit breathe the way it was meant to. So, keep your drums sounding great, keep your engineers happy, and keep the band vibing. Visit their website to check ‘em out and they have a discount code for our listeners. Enter "bigfatdiscount" at checkout to get 10% off.

Find out about all the Big Fat Snare Drum Products at www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram / Facebook/ Twitter.

This episode is also sponsored by Waves Audio. This podcast would take me soooo much longer to edit if it wasn't for the Waves Vocal Rider plugin. It "rides" the fader in real-time and keeps both my and my guest's audio at a consistent level without the need to overcompress. I also use an endless of amount of their plugins for my musical recordings such as Abbey Road Saturator, CLA Drums, the SSL Channel, and many more. We are an affiliate member of Waves and if you purchase any Waves plugin via the link below, you directly support the show and me. I love you.

To view the entire Waves Catalog:

https://waves.alzt.net/xYDXy

Podcast Artwork by Trevin Frame

Get to know the Big Fat Boyz. This week's episode is from an Instagram live Q&A featuring Kris and myself (Ben). Thank you sooooo much to everyone who participated and asked great questions. Be sure to follow @bigfatsnaredrum across all platforms to stay updated on everything Big and Fat and Snare Drummy.

Today's episode is brought to you by Clearsound Baffles. Clearsound Baffles are a transparent, acoustic shielding product that dampen loud instruments and significantly improve live sound. They dampen harsh, high-end frequencies, eliminate a huge amount of bleed into the open mics on stage, and they let your drum kit breathe the way it was meant to. So, keep your drums sounding great, keep your engineers happy, and keep the band vibing. Visit their website to check ‘em out and they have a discount code for our listeners. Enter "bigfatdiscount" at checkout to get 10% off.

Find out about all the Big Fat Snare Drum Products at www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram / Facebook/ Twitter.

This episode is also sponsored by Waves Audio. This podcast would take me soooo much longer to edit if it wasn't for the Waves Vocal Rider plugin. It "rides" the fader in real-time and keeps both my and my guest's audio at a consistent level without the need to overcompress. I also use an endless of amount of their plugins for my musical recordings such as Abbey Road Saturator, CLA Drums, the SSL Channel, and many more. We are an affiliate member of Waves and if you purchase any Waves plugin via the link below, you directly support the show and me. I love you.

To view the entire Waves Catalog:

https://waves.alzt.net/xYDXy

Podcast Artwork by Trevin Frame

Hello hello…my name is Ben Hilzinger and this is The Big Fat Snare Drum Podcast. This whole thing has been an experiment for me. Ultimately, I do want to bring more awareness to our brand by putting out more content with our name attached, but more importantly, I want to add value to you. I’m a full-time session / touring drummer in addition to working with Big Fat Snare Drum and basically all I do is think drums, but there’s still so much that I don’t know and I never wanted this podcast to imply that I am any sort of authority on most topics we’ve discussed. It’s actually quite the opposite. With each episode, I’ve thought of topics that I selfishly want to know more about and hope THAT it means I’m not the only one who wants to know about it. As I’ve been recording more episodes, I’ve gotten a lot better at not being afraid to ask dumb questions…because usually, they’re NOT dumb, they’re just avoided for a myriad of dumb reasons. I’m forever a student of this industry and that’s what keeps it exciting for me.

That being said, I’m trying something new this week because, honestly, I still don't know what the format will be with this show, and I'm ok with it ebbing and flowing as I choose. Most nights when I can't sleep, whether it being on tour or in the middle of a global health crisis, I tend to go down online rabbit holes of random thoughts in my head…usually involving drumming/recording or something of that nature. Randomly, the last two guests on the podcast (Terry Keating and Gunnar Olsen) have each brought up the topic of the click track and its origin. Both times I didn't have an answer (go figure) and so I thought I’d use this episode to tell you what I did learn about it. Now, I'm not saying any of this information will hold up in a court of law, but I decided to use my rabbit hole time and put it to good use. So there’s no guest this week, you’ll just get to hear the mumblings and bumblings of yours truly. Cheers.

Today's episode is brought to you by Clearsound Baffles. Clearsound Baffles are a transparent, acoustic shielding product that dampen loud instruments and significantly improve live sound. They dampen harsh, high-end frequencies, eliminate a huge amount of bleed into the open mics on stage, and they let your drum kit breathe the way it was meant to. So, keep your drums sounding great, keep your engineers happy, and keep the band vibing. Visit their website to check ‘em out and they have a discount code for our listeners. Enter "bigfatdiscount" at checkout to get 10% off.

Hello hello…my name is Ben Hilzinger and this is the Big Fat Snare Drum Podcast. I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while now. My guest today is Gunnar Olsen. I met Gunnar on tour in 2018 when one of my bands opened up for Big Data…a band for which he plays and it was one of the most fun times I've ever had on tour. I can say without a doubt that Gunnar is one of my favorite drummers to watch and listen to. His mixture of power and approachable creativity is unmatched in my opinion. When I say approachable, I mean he's not trying to blow your mind with circus chops, he makes the most tasteful choices that almost make you laugh cause they're so good…but sometimes he admittedly is just trying to make you laugh. In this conversation, we chat a bit about his perspective on creativity as I try to sound like I know what I’m talking about. We eventually switch to a topic that I selfishly wanted to know myself, and that's how he goes about translating the hybrid and/or electronic drum and percussion parts on recordings to a live show. You’ll get to hear exactly what he’s talking about because I drop in some audio from two tracks that he has performed with the band’s Fischerspooner and Big Data…first showing you the studio track and then Gunnar was kind enough to record a version of what he does live. Also a quick note about this one...we did this one over Skype and since Gunnar and I were chatting before I pushed record, I forgot to enable my normal mic as the input…so you'll hear me in all my dumb glory via my MacBook built-in microphone. You can‘t win them all. Anyways, shutting up. Cheers!

Gunnar was and is a founding member of both new york area bands The Exit and Mother Feather, but has a resume that includes him working with Bruce Springsteen, Big Data, Gavin Degraw, Fischerspooner, Miley Cyrus, Goo Goo Dolls. He’s one of the most in-demand studio session drummers and I’m so humbled to also call him a friend.

Find out about all the Big Fat Snare Drum Products at www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram / Facebook/ Twitter.

Today's episode is brought to you by Clearsound Baffles. Clearsound Baffles are a transparent, acoustic shielding product that dampen loud instruments and significantly improve live sound. They dampen harsh, high-end frequencies, eliminate a huge amount of bleed into the open mics on stage, and they let your drum kit breathe the way it was meant to. So, keep your drums sounding great, keep your engineers happy, and keep the band vibing. Visit their website to check ‘em out and they have a discount code for our listeners. Enter "bigfatdiscount" at checkout to get 10% off.

Hello hello…my name is Ben Hilzinger and this is the Big Fat Snare Drum Podcast. We took a few weeks off, but to make it up to you, we have an insanely long episode. Terry Keating is one of my favorite YouTube personalities for obvious reasons. His enthusiastic approach to hosting a show and overall education style makes my heart so happy. Check out his John Bonham page Bonzoleum. I initially wanted to have him on the show to discuss 5 hidden gems in Bonzo’s catalog that drummers might not necessarily know unless he or she is a huge Led Zeppelin fan. I’m not NOT a fan, but I’d fall in the category that a lot of my peers fall into of “yeah I know Fool in the Rain, Good Times Bad Times, Rock 'n Roll and When the Levee Breaks, but I know I SHOULD know more.” I don’t think we’re a small group, so that's why I wanted to have Terry on. Anyways, we immediately started talking like old friends and so I put all my notes away and just pushed record. It ended being an almost 2 hr conversation about what makes Bonzo Bonzo, why people are obsessed with his gear as much as his playing (sometimes more), and just tons of anecdotes/fun pieces of trivia that only a Bonzo aficionado would know. I was gonna try to edit it down, but Terry is so fun to listen to so I basically kept the whole thing running. This might take a few listens, but this ended up being one of my favorite drumming conversations in the past few years. Thank you Terry for being so generous with your time and enthusiasm for all that is Bonzo. Alright, shutting up….cheers!

Today's episode is brought to you by Clearsound Baffles. Clearsound Baffles are a transparent, acoustic shielding product that dampen loud instruments and significantly improve live sound. They dampen harsh, high-end frequencies, eliminate a huge amount of bleed into the open mics on stage, and they let your drum kit breathe the way it was meant to. So, keep your drums sounding great, keep your engineers happy, and keep the band vibing. Visit their website to check ‘em out and they have a discount code for our listeners. Enter "bigfatdiscount" at checkout to get 10% off.

Find out about all the Big Fat Snare Drum Products at www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram / Facebook/ Twitter.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always believed that, in order to be a better drummer, I need to listen to more jazz and more importantly…jazz drummers. You know…cause that’s what everyone tells us right? Well, I’ve found EVERY way possible to avoid getting into the genre because, quite frankly, it’s intimidating, I don’t know where to start, and I don’t know what to listen for. That's why I wanted to get my good friend and even gooder drummer, Anthony Fung, on the show to give me (and I guess you too) his choice of the 5 records to start with to begin our jazz-loving journey. All the links to the albums are listed below. Cheers!

Today's episode is brought to you by Clearsound Baffles. Clearsound Baffles are a transparent, acoustic shielding product that dampen loud instruments and significantly improve live sound. They dampen harsh, high-end frequencies, eliminate a huge amount of bleed into the open mics on stage, and they let your drum kit breathe the way it was meant to. So, keep your drums sounding great, keep your engineers happy, and keep the band vibing. Visit their website to check ‘em out and they have a discount code for our listeners. Enter "bigfatdiscount" at checkout to get 10% off.

Find out about all the Big Fat Snare Drum Products at www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram / Facebook/ Twitter.

This episode is also sponsored by Waves Audio. This podcast would take me soooo much longer to edit if it wasn't for the Waves Vocal Rider plugin. It "rides" the fader in real-time and keeps both my and my guest's audio at a consistent level without the need to overcompress. I also use an endless of amount of their plugins for my musical recordings such as Abbey Road Saturator, CLA Drums, the SSL Channel, and many more. We are an affiliate member of Waves and if you purchase any Waves plugin via the link below, you directly support the show and me. I love you.

To view the entire Waves Catalog:

https://waves.alzt.net/xYDXy

Podcast Artwork by Trevin Frame

Today is another episode of Behind The Company w/ the baldmen themselves…Danny and Mike of Baldman Percussion…creators of The Junk Hat. Big Fat Snare Drum shared a booth with the boys at Winter NAMM 2020 and it was a pleasure getting to know these two goofballs so I’m happy to have them on the show to talk about the story of how they met, the humble beginnings of The Junk Hat, and their plans for the future. I had a lot of fun with this one. Enjoy!

Find out about all the Big Fat Snare Drum products at www.bigfatsnaredrum.com. Follow us on Instagram / Facebook/ Twitter.

This episode is also sponsored by Waves Audio. This podcast would take me soooo much longer to edit if it wasn't for the Waves Vocal Rider plugin. It "rides" the fader in real-time and keeps both my and my guest's audio at a consistent level without the need to overcompress. I also use an endless of amount of their plugins for my musical recordings such as Abbey Road Saturator, CLA Drums, the SSL Channel, and many more. We are an affiliate member of Waves and if you purchase any Waves plugin via the link below, you directly support the show and me. I love you.

To view the entire Waves Catalog:

https://waves.alzt.net/xYDXy

Podcast Artwork by Trevin Frame