On this day, I go over a new company I just found that creates heat treated, hand hammered "stax" and other various percussion accessories. They hail from New Hampshire and are creating some fantastic percussive cymbals to enjoy.

Go check them out!
Creative Percussion

Much love to all of these up and coming businesses who help us musicians find our "sound" and keep things weird :D

Enjoy!

I wanted to give a perspective on one of the great educators and musicians of our day: Dave Elitch! Having drummed for bands such as The Mars Volta, M80, Miley Cyrus, and so many others, this man's breadth of knowledge knows no bounds!

I talk about the wonderful work he's doing for the musician community, specifically us drummers, and how taking a lesson with him changed my musical career!

Enjoy!

Here's the link to his website:
https://www.daveelitch.com

His new book "Getting Out of Your Own Way"
Getting Out of Your Own Way Redux

Reflecting back on answering a random Facebook post from a friend to fill in on drums in his band and how that led to some of the most memorable moments of my music career! 

Always be prepared and take time to develop routines when writing/learning new material so you're always ready to answer the call if/when it comes!

A topic that was weighing heavy on me recently was how a lot of musicians I know treat endorsements and why it doesn't just mean "Free stuff". 

As well, when choosing gear to use and thinking you can help their brand by being an endorsed artist. What to think about when selecting bigger well known brands versus smaller, independent brands. 

Enjoy!

I got to thinking about how we sometimes don't tinker or experiment with the gear we have enough before changing paths or discarding and moving on to the next. ALWAYS take the time to tweak every setting and delve into the piece's features and play around. 

Welcome to the first day of Tales From A Gear Addict Quick Thoughts! Today, I chat about my thoughts on warm up routines. Do we need them or do we not? Why they CAN be crucial for live shows and performances, even practice. Enjoy!

IEM's or In-Ear Monitors. Ear plugs are great and have their place but in most live/performance and recording situations, I HAVE to use IEM's. 

I discuss what they are (to the best of my ability!) and why I use them VS ear plugs 99% of the time. 

Enjoy!