What's up gang! On the show this week, we are talking snares, social media, and podcasting with my man Nate Testa!

We all love gear. I think that goes without saying. But Nate Testa from Testa Beat Drums may like it just a little more than we do. Since I first started taking my Instagram page seriously, I've noticed tons and tons of drummers. But there weren't too many guys out there talking about the gear side of things. Sure the drum company pages might show you how to use their latest piece of equipment, but there wasn't really anyone showing you how to fix it if it broke.

When I first announced the launch of this podcast, Nate was one of the first guys to jump at the chance to come on the show. As I dug deeper into his background, I quickly realized that Nate was yet another man of many hats. Out came the pen and pad for one hand and my thumb to scroll with the other. I'm excited for you all to hear Nates journey along the way, and what he's up to these days!

My conversation with Nate Testa starts out with us discussing our love for cheese and Monster Energy drinks. I consume both frequently but never together. According to Nate, these two items go great together! I never really thought about it, but was immediately trying to imagine both tastes in my mouth at the same time. I figured hey, they are already unhealthy apart from each other. Might as well try them together!

Only a mere 5 minutes into the conversation and I already felt like I knew him for a lifetime. We wrapped up our cheese talk and got down to business. I asked Nate a bit about growing up and how he got into drumming. He is originally from Pennsylvania which is where I live. I found it ironic that he now lives in Florida because I had also moved to Florida a few years back. In between these two states, Nate spent some time in Nashville, Tn where he went to college. We talked about his experiences in the city and what it has done for him as a musician.

When you are a musician, there is a good chance you have played in some bands. Nate tells us about some session work he has done, and how he landed a sweet gig being in a highly produced music video. These days, Nate focuses more on the drum repair side of the job but does play drums in church from time to time.

One thing I learned through my research was that he has also worked alongside of some other familiar podcasters in the drum game. Nate has done interning with Drummers I like and managed the social media page for The Drum Showroom. He has also taken over repost pages on Instagram and boosted their following number by the thousands. Which leads us to the next topic of our conversation. Nate is currently the man behind the "Official Snare Geek" page. A page dedicated to sharing pics, tips, tricks, reviews, demos and much more. At the time of our recording, he was still kicking around the name for this snare drum page. But it is official and all the links are down below this post.

As you can already tell, Nate gets involved with quite a few different things. If you head to his website (listed below) you can find all of the other services he offers. I asked Nate to tell us a bit about each of them including Hired Professional Drummer, Drum Tech, Drum Lesson, Business & Marketing Consultant, Drum Repair, and Social Media Strategies. That's a pretty impressive list of job titles and services. I had to pick his brain a little bit to see what goes into being some of these things.

With social media always being a hot topic on this show, I, of course, asked Nate about some of the strategies he offers clients. As I mentioned before, he has taken other pages and gained them thousands of additional followers. Nate was kind enough to tell us his approach to platforms like Instagram and what folks should be doing to grow their accounts.

We finish off our chat with some gear talk before...

Howdy Folks! Welcome to this week's Episode of The Up and Coming Drummer Podcast! My guest this week is Drummer Ryan Blodgett.

Episode 11 is a very special episode to me. Of course, I love all of them, but this one hit home in so many ways. During my prep for this interview, I quickly began to realize that Ryan Blodgett and I have quite a bit in common in regards to our life story. The connection I felt with him allowed me to open up about some topics that I sometimes have trouble talking about. I think we both felt like we got a lot off of our chests, and now are at peace with some of the demons we've struggled with.

The show kicks off with a little backstory on Ryan. We discuss how growing up in a family of drummers helped him find his own voice behind the kit. Ryan tells us a bit about his Grandfather, who is a bassist. His Grandfather played with some pretty big Country acts over the years, and Ryan tells us some stories he shared with him growing up. Ryan takes us on a journey from childhood up into his teenage years. We discuss the bands he grew up playing with and some memorable moments from those formative years.

After chatting about growing up as a musician and playing in bands, we get into the topic that I mentioned before. Ryan and I have both struggled with addiction in our life. This section of the show was very emotional for me. Ryan discusses how he got hooked and the fight he had to put up every day just to survive. Ryans story moved me so much that I felt that now was the time to get some things off of my chest. We both have dealt with pain, humility, and feelings of hopelessness. This disease is no joke and being in the environments that musicians are sometimes in doesn't make it any easier. It seriously sidetracked both of us, and we both feel like we are constantly trying to make up for the time lost. But we are both happy to be sober and striving every day towards our goals.

Ryan has put that all in the past and is moving forward in his life and career. So much so that he recently packed up his bags and his drums, and moved to Nashville, Tn to pursue his dreams. We talk about his move, and what his first few months have been like since his arrival in Music City. Moving to a new part of the country means leaving some things behind. In Ryans case, this was his students. In a recent Instagram post, Ryan shared a letter that was written to him by one of his students Mother. The letter goes on to say what an inspiration Ryan has been to her son. this really struck a chord with me, so we get into a good chat about teaching, and how rewarding it has been for him.

If you've ever heard him play then you know that he has a very killer sound. He has a unique set up, using various percussion including jam blocks, specialty stacks, and of course his snare drum!!! Some of you may know that my favorite band is 311. Ryans snare reminds me of that old school Chad Sexton sound. So I had to ask him about what gear he uses, and what inspires his playing.

Last but not least Ryan and I chat about Social Media and how he's been using it to market himself as a drummer. He shares some tips and strategies on how to grow your following. When you are striving to support yourself solely on drumming, you have to use every tool out there that you can. It's great to hear how everyone does it, and hopefully, you guys can learn something from Ryans approach!

Before we wrap it up, we get into a few listener questions. I'd like to thank @smeat.beats , @mattygorillahead , @tonytwotimes , and @skidmarx74 for submitting their questions. I hope you guys enjoy the show, and if anyone is ever feeling like they have nobody to turn to, please reach out to Ryan and myself. Have a great day everyone, and make sure to go follow Ryan at the links below! Later!

Ryan Blodgett

www.instagram.com/_drummeryan_

Welcome to Episode #10 of The Up and Coming Drummer Podcast!!

Well, gang, we made it!! We finally broke into double digits! And who better to help us over the hill than Drummer Tim Buell! For those of you who are not familiar with Tim, you're going to want to check this episode out! Currently residing in Nashville, Tn Tim is an extremely accomplished Drummer, Educator, and Transcriptionist. I'm thrilled I got the chance to sit down and chat with him for nearly two hours! I learned a lot from him, and you will too.

This is not his first rodeo when it comes to podcasts. Tim has been on a few different shows including Drum Gab, and Drummers I Like. Since he has given his backstory before, we decided to skip those types of questions and get right into what he's been up to the last couple months. Links to Tim's website and Social Media pages are listed below.

When it comes to Transcribing drums, most people either can't do it or hate to do it. That's not the case with Tim. Taking on some ridiculously complicated Tony Royster Jr. fills is something he actually loves to do. In fact, he has gotten so good at it, he has landed transcribing gigs with some of the biggest companies in the drum business including Vic Firth, Drumeo, and 180 Drums. We get a glimpse into how Tim got started with transcribing, and some of the tools he uses to help him nail down the note for note grooves and fills. He has transcribed some of the most well-known drummers in the world including Ash Soan and Anika Nilles. He has put his work into entire ebooks which you can purchase on his website.

Teaching the drums is also something Tim is heavily involved with. He offers private lessons, and Skype Lessons along with tons of free material that you can access through his Youtube and Instagram pages. We chatted a bit about the Online Drum Lesson market which has become very popular in the last few years. Tim offers his thoughts on the future of online lessons, and some strategies to those who are looking to take their teaching business to the world wide web.

One thing that I love about Tim is that not only is he a phenomenal drummer, he is very in tune with the business side of music. He explains in great detail some very important points that every musician looking to make a career can benefit from. Being efficient is so important in balancing life and work, and Tim offers up some great tips on how to get things done and effectively promote yourself.

It wouldn't be an Up and Coming Drummer Podcast if we didn't talk about the use of Social Media. Tim can be found on all the usual suspects, and he tells us a bit about his routines for making content for these platforms. While being active and bringing value is very important for sites like Instagram, Tim and I both agree that the real platform every entrepreneur needs is their own website. Facebook is a great place to grow a fan base, but you need to find a way to direct that fan base to your website. This is a great section of our conversation and I think every professional musician will either learn from it or agree with it.

Before we wrap things up, we take a few listener questions. Tim and I both chime in on possible solutions for snare wires, who is the best monitor engineer, and what makes a drummer a "pro" drummer. It was a great chat and I look forward to working with Tim in the future! By the way, you may notice that the episode opens and closes with two instrumental tracks. These are songs Tim has performed on. One of which with his former band Remedy Drive. Make sure you check out all of the links below where you can find Tim!

Cheers!

www.timbuellmusic.com/

www.instagram.com/timbuell

twitter.

Hey everyone! Who's ready for Episode #9 of The Up and Coming Drummer Podcast?

It's so great to be back with another episode for you guys. It seriously feels like Wednesdays take forever to get here now since we started releasing the show on this schedule. But we are here, and joining me this week is the one and only, Buck August!!

If you are a drummer with an Instagram page, chances are you are either following Buck or have run across his posts somewhere on the platform. He's simply put, a great drummer and a great dude! His eagerness to engage with drummers from all walks of life has put his follower count close to 15 thousand!  Whether he's showing you a cool groove, collaborating with other drummers, or just setting his kit up on the side of the road to jam, you can always expect something fresh and unique. I had the chance to pick his brain for a bit in hopes that those of you who follow him can get a little glimpse into his life, and learn from some of his strategies.

The show kicks off with me expressing my jealousy for the warm weather he gets to enjoy almost year round. He tells about growing up in California, and how he got started with the drums. Some of you may not know that Buck August is also a Registered Dietician Nutritionist. Try spelling that without spell check! LOL. He teaches a course at Chico State University when he's not busy working on his drum skills.

Next up we learn about Bucks role as a Worship Drummer. Never having the opportunity to play in Church, myself, I've always been curious as to what the process entails. He speaks about the different expectations from Worship Leader to Worship Leader, and the amount of preparation needed to get through rehearsals.

One amazing thing to me is the number of drummers Buck has been able to connect with. Mike Dawson recently spoke to me about him like he's known him his whole life.  However, no connection seems to be as deep as the one he has made with Educator Mike Johnston. Buck tells about his experiences at Mike's Camps, and what he's learned from him. He is forever grateful for the friendship he has made with Mike. So much so that he has dedicated an entire page of his website to 10 things he has learned from Mike Johnston.

After talking about gear, loops, and more gear, we settle into a nice chat about social media. We discuss his tactics for creating videos, and he even offers some tips on how to get started on a budget or with very little gear. We talk about his thoughts on how pages like Instagram have helped musicians grow their careers, and he explains what he believes are some of the best guidelines to follow to grow your own influence.

I had a great chat with him and much like every guest I've had on so far, I feel like I've made a new friend for life. Buck is the kind of guy that will cheer you on, help you up, and get you going no matter what it is that is ailing you. I suggest you go follow and reach out to him.  Below is a list of links you can use to find Buck.  See you all next week!

Buck August:

www.buckaugust.com

www.instagram.com/buckaugust

www.youtube.com/channel/UCMSRbzR3zSE309ZXx7e0n2g

www.facebook.com/buck.august

 

For more info, and to Follow the Show -

www.upandcomingdrummer.com

www.instagram.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.facebook.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.

What is up Drum Fam! It's great to be back again this week with a brand new episode of The Up and Coming Drummer Podcast!

In episode 8, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Drummer, Adam MacEachran. Adam is a staple in the online drum community. His posts are among some of the most engaging you will find on Instagram. He's a "Drummer's Drummer". Always offering up tips and tricks, and giving a glimpse into his life through Instagram Stories. It's no wonder he is followed by over 12K people.

The episode kicks off with Adam and I chatting about the Scottish accent. Since he is my second guest from Scotland, we confirm that the slang does in fact change from town to town. ( A nugget of info I learned from Ep. #3 guest, Kyle Sharp.) However, I still have not been able to lock it down myself. Speaking of Kyle, Adam tells the story of how the two met and the man hugs that were exchanged. I can only hope to one day get to travel the world and get to meet all of these amazing people. Yes, sponsors....I'm talking to you! *wink wink.

After catching up a bit, it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty. By that, I mean drums! We get a look into how Adam got started playing, and the years of work put in that has led him to the career he has today. Adam keeps busy with a few different bands. Most notably, "The Jersey Notes" which is a tribute to Franki Valli and The Four Seasons. And "The Rolling Drones", an 8 piece band playing pop hits featuring the bagpipes.

It wouldn't be an Up and Coming Drummer interview if we didn't talk about gear. So we take a look at Adams unique setups which include a lot of hybrid elements like the Roland SPD-SX. We figure out what placing a wallet on your snare really does. And we find out how Adam has developed relationships with companies like Big Fat Snare Drum.

After we get through gear, it's on to one of the most important parts of our conversation. Social Media!! Adam shares some tips on how to engage on platforms like Instagram. We talk about how standing out is important especially with so many drummers out there trying to win the attention of viewers. And finally, how having a strong online presence can be a viable way to making a career out of drumming.

Adam is a great guy so go check out his pages, and his bands' pages. If you ever needed advice, Adam MacEachran is the kind of guy who would go out of his way to help you out! Below is a list of all the links from the show!

Adam MacEachran

http://www.instagram.com/adammacdrums

http://www.facebook.com/adammacdrums

The Rolling Drones / The Jersey Notes

https://hireaband.co.uk/the-rollin-drones/

https://www.thejerseynotes.com/about

https://www.facebook.com/thejerseynotes/

 

For more info, and to Follow the Show -

www.upandcomingdrummer.com

www.instagram.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.facebook.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.twitter.com/UCDrummerPod

www.chrislangandrummer.com

What is up Drummers?! It's Wednesday, and we are back with a Brand New Episode for ya! You know my guest today by his Social Media Handle, "Drummerboy_X". I'm talking about Drummer, Daryian Kelton.

Are you an aspiring drummer who is feeling like you're ready to take your skills from the basement to the stage?  Maybe you just want to get into the Instagram game. Have we got a treat for you! Daryian is an incredibly hardworking drummer with a wealth of knowledge. We start today's show off by sharing some things we have in common, like our love for the Philadelphia Eagles. After catching up a bit, we dive right into the life and hustle of this multi-genre drummer.

From recently scoring a record deal with his band Serious Matters, to their upcoming tour, Daryian explains the business side of being a drummer. When he finds some free time off, Daryian keeps the hustle going by teaching drums, and preparing his studio for session work. Not only does he tell us about the gear he uses, but he also offers up some really good advice which he learned from his experience as a Drum Tech.

If you aren't impressed enough by this point, just wait until you see how much work he puts into building his social media profile. It's safe to say that Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook are the new resume when it comes to being a musician. Daryian clearly demonstrates that he has his resume writing down to a science. With cleverly crafted hashtags, Daryian shares different pieces of content throughout the week. He will entertain you with quirky covers, or help you solve gear problems with his Tech Tip Tuesdays.

All in all, there is something for every drummer in this episode. Great stories, great tips, and we top it all off with a track from his band Serious Matters. So go show some love to our new friend, and fellow drummer. Both his, and his bands links are listed below!

www.instagram.com/drummerboy_x

www.twitter.com/drummerboy_x

www.facebook.com/daryiandrummerboyx

SnapChat - @Drummerboy_X

www.patreon.com/drummerboyx

www.youtube.com/daryianw

www.instagram.com/seriousmattersnj

 

For more info, and to Follow the Show -

www.upandcomingdrummer.com

www.instagram.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.facebook.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.twitter.com/UCDrummerPod

www.chrislangandrummer.com

What's happening folks! We're back this week for Episode #6 of The Up and Coming Drummer Podcast!

This week I had the pleasure of speaking to Manchester Drummer, Grace Chilcott.

Grace was actually the first drummer that was recommended to me when I first announced that I wanted to start a podcast. I immediately went to her Instagram page to see who she was! What I found was a bad ass chick who could groove with the best of them! Playing on her thunderous sounding Natal kit, Grace brings attitude and pocket to every track I've heard her play!

In this episode, we learn a bit about what inspired her to play the drums, while growing up in Manchester. We talk about the bands she's played in, and some of the highlights from her touring career. Grace has been fortunate enough to spend time with some of the biggest names in drumming, especially one of her drumming heroes. We talk social media, endorsements, and some of the plans she has for the future!

I had a wonderful time chatting with Grace, and I'm super stoked to follow her career. You can do the same by heading to all of her links below!!

www.instagram.com/graceplaysdrums

www.twitter.com/graceplaysdrums

www.youtube.com/graceplaysdrums

For more info, and to Follow the Show -

www.upandcomingdrummer.com

www.instagram.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.facebook.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.twitter.com/UCDrummerPod

www.chrislangandrummer.com

 

 

What is up Drummers! We're back today with Episode #5 of The Up and Coming Drummer Podcast!

On today's show, we are talking with Decatur, Illinois very own Mason Ledbetter.

Many of you on social media have most likely came across Mason through his more commonly known handle, "MasonVpt". Mason is no stranger to the social media game. With around 9 years under his belt on youtube, and over 10 thousand followers on Instagram, Mason is the perfect example of a drummer who has built his brand through content creation!

In this episode, we discuss his career on youtube. Mason covers a wide variety of songs from bands in many different genres. You can also see many groove and fill style videos, along with gear reviews on many of the different products he uses. Speaking of gear...Mason has a KILLER setup! We get into many of the different companies he endorses, and he talks about some of the newest things he's using including: Barton Drums, Legado Cymbals, Regal Tip Drumsticks, Drumtacs, TNR Products (booty shakers), Drumkubes, Spinbal, KBrakes, Cympad, Drumdial, Sweet Spot Clutches, Low Boy Beaters,  and Aquarian Drumheads.

One of the biggest take away's from the show was our discussion about growing on social media. Anyone who is getting into promoting themselves online, should definitely listen in, as Mason is a true veteran of the game, even at a young age! Check out Mason at his website, and social media pages below.

www.masonvpt.com

www.facebook.com/masonvpt

hwww.instagram.com/masonvpt

For more info, and to Follow the Show -

www.upandcomingdrummer.com

www.instagram.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.facebook.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.twitter.com/UCDrummerPod

www.chrislangandrummer.com

 

Welcome Back Folks!! It's time for Episode #4 of The Up and Coming Drummer Podcast!

On the show today we have Derrick and Clinton from Drumstick Company, DSticks!

While this show is all about the Up and Coming Drummer that is working hard to build a career through online content, there are certainly alot of brand new companies that are doing just the same! In today's show, I got to sit down and chat with the guys about their subscription drumstick company. They were nice enough to send me out some sticks a few months ago, and I was totally blown away! Along with making great sticks, Derrick and Clinton also are very hard at work supporting the online drum community world wide!

During our chat, we discuss how the guys got started in the very competitive drumstick business. We get to the bottom of where they came up with the name for their company. We talk about the importance of branding, and what they've done to set them apart from the competition. The guys also let listeners in on a very cool rewards program that they offer to drummers who use their sticks. We wrap up the show with some of the goals and plans the guys have for the future, along with how you can sign up for their monthly stick subscription service!

Derrick and Clinton have a great company that supports their artists in a way that I haven't seen or heard of in any other company! Do yourself a favor and become a part of the DSticks Family. Below are links to both their website, and Social Media Pages!

 

www.dsticks.com

www.facebook.com/dsticksdrumsticks

www.instagram.com/dsticksdrumsticks

For more info, and to Follow the Show -

www.upandcomingdrummer.com

www.instagram.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.facebook.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.twitter.com/UCDrummerPod

www.chrislangandrummer.com

 

 

Hey Everyone!! Welcome in to Episode #3!

Today on the show, my guest is Touring Drumming, Session Drummer, Drum Teacher, and my newest Scottish Drum Buddy...Kyle Sharp!

When I think about the term, Up and Coming Drummer...Kyle Sharp is one of the first names that comes to mind! Kyle has his hands in many hats when it comes to drumming. In order to make being a musician a full time career, you really have to branch out and take advantage of all the different avenues there are to pursue.

Kyle has got this down to a science. In our conversation, we learn about how he got started playing the drums. He gives us a glimpse into his incredible touring history with the many bands he plays, and has played with. We touch on some of his current projects which include doing session work both in the studio, and in his remote home studio. Kyle tells us about some of the highlights from being involved in many of the drum festivals that have passed through Scotland. ( You really oughta listen to his!) We talk about gear, and his thoughts on getting endorsements.

Most importantly, we chat about what brings us all together here...Social Media! Down below is a list of links that you can use to find find Kyle just about anywhere online! Enjoy the show!

www.kylesharpmusic.co.uk

www.facebook.com/kylesharpmusic

www.instagram.com/kyle_sharp1

For more info, and to Follow the Show -

www.upandcomingdrummer.com

www.instagram.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.facebook.com/upandcomingdrummer

www.twitter.com/UCDrummerPod

www.chrislangandrummer.com