Shows / Working Drummer
Working Drummer
With 500 episodes and counting, Working Drummer Podcast is the source for those interested in what it’s like to be a professional drummer. Hosted by Matthew Crouse and Zack Albetta, Working Drummer covers it all with a dynamic range of pro drummers who represent many different genres and scenes. Each weekly interview features a different performer, sometimes with a less recognizable name, but always with an impressive and distinct body of work. This unique approach has garnered a loyal audience…
Episodes
Working Drummer592 - Terreon Gully: From Jazz to Hip Hop, From New York to Atlanta, "Creativity, Versatility, Authenticity"
Terreon "Tank" Gully grew up in East St. Louis, IL, attended college at the University of Houston, and went on to cut his teeth on the New York scene. He then…
Working Drummer591 - Bruce Becker: New Course - "Paradiddle Power", Teaching = Problem Solving
Spanning more than four decades as an educator, Bruce Becker has been bringing forward unique concepts in developing “The Flow”! Drawing from his more than…
Working Drummer590 - Cassius Goens III: Playing on the Indianapolis Scene, Teaching at Ball State University, "You can make it happen wherever you're at"
Cassius Goens III is active on the Indianapolis scene primarily as a jazz drummer but he gets into plenty of other trouble there. He’s also a professor at Ball…
Working Drummer589 - John Gardner: Touring with The Chicks, Early Days of Triggering, Listening and Being Sensitive to the Music
John Gardner is a Nashville legend who's touring credits include working with artists like Narvel Felts, John Conlee, The Dixie Chicks "Top Of The World" tour…
Working Drummer588 - Jay Moeller: Life and Music in Austin, TX, "I just wanna be the one guy that sounds like Jay Moeller"
Jay Moeller has spent his entire adult life and career in Austin Texas where he has played with a long list of artists and acts from covers at the dive bar to…
Working Drummer587 - Ben Lecourt: From France to LA, Touring with Cat Power, Performing with Legends
A native of France, Ben Lecourt spent his childhood studying percussion with George Van Gucht of the Percussion Of Strasbourg while at conservatory in the…
Working Drummer586 - Jason Smay pt. 2: Pursuing the Right Opportunities for the Right Reasons
Jason Smay has been in Nashville for a decade and plays with his son, McKinley James. Prior to that, he was based in Rochester, NY and toured with JD…
Working Drummer585 - Christopher Williams: Drumming for Accept, Life Between Tours, Financial Realities in the Metal World
Christopher Williams was born to be a drummer. Throughout high school, Williams drummed for several rock, jazz, metal, funk and blues groups, as well as the…
Working Drummer584 - Jason Smay pt. 1
Jason Smay has been in Nashville for a decade and plays with his son, McKinley James. Prior to that, he was based in Rochester, NY and toured with JD…
Working Drummer583 - Kevin Watkins: K-Wat Drum Co., Building The Go To Snare, The Power of Relationships
Growing up in the church among talented and influential mentors, Kevin Watkins developed into a professional drummer and musician. Opportunities for recording…
Working Drummer582 - Sarah Hagan: Her New Role with Gibraltar and Rogers, Harnessing Her People-Loving Super Power, What's Important in Social Media
Sarah has been behind the scenes in the drum industry for decades, from her longtime role at Zildjian to her podcast Sarah Hagan Backstage to founding and…
Working Drummer581 - Rick Dior: Studying with Joe Morello, Building a Useful YouTube pg, Performing with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
Born in Brooklyn, New York Rick Dior began his professional music career at the age of thirteen, freelancing in and around the metropolitan area in various…
Working Drummer580 - Tim Carman: His New Book (The Shuffle Book Vol. 1), His New Band (Parlor Greens), and His New Home (Nashville)
Tim Carman is a Nashville-based drummer, author, and educator known for his deep pocket, soulful touch, and command of blues, soul jazz, and roots music…
Working Drummer579 - Evan Hutchings: Mindfulness Practicing, Going for it in the Studio, Live TV Performances
Evan Hutchings was Born and raised in Arkansas, Evan grew up playing drums at his dad’s church in Fort Smith. He was the kid that would sit behind the drummer…
Working Drummer578 - Sterling Laws: Recording for LA Hit Makers, The Shape of Recording Drums for Today's Mainstream Pop
Sterling Laws is a well-established drummer in LA, having toured and/or recorded with Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, producer Dan Nigro, Natasha Bedingfield…
Working Drummer577 - Jeff Brown: Jeff Returns, Taking Control of Your Career, Work Flow Hacks in the Home Studio
Jeff Brown started his musical journey in Southern California, eventually moving to Nashville, TN when he was 19 years old. He cut his teeth touring and…
Working Drummer576 - Gustavo Cortiñas: From Mexico City to New Orleans to Chicago, In Search of Creativity and Community
Gustavo Cortiñas was born and raised in Mexico City. His interest in drumming and jazz took him to Loyola University in New Orleans where he studied with…
Working Drummer575 - Chase Adams: Drumming with The Frontmen, What & How to Practice, Playing with Confidence & Authority
Chase Adam's musical journey started when he was just three years old, collaborating with his father Thurman in the field of music. He spent many years…
Working Drummer574 - Chris Draper: His New Book "The Inner Athlete", Recovering from Two TBIs, Playing "Hamilton" on the West End, Coming Up on the London Jazz/Fusion Scene
Chris Draper is a drummer, author, and performance coach based in London. After coming up on the city's Jazz and Fusion scene as the drummer in the house band…
Working Drummer573 - Reuben Spyker: Curiosity as Inspiration, New Signature Snare, Critiquing Yourself
Reuben Spyker is a master technician who has built his career as an educator, artist, and innovative drummer. Reuben has developed teaching programs that…
Working Drummer572 - Ross McReynolds: Moving from Nashville to LA, The Two-Way Street of Trust, Making Synths Feel Tangible
Ross McReynolds has toured and recorded with artists such as Katie Pruitt, Maia Sharp, Juan Solorzano, The Muddy Magnolias, Dynamo, Cory Wong, Kelsey Waldon…
Working Drummer571 - Craig Krolicki: Drum Teching, Being the Glue Between Drummer and Engineer, Drumming in Nashville
Craig Krolicki is a versatile and musical drummer playing a wide variety of styles. He is a graduate of Youngstown State University (The Dana School of Music)…
Working Drummer570 - Steve Pruitt: Playing with Mike Stern and Eddie Gomez, Straight Ahead Jazz vs. Fusion, Embracing Adversity
Steve Pruitt has toured and/or recorded with Eddie Gomez, Mike Stern, Snarky Puppy, Oz Noy, and many others. He was a finalist in the 2000 Guitar Center…
Working Drummer569 - Steve Misamore: Drumming for Dierks Bentley, The Evolution of the Dierk's gig, A Passion for Flying
Steve Misamore has been drumming since he was 11 years old. He has been the drummer in Dierks Bentley’s band since 2002. Steve moved to Nashville in 1993 from…
Working Drummer568 - Matt Musty: Playing with Train, Using Your Space's Sound, Buying Into the Magic of What We Get To Do
Matt Musty has been the drummer for Train since 2019. He has lived in Boston, New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles and in addition to Train, his touring and…
Working Drummer567 - Tony Leone: Playing with Little Feat, Fronting His Own Group in NY, Realities of Self Doubt
Tony Leone has toured and recorded with bands like Ollabelle and Chris Robinson Brotherhood. He has also worked with a variety of musicians including Levon…
Working Drummer566 - Jon Radford: Playing with Sixpence None The Richer, Leading His Own Trio, DJ-ing and Vinyl Obsession
Jon Radford has been adding soul and rhythmic vibe to the Nashville music scene since 2005, when he first began visiting the city to pick up drum gigs. He…
Working Drummer565 - Matthew Atkins part 2: Nurturing Life Long Careers in Music, Unique Challenges as a Canadian Musician, AI as a Threat?
Matthew Atkins is a celebrated veteran of the music industry. An honours graduate of the renowned Musician’s Institute in Hollywood CA, Matthew has worked in a…
Working Drummer564 - Ryan Connors: MD'ing for Hozier, Finding Self-Acceptance as a Drummer, Loving the Rehearsal Process
Ryan Connors is a multi-instrumentalist, MD, songwriter, and producer based in Nashville. He is currently keyboardist, MD, and backup drummer for Hozier, and…
Working Drummer563 - Matthew Atkins part 1: Drumming at The Mayfield Theatre, Charting at a Pro Level, Being Prepared
Matthew Atkins is a celebrated veteran of the music industry. An honours graduate of the renowned Musician’s Institute in Hollywood CA, Matthew has worked in a…
Working Drummer562 - Chaun Horton: Playing with Lauren Daigle, Family Life in Sweden and Work Life in Nashville, "Playing in the Crossroads"
Growing up in Rochester, New York, Chaun Horton was birthed into a love of music. Under the tutelage of his father, a church organist, Chaun first learned his…
Working Drummer561 - John Spittle: Drumming for Trace Adkins, Developing Pocket and Feel, Three Generations of Drummers
John Spittle has been the long-time drummer with Country icon Trace Adkins. John began his career on the drums in Southern California playing in bands and…
Working Drummer560 - Bruno Esrubilsky: Playing with Mitzki, Supporting the Artist (not just the song), Letting His Brazilian Shine Through
Bruno is a Brazilian drummer and percussionist based in the Bay Area and the longtime drummer for indie rock icon Mitski. He graduated from Berklee College of…
Working Drummer559 - Marc Slutsky: Drumming for Peter Murphy, Practicing at the Micro Level, Staying Curious
Originally from Merrick, NY, Marc Slutsky built his reputation as both a touring and studio drummer, working with a wide range of internationally recognized…
Working Drummer558 - Jeff Hamilton: Falling in Love with Sound, Music vs. Drumming, Approaching Music with Joy & Humor
Jeff Hamilton attended Indiana University and later studied with John Von Ohlen. Hamilton was influenced by Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Mel Lewis, “Philly” Joe…
Working Drummer557 - Chris Stankee: SABIAN’s Director of Artist & Public Relations, Sabian Lore, Memories of Neil Peart
As SABIAN’s Director of Artist & Public Relations, Chris Stankee leads the charge in shaping and nurturing the company’s artist program on a worldwide scale…
Working Drummer556 - Nate Felty: Playing with Zach Top, Handling a Rapid Upward Trajectory
Nate had been a fixture on the Nashville scene for 14 years and recently landed the proverbial big gig. He found himself in Zach Top’s drum chair when Zach was…
Working Drummer555 - Zoltan Tobak: Recording and Touring for Muscadine Bloodline, Gigs That Advance Your Career, California to Nashville
Originally from Fort Bragg, California, Zoltan Tobak started playing drums at an early age. After years of performing throughout California as well as…
Working Drummer554 - Sean McDaniel: Playing on Some of Broadway's Biggest Shows, Loving the Process,
Sean McDaniel is currently the drummer for Chess on Broadway. He also played Smash, Cabaret, Some Like It Hot, Frozen, The Book Of Mormon, Spamalot, Violet, La…
Working Drummer553 - Ben Koller: Drumming for Converge, High On Fire, Advocating for Artists Through the "Heavy Music Collective"
Ben Koller is an Los Angeles based drummer who worked with bands like Converge, Mutoid Man, Killer Be Killed and All Pigs Must Die just to name a few. He is…
Working Drummer552 - Nate Morton: 15 Years on "The Voice," The Importance of Mentorship, Finding Balance
Nate's formal drum set training began during high school with Grant Menefee in Baltimore, Maryland. He continued his education in Boston, Massachusetts as a…
Working Drummer551 - Matt King: In Demand Session Drummer, Creating Space Between the Notes, The Song is King
Matt King is an in demand Nashville session drummer who’s performed on records for a number of country, pop, and rock artists, including several Grammy, CMA…
Working Drummer550 - Dean Sinclair: Playing with Worry Club and Capital Soiree, The Chicago Scene, "I Just Wanna Play a Really Cool Song"
Dean is the drummer for the Chicago-based bands Worry Club and Capital Soiree. He’s a lifelong resident of the Chicago area, very much a part and a product of…
Working Drummer549 - Rich Malloy: Rediscovering a Passion for Jazz, His Duo Group - Counterparts, Developing Your Own Voice
Rich Malloy is a jazz drummer whose career has been built through consistent work in clubs, listening rooms, studios, and festivals. He has worked across New…
Working Drummer548 - Jared Schonig: Playing "Just In Time" and other Broadway Shows, Touring and Recording with the 8 Bit Big Band, Bringing Something True to Himself to Everything
Award winning drummer, composer & bandleader Jared Schonig has toured and/or recorded internationally with Nicholas Payton, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Chris Potter…
Working Drummer547 - Antonio Sanchez: Staying Artistically and Creatively Curious, Composing Music for the Movie Birdman & the TV Series: The Studio
Antonio Sanchez has become one of the most sought-after drummers in the international jazz scene. Following 18 years and 9 albums as one of the most revered…
Working Drummer546 - Bryan Carter: From Drumming with Jazz Greats to Composing and Arranging for Broadway
Bryan Carter is a Grammy and Tony Award-winning drummer, vocalist, composer, arranger, orchestrator, and bandleader. After completing his training at The…
Working Drummer545 - Bryan Owings: Embracing Your Sound, Drumming with Iris Dement, Shelby Lynne & Emmy Lou Harris
Born in Mississippi, Bryan Owings moved to Nashville in the late 1980's to pursue his career as a session drummer. His discography is vast, spanning decades…
Working Drummer544 - Luther & Jano Rix: Their First Album Together as Father & Son, But Far From Their First Collaboration
Jano Rix is best known as one third of The Wood Brothers. His dad Luther's drumming career spans half a century and ranges from Bob Dylan's "Rolling Thunder"…
Working Drummer543 - Scott Williamson: Playing the Song, Not the Drums, The Good and Bad of Home Recording, Working with Producer Bob Ezrin
Scott Williamson has been leaving his creative footprint on the Nashville musical landscape since 1990. He has drummed and/or produced for numerous artists…
Working Drummer542 - Jordan Rose: Touring with Maggie Rogers, Working with David Foster on "Boop", Assessing the Opportunity Landscape
Jordan Rose is a New York drummer whose most recent activity includes a tour with Maggie Rogers, multiple Broadway shows including the run of "Boop", Theo…
Working Drummer541 - Tim Buell: Home Recording Insights, The Importance of Communication, What “Raw Tracks” Really Means
Tim Buell is a Nashville-based drummer who has toured with several artists like Michael W. Smith (three time Grammy winner, 45 Dove awards), Cody Fry (two time…
Working Drummer540 - Sam Webster: Becoming a "Master Doubler" in LA, Thriving on Variety, Getting the Most Out of Mentors
Sam Webster is a drummer and percussionist based in his hometown of LA. Floating between a wide variety of disciplines and genres, he has amassed an impressive…
Working Drummer539 - Narada Michael Walden: Performing Without Judgment, Joining Mahavishnu Orchestra, Working with Sir George Martin
Narada Michael Walden is an EMMY and multi-GRAMMY winner who has produced hits for artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Steve Winwood, Ray Charles, Wynonna…
Working Drummer538 - Dave Elitch Live Clinic: New Course - “Your Mind’s Ear”, Q&A From Our Audience, Inspiration from Non-Music Sources
Dave Elitch has been teaching privately for over 20 years and has developed a reputation as the technique/body mechanic specialist for drum set. He has helped…
Working Drummer537 - Eric Somers-Urrea: Playing with Marina City, La Armada, and Makeout, Studying Classical and World Music, Raising the Stakes on Yourself
Eric Somers-Urrea. Eric is a Chicago based drummer but also gets around to Nashville and LA, founding member of the band Marina City, and also plays with other…
Working Drummer536 - Rob Walbourne: New Live Pretenders Album, Working at Noble and Cooley, UK to the US
Rob Walbourne grew up in North London and started playing drums at the age of 10 before working professionally at the age of 15. After his move to the U.S., he…
Working Drummer535 - Jeff Kerestes: Returning to a Life in Music After Burning Out and Stepping Away
Jeff Kerestes is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and educator who spent most of his career in New York doing touring and session work and a handful of…
Working Drummer534 - Tom Hambridge: Producing, Writting and Drumming for Buddy Guy, Grammy Wins, Learning From the Legends
Tom Hambridge is a Four-time Grammy™- winning producer, songwriter, & drummer for his production work on three of blues legend Buddy Guy’s most critically…
Working Drummer533 - Andrew Barr: Playing with Mumford & Sons, The Barr Brothers, and Feist, Finding Ways to "Do You",
Andrew Gilmore Barr is a drummer, composer, and producer based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada who is best known for his work with Mumford & Sons, The Barr…