X8 Drums Blog

Blake Fleming is a man who knows drums, and the rhythm and style it takes to create a new voice in drumming. His drum interest began at the young age of eight, leading him to several years of performance within orchestras, bagpipe bands and other experiences that led him straight into the world of experimental music. Known today as the drummer of Future by Now a New York-based experimental band that also features Andris Balins, Fleming is a prominent name in progressive, post-punk, math …

There is little worse than sitting down at a drum set, ready to rock, and noticing a crack, chip or break in a crash, hi-hat, splash or other cymbal. It’s not uncommon for cymbals to become damaged through normal use, storage or transportation, but the resulting disappointment a drummer endures can be the hardest part of moving beyond a broken cymbal. Because of the process a drummer goes through in order to find the right cymbal to produce a personal sound, these instruments can become …

With little biographical information available, the stereotypical mystery of a drummer is alive and well in Rich Beddoe, one of the members of Canada’s alternative rock icons, Finger Eleven. For fans of the genre, Finger Eleven brings its fans a look into the longevity of a band that was originally formed when it’s members were in high school. Today, with five released albums and a Juno Award for Rock Album of the year in 2008, Finger Eleven and drummer, Rich Beddoe, are proving that succe …

Drumming is more than just keeping a steady beat and rhythm for the benefit of the other instruments and musicians in a band, drumming is able to elicit an emotional response to the music, much in the same manner as a guitar, bass, piano or any other instrument. It is this subtle ability of drumming to both motivate and draw attention to important phrases in the music, lyrics or punctuate the end of a song that is often overlooked. Without the use of drums within a song, the overall ton …

The effortless splendor of a cymbal produces a complex range of tones and resonance that adds to the emotion and spirit of a song.  Whether a crash, splash, hi-hat or ride, the cymbal has a dynamic ability to change the tone of a song to fit a specific genre or style of music.  For musicians and percussionists looking to add a little more action to the cymbal sound, the Sizzle cymbal brings a unique flavor and tone to a studio, stage or garage performance. Sizzle cymbals …

STEM education is everywhere right now, creating what is hoped to be a path toward better living and excellence for all students. STEM is “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math,” all concepts that are important for everyone to learn. Unfortunately, there are plenty of times when STEM education goals take away from music programs, literature studies and the arts in general. As adults, plenty of us made it through school learning STEM principles, and once we were done with school, we sta …

Like snowflakes, there are no two drum sticks that are exactly alike, and odd concept when you consider that they generally come in pairs. They’re pretty close to being exactly the same, unless we’re talking about plastic or sticks that aren’t made from some type of solid wood … which we aren’t… we’re talking about those prized wooden drum sticks that are the go-to objects for all great drummers. Suffice it to say that there are no two wooden drum sticks that are alike, just like snowf …

At some point in your life, you may have overheard or told by someone that you didn’t have any rhythm. Maybe you were dancing or air drumming, or just tapping your foot along to your favorite song. Those words probably threw you off, and you realized how your heart hurt at hearing them; your heart, the center of your emotions and the center of your body. Suddenly, that rhythm you had, even if not perfect, became scattered… floating around in your awareness, with the memory of those words p …

Too often, the “look” of a drummer is that of a sweaty, shirtless rocker behind a ginormous drum set with double bass pedals and octopus arms hammering away. Or, there’s the laid back jazz drummer with a hi-hat, drum brushes, cool hat and sunglasses. But, when you think about a country music drummer, that image might be a little bit blurry, unless you’re playing in a country band or a fan of country music. Even then, there’s not a lot of country music drummer hype, or so it can seem, when …

There’s a certain vibe that can only come from jazz drumming: laid back, cool, maybe a little crazy, but in a different way than those other “crazy” styles of drumming. When most people picture jazz drumming, images of a sunglasses-clad drummer nodding away to a backbeat are pretty common. That backbeat itself is laid-back, cool… and a little different, too… especially when you realize that crazy cat drummer is using a brush instead of a drum stick on their hi-hat or swishing it around on …