X8 Drums Blog

As adults, we want to be sure that our children are given the best tools for success in life. We watch, eagerly (and, maybe cringe a little) as those little minds and bodies develop their own interests, opinions and voices that are such important parts of the personalities we have pledged to love, no matter what. Then, one day, those little hands start slapping or tapping on a bucket, a pot or even on our own drums. In that moment, we realize, life has come full circle. My kid is …

Even the most organized gift-giver runs into problems during the holidays, right before a birthday or even before a wedding or other milestone that requires a present. Usually, that problem is forgetting to get a gift, or that need to have one more item to make the experience of giving just that much more incredible. Now, imagine you need one of those gifts for a drummer. A drummer who probably already has everything he or she wants, because picking drums and percussion instrument …

There’s drumming for the love of music and rhythm, and then drumming for education or perfecting our craft. In truth, drummers have a million reasons for drumming and drumming has many mysteries to the non-drummer, but, there probably isn’t a person out there who can’t see how drumming is great for stressful times. Did you get all of that? We’re a little stressed with all of this holiday business going on. Stress is probably one of the most common reasons we reach for our …

Some people have it, some people don’t: a pulse. No, that’s not true, everyone has a pulse, but not everyone knows that.Of course, we’re speaking rhythm, not your actual pulse… but that’s a good place to start. If you put your hand on your heart, your neck or wrist, you can easily feel your heart beating, or your pulse. Even just sitting around, you can probably sense the beat of your heart as it rhythmically nourishes your body and mind. Your pulse, the beat of your heart, is a reminder …

It’s not too late to enter the Zildjian Drummer Love contest! Win incredible prizes just by showing your love for your favorite brand of cymbals, Zildjian!Entering the contest is easier than you think. In 500 words or less, tell Zildjian cymbals how awesome their products are or why you really want to own your own set of Zildjian cymbals. Make a video of your best drum performance, ever, no matter if you’re in your bedroom, garage, on a stage or under a bridge! Submit your video (up to 3 m …

Drummers come in all styles, from basement shredders to wedding band rockers to jazz ensemble rhythmists. Most drummers find success comes through hard work, determination, and even a little bit of luck, and it is with these drummers in mind that the Drummer of Tomorrow contest has arisen, seeking the next greatest drummer.Brands like Mapex, Zildjian, Remo, Alfred and Vic Firth are providing prizes packages that total over $50,000 to lucky U.S. winners that submit videos to the Drummer of …

Northern California may never be the same again after the dust settles from the 2011 Drum! Night premier drum event. The evening promises to showcase some of the finest known drummers, including the rhythm section of Santana, Raul Rekow and Karl Perazzo, Thomas Lang, and Terry Bozzio as well as Street Drum Corps Presents BANG! and Armando Peraza. Along with performances by these percussionists, the 2011 Drum! Night event will provide opportunities to learn from these greats, try out new …

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 …