In this episode, we dive deep into the extraordinary journey of Ryan Dusick, the original drummer for Maroon 5. Ryan shares his experiences of rising to fame with one of the world’s most popular bands, the mental health and substance struggles that forced him to step away, and his remarkable path to recovery. We discuss how he rebuilt his life, found a new purpose as a therapist, and authored his powerful memoir Harder to Breathe. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation about resilience, self-discovery, and creating a new rhythm in life.

Learn more about Ryan here: https://www.ryandusick.com/

Purchase "Harder to Breathe" here: https://amzn.to/3VwzsZE

Join us as we explore the fascinating world of shakers, one of the most versatile and underrated percussive instruments! In this episode, we dive into the origins of shakers, their unique classifications, and a variety of playing techniques. Whether you’re a percussion enthusiast or a curious music lover, you’ll gain insights into how these simple instruments add rhythm and texture to music around the globe.

Our special guest, William Johnson, brings his extensive expertise and passion for percussion to the conversation. With over 25 years of experience as a performer, composer, and educator, William has recorded on more than two dozen albums, collaborated with award-winning artists, and produced music featured on networks like TLC, Univision, and Discovery. A former Air Force member with a Master’s in Ethnomusicology, William draws inspiration from his Latin heritage and global travels to create and teach diverse musical styles.

Discover the art and rhythm of shakers in this engaging discussion!

Check out more about William here:

Website: www.williamjohnsonmusic.com

Social Media: @williamjohnsonmusic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WilliamJohnsonmusic

Brandon Green from drummechanics.com joins us on the show to give us a 101 course on all things drum ergonomics and how to play the drums without any pain! We go every piece of the drum set and discuss how to set them up individually for the best results in both comfort and ease for your body, and also to get the best and most efficient performance. Brandon is an expert on ergonomics on the drum set, and also in his daily business where he works with athletes, performers, and everyday people in pain.

You can check out Brandon's brand new course on his website: https://www.drummechanics.com/

and find him on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@brandondrummechanics

Baldman Percussion hit the drum scene in 2018 and took the industry by storm with the Junk Hat! In 6 short years, they have become 2x NAMM best in show winners, created products that are beloved by drummers such as Travis Barker, Matt Chamberlain and Thomas Pridgen, and had a great time doing it.

Mike Mckee and Danny Young are professional drummers who have a perfect balance of business skills to make this brand work. Mike has the business savvy and Danny is the design mastermind behind these unique products. The story of Baldman is a great story that is very fun to hear and inspiring for all drummers, business owners, and people who want to mix the two.

Check out www.baldmanpercussion.com and find them on all social platforms at @baldmanpercussion

Thanks to everyone for listening, watching, and supporting the show over the years! Drum History has been an absolute pleasure every step of the way and I am excited to keep learning about the history of the drums!

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Nicko McBrain is the power behind Iron Maiden and one of the most iconic drummers of all time. Shane Kinney joins me back on the show to share his immense knowledge of Nicko's drums, cymbals, hardware, heads, and accessories. In part 2, we cover his switch to from Sonor to Premier drums, Vic Firth, DW Pedals, and so much more. Nicko had a brief and wonderful return to Sonor drums in the 2010's, but it was not meant to be - he was drawn to the incredible British Drum Co. because of the amazing sound of the drums and his love for everything English!

Check out Part 1 here: https://youtu.be/mC-nl5vPZFc

Shane is the owner of Drum Center of Portsmouth, the world’s largest drum store, and has worked directly with Nicko to put together this definitive deep dive into all things Nicko McBrain! Check out DCP here: https://drumcenternh.com/ and their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@drumcenternh

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**I record interviews with Riverside.FM - I highly recommend it. use code DRUM to save 15%***

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Nicko McBrain is the power behind Iron Maiden and one of the most iconic drummers of all time. Shane Kinney joins me on the show to share his immense knowledge of Nicko's drums, cymbals, hardware, heads, and accessories. We cover his first six Sonor drum sets all the way up to the messy end of the relationship, which left Nicko so angry that he immediately ended his decade-long partnership with Sonor! Part 2 will pick up with his switch to Premier drums in the next episode.

Shane is the owner of Drum Center of Portsmouth, the world’s largest drum store, and has worked directly with Nicko to put together this definitive deep dive into all things Nicko McBrain! Check out DCP here: https://drumcenternh.com/ and their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@drumcenternh

**JOIN PATREON**

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**I record interviews with Riverside.FM - I highly recommend it. use code DRUM to save 15%***

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Cav's and I chatted before the King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard concert on 08/25/24 in Newport Ky. We discuss his inspirations, his current set up (C&C and Dream Cymbals), King Gizzard, and his solo projects. Cav's is one of my favorite drummers so this was an absolute honor to speak with him and see the show up from the side of the stage.

Here is a drum cam video I shot of King Gizz and Cav's performing "Motor Spirit": https://youtu.be/yBsJJOVSDoY

and here is a great FULL gear run down with Cav's from Modern Drummer (Different kit, similar set up): https://youtu.be/tMxYSfiqNjk?si=Wtrbwr31p6hGknNU

Thanks to Dream Cymbals for sponsoring this episode. Shop for cymbals at www.dreamcymbals.com

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** 30 DAY FREE DRUMEO TRIAL **

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**I record interviews with Riverside.FM - I highly recommend it. use code DRUM to save 15%***

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Donn Bennett is one of the foremost dealers of rare and celebrity drum sets in the world! He shares with us how he got into this unique profession, some of his most biggest success stories, and many lessons that he has learned along the way over his 30+ year career. Donn has also built a reputation for himself as being the go-to dealer for the biggest bands in the world who want to liquidate warehouses full of collections. He shares an amazing story about how Aerosmith called him to clear out a HUGE warehouse full of equipment, and how he had to trust his gut and take on the biggest collection he had every purchased. After he did that, even more doors opened and he still continues to grow to this day.

Check out Donn's website here at: www.donnbennett.com and find him on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@DonnsDrumVaultOfficial

**JOIN PATREON**

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**DRUM HISTORY MERCH**

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** CHECK OUT MY GEAR ON SWEETWATER **

https://imp.i114863.net/yRYRGN

** 30 DAY FREE DRUMEO TRIAL **

https://drumeo.pxf.io/c/3607735/1268414/14652

**I record interviews with Riverside.FM - I highly recommend it. use code DRUM to save 15%***

https://riverside.fm/?via=bart-vanderzee

The St. Anger Snare is finally figured out! Chris Russio joins me back on the podcast to do a super deep dive into all of the studio drum sets, cymbals, heads, sticks, accessories, percussion and everything else used by Lars Ulrich from 2001 to Today! We talk about all of the infamous St. Anger Snare drum and everything that went wrong with that album. Then we get into the recording of Death Magnetic, Hardwired to Self Destruct, and 72 Seasons. This closes out our Lars Deep dive and gives you the FULL story of all of Lars Ulrich's drums over the years. 

Check out the other Lars episodes I have done with Chris here:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlQBSJirUiJZFzm3fL0dUBDPFlQm0iyxV

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In this solo episode, I take a deep dive into the 1000 year old automaton drummers that were created by 12th century Islamic inventor, Al-Jazari. These VERY early robots are amazing marvels of engineering and predominantly feature drummers who play kettle drums and cymbals to alert people in Mesopotamia (now Turkey) of the time of day with extremely elaborate clocks. These drummers are direct predecessors to modern day cars and machinery, as Al-Jazari is credited with the creation of turning rotary motion into linear motion with crank and connecting rods, which is essential for making pumps and engines possible. Basically, drummers are at the core of the history of everything :)

Here are the links:

History channel video - https://youtu.be/fxjh_yodeBo?si=uK82GB1mWRxzQGKL

Al-Jazari Book (free pdf) - https://archive.org/details/cover_20200113_2057/