Today, we’ve got another segment of the podcast called Big Fat Five. This is where I invite my favorite drummers on the show to break down the five records that helped shape their approach to the instrument. This format also inspired my book, Drummers on Drumming, which is available now as a paperback or ebook on Amazon.

Today’s guest is Jared Shavelson. I met Jared through a mutual buddy and Big Fat Five alum, Mike Robinson. Jared is the real deal. He studied jazz in college but left early to kickstart his career—and it’s safe to say that decision paid off. Over the years, he’s played with Seal, The Bronx, Mariachi El Bronx, Joyce Manor, The Hope Conspiracy, Paint It Black, The Aquabats, and so many others.

I just saw him perform with Mariachi El Bronx on New Year’s Eve, opening for Morrissey at The Palladium. He was playing a cocktail kit, and the Afro-Cuban rhythms he was laying down were absolutely insane—I was completely blown away.

Now, we were supposed to record this a few days ago, but life in LA had other plans. Between the fires and travel chaos, it was hard to pin down a time. Jared ended up flying out of Los Angeles Thursday night, only to get stuck in Atlanta during a snowstorm when his flight was canceled. After being stranded at the airport for 18 hours, he decided to help pass the time by hopping on the mic with me. That’s why the audio in this episode might be a little rough—picture Jared huddled in the corner of a busy terminal while we recorded.

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

JARED'S BIG FAT FIVE:

Album - Led Zeppelin 1

Artist - Led Zeppelin

Release Year - 1969

Key Track(s) - Good times bad times / How Many More Times

Drummer - John Bonham

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Album - Time Out

Artist - Dave Brubeck

Release Year - 1959

Key Track(s) - Take Five / Kathy’s Waltz

Drummer - Joe Morello

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Album - Alice In Chains Unplugged

Artist - Alive in Chains

Release Year - 1996

Key Track(s) - Nutshell / No Excuses / Down in a Hole

Drummer - Sean Kinney

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Album - Out of Step

Artist - Minor threat

Release Year - 1984

Key Track(s) - Betray

Drummer - Jeff Nelson

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Album - The Egg

Artist - Shiner

Release Year - 2001

Key Track(s) - The Egg / Surgery / Andalusia

Drummer - Jason Gerken

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

Episode 9 of The Drum Panel

Welcome to The Drum Panel—a show where a rotating group of professional drummers engages in roundtable discussions pertaining to all things DRUM.

For today's panel, we have my co-host Eric Urrea and special guest, Kris Mazzarisi (owner/founder of Big Fat Snare Drum & drummer for Winnetka Bowling League).

Today we discuss:

• What was the most game-changing moment in your drumming or musical journey this year?
• Which performance, session, or project from this year holds a special place in your heart—and what made it so meaningful?
• What’s one surprising thing you discovered about yourself as a musician this year?
• Did any piece of gear or tool unexpectedly transform your playing this year? Share your story!
• Hot take: Is spending more than $100 on a stack just plain unnecessary?
• Time to settle the debate—Is Buddy Rich a legend or just overhyped?
• Let’s get it out there: What are some of your biggest drumming pet peeve?

Listen to 500 Anõs by La Armada HERE

Check out Kris' cute little digital recorder HERE

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

• For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

Ok, I promise I won’t be promoting my book forever—but give me at least a few weeks to talk about it (I’m proud of it!). And hey, the sooner you grab a copy, the sooner you’ll stop feeling guilty... and, well, left out.

In this episode, I read a few excerpts from my new book, Drummers on Drumming. You’ll hear stories and song choices from incredible drummers like Joe Bagale, David Raouf (rdavidr), Joe Seiders, Ilan Rubin and Jesse Kongos. These highlights give you a taste of the insights and inspiration you’ll find in the book. I hope you enjoy these glimpses into the creative minds of today's top players.

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Get Your Copy of the 'Drummers on Drumming' Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

Ok, I promise I won’t be promoting my book forever—but give me at least a few weeks to talk about it (I’m proud of it!). And hey, the sooner you grab a copy, the sooner you’ll stop feeling guilty... and, well, left out.

In this episode, I read a few excerpts from my new book, Drummers on Drumming. You’ll hear stories and song choices from incredible drummers like Jason McGerr, Madden Klass, Jojo Mayer, Noa Kahn, Andrew Marshall, Michael Benjamin Lerner, and Brendan Buckley. These highlights give you a taste of the insights and inspiration you’ll find in the book. I hope you enjoy these glimpses into the creative minds of today's top players.

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Get Your Copy of the 'Drummers on Drumming' Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

Episode 8 of The Drum Panel

This week, Eric (@ericsurrea) is back!...alongside our newest bestie George Martinez (@skinnygeorge).

In this episode, we dive into:

• Are ghost notes the modern-day equivalent of skinny jeans—cool now but overdone?
• How do you strike the right balance between technical precision and feel in your playing?
• Are dynamics the single most important factor in making a drummer sound great?
• Why is it so challenging to produce a high-quality drum part on the spot?
• Are tambourines and shakers actually more essential than toms?
• What are the guilty-pleasure drum songs we secretly love to play but would never admit to?
• Is a rubber practice pad less effective than a gel pad or pillow for improving your playing?
• Are self-taught drummers at a disadvantage in the long run?
• What’s the best way to handle trolls in the drumming community?
• Is quantizing your Instagram drum videos considered cheating?

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

Episode 7 of The Drum Panel

This week, we're joined by Stacy Jones (Miley Cyrus, Letters to Cleo, American Hi-Fi) and Elias Mallin (Kesha, Noah Cyrus, Filter)—two seasoned veterans of the touring music industry and influential figures in shaping the competitive LA music scene.

This episode steps away from our usual bullet-point list of hot takes and dives into a bigger-picture conversation about what it really takes to build and sustain a career in live music. We cover everything from technique tips and tuning tricks to staying mentally sharp during performances, audition dos and don’ts, and plenty of honest stories about the ups and downs of auditions and live shows.

Special thanks to Patches Sound for hosting us!

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

Welcome back to Big Fat Five—a segment of Drummers on Drumming brought to you by Big Fat Snare Drum, where I chat with my favorite drummers about the stories and records that shaped their sound. I’m your host, Ben Hilzinger, and this week’s guest is the incredible Sterling Laws.

Sterling is a fellow Pacific Northwest native now based in Los Angeles, but more importantly, he’s a Grammy-nominated drummer whose resume is as impressive as it gets. He’s worked with artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Kim Gordon, Chappell Roan, NIKI, Matt Berninger, Liz Phair, The War on Drugs, Linda Perry, Aly & AJ, Lo Moon, Dave Stewart, and many more.

Sterling is out there doing the thing and still manages to bring a unique perspective to the kit while working with such a diverse roster of artists—a quality that’s both rare and inspiring. It’s exactly why I was so excited to talk to him.

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

STERLING'S BIG FAT FIVE:

Album - Badmotorfinger

Artist - Soundgarden

Release Year - 1991

Key Track(s) - Rusty Cage, Searching With My Good Eye Closed, Jesus Christ Pose

Drummer - Matt Cameron

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Album - In Rainbows

Artist - Radiohead

Release Year - 2007

Key Track(s) - 15 Steps, Bodysnatchers, Weird Fishes, Reckoner

Drummer - Philip Selway

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Album - Future Self

Artist - The Globes

Release Year - 2011

Key Track(s) Pigeon, Stay Awake, A Stitch Couldn't Save The World

Drummer - Marcus Ourada

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Album - Boxer

Artist - The National

Release Year - 2007

Key Track(s) - Mistaken For Strangers, Brainy, Apartment Story

Drummer - Bryan Devendorf

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Album - Live From The Ryman And More

Artist - Sheryl Crow

Release Year - 2019

Key Track(s) - A Change Would Do You Good, Everything Is Broken, Maybe Angels, If It Makes You Happy

Drummer - Fred Eltringham

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming!

Today, I’m thrilled to share a conversation with a true force in modern drumming—Ilan Rubin. You’ve heard his incredible work behind the kit with artists like Nine Inch Nails, Danny Elfman, Angels & Airwaves, Paramore and so many more. But Ilan is not just an outstanding drummer; he’s also a passionate educator, and his latest project proves just that. 

He’s recently released his instructional book, Start Somewhere to Go Somewhere, and trust me, it’s not just another drum method book.

In this episode, we certainly discuss the book, but we dive deep into Ilan’s philosophy on practice and technique in a way that I personally haven’t heard him talk about before … and why he felt compelled to share his unique perspective in an already crowded field of drum education. I have the book and ive been able to spend some more time with it since recording this episode and I can say first hand, it’s worth it. So without further ado…here is my chat with the youngest rock n roll hall of fame inductee, Ilan Rubin.

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

Episode 6 of The Drum Panel

This week's guests are two of my favorite drummers and people, Sarab Singh (MUNA) and Adam Christgau (Tegan and Sara).

In this episode, we dive into:

• What’s the greatest compliment a drummer can get, and does it truly matter?
• How do others really describe your playing style—are you sure you'd agree?
• Should every drummer dive into jazz, or is it a skill only some truly need?
• Has the golden era of iconic bands come to an end, or is it just evolving?
• Are music schools churning out technical robots at the cost of creative souls?
• Is practicing on pillows with heavy sticks a hidden secret or just a myth?
• Are quintuplets and sextuplets essential or a complete waste of practice time?

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

We’ve got another installment of Big Fat Five: a segment where I talk to drummers about the stories and records that shaped their sound.

Today’s guest is Lucy Ritter, a New York/New Jersey native who picked up the drums at just 9 years old and was already landing professional gigs by 14. After three years at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, she made the bold decision to leave and join her first major tour: the Broadway musical An Officer and a Gentleman. That gig opened doors, eventually leading to her being offered the drum chair for the Grammy Award-winning musical Jagged Little Pill.

These days, Lucy has stepped away from the Broadway scene and taken on an exciting new role as the drummer for one of today’s fastest-rising pop acts, Chappell Roan. We dig into how she landed that gig and explore the five records that have profoundly influenced her drumming style. This episode has been a long time coming, so let’s dive in. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the incredibly talented Lucy Ritter... cheers!

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

LUCY'S BIG FAT FIVE:

Album - A Love Supreme

Artist - John Coltrane

Release Year - 1965

Key Track(s) - Pt. II - Resolution & Pt. III - Pursuance

Drummer - Elvin Jones

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Album - Earfood

Artist - Roy Hargrove

Release Year - 2008

Key Track(s) - Strasbourg / St. Denis, The Stinger, Mr.Clean

Drummer - Motez Coleman

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Album - Grow

Artist - Chon

Release Year - 2015

Key Track(s) - But / all of them

Drummer - Nathan Camarena, Brian Evans, Matt Garstka

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Album - Live at Velfarre

Artist - Earth, Wind & Fire

Release Year - 1996

Key Track(s) - In The Stone, September, Let Your Feelings Show, Let’s Groove

Drummer - Sonny Emory

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Album - Take Off Your Pants and Jacket

Artist - Blink-182

Release Year - 2001

Key Track(s) - 3

Drummer - Travis Barker

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.

Episode 5 of The Drum Panel

This week's guests are my co-host Eric Urrea (Marina City / Sessions) and good buddy Kris Mazzarisi (owner/founder of Big Fat Snare Drum).

SUBMIT YOUR CONTROVERSIAL MUSIC OPINIONS HERE

In this episode, we dive into:

• If you could reinvent one aspect of your drumming, what would it be, and why?
• What's the one piece of advice you wish you'd known as a young drummer starting out?
• How important is style to a drummer’s career—can visuals be as impactful as skill?
• What ingredients create a drum tone that stands the test of time?
• Have we lost the ability to have a hit song without the use of a click?
• With AI's influence growing, what do you think drumming will look like in the near future?
• Is the quest for 'perfect' recordings draining the soul out of live music?
• Why do so many drummers gravitate toward intricate playing—are we losing the groove?

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.