AN EDITOR’S OVERVIEW
This Is 40 T
Founder
Ronald Spagnardi 1943–2003
here are forty-year periods…and there are forty-year periods.
Back in the Paleolithic era, all we
managed to accomplish in a few million years was fi guring out how to knock out some basic stone tools. The big headline between 11,000 and 9,000 B.C.? Some dude in Mesopotamia learned to domesticate sheep.
Of course, change has sped up exponentially. Anyone who began work- ing with technology forty years ago, in nearly any discipline, used tools that would be considered antiquated today. Scanning my desk as I write this, there’s an iPhone, the computer I’m writing this editorial on, and my personal laptop—which, during my lunch break today, I’m going to use to make some edits to a podcast I started working on at home last night… in bed. Now glance at the opening photo of this month’s feature story “Modern Drummer: The First Decade” on page 53. See anything digital in publisher Ron Spagnardi’s offi ce?
And not only have we changed our tools—they’ve changed us. In 1977,
when MD began publishing, drumming was a purely physical activity, and the sounds we made pretty much resembled what people heard. Go back forty years before that, to the days of Gene Krupa and “Sing, Sing, Sing,” and it was basically the same scenario. Today, all bets are off. That pristine shimmer of a 20" ride cymbal coming through your earbuds? It’s actually a sample played on a Roland pad. Similarly, technology has brought us from taking one-on-one lessons and playing along to LPs to participating in overseas Skype lessons and downloading apps. Perhaps all of this isn’t as important as we make it out to be. After all,
the core job description of being a drummer hasn’t changed: We keep time, we react artfully to the lyrics and arrangement, we make people move. For many of us, that’s where our interests begin and end. Fair enough. But for others among us, there’s always some young rhythm wizard whose drum-cam videos we’re obsessing over, or some new snare drum or sample pack that we’re dying to check out. To read about the development of the drum gear that’s kept us salivating all these years, check out the feature “40 Years of Innovation,” starting on page 47. And to learn how the most famous living drummer on earth, Neil Peart, dealt with the issue of making room both for “classic” drums and the latest in gear design on Rush’s R40 tour, check out his MD interview, beginning on page 34. Perhaps most important, many of us are constantly in search of new ways to exercise control over what listeners hear and feel. In 2015, no other musical element is more vital than rhythm, so who better to lead culture forward than us? To learn how some of today’s most thoughtful players envision the days to come, check out the “Future State of the Art” feature on page 58. It’s fascinating stuff. One last note. Longtime readers will notice something familiar on the
cover of this issue: the original Modern Drummer logo. Think of it as our way of reminding ourselves—and our readers—that no matter how boldly we forge ahead, it’s always wise to remember where we came from. Enjoy the issue.
Publisher/CEO Isabel Spagnardi
Senior Vice President Lori Spagnardi
Vice President Kevin W. Kearns
Associate Publisher Tracy A. Kearns
Editorial Director Adam J. Budofsky
Managing Editor Michael Dawson
Associate Editor Willie Rose
Editor at Large Billy Amendola
Senior Art Director Scott G. Bienstock
Advertising Director Bob Berenson
Advertising Assistant LaShanda Gibson
Digital Media Director EJ DeCoske
Business and
Content Development Miguel Monroy
The MD Pro Panel: Chris Adler, Gregg Bissonette, Jason Bittner, Will Calhoun, Terri Lyne Carrington, Matt Chamberlain, Jeff Davis, Peter Erskine, Bob Gatzen, Daniel Glass, Benny Greb, Matt Halpern, Horacio Hernandez, Gerald Heyward, Taku Hirano, Susie Ibarra, Jim Keltner, Pat Mastelotto, Allison Miller, Rod Morgenstein, Chris Pennie, Stephen Perkins, Dafnis Prieto, Rich Redmond, Brian Reitzell, Jim Riley, Antonio Sanchez, Gil Sharone, Chad Smith, Steve Smith, Todd Sucherman, Billy Ward, Kenny Washington, Paul Wertico
The Modern Drummer Pro Panel is an open-ended group of professional drummers who contribute regularly to the magazine’s content. It represents an unparalleled amount of musical experience, which members share with readers across the spectrum of the magazine’s editorial mix. The Pro Panel was established in 2011, with multiple players added to its ranks during each of its fi rst three years.
8 Modern Drummer January 2016
MODERN DRUMMER ADVISORY BOARD: Kenny Aronoff, Eddie Bayers, Bill Bruford, Harry Cangany, Dennis DeLucia, Les DeMerle, Peter Erskine, Bob Gatzen, Danny Gottlieb, Jim Keltner, Paul Leim, Peter Magadini, George Marsh, Rod Morgenstein, Andy Newmark, Neil Peart, Steve Smith, Billy Ward, Dave Weckl, Paul Wertico.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Patrick Berkery, David Ciauro, John Emrich, Bob Girouard, Mike Haid, Dr. Asif Khan, Rick Mattingly, Ken Micallef, Mark Parsons, Martin Patmos, Jeff Potter, Will Romano, Bernie Schallehn, Ilya Stemkovsky, Robin Tolleson, Lauren Vogel Weiss, Paul Wells.
MODERN DRUMMER magazine (ISSN 0194-4533) is published monthly by MODERN DRUMMER Publications, Inc., 271 Route 46 West, Suite H-212, Fairfi eld, NJ 07004. PERIODICALS MAIL POSTAGE paid at Fairfi eld, NJ 07004 and at additional mailing offi ces. Copyright 2016 by MODERN DRUMMER Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited.
EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING/ ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES: MODERN DRUMMER Publications, 271 Route 46 West, Suite H-212, Fairfi eld, NJ 07004. Tel: 973-239-4140. Fax: 973-239-7139. Email:
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MODERN DRUMMER welcomes manuscripts and photographic material but cannot assume responsibility for them.
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