Considered the “heart of the drum kit,” the bass, or kick, drum is used to mark time in almost all styles of popular music, including pop, rock, and jazz. The appearance and functionality of this modern-day kit dates back to 1909, when drum manufacturer William F. Ludwig invented a practical bass drum foot pedal. Though […]
Category: Drums
Actor Greg Grunberg Drums for Charity
Not many people can say portraying a superhero is their full-time job. Greg Grunberg, an actor on the critically acclaimed NBC series Heroes, spends his days playing likable cop Matt Parkman, an average Joe who wakes up one day to find he has the ability to read minds.
How to Make Drums from Junk
Percussionist Donald Knaack, 61, is a firm believer that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Always looking for new percussion instruments, dumpster diver Knaack finds his nest egg of sound in the most unlikely of places: junkyards, local maintenance departments, factories, and refuse from community farms, restaurants, and stores. Make Your Own Drum Kit […]
Musical Family Getaway at Country Dance and Song Society Camps
Family time is a precious commodity, and it’s hard to find something the whole family can do together. For music lovers both young and old, traveling to music camp often means leaving loved ones behind. Wouldn’t it be great to, instead, bring them along for the adventure?
Former Governer Mike Huckabee Says for Him, Music Is More Than Just a Hobby
Since announcing his intention to run for President of the United States this past January, the former Arkansas governor’s life has been a whirlwind of interviews, debates, speaking engagements, and fundraising events. But no matter where the campaign trail takes him, one thing is always sure to follow—his beloved bass guitar.
7 Essential Percussion Instruments
Percussion instruments are among the oldest musical instruments we know of. In fact, the oldest depiction of music making can be found in a French cave. It is of a shaman playing rhythm sticks, and it is 17,000 years old. Almost all cultures play some kind of simple hand percussion, and thanks to the migration […]