Drummers on Drumming

Ben here.

On this week’s episode of Drummers on Drumming (powered by Big Fat Snare Drum), we’re back with another round of The Drum Panel.

Joining me:

Gunnar Olsen:
Currently out with Puscifer

Eric Urrea:
One of my favorite drummers to talk shop with because he somehow makes existential drum conversations feel practical.

This episode starts with Gunnar talking about completely losing the plot during a fill in 5… accidentally playing it in 6… then having to find his way back into the song in real time while thousands of people watched.

From there, things spiraled beautifully.

We talked about:

Why messing up live might actually make a show feel more human

The weird pressure of trying not to visibly “count” on stage when you’re hearing a click track

The difference between “giving” a great show and actually having a great show

Whether your real musical voice only shows up when you’re alone

The strange mental game of joining an established artist and figuring out how much of “you” should show up in the parts

Why some of the best gigs happen when nobody notices the drummer at all

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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, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
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Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.

I’m Ben Hilzinger, and this is another segment of The Drum Panel.

Joining me:

Jessica Burdeaux (@jburdsbeats)
Touring drummer (Covet, City Mouth) and content creator balancing real-world gigs with online presence.

George Martinez (@skinnygeorge)
Former full-time studio drummer turned educator, content creator, and all-around thoughtful voice on longevity.

In this episode:

“It’s complicated” — how your relationship with drums changes over time

The weird shift from loving music more than drumming itself

Why chasing constant growth can actually burn you out

Letting students (or bandmates) make their own mistakes

The difference between chaos on tour vs. stability later in life

Content creation vs. real life: what actually matters

The pressure of the algorithm and why it messes with your head

Posting what you should vs. posting what’s actually real

Why documenting your own growth beats chasing views

The moment Instagram stopped making sense for everyone

Touring, playing live, and why that still beats the internet

The balance between being a musician and being a human

Saying no to gigs, content, or work that drains you

Why stepping away actually makes you better when you come back

The quiet insecurity of band feedback (trash can endings, anyone?)

Being your own worst critic… and why that never really goes away

What each of us is secretly proud of in our playing right now

Groove, touch, and making simple parts feel really good

Being easy to work with vs. being flashy

Why feel, energy, and stage presence still get you hired

---

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, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.

I’m Ben Hilzinger, and this is another segment of The Drum Panel.

This week I’m joined by Eric Urrea (La Armada, Marina City) and Matt Crouse (Working Drummer podcast).

In this episode:

Why doing less with your podcast might be the only way to keep it alive

The quiet way a podcast can land you real gigs years later

Craigslist vs. Nashville vs. “just being in someone’s brain”

The real thing bandleaders notice that has nothing to do with chops

Caring vs. coasting, and why people can feel it instantly

The weird mental spiral of over-practicing and then freezing on stage

Why taking a break might fix something faster than grinding it

The shift from loving drums to needing them, and what that cost

We re-address whether drummers deserve songwriting credit… and why it’s still messy

Why some songs wouldn’t exist without the drum part, even if no one admits it

---

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, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming ...a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum...

In this episode of The Drum Panel, I’m joined by Jared Shavelson (Joyce Manor, The Bronx, Seal) and Mike Robinson (Say Anything, Slayyter, Oliver Tree). 

In this episode:

Playing festivals - yay nay or meh

The pefectly “sized” tour

The backline details that matter most when you’re trying to play your best

How each of us thinks about success, growth, money, and career momentum

Why big milestones can feel surreal in the moment and strangely empty right after

The pressure of chasing goals in music when the target keeps moving

What really makes a gig feel worth it, beyond the size of the stage

---

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, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode is a special one.

In light of James Gadson’s passing, I wanted to bring this conversation back to the top of the feed. James was one of the all-time greats, and getting to talk with him was a real honor. The audio is a little raw, he was on his phone, moving around, doing his thing, but the stories are gold, and honestly, that’s part of what makes it feel like James. 

Back when Big Fat Five was still the main format of the show, I asked James to bring in five records that shaped him. Instead, he flipped it and brought in songs he played on that shaped his career. That turned out to be even better. 

We get into the grooves behind Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band’s "Express Yourself," Dyke and the Blazers, "Dancing Machine" by the Jackson 5, Bill Withers classics like "Use Me" and "Kissing My Love," Cheryl Lynn’s "Got to Be Real," and even Beck’s "Paper Tiger." Along the way, James talks about jazz, Motown charts, studio instinct, restraint, feel, pocket, practicing with intention, and why the hi-hat has to talk. 

This one is a reminder that a simple groove is not simple. It’s deep. And James Gadson was one of the deepest to ever do it.

---

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, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices