Remembering Aaron Spears

The 1970s were a decade of decadence, change and growth for drummers. Huge drum sets, 7-minute songs, and drum solos reigned supreme - today the panel will have to see if they can identify some of the biggest names in the 1970s drumming by only hearing their drum parts - can you name that '70s drummer?

Music and art are 2 things that make our world richer. Both connect to us on a deep level, and no matter if we like it or hate it, we always have opinions about it! Aric Improta is one of the most creative drummers in the world, and he also happens to be a world-class artist, so we’re going to dive into how our emotional response to artwork can influence music.

Ringo Starr is probably the most influential drummer of all time, and his clever but quirky drum parts have been the soundtrack to several generations of music lovers. Gregg Bissonnette is the drummer Ringo himself chose to play in his All Starrr Band - Gregg himself has played with many legends, but at his heart he is one of the biggest Beatles fans in the world. Today on The Drum Department, Gregg will share some of the stories, insight and drumming genius he learned from working with Ringo for over 20 years.

Drummers always hear a cool lick, fill or idea and want to try to learn it. In this episode of The Drum Department, we’ll challenge the panel to learn a lick in 60 seconds. We’ll see their learning process, and see who can get it closest in a minute!

It’s a new year, and The Drum Department is going to look into the future to see if we can predict some of the big stories that will unfold in 2024. Who will be the big breakthrough new drummer? Who will change their career drastically? What will be the new gear or innovation for 2024? We will also share what you think will be the biggest drum stories of 2024. 

Dive into this episode as we explore the year's most impactful events, highlight the top drumming gear, and pay tribute to legends in the drumming world. Be sure to tune in and catch all the excitement!

All drummers have a signature style and sound - but can you identify them by only hearing them? Today on The Drum Department we're going to test our ears and our familiarity with our favorite drummers by stripping down some of their most popular tracks to just their sound on the drums. We'll learn what makes a drummer's sound and style so unique.

Eden Bahar has a dream job touring with Cirque Du Soleil's 'Kooza' production. On today's episode, we'll find out how Eden got the job, what a day in the life of a circus drummer is like, and discover why he has a Guinness World Record for stick spinning!

We often assume that metal drummers eat, breathe, and sleep metal music. While that might be true for some drummers, it's far from it for Art Cruz, Lamb of God's drummer, one of the best metal drummers in the world today, and our very special guest on this episode of The Drum Department. Join us as we stroll down memory lane with Art and discover how he became the drummer he is today.

Aaron Spears was a young phenom who came up fast in the drumming scene. He stole the show at the 2006 Modern Drummer Festival “Gospel Drummers Showcase” and went on to be a first-call drummer for massive artists like Usher, Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber. Gone much too soon at the age of 47, today we remember and celebrate the life of Aaron Spears, a truly amazing drummer and person.