Working Drummer

Originally from Merrick, NY, Marc Slutsky built his reputation as both a touring and studio drummer, working with a wide range of internationally recognized artists.

Marc first gained broader visibility performing with Splender, a late-1990s/early-2000s alternative rock band signed to Columbia Records. The bands first album “Halfway Down The Sky” was produced by Todd Rundgren. The group achieved chart success with their singles “Yeah, Whatever” and “I Think God Can Explain,” helping establish Marc as a solid and expressive drummer. Splender made a second album on Clive Davis’s J records “To Whom It May Concern” which featured Slutsky’s drumming further.

After Splender, Slutsky became a highly in-demand touring and session musician. Over the years he has performed, recorded, or toured with artists including: Peter Murphy, Bauhaus, Adam Ant, Puddle Of Mudd, Kylie Minogue, Delta Goodrem, The Calling, Sons Of Silver, Alexa Ray Joel, Tom Morello (RATM), Terri Nunn (Berlin), Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Hugo, Gavin Degraw In addition, Slutsky has appeared extensively on TV including shows such as X-Factor, The View, Good Morning America, Queen Latifah Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Last Call with Carson Daily, Late Show with David Letterman, Wendy Williams Show, 2010 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting (NBC) with Kylie Minogue, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. In this episode, Marc talks about:     Unique challenges to touring internationally     Making sure to play great every time, every gig     Staying curious and always learning     Practicing on things at the micro level     Drumming for the legend Peter Murphy (Bauhaus)     Playing as a member of the band Splender when he was young             Working with Todd Rundgren as a producer     Learning how to record from your peers ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

Jeff Hamilton attended Indiana University and later studied with John Von Ohlen. Hamilton was influenced by Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Mel Lewis, “Philly” Joe Jones, and Shelly Manne. In 1974, he got his first big break playing with the New Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. He then joined Lionel Hampton’s Band until 1975 when he, along with bassist John Clayton, became members of the Monty Alexander Trio. He attained a childhood goal in 1977 when he joined Woody Herman and the Thundering Herd, with whom he made several recordings. In 1978, he was offered a position in the L.A.4. with Ray Brown, Bud Shank, and Laurindo Almeida. He recorded 6 albums with the L.A.4. From 1983-1987, he performed with Ella Fitzgerald, the Count Basie Orchestra, Rosemary Clooney, and Monty Alexander. Hamilton began his association with the Ray Brown Trio in 1988 and left in March of 1995 to concentrate on his own trio. From 1990-1995, he was also a member of the Oscar Peterson Quartet w/Herb Ellis and Ray Brown. Hamilton has toured with his own trio, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, and Diana Krall. The latest CHJO recording LA Treasures was nominated for a GRAMMY. Hamilton has been on more than 300 recordings with artists such as Ray Brown, Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, Milt Jackson, Rosemary Clooney, Barbra Streisand, Mel Torme, John Pizzarelli, Dr. John, Paul McCartney, and many others. He appeared in Diana Krall’s Live in Paris and Rio DVDs. He is a four time winner of Modern Drummer magazine Readers’ Poll. In this episode, Jeff talks about: How the role of a mentor is to see problems and potential you can’t see in yourself  Why sound is just as important as content  His thoughts on the music business vs. the drumming business The great bassists he has played with, including Ray Brown and John Clayton  His criteria for hiring band members  Playing with Akiko Tsuruga and matching the intensity of the B3 organ, “a one man big band” The importance of letting humor and joy show in his playing  ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

As SABIAN’s Director of Artist & Public Relations, Chris Stankee leads the charge in shaping and nurturing the company’s artist program on a worldwide scale. His responsibilities span from talent recruitment to artist development and support, all while playing a pivotal role in product development and elevating SABIAN’s presence across social media platforms. In this episode, Chris talks about:     The Sabian Podcast     Chris' formative years from Berklee to life on tour     Interning at Yamaha     Events that lead to his work at Sabian     The unique steps to creating cymbals     Understanding trends in sounds and making it attainable     Working with artists that are hands-on in the R&D department     The stick/cymbal relationship     Sabian lore     Memories of Neil Peart ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

Nate had been a fixture on the Nashville scene for 14 years and recently landed the proverbial big gig. He found himself in Zach Top’s drum chair when Zach was an opening act in thousand cap rooms, and the whole operation was very DIY. Not long after, Zach’s popularity exploded make him an international arena and stadium headliner seemingly overnight, and he took Nate and the rest of his band with him. In this episode, Nate talks about: Feeling a buzz around Zach Top from the moment he joined the band The show that made them realize they were huge The learning curves that come with the big gig How his approach to songs happened to match perfectly with Zach’s needs as a frontman The evolving pay situation  ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

Originally from Fort Bragg, California, Zoltan Tobak started playing drums at an early age. After years of performing throughout California as well as attending the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, he relocated to Nashville in 2014 to pursue music full time. Since 2016, Zoltan has been the live and studio drummer for Muscadine Bloodline, performing extensively and recording five full-length albums. Beyond touring, he stays active in the Nashville community, playing and recording across a range of projects. In this episode, Zoltan talks about:     Managing your social media presence     His unique name     His move from Northern California to Nashville TN     Taking a career growing gig vs taking a gig for money only     Drumming for Muscadine Bloodline     The power of space between notes     Filling in last minute on a major tour     Matt and Zoltan’s shared love of Family Feud ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

Sean McDaniel is currently the drummer for Chess on Broadway.  He also played Smash, Cabaret, Some Like It Hot, Frozen, The Book Of Mormon, Spamalot, Violet, La Cage Aux Folles, and Nine To Five on Broadway.  Off-Broadway he originated Hamilton. Sean can be seen and heard in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tick Tick Boom.  He has played all over the country with American Idol Runner-Up Clay Aiken.  Other performances include Sutton Foster, Barry Manilow, Audra McDonald, Jennifer Hudson, Sting, Dolly Parton, Idina Menzel, Tituss Burgess, Jane Lynch, and the Tony Awards. Sean earned his BM at University of North Texas and his MFA at New York University. He is endorsed by DW, Evans, Vic Firth, and Sabian.  In this episode, Sean talks about: Not just playing to serve the song, but playing to serve the drama The importance of getting some live playing experience you can then bring into a musical theatre show  The huge variety of playing experience he got at North Texas The common thread among great Broadway drummers/drumming Playing for the Tony Awards Finding ways to love the process, not just the product ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

Ben Koller is an Los Angeles based drummer who worked with bands like Converge, Mutoid Man, Killer Be Killed and All Pigs Must Die just to name a few. He is involved in the Heavy Music Collective a community of musicians and royalties professionals that are committed to getting money back to the bands. In this episode, Ben talks about: Managing the dichotomy between road life and home life The Heavy Music Collective - accessing your royalties!!! His first clinic in Costa Rica The supportive community within the hardcore scene Drumming for the legendary band Converge Drumming for band High On Fire Recording from home Surviving a bad car accident

Nate's formal drum set training began during high school with Grant Menefee in Baltimore, Maryland. He continued his education in Boston, Massachusetts as a performance major at the renowned Berklee College of Music, studying with drummers such as Ed Uribe, Ian Froman, John Ramsay and Ron Savage. Upon graduating in 1994, he taught and played locally in Boston until moving to Los Angeles in 1999 where he has since amassed live performance and recording credits that include Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Pink, Paulina Rubio and Thalia among others. In 2010, he was the house band drummer on Bonnie Hunt's day time talk show, as well as performing with Cher for her string of appearances at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Now, you can catch him grooving during prime time on the NBC hit show, THE VOICE. In this episode, Nate talks about: His thoughts on both sides of the mentorship relationship The rhythm of the rehearsal and production schedule on “The Voice” His perspective on the LA scene The constant search for balance Here's our Patreon Here's our Youtube Here's our Homepage

Matt King is an in demand Nashville session drummer who’s performed on records for a number of country, pop, and rock artists, including several Grammy, CMA, ACM, and Dove Award winners and nominees. Some of these include artists like Brothers Osborne, Maren Morris, Janelle Arthur, Brad Hill, Jamie Floyd and countless others. Matt grew up in Hendersonville North Carolina, and attended the University of South Carolina before he moved to Nashville in the fall of 2002. In this episode, Matt talks about:     His pocket and time feel and it’s possible origins     Creating space between the notes & simplifying your parts     Developing a healthy and musical relationship with the click     The song is king     Recording with Brothers Osborne in the early days     In a sea of talent, knowing you have something to offer     Matt’s drum maintenance service     Tuning techniques for a Nashville session ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

Dean is the drummer for the Chicago-based bands Worry Club and Capital Soiree. He’s a lifelong resident of the Chicago area, very much a part and a product of the Chicago scene, and has done and continues to do a lot of what it has to offer in addition to his two steady bands. In this episode, Dean talks about: Starting out in the ‘burbs of Chicago and the surrounding area Initially pursuing a history degree with an eye toward being a professor  Working his way onto the Chicago scene as the scene emerged from the pandemic Getting his gig with Worry Club through using a hashtag on IG  How he approaches live versions of songs that are recorded with programmed drums Understanding and appreciating “how a song works What sets Chicago apart  Here's our Patreon Here's our Youtube Here's our Homepage

Rich Malloy is a jazz drummer whose career has been built through consistent work in clubs, listening rooms, studios, and festivals. He has worked across New York, New Jersey, Dallas, Nashville, Fort Worth, and New Mexico, performing straight-ahead, groove-based, and improvised jazz. His work includes performances with Carmen Bradford of the Count Basie Orchestra, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Brenda Lee, Country Music Hall of Fame member Lorrie Morgan, and Freedy Johnston, named Rolling Stone Songwriter of the Year. He has appeared at the New Mexico Jazz Festival in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and has toured throughout the United States, Ireland, Great Britain, and Italy. His performance history ranges from small listening rooms such as the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville and The Listening Room in New York City to national stages including the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium, and Late Show with David Letterman. Malloy also performs in Counterparts, a fully improvised duo with John Funkhouser, and builds practical music tools including Form & Time, a metronome designed to keep tempo, time signature, and musical form aligned. In this episode, Rich talks about:     Rediscovering his passion for jazz     Taking time away from music     Honoring the players before you but not replicating their style     His duo group - Counterparts     Discovering your own voice through improvised music     The power and responsibility of the drummer in improvised music     The App he developed for practicing - Form and Time ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

Award winning drummer, composer & bandleader Jared Schonig has toured and/or recorded internationally with Nicholas Payton, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Chris Potter, John Patitucci, Donny McCaslin, Darcy James Argue & Secret Society, The 8-Bit Big Band, Miho Hazama & m_Unit, Dave Grusin, David Foster, Laurence Hobgood, Tim Hagans, Fred Hersch, Wycliffe Gordon, Tom Harrell, Joe Locke, and Ernie Watts among others. He has appeared on multiple Grammy-winning records, been in the orchestra on countless Tony-award musicals, and even performed on Emmy-award winning TV performances. A favorite among vocalists, Schonig has toured with Grammy Award-winners Kurt Elling, The New York Voices, Sara Gazarek, and many others. Schonig co-led The Wee Trio, which released five critically-acclaimed albums over the past 8 years. The group received praise from numerous publications and toured internationally. He recently released two solo albums of original music (one quintet and one big band) in the fall of 2021 to critical acclaim.  His groups have performed at Dizzys (Jazz At Lincoln Center), the Jazz Gallery, the Rochester International Jazz Festival, Lake George Jazz Festival, and many others. When at home in New York City, Schonig is a fixture in both the jazz and Broadway scene. In this episode, Jared talks about: The 8 Bit Big Band’s approach to arranging and performing video game music The evolution of “Just In Time” from a one-off concert to a full-fledged Broadway show  Being empowered to bring his drumming voice to a Broadway show  How “Just In Time” bucks Broadway trends of isolating the band and utilizing electronics and automation  Maintaining a balance of Broadway work and creative jazz projects  Here's our Patreon Here's our Youtube Here's our Homepage

Antonio Sanchez has become one of the most sought-after drummers in the international jazz scene. Following 18 years and 9 albums as one of the most revered collaborators with guitarist/composer Pat Metheny, he also has recorded and performed with many other most prominent artists like Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Michael Brecker, Charlie Haden and Toots Thielemans. In 2014 Sanchez popularity soared when he scored Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman which ended up winning 4 Academy awards (including best picture) and for which Antonio won a Grammy award. He currently has many recordings as a leader and solo artist. Some recent recordings include Beatrio w/ Bela Fleck, Edmar Castaneda as well as his own group Migration. You can hear Anotino’s masterful compositions and drumming on the award winning show The Studio on Apple TV In this episode, Antonio talks about  Why he calls Barcelona, Spain his home Creating a strong reputation The realities a seasoned pro has to contend with Antonio’s journey into jazz and notoriety  Staying artistically and creatively curious  Using your own voice when making music Composing for the movie Birdman & the TV series The Studio Creating a counter culture to social media ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

Bryan Carter is a Grammy and Tony Award-winning drummer, vocalist, composer, arranger, orchestrator, and bandleader. After completing his training at The Juilliard School, Carter played with legendary artists including McCoy Tyner, Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Barron, and Kurt Elling. In addition to working in the worlds of film, television, and Broadway, Bryan founded "Jazz at Pride," a non-profit organization dedicated to curating performances and educational engagements featuring world-class artists from the LGBTQIA+ community. Bryan most recently served as co-orchestrator for Broadway's “Some Like It Hot,” for which he and his co-orchestrator Charlie Rosen made history as the first orchestrators to sweep all three major awards in a single season: the 76th Annual Tony Awards for Best Orchestrations, the Outer Critics Circle Awards, and the Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Orchestrations. Rosen and Carter continued their streak of success at the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards, winning the title of Best Musical Theater Album as producers on the recording. In the fall of 2024, Bryan premiered “Rustin in Renaissance,” a seven-movement oratorio on the life of civil-rights pioneer Bayard Rustin. The premiere was held at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room and coincided with the 20th anniversary of “The House of Swing.” In this episode, Bryan talks about: Playing multiple instruments and musical roles since early childhood  His orchestration role on “Some Like It Hot” that garnered him a Tony and a Grammy His experience at Julliard, and feeling like the curriculum put him in too small a box Looking around for “who was hiring” in New York and what that looks like on that scene The New York tradition of older established artists seeking out younger musicians and giving them a platform Writing and playing for George Clooney’s Broadway production of “Good Night and Good Luck” How using piano for composition has made him think of drumming from an arrangement standpoint  Welcoming how different performers offer different interpretations of what he writes ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

Born in Mississippi, Bryan Owings moved to Nashville in the late 1980's to pursue his career as a session drummer. His discography is vast, spanning decades and boasting credits with artists like Buddy Miller, Iris Dement, Tony Joe White, Wanda Jackson, Sue Foley, Delbert McClinton, Lucinda Williams and Emmy Lou Harris Bryan, was also included in the 2013 Muscle Shoals documentary soundtrack, playing drums for Grammy award winning artist Alicia Keys. In this episode, Bryan talks about:     Bryan’s origin story with drums     The draw to Nashville     Embracing your sound and being true to yourself     Finding the best monitor mix for the performance     Working with Iris Dement, Shelby Lynne     The reality of getting hired and fired, re-hired, fired…..     Playing drums in the Muscle Shoals documentary with Alicia Keys     Revisiting applicable technique ⁠⁠⁠ Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

Jano Rix is best known as one third of The Wood Brothers. His dad Luther's drumming career spans half a century and ranges from Bob Dylan's "Rolling Thunder" tour to Rent and Tommy on Broadway. Their new album, Legacy Vol. 1 is an exploration of their shared history and musical connection. In this episode, Luther and Jano talk about: Luther’s start at Indiana University and on the Indianapolis scene, and quickly moving to New York How playing with the Wood Brothers inspired Jano to record him and his dad playing together  How the record gave them their first real opportunity to sing together Including a live track on the record The ways they trusted and relied on each other’s strengths in the recording and mixing process Getting out of the weeds of mixing and zooming out to focus on the “big gestures” of a song The moment you start to “hear yourself think” ⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

Scott Williamson has been leaving his creative footprint on the Nashville musical landscape since 1990. He has drummed and/or produced for numerous artists including Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn, Kip Moore, Lady Antebellum, Franchesca Battistelli, Natalie Grant, Lincoln Brewster, Alice Cooper, Danny Gokey, Casting Crowns, DC Talk, Bob James, The Gaither Vocal Band & Michael W. Smith. In this episode, Scott talks about:     The differences between Nashville and L.A.     Playing the song, not the drums     Maintaining a healthy work / family balance     The pros and cons to home studio recording     Working with legendary producers like Bob Ezrin     Recording with Alice Cooper     Staying healthy     The inspiring Gregg Bissonette ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

Jordan Rose is a New York drummer whose most recent activity includes a tour with Maggie Rogers, multiple Broadway shows including the run of "Boop", Theo Katzman, and countless recording projects. What went into his decision to accept the Maggie Rogers gig Being open to an opportunity that doesn’t necessarily align with your stated goals What he learned from the large scale of the Maggie Rogers tour Treating show days the way a quarterback treats game days  Playing with a lot of energy and volume with controlled effort Experiencing being a Broadway chair holder on “Boop” and working with producer David Foster  His new recording space in Brooklyn  Here's our Patreon Here's our Youtube Here's our Homepage

Tim Buell is a Nashville-based drummer who has toured with several artists like Michael W. Smith (three time Grammy winner, 45 Dove awards), Cody Fry (two time Grammy nominated), Gloriana, Jana Kramer, Jerrod Niemann, Remedy Drive, and many others. He also records drums for clients all over the world from his home studio and other Nashville-based studios. In 2022, Tim received his first Latin Grammy nomination for his work on the album Alfa Y Omega by Athenas. In addition to touring and recording, Tim is passionate about creating educational resources through courses and eBooks (available at his website) and maintains a roster of private students virtually through Zoom and in-person at his studio in Nashville. Tim has also spent many years transcribing drum parts from iconic songs and drum solos and his transcriptions have been featured by Zildjian, Vic Firth, Drummerworld, and the Percussive Arts Society. He has created educational resources with Benny Greb, Ash Soan, Aaron Sterling, Aaron Spears, Stanton Moore, and many others. To view his transcriptions, learn more about lessons, or download free drumming resources - visit his website: https://www.timbuellmusic.com Email - timbuellmusic@gmail.com Podcast - https://www.timbuellmusic.com/podcast Instagram/TikTok - @timbuell YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/timplaysdrums In this episode, Tim talks about:     Building community in the drumming world     Basing decisions on your own desires     Having a healthy relationship with your instrument     Graduating from drummer to musician who plays drums     The importance of communication     Learning to record yourself one mic at a time     What the term “raw tracks” really means     Assigning value to your work ⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

Sam Webster is a drummer and percussionist based in his hometown of LA. Floating between a wide variety of disciplines and genres, he has amassed an impressive list of credits both live and in the studio. His mentors include Mike Englander and Jeff Hamilton, and he is active with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, several groups at Disneyland, and many other projects around town. In this episode, Sam talks about: His love for vintage Ludwigs  The value of a gig that allows you to be a full time musician  Being inspired by LA’s variety and humbling himself to people on the scene who did what he wanted to do Going to the right teacher for the right reason and knowing what kind of lesson you’re signing up for  ⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Here's our Homepage