Rich Redmond's Drummer's Weekend

Rich Redmond’s “CRASH COURSE FOR SUCCESS”- Drummer’s Weekend

Student drummers from around the U.S. experienced a one of a kind drumming event on November 1-3, 2013 in Nashville, Tn.

This weekend of education, inspiration, and entertainment featured 24 hours of hands on training with multi platinum country star Jason Aldean’s recording/touring drummer Rich Redmond. Rich hosted guest clinicians TROY LUCCKETTA (TESLA) and JIM RILEY (RASCAL FLATTS). A guest studio drummer panel featured NICK BUDA (Taylor Swift), KEN COOMER (Wilco), TONY MORRA (Downtown Batterie), TOMMY HARDEN (Reba, Sessions) interacted with the students and answered questions. JIM HANDLEY presented a tuning clinic. Producer MICHAEL KNOX (Jason Aldean, Rachel Farley, Bush Hawg) made himself available for a powerful Q+A session focusing on the creative process and what producers are looking for in drummers. Nashville's 3 KINGS rhythm section (Jason Aldean, Thompson Square) also discussed concepts related to performing in a rhythm section and building a career. Students sat in with an all star rhythm section featuring bassist Pete Iannacone (Josh Stone) and guitarist John Foster (The Consolers). Rich’s teaching focused on his CRASH philosophy for success in the music business as well as subjects like: The Nashville Number System, song charting, overdubbing percussion, creating click tracks, getting and keeping gigs, money beats, mental/business techniques to create the music career of your dreams.

Students were treated to daily-catered meals and evening “hangs” with the clinicians. Also, plenty of door prizes and giveaways were provided by:

DW, SABIAN, PROMARK, REMO, ROLAND, KICKPORT, GON BOPS, AUDIO TECHNICA, CYMPAD, GATOR, PITCH SLAP, BOOTY SHAKERS, BLACK WIDOW, HANSENFUTZ, PROLOGIX, DRUMTACS, THE CARMICHAEL THRONE, AUARALEX, ADAM ARGULLIN, DIRECT SOUND EXTREME ISOLATION, EAR FILTERS, THE KELLY SHU, GREAT LEATHER, RED MONKEY and many others.

Students performed music with recording artists JOHN EDDIE and ADAM FEARS at a closing ceremony concert at Douglas Corner Cafe in Nashville. All proceeds collected from admission benefited the W.O. Smith School Of Music in Nashville.

The 2014 "Hit Like A Girl" Contest

Hit Like A Girl 2014 Contest Plans January 24, 2014 KickoffNew Sponsors, Participants and Judges include Guitar Center, PAS and Jessica Bowen

The Hit Like A Girl Contest* has announced that the 2014 edition of the international contest for female drummers will open for entries on January 24, 2014. The program that began just two years ago as a way to celebrate and support female drummers has grown into a major promotion of female drumming, becoming one of the drum community’s most popular, fastest growing activities. Since beginning in 2011, the Hit Like A Girl Contest’s accomplishments have included:

• Participants from the ages of 7 to 70 from 42 countries
• More than 4,000,000 web impressions
• Tens of thousands of votes and comments
• Participation and judging by many of the top women drummers in the world
• Support from leading drum, percussion, hardware, electronics and accessory companies

In 2014 the Hit Like A Girl Contest will expand in many exciting ways. In addition to recently acquiring support from Guitar Center and the Percussive Arts Society, contest organizers are in the process of growing the event’s footprint by bringing on major corporate and media sponsors from around the world. Because the promoters have invited all companies to participate in the event, this year’s sponsors and supporters will include a larger, more diverse number of leading drum and percussion companies.

The 2014 contest will also feature participation by a wider range of top female drum artists, such as Jessica Bowen, drummer of popular punk-pop band The Summer Set, who has been named the Hit Like A Girl spokesperson for the year as well as one of the 2014 contest judges.

To learn more and sign-up go to www.hitlikeagirlcontest.com. Follow on Facebook at facebook.com/hitlikeagirlcontest.

Highlight videos of the 2013 Contest (under 18):

Highlight videos of the 2013 Contest (over 18):

*Hit Like A Girl is a trademark of the Percussion Marketing Council. (Playdrums.com)

Ahead Adds New Tenor Sticks

Ahead Expands Marching Line With New Chavez “Arsenal” Tenor Sticks And Mallets.

Based on their proven, proprietary designs that integrate an advanced aluminum core and handle, Ahead Marching Drumsticks offer near-perfect uniformity and consistency in terms of weight, size, balance and tone plus the increased durability, comfort and shock absorption that make them ideal for drum corps, Winterguard and other types of marching drum lines. And now, the exclusive "Chavez" Arsenal Tenor Drum sticks and mallets bring Ahead's superior physical, musical and visual advantages to even more marching drummers on the field and off.

Developed in conjunction with Dallas Mavericks’s drum line instructor and educator “Chavez”, the new Ahead Arsenal ATS Tenor Drumsticks and ATM Tenor Drum Mallets feature a durable white powder-coated finish, extruded and swaged handles with premium-quality DuPont Delrin® heads. The ATS are 15.625˝ long by .695˝ diameter, 80 grams, with .875˝ white Delrin heads. The ATM are 14.50˝ long by .695˝ diameter, 82 grams, with 1.25˝ black Delrin tips.

For further information visit www.aheaddrumsticks.com or your local authorized Ahead Drumstick dealer, stop by the Big Bang booth at NAMM (#3564) or contact Big Bang Distribution at 800-547-6401, bigbangdist.com.

Top Country Drummers Choose Cympad

Cympad Goes Country As Top Country Drummers Choose Cympad.

Cympad, makers of a wide range of cellular foam cymbal washers, has announced that the drummers for several of Country music’s biggest artists are now using and endorsing the innovative and popular cymbal accessory. Many of the musicians that these Cympad endorsers perform with have been nominated for 2013 Country Music Association Awards and will be appearing on the CMA Awards show, which will be broadcast live from Nashville on Wednesday, November 6, 2013 at 8:00 ET on ABC-TV.

Cympad’s roster of Country Drum Artists include:

Sean Fuller (Florida Georgia Line)* Garrett Goodwin (Carrie Underwood)* Jeff Marino (Darius Rucker)* Billy Mason (Tim McGraw)* Kent Slucher (Luke Bryan)* Rich Redmond (Jason Aldean)*

These Country music players, along with a growing number of Jazz, Rock, R&B, Latin, Metal and other drummers, use a variety of Cympad Optimizers, Chromatics and Moderators cymbal pads in both studio and live situations. Cympads are available at drumshops and music stores everywhere. For more information visit www.cympad.com.