Become A Better Drummer By Listening To Drums From All Over The World

While working on my undergraduate and graduate degrees at California Institute of the Arts in Valencia CA, I had the great privilege to study with master drummers not only from the United States but also from India, Africa and Indonesia.  Each of these teachers opened new and exciting doors into worlds of drumming that I would have never known otherwise. Why, you may be asking, would this necessarily make someone a better drummer?

 Excuse the simple answer, but the more you know.......well the more you know! First of all, music from India is really different rhythmically and melodically from music in the western world. The same applies to music from Africa and Indonesia. Each of these music languages are very unique and because of this expand the musicians musical color palette. 

For me, it was really a lot of fun to take the rhythms of Indian, African and Indonesian music to the drum set to create grooves and fills. It was a great way to get out of those musical ruts that to many musicians know only to well. Below are a few suggestions for listening. Hopefully this will inspire students of drumming to explore the vast musical world of drumming. These days you can go on quite a grand musical journey for free via spotify. So, enrich your musical knowledge and have fun!!!

Maestros: Ustad Zakir Hussain and Ustad Alla Rakha   INDIA

​Trilok Gurtu: Crazy Saints   INDIA and the WEST come together

Mustapha Tettey Addy: The Royal Drums of Ghana​   Africa

Java Court Gamelan: Java Court Gamelan    Indonesia

​Lou Harrison: Gamelan Music   INDONESIA and the WEST come together

Be Courageous and explore on your own! Also explore the music of Cuba and Brazil.

​HAVE FUN!!!!