

Drummers on Drumming
Ben Hilzinger
A podcast for drummers who think too much. Ben Hilzinger talks to the greats about creativity, identity, staying sane, and finding purpose behind the kit. Powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. For more inforamtion, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 22, 2022 • 43min
Big Fat Five: Matthew Pretty's (@thebucketboy) Top 5 Influential Records
This week’s guest is Matthew Pretty a.k.a. @thebucketboy on social media. He’s an incredible, world-renowned street percussionist based out of Las Vegas. We get into everything from his setup, to why he chose street performing and eventually stagger into the 5 biggest influences that made him into the extremely-unique player he is today. Cheers!A few of Matthew’s street performances:https://youtu.be/B1-3G-O4pikhttps://youtu.be/Yn-hDqFgNAQhttps://youtu.be/Gu0zI19dT30Blue Devils 2004 Drum Line:https://youtu.be/N4wujNNhpWg---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.Artwork by Trevin Frame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 15, 2022 • 1h 10min
Big Fat Five: Eric Somers-Urrea's Top 5 Influential Records
This week’s guest is Eric Somers-Urrea…a Chicago-based drummer, educator and producer who I very-much admire both on and off the kit. His main project is a band called Marina City and his sincerity / kindness as a person matches his incredible prowess on the drums. I just can’t say enough good things about him. I love his drumming and this is episode is LONG overdue. Please enjoy our chat about the 5 main influences that shaped Eric into the drummer he is today, but first…we play a little game. Cheers!Drum Corps International 2004 Finals: https://youtu.be/KpUuMM1y2_o?t=140---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.Artwork by Trevin Frame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 8, 2022 • 1h 8min
Big Fat Five: Aaron Haggerty's (Willow, Al McKay, Kool & The Gang) Top Influential Records
This week’s guest is Aaron Haggerty…a California-based drummer who played for Al McKay (Earth, Wind and Fire) and his ‘Al McKay All-Stars’ for 11 years. Aarons also recorded and/or toured with Kool & The Gang, Eric Gales, Gary Clark Jr, Wicked Wisdom and many more with his current gig being Willow (Smith). He’s just a badass drummer and I think you should know about him. His pocket is deep and his wisdom is wicked *wink wink*. Please enjoy the top 5 records that shaped him into the player he is today. Cheers! Follow Aaron on Instagram HERE---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.Artwork by Trevin Frame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 1, 2022 • 1h 1min
Big Fat Five: Nick Baglio's (aka @nickybagzz) Top 5 Influential Records
This week’s guest is Nick Baglio (aka @nickybagzz). I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get him on the damn podcast. If you follow Big Fat Snare Drum on Instagram (@bigfatsnaredrum), he’s literally our most-reposted account because A) he’s an amazing drummer / insanely creative and B) he captures a very powerful recorded sound and it’s super inspiring.We get into his backstory right off the bat, but in high school Nick was continuously selected for All State and All Region Jazz Bands, which helped him earn a full music performance scholarship to study drums at the University of Miami. After graduating, he hit the ground running with the alt/rock band morissonpoe and the rest is history. He’s done all the travels and currently splits his time teaching / recording and performing from his homebase of Raleigh, NC. I love him and I hope you enjoy getting to know him a little bit and learning about the 5 records that shaped him into the drummer he is today. Cheers!---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.Artwork by Trevin Frame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 25, 2022 • 57min
Big Fat Five: Big Fat Five: Rory O'Connor's (Tycho, Nitemoves) Top 5 Influential Records
This weeks guest is a Rory O’Connor…the New York-based drummer for the Gramny-nomninated band Tycho. He also finds time for his own electronic music under the name Nitemoves. Before joining Tycho, Rory played with Com Truise (another legend in that world of music). Rory brings the world of Tycho to life both in the studio AND figuring out how to re-create his own (often-chopped up) grooves for a live setting in the most interesting ways. With what I do for one of my projects, Cannons, I look up to Rory a whole hell of a lot. Cheers! ---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.Artwork by Trevin Frame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 18, 2022 • 1h 4min
50 Simple Yet Effective Drum Grooves (you voted!)
Alright so…if you listened to the ‘70’s Drum Sounds’ episode, you know that we sometimes do a little questionnaire/poll thing about a certain topic on the Big Fat Snare Drum Instagram. Recently, I asked “What are the simplest, yet most effective drum parts”. Of course, drummers are a bunch of smartasses so many of you answered with “tension rod, nylon washers, the snare strainer…” to which I chuckled. Well done…But for this episode, I made a playlist of all the songs ya’ll responded with and I thought we’d go through them together. Many of them I haven’t heard before, so I’m gonna hear them in real time. AFTER that, we are going to do a little giveaway. I’m making the playlist live on Spotify HERE so I need ya’ll to choose YOUR top 5 and email me at ben@bigfatsnaredrum.com I’m going to choose a participant at random to win a very special package from Big Fat Snare Drum. Again, choose your 5 from this list…or hey….choose your own top 5 and email me at ben@bigfatsnaredrum.com. Have fun! ---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

May 11, 2022 • 39min
Big Fat Five: Greyson Nekrutman's Top 5 Influential Records
This weeks guest is the Greyson Nekrutman. He exploded on Instagram and YouTube over the last few years by picking a lane that he saw was lacking representation on the platforms…jazz drumming. If you can, go check out his pages below before listening to this episode so you really grasp how truly amazing Greyson is. That being said, he certainly doesn’t want to be pigeonholed as just a jazz drummer…and THAT'S why I was stoked to see his 5 drastically different choices. Cheers! ---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

May 4, 2022 • 59min
Big Fat Five: Kyle Crane's (Daniel Lanois, Neko Case, Maddison Cunningham) Top 5 Influential Records
This week’s guest is Kyle Crane…a drummer I’ve been following and looking up to for years. He’s a highly-sought after independent drummer based in LA who’s worked with Daniel Lanois (look him up), Neko Case, Kurt Vile, Brad Mehldau, Bill Frisell, and Conor Oberst (plus many more), but is currently out with Maddison Cunningham. He was also a drum double for the movie ‘Whiplash’ and is the principal everything for his project, Crane Like The Bird. We talk about all this and more before hopping into the 5 records that made him into the player he is today. Cheers!---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

Apr 27, 2022 • 1h
Big Fat Five: Josh Dion's (Paris Monster, John Scofield) Top 5 Influential Records
This week’s guest is the incomparable Josh Dion (of Paris Monster and a million other rad things). He’s a busy New York cat and I’ve wanted to get him on for a long time. If you don’t know of Josh, he’s an independent drummer for than one reason (and yes there’s a dad joke coming); he’s played with sooo many including John Scofield, Jim Campilongo, Wayne Krantz, Bill Evans, Chuck Loeb, Ulu, and Esperanza Spalding, but, in Paris monster, he plays drums with his left hand, synth with his right hand, and sings lead vocals…now THAT’S independence. Ok. We start off by breaking down a bunch of the songs from his career and then hop into the 5 records that shaped him into the extremely-unique drummer his is today. This was so fun and Josh’s drumming superb to say the least. Cheers! Full Moon – The Heavy Scuffles Onhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQP5Waj_jdQThe Richard Smallwood Singers – Testimonyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u99pKb7iMZ0---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

Apr 20, 2022 • 54min
Big Fat Five: Aksel Coe's Top 5 Influential Records
We are back to our regularly-scheduled programing with this week’s guest, Aksel Coe. I first learned of Aksel via Instagram thanks to a shoutout by our good buddies at Nelson Drum Shop (Nashville). I was hooked right away. Seriously, check him out before listening to this episode.Aksel is the epitome of a modern drummer and has collaborated with Homes at Night, The Sisterhood Band, Cody Jinks, K.Flay, Temecula Road, Brittany Spencer, Pam Tillis, Larkin Poe, Jars of Clay, The Donelson Broncos, Okey Dokey, Savannah Conley, SONTALK, Elenowen, The Saint Johns and many, MANY more…If you’re looking to start OR further your career as a session player, Aksel’s insight comes from a very boots-on-the-ground approach. I hope you enjoy the five records that shaped him into the player he is today. Cheers!---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


