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.
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This week on Drummers on Drumming (powered by Big Fat Snare Drum), we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel with Mark Stepro and Chase Elodia.
Mark plays with The Wallflowers and has worked with artists like Butch Walker and Brett Dennen, and Chase plays with Hudson Freeman and is getting ready to release his new record, Real Ones, on October 23rd.
Check out Chase's music HERE
We continue putting the new Drum Panel format to work, using a few loose categories to give the conversation some direction without keeping us from going down whatever rabbit holes come up.
In this episode:
What people are actually getting when they hire you beyond someone who can play the parts
Knowing a song well enough that you don’t need the usual safety nets
Adding drums to a song without ruining what already makes it great
Getting so good at serving other artists that your own music gets neglected
Whether music actually needs to be released to feel finished
Translating what an artist says they want into what they actually mean
Records that gave us permission to make different choices behind the kit
Finding creativity inside really simple drum parts
Whether “serving the song” can become an excuse for not making an interesting choice
Touring, having a family, and accepting that there might not actually be such a thing as balance
Plus, Tom Petty, Steve Ferrone, Brian Devendorf, Alan Myers, Stewart Copeland, Vinnie Colaiuta, and a lot more.
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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
The Drum Panel: did someone leave shoes in the dryer ?
Season 3 · Episode 327
Wednesday, September 30, 2026 • Duration 43:14
This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel with Eric Urrea and William Goldsmith.
William is the drummer for Sunny Day Real Estate and was also the original touring drummer for Foo Fighters. I’ve had him on the podcast before, and he’s incredibly funny, down to earth, and always really thoughtful about this stuff without taking any of it too seriously.
We continue putting the new Drum Panel format to work this week, hitting questions from The Work, The Playing, The Why, Drummer Problems, Records + Drummers, The Hang, and Hot Takes.
In this episode:
The stuff we leave out when people ask how our careers are going
Who first made us comfortable enough to sound bad in front of them
Getting out of your own way when coming up with drum parts
How much of our taste was decided when we were kids
Why certain drum sounds just feel right to us
What to do when you hate the programmed drum part you’re being asked to play
The difference between playing the part and figuring out what somebody actually wants from it
Drummers people assume influenced us who really didn’t
Hitting too hard in the studio
Playing the record exactly versus capturing the spirit of the original drummer
Some pretty fucking great stories involving David Bowie, Foo Fighters, Sunny Day Real Estate, and more
As always, we also end up talking about creativity, influence, ego, and all the shit we should probably be paying therapists to listen to.
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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
The Drum Panel: be where your pigfeet are
Season 3 · Episode 326
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 • Duration 45:09
This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel with Eric Urrea and Gunnar Olsen.
We’re continuing with the new format for the Panel, using a few loose categories to give the conversation some direction without keeping us from going down whatever rabbit holes come up.
A lot of this one ended up being about how your relationship with drums changes the longer you do it.
In this episode:
The gigs you would've killed for ten years ago that you might not take now
Separating being busy from actually feeling successful
What happens to your playing when you get nervous
How much technique actually matters if what you’re doing sounds good
Knowing when a song actually needs a fill
Why constantly recording and analyzing yourself can sometimes take something away from playing
Leaving a band when you still love the people in it
Drummers we understand completely differently now than we did when we were younger
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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
The Drum Panel: The kickflip of drums (NEW FORMAT)
Season 3 · Episode 235
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 • Duration 55:54
This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel with Eric Urrea and Cain Daniel.
This episode is also a test run for a new format for the Panel. After going through the listener survey, I wanted to give these conversations a little more structure while still leaving plenty of room for us to go wherever the conversation takes us.
In this episode:
What actually makes you recommend another drummer for a gig
What we’re listening to while we play that has nothing to do with the drums
How we choose the right gear for different gigs
Taking a gig you really want when the money sucks
Famous drum parts we might not understand the hype around
Horrible gigs that somehow led to something good
Having your own voice versus being adaptable enough to make a living
Whether you actually need to read music to be a professional drummer
A few Hot Takes to finish things off
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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
The Drum Panel: Can I practice having better taste?
Season 2 · Episode 234
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 • Duration 40:17
This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re back with another installment of The Drum Panel.
I’m joined by Eric Urrea, an independent drummer from Chicago who plays with Marina City and La Armada, and Adam Christgau, who has toured and recorded with artists like LP, Troye Sivan, MARINA, Sia, Miley Cyrus, Angel Olsen, Kacey Musgraves, Tegan and Sara, and more.
I had just finished a week of rehearsals where we were recording everything, listening back, and picking apart what was actually working. So I came into this one with a bunch of thoughts I wanted to throw at Eric and Adam.
In this episode:
Why the best-sounding snare might not be the most fun one to play
Tuning drums for the microphone versus the room
Shells vs plugins
Why dynamics might matter just as much as timing
The painful importance of recording and listening back to yourself
Why a great-feeling show doesn’t always sound great the next day
Whether you can actually practice having better taste
Learning the difference between what you think you’re playing and what’s actually coming out
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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
The tests results came back...
Season 3 · Episode 233
Friday, September 4, 2026 • Duration 08:53
Thanks again for filling out the survey!
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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
Five-ish records that might finally get you into jazz
Season 3 · Episode 232
Wednesday, September 2, 2026 • Duration 39:28
This week on Drummers on Drumming, I’m bringing back a re-edited 2021 conversation with my friend Anthony Fung.
The premise was simple: five-ish records and drummers that might finally get you into jazz.
Anthony explains what makes each drummer distinct, from Tony Williams’s fearless choices to Roy Haynes’s light touch, Elvin Jones’s rolling feel, and Billy Higgins’s unmistakable swing.
We also talk about Anthony’s path from discovering drums through Drumline to studying at Berklee and the Herbie Hancock Institute.
If jazz has ever felt hard to enter, this episode offers a great place to start.
Artist - The New Tony Williams LifetimeAlbum - Believe ItRelease Year - 1975Key Track - “Fred”Drummer - Tony Williams
Artist - Miles DavisAlbum - My Funny Valentine: Miles Davis in ConcertRelease Year - 1965Key Track - “Stella by Starlight”Drummer - Tony Williams
Artist - Miles DavisAlbum - ‘Four’ & More: Recorded Live in ConcertRelease Year - 1966Key Track - “Walkin’”Drummer - Tony Williams
Artist - Chick CoreaAlbum - Now He Sings, Now He SobsRelease Year - 1968Key Tracks - “Steps–What Was,” “Matrix,” “Windows”Drummer - Roy Haynes
Artist - John ColtraneAlbum - A Love SupremeRelease Year - 1965Key Track - “Part I: Acknowledgement”Drummer - Elvin Jones
Artist - McCoy TynerAlbum - SupertriosRelease Year - 1977Key Tracks - “Moment’s Notice,” “Blues for Ball”Drummers - Tony Williams and Jack DeJohnette
Tony Williams plays on “Moment’s Notice.” Jack DeJohnette plays on “Blues for Ball.”
Artist - Lee MorganAlbum - CornbreadRelease Year - 1967Key Tracks - “Cornbread,” “Ceora”Drummer - Billy Higgins
The album was recorded in 1965, which explains the year mentioned during the conversation. It was released in 1967.
Artist - Max RoachAlbum - We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now SuiteRelease Year - 1960Key Track - No individual track namedDrummer - Max Roach
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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
I Need Your Help With What Comes Next
Season 3 · Episode 231
Wednesday, August 26, 2026 • Duration 10:43
PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS SHORT LIL EPISODE:
Click HERE for the Listener Survey.
Or HERE.
Or even HERE.
What about HERE you ask? Hell yeah HERE too.
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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
YOU VOTED! Your favorite cymbal intros...
Season 3 · Episode 230
Wednesday, August 19, 2026 • Duration 48:13
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.
Today, I’m joined by my trusty co-host Eric Urrea, and one of my best friends, Kris Mazzarisi, owner and founder of Big Fat Snare Drum, and drummer for Winnetka Bowling League.
Over on the Big Fat Snare Drum Instagram page, we asked our followers to name their favorite cymbal intros. Here are the results plus a few honorable mentions from the peanut gallery.
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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
The Drum Panel: Full belly dry diaper
Season 3 · Episode 229
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 • Duration 35:49
This week on Drummers on Drumming, we’re jumping back into part two of my conversation with Brendan Buckley, Zack Albetta, and Eric Urrea.
In this episode:
How much production a live show actually needs
The modern skills working drummers are expected to have
Keeping your identity while adapting to the gig
Why space can sound bigger than layers
Whether a live show is for the artist or the audience Why a quiet crowd doesn’t always mean a bad show
Winning over a room that didn’t come to see you
Stories involving Rage Against the Machine, Van Halen, Damien Rice, and bucket percussion
If you haven’t heard part one yet, I’d recommend starting there.
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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
