Modern Drummer Festival Weekend 1998: Drum DVD

This is a masterclass archive you can return to repeatedly. Watching Jojo Mayer, Dave Weckl, Rod Morgenstein, and other innovators perform live and discuss their craft provides insight that transcends any single lesson or book. The interviews alongside the performances let students hear directly how working drummers think about technique, musicality, and creativity.

You're sitting ringside at a festival where virtuosity meets conversation. Each performance demonstrates what's possible when years of dedicated practice meet genuine musical imagination. The tone shifts between the precision and energy of high-level drumming and the reflective, candid moments when performers discuss their journeys.

Drummers seeking inspiration and real-world perspective from established professionals. Students preparing for drum corps, jazz ensembles, or percussion performance contexts will benefit most. Teachers looking to expose their students to diverse playing styles and philosophies will find this especially valuable.

• Watch the performances first without trying to replicate every lick; focus on identifying what makes each drummer's voice distinctive
• Pause during interviews to absorb the advice being given, then revisit the corresponding performance with that perspective in mind
• Study the Dartmouth High School Drum Line segment to see how ensemble drumming principles apply alongside solo artistry
• Take notes on specific techniques or concepts mentioned, then work them into your own practice with deliberate intention

Screen segments during ensemble rehearsals or private lessons to illustrate the range of professional drumming contexts: from high school drum line to session work to avant-garde percussion. Use the interviews as discussion starters for conversations about musicianship, practice habits, and artistic vision. Individual performances can anchor lessons on specific techniques or styles.

• Identifying distinctive playing styles and what creates a recognizable musical voice
• Understanding how drummers approach groove, pocket, and timekeeping in different musical contexts
• Learning from direct commentary on technique, musicality, and the development of a drummer's craft
• Exposure to diverse genres and ensemble settings (drum corps, jazz, world percussion, session playing)