Ludwig's Vistalite History

Drum Roll Please…. This week I want to talk about acrylic drum sets. I have always been obsessed with the look of an acrylic kit. However, I never actually researched how acrylic drum sets came to be. So let me tell you a story about Ludwig.

Risen Drums

Drum Roll Please…This week I want to feature a company that truly motivates me to play percussion. I stumbled upon this company about 3 years ago when I was just searching on Google for custom drums. There are many companies that have saturated the custom drum market, as well as many go-to companies because of the awesome branding and marketing they have done. However, this one company caught my eye, Risen Drums.

Self-Taught Success Feat. Cobus Potgieter & Luke Holland

Drum Roll Please...What’s the difference between teaching yourself how to do something and having someone else teach you? Well, to me there is a significant difference. You see I am a self-taught drummer and I am glad I have taught myself how to play. The reason is because I believe learning on your own is what drives passion. Some people need to teach themselves how to do certain things because when it comes to that one thing they don’t want someone holding them accountable for it. They want to hold themselves accountable.  I fell in love with drums and have been further developing my skills slowly. It all comes with time! However, I have a couple of people I look up to as a reference of what I want to be able to do one day! Something that my mom always says is “no matter how old you are you will never stop learning”.  With that said, I am going to introduce to you two drummers I follow on a constant basis.

Cobus Potgieter

            This is a self-taught drummer all the way from South Africa. He influences me due to his outlook on learning percussion. He always wants to learn something new about percussion. He has a hunger for just wanting to dig deeper into something he loves. Aside from his hunger, you can always see the passion he has to play drums in every one of his videos. He is just so thrilled sitting on that throne! I know Cobus would directly agree with my mom’s quote because he is always learning something new everyday from either other percussionists or himself. It is that desire to learn more that has brought him so much success, such as his own instructional DVD which is all about learning how to play drums by ear and learning all of his techniques! He has his own documentary and has raised tons of money on Kickstarter from all of his supporters in order to record his own album with other artists around the world! This guy leaves me speechless with his passion and drive!

Luke Holland

            What I love about Luke Holland is his technicality! This guy started teaching himself how to play drums at age 10 and has become a monster behind the drum set. What this guy has to offer is so much technique and complex fills that leave your mind blown! At the age of 18, Luke already accrued over 10 million views on his YouTube account. This guy’s success through YouTube opened the door to his professional percussion career.  In 2010, Luke was asked personally by Adam Grey of Texas in July to fill in for him at on of their shows. He is now touring the globe with The Word Alive and has many more opportunities ahead of him! Luke Holland shows me that dedication and love for something can drive you to wherever you want to go! Luke and Cobus are the same in that area. They both wanted something more from drums. That more was sharing their talent with others.

            These two percussionists are amazing at what they do! Their hearts for music and drumming are in the right place. They continue to inspire many percussionists through constant interaction on social media. They are a clear example of how far passion can take you. They display, through their skills, how so much love for something can take you wherever you want to go! 

Brad Davis & Adventure Drums

         Drum Roll Please…this week I bring to you Brad Davis and his company, Adventure Drums. First off, I would like to say that Brad is one interesting character! It’s the fact that he is silly, creative, loud, and awkward that attracts me to his videos and company. Brad’s 20 years as a musician has given him enough background to be able to communicate to several audiences in a fun, new, and quirky way.

The Percussion Arts Society

            Drum Roll Please…This week’s post is all about PAS, the Percussive Arts Society.  As percussionists we have to be aware of certain organizations that exist to teach us about an industry we are so passionate about. PAS is an organization with over 7,000 members and 50 chapters located across the United States with another 28 international chapters. Our industry is filled with passionate drummers.  We just have to network with them; but, first let’s learn a little about PAS.

Mark Applebaum Gone Mad!

Drum Roll Please...allow me to introduce the “Mad Scientist of Music” Mark Applebaum. Mark Applebaum breaks the rules when it comes to music. It is his questions and boredom that drives him to surpass the boundaries that people such as Beethoven and Bach placed before him. That is the area where I can personally relate to Mark, as I want to become the “Mad Scientist of Drumsticks”. I want to be able to break the boundaries of drumsticks like Ahead did with their carbon fiber drumsticks or like Vic Firth did with different tip designs. I have many questions, all which still have yet to be answered as my research continually progresses. But what surprised me most about Mark is his boredom with music. How can that be?

The Blue Man Group

I personally feel that percussionists are always trying to make some sort of new sound. Well this past week I had the pleasure of being able to experience percussion unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I was able to watch The Blue Man Group. The Blue Man Group is a group of three percussionists who have innovated the world of percussion and sound design by creating rhythms and melodies while using unique things. So what is The Blue Man Group all about?

dB DrumShoes

        Drum Roll Please...this week’s post is all about dB Drumshoes. Yup that’s right I said it, “DrumShoes”. Shoes specifically designed for drummers. The crazy thing about drummers is that I personally know many that love playing without shoes. However, most of us can be a bit hardheaded because even though we cut ourselves up many if us still don’t wear shoes while we play. So some may ask well why do drummers like to play drums barefoot? Well some feedback that I have received has been that they can’t feel the pedal when they play with shoes also that, it allows for easier and faster pedaling. For some shoes are too heavy so they resort to play without shoes. That is where dB got the idea to make shoes specifically designed for drummers from.

Soultone Cymbals

Drum Roll please…for this week's post I will be introducing a company I came across on Twitter. As a percussionist, I find that I am overwhelmed with seeing big brands such as Zildjian, Vic Firth, Tama, etc. I also find that I want to know more about companies that are hidden throughout this awesome industry. As a business graduate and current grad student, finding out the motivation, stories, and inception behind new companies intrigues me. This is where Soultone Cymbals come into play. 

Iki Levy founded Soultone Cymbals in 2003. Iki Levy is a percussionist that has worked with several names in the industry. He has worked with acts from Paula Abdul & Donna Summers, to the High School Musical Cast and O-Town. Iki had this to say "I wanted to use the best products possible, and I had the opportunities, but I was not happy with anything those companies were producing". Now, that is what I'm talking about! A percussionist that says he wants to change what makes him unhappy so that he can make a difference in an industry that he is passionate about is something to truly admire. So what makes Soultone Cymbals unique enough? Well let me tell you!

Introduction. Thumb Thang & CCP

First off I would like to introduce myself. I am Daniel Botana, a passionate percussionist who has taught himself for the past 5 years. As a percussionist, I find myself in a world filled with many questions about this industry that I am so passionate about. These questions range from why consumers should represent certain brands, to what makes these companies different from one another, and what is so unique about each one. That is what this blog is all about. This blog is meant to bring information to you, the reader, surrounding the latest of the latest in the percussion industry and why you as a consumer should represent certain brands in the industry. A quick side note, to keep up to date with quick information head on over to twitter.com and follow @BotanaDrums.

Recently, through my Twitter account, I was able to find out about a new innovated product, the Thumb Thang, and a custom drum company, Chicago Custom Percussion (CCP).