Drum History
A podcast all about the rich history of the drums - and how they became what they are today! Join Bart van der Zee as he speaks with experts about the curious journey of the ever-evolving drum set.
1000 Year Old Robotic Drummers!? Al-Jazari's 12th Century Mechanical Marvels
In this solo episode, I take a deep dive into the 1000 year old automaton drummers that were created by 12th century Islamic inventor, Al-Jazari. These VERY early robots are amazing marvels of engineering and predominantly feature drummers who play kettle drums and cymbals to alert people in Mesopotamia (now Turkey) of the time of day with extremely elaborate clocks. These drummers are direct predecessors to modern day cars and machinery, as Al-Jazari is credited with the creation of turning rotary motion into linear motion with crank and connecting rods, which is essential for making pumps and engines possible. Basically, drummers are at the core of the history of everything :)
Here are the links:
History channel video - https://youtu.be/fxjh_yodeBo?si=uK82GB1mWRxzQGKL
Al-Jazari Book (free pdf) - https://archive.org/details/cover_20200113_2057/
Podcast Episodes
Who is Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Drummer?
Did you know that Alfred Hitchcock used a drummer on the set of the 1963 classic thriller, 'The Birds'? The real question is: who is this mystery drummer, and how/why did Hitchcock employ a percussionist to perform durin…
A Look at Alex Van Halen's Gear (Part 2) with Kurt Ekstrom
(Part 2 Covers 1985-2015) Alex Van Halen is responsible for inspiring a generation of young drummers to pick up drumsticks because of his virtuosic playing and HUGE drum sets. Kurt Ekstrom joins us on the podcast to guid…
A Look at Alex Van Halen's Gear (Part 1) with Kurt Ekstrom
(Part 1 covers 1964-1984) Alex Van Halen is responsible for inspiring a generation of young drummers to pick up drumsticks because of his virtuosic playing and HUGE drum sets. Kurt Ekstrom joins us on the podcast to guid…
(The Vault) The History of Sabian Cymbals with Andy Zildjian
My wife gave birth to a healthy baby boy last week, so enjoy this classic episode from 2020 while I get caught up on next weeks episode! Andy Zildjian is the president of Sabian Cymbals and takes us on a very fun journey…
Designing a Mega Drum Set with Mike Mangini
Mike Mangini is famous for being an incredibly talented drummer and teacher, but also for creating some of the most elaborate and breathtaking drum sets of all time. He breaks down his first kit, which he used with Extre…
(The Vault) Ringo Starr's Life and Gear with Gary Astridge - New Video!
(From March 2020) Gary is a historian and expert on all things Ringo Starr. He has curated Ringo's collection of original Beatles drum kits and is full of great stories about Ringo that you won't hear from anyone else! W…
Exploring Silent Film Era Drums and Traps with Nick White
Nick White has the worlds largest collection of Silent Film Trap instruments, and he recently used them in the Martin Scorsese film, Killers of the Flower Moon. Nick shares some of his favorite instruments and sounds in…
How to Make a Career as a Drummer with Henrique De Almeida
Henrique has had a prolific drumming career as a performer, Berklee professor, author, studio musician, clinician, and business owner. In this episode, he teaches us a clear path to create a successful and fulfilling car…
(The Vault) The History of Keller Shells with Justin Owen
(4/30/2019) Keller has quietly made drum shells for many of the worlds greatest drum brands - learn about how the company got its start in 1946! I talk with Justin Owen, Special Accounts Manager at Keller Products, about…
Drum History Podcast Intro Challenge is live!
Thanks to everyone who submitted videos of themselves playing the Drum History Podcast intro music for the 2023 Drum History Intro Challenge to help me celebrate 5 years of the Podcast. We got 33 great submissions from a…
