Big Fat Five: A Podcast Financially Supported by Big Fat Snare Drum
236 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 13 hours ago -Every drummer encounters a unique chain of influences that shape the way they approach the instrument. Join me, Ben Hilzinger, as I chat with my favorite players to dissect the TOP 5 records that helped make them who they are today...on and off the kit. For more info, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com or find us on Instagram @bigfatsnaredrum. Cheers!
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Episodes
Gunnar Olsen (Big Data, Mother Feather, The Exit) - Top 5 Drumming Moments That Shaped His Style
August 12, 2020 07:00 - 51 minutesGunnar Olsen breaks down the top 5(ish) drumming moments that helped him develop a unique voice behind the kit. SUBMIT YOUR LISTENER PICKS HERE For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok
Kris Mazzarisi (BFSD Founder) and Ben Hilzinger (Cannons, Eve 6) - Top 5 Drumming Moments That Shaped Their Style
August 05, 2020 07:00 - 50 minutesHello hello...today's show features the Big Fat Man himself, Kris Mazzarisi and myself, Ben Hilzinger, discussing the top 5 specific moments in either a recording or a performance that helped form us into the drummers we are today. We are all sponges for inspiration until the day we die, but some sponge-worthy moments are more remarkable than others. All of the little flourishes in our playing combine to give us a unique voice, but many of these derive from something we've heard or seen outsi...
Kris Mazzarisi (BFSD Founder) and Ben Hilzinger (Eve 6, BFSD A&R) - Top 5 Drumming Moments That Shaped Their Style
August 05, 2020 07:00 - 47 minutesHello hello...today's show features the Big Fat Man himself, Kris Mazzarisi and myself, Ben Hilzinger, discussing the top 5 specific moments in either a recording or a performance that helped form us into the drummers we are today. We are all sponges for inspiration until the day we die, but some sponge-worthy moments are more remarkable than others. All of the little flourishes in our playing combine to give us a unique voice, but many of these derive from something we've heard or seen outsi...
Kung Fu Drumming, Body Language and Anxiety w/ Ben Satterlee (@nashvilledrumcoach)
July 29, 2020 06:03 - 50 minutesThis week’s guest is Ben Satterlee…I know I say this a lot, but Ben is one of my favorite players right now and for good reason. Similarly to a previous guest, Madden Klass, I love Ben’s ability to wear two hats: a hard-hitting monster of a showman AND a nuanced, controlled pocket player … aaaaand he wears them quite well. We discuss how every gig from coffee shops to arenas has molded his unique playing style and hopefully you can walk away with a better understanding of how his priorities c...
The Influence of American/UK Music on Latin Drumming w/ Erasmo "Wasmo" Huerta
July 22, 2020 06:15 - 56 minutesThis week’s guest is Erasmo "Wasmo" Huerta. Erasmo is a Big Fat Snare Drum artist and one hell of a drummer. While he was born and raised in Venezuela, he currently resides in Miami, Florida. He had reached out a few weeks back and wanted to chat about his views on the influence that music from America and the United Kingdom has had in the Latin drumming community. I’ll be the first to admit that I am pretty insecure over my lack of knowledge pertaining to Latin drumming and this definitely r...
Dissecting Technique w/ Madden Klass
July 15, 2020 05:03 - 44 minutesThis week’s guest is Madden Klass and I've really been looking forward to this conversation. Madden is definitely one of my favorite players today and I wanted to get her on to discuss her ethos on technique, practicing, and just overall approach to how she prioritizes what she focuses on when it comes to becoming a better player. I have a feeling Madden is going to be on some very timeless and impactful records in the future and I was happy to be able to get a chance to chat. That being said...
Live Q&A with Kris and Ben
July 08, 2020 07:03 - 33 minutesGet to know the Big Fat Boyz. This week's episode is from an Instagram live Q&A featuring Kris and myself (Ben). Thank you sooooo much to everyone who participated and asked great questions. Be sure to follow @bigfatsnaredrum across all platforms to stay updated on everything Big and Fat and Snare Drummy. Today's episode is brought to you by Clearsound Baffles. Clearsound Baffles are a transparent, acoustic shielding product that dampen loud instruments and significantly improve live sound. T...
The Story of "The Click Track"
July 01, 2020 06:43 - 18 minutesHello hello…my name is Ben Hilzinger and this is The Big Fat Snare Drum Podcast. This whole thing has been an experiment for me. Ultimately, I do want to bring more awareness to our brand by putting out more content with our name attached, but more importantly, I want to add value to you. I’m a full-time session / touring drummer in addition to working with Big Fat Snare Drum and basically all I do is think drums, but there’s still so much that I don’t know and I never wanted this podcast to ...
Exploring Creativity and Translating Drum Parts for a Live Show w/ Gunnar Olsen
June 24, 2020 06:40 - 1 hourHello hello…my name is Ben Hilzinger and this is the Big Fat Snare Drum Podcast. I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while now. My guest today is Gunnar Olsen. I met Gunnar on tour in 2018 when one of my bands opened up for Big Data…a band for which he plays and it was one of the most fun times I've ever had on tour. I can say without a doubt that Gunnar is one of my favorite drummers to watch and listen to. His mixture of power and approachable creativity is unmatched in my opinion. ...
What made Bonham Bonham?! The BONZOLEUM Episode w/ Terry Keating
June 16, 2020 07:18 - 1 hourHello hello…my name is Ben Hilzinger and this is the Big Fat Snare Drum Podcast. We took a few weeks off, but to make it up to you, we have an insanely long episode. Terry Keating is one of my favorite YouTube personalities for obvious reasons. His enthusiastic approach to hosting a show and overall education style makes my heart so happy. Check out his John Bonham page Bonzoleum. I initially wanted to have him on the show to discuss 5 hidden gems in Bonzo’s catalog that drummers might not ne...
5 Records That Will Finally Get You Into Jazz…if you were intimidated like me and never knew where to start w/ Anthony Fung
May 27, 2020 07:04 - 49 minutesI don’t know about you, but I’ve always believed that, in order to be a better drummer, I need to listen to more jazz and more importantly…jazz drummers. You know…cause that’s what everyone tells us right? Well, I’ve found EVERY way possible to avoid getting into the genre because, quite frankly, it’s intimidating, I don’t know where to start, and I don’t know what to listen for. That's why I wanted to get my good friend and even gooder drummer, Anthony Fung, on the show to give me (and I gue...
Behind The Company w/ Baldman Percussion (@baldmanpercussion)
May 20, 2020 08:48 - 32 minutesToday is another episode of Behind The Company w/ the baldmen themselves…Danny and Mike of Baldman Percussion…creators of The Junk Hat. Big Fat Snare Drum shared a booth with the boys at Winter NAMM 2020 and it was a pleasure getting to know these two goofballs so I’m happy to have them on the show to talk about the story of how they met, the humble beginnings of The Junk Hat, and their plans for the future. I had a lot of fun with this one. Enjoy! Find out about all the Big Fat Snare Drum pr...
Top Drum Plugins w/ E-MAN (@drumawayeman)
May 13, 2020 16:25 - 1 hourThis week’s guest is E-Man..drummer for Andy Grammer…but he's also worked with Gwen Stefani, Cody Simpson, producer Tyler Johnson and many more. E-man also provides remote recordings via his home studio and definitely knows how to get great sounds…check out his Instagram and YouTube channel to see what I mean. I wanted to get him on the show to breakdown his favorite plugins he uses to record/mix and why. Again, I’m just as much of an audience member as you are for this one…so I was excited t...
5 Tips to Grow Your Instagram Following w/ Jessica Burdeaux (@jburdsbeats)
May 06, 2020 06:49 - 57 minutesThis week’s guest is Jessica Burdeaux. Jessica’s story is a prime example of how you can consistently grow your Instagram following while remaining true to who you are as an artist and person. Her career so far includes a guest spot/live lesson on Drumeo, becoming a Reverb.com spokesperson, and performing with the 8G band for Late Night w/ Seth Meyers. In this episode, she breaks down the 5 key social media focuses that worked for her and hopefully they can translate to your world as well. Th...
The Dichotomous Life of Working in the Music Industry w/ Sahir Hanif
April 29, 2020 06:48 - 1 hourToday's guest is Sahir (aka Sai) Hanif...owner of Masters of Maple drums and Ghost Tech Touring. Sai has the oh-so-common task of wearing many hats within the music industry so I wanted to get him on the show to discuss the dichotomy of being the top dog as a Production Manager one day and then switching to more of a compliment to action as a studio drum tech the next (all while running a successful drum company). Sai explains the main roles for each job, but his stories and advice will serve...
Most Common Mistakes When Mixing Drums w/ Mike Avenaim PART TWO
April 22, 2020 07:08 - 36 minutesThis is Part Deux of our conversation with Mike Avenaim. Make sure to check out Part One. This episode is sponsored by Clearsound Baffles. Clearsound Baffles are a transparent, acoustic shielding product that dampens loud instruments and significantly improve live sound. Perhaps you’ve seen them at your church or on tour with artists like Khaleed, Zara Larsson, or Gladys Knight, just to name a few. They’re those clear, plexiglass circles that mount in front of cymbals and snares. They dampen...
Most Common Mistakes When Mixing Drums w/ Mike Avenaim PART ONE
April 15, 2020 06:08 - 50 minutesToday’s guest/expert is Mike Avenaim…a Los Angeles-based musical director, drummer, producer, composer, and mixer. He really does it all…and does it all pretty damn well. He’s worked with Scott Weiland, Lil Nas X, Tori Kelly, Hailee Steinfield, Nick Lachey, Leslie Odom Jr. and tons more. We discuss the incorrect use of compression styles, misunderstanding routing, mono vs stereo, gain staging and much more. While I usually like to keep these short, Mike is a treasure trove of knowledge and I ...
*QUARANTINE EDITION* Tips To Still Improve as a Drummer When You Can't Get to Your Drums w/ Stephen Taylor
April 08, 2020 07:31 - 46 minutesToday’s guest is Stephen Taylor…a Nashville based drum educator/performer and owner of Stephen’s Drum Shed. I’ve been following his online videos for years and am super stoked to have him on the show. With this pandemic essentially eliminating all live performances and keeping everyone home, a ton of drummers don’t have access to their drums. Sooooo I thought I’d talk with Stephen and brainstorm about ways we can still improve when we cant actually quote on quote “practice”. Of course, you ca...
5 Myths About Mastering
April 01, 2020 06:44 - 32 minutesToday’s guest is Blake LaGrange…a mastering engineer and the owner of www.mastering.com...where he teaches students the skills to become his or her very own mastering engineer. I met Blake during a session for which he was the recording engineer and we bonded over our love of Jimmy Eat World’s production choices...sooooo shoutout to Zach Lind. Mastering is a very intimidating subject, but it doesn’t have to be. In these days where you have a little more spare time on your hands, learning new ...
5 Ways To Get and KEEP Your Drumming Gig
March 25, 2020 07:00 - 25 minutesToday’s guest is Mike Sleath…a Canadian-based drummer currently touring full-time with pop artist Shawn Mendes. Before getting the gig with Shawn, Mike hustled as a drummer for years in the Toronto scene and certainly paid his dues so I wanted to get him on the show to talk about “5 Ways to Get and Keep Your Drumming Gig”. Some of this stuff might be self-explanatory, but even the most obvious points have nuance and can always use a little re-enforcement. In addition to being an incredibly po...
5 Roles of a Music Director
March 18, 2020 08:50 - 54 minutesToday’s guest is Eric Downs…a very talented drummer and music director based in Los Angeles. While you might not want to become a music director yourself, this is an incredibly important and fruitful conversation jammed packed with practical information that will help anyone improve their live show. Eric’s perspective and acknowledgment of a performers’ responsibility to give the audience a unique experience is extremely inspiring. Enjoy the show! This episode is powered by Clearsound Baffle...
5 Things To Avoid on a Session When You’re Engineering Drums
March 11, 2020 07:16 - 32 minutesThis episode is Part 2 of my conversation with Dan Bailey. Please go check out Part 1 and download Dan’s masterclasses called “The Bailey Method” Parts 1 and 2. You can check them out on his website www.drichardbailey.com. Enter promo code BFSD for 15% off. Enjoy the show! This episode is powered by Clearsound Baffles. Enter the code BIGFATDISCOUNT at checkout for 10% off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
5 Things to Avoid on a Session When You're Playing Drums
March 04, 2020 09:01 - 31 minutesToday’s episode is part one of Ben's conversation with Dan Bailey on the topic of 5 things to avoid when working on a session for an artist. Dan is a Drummer / Music Director / Engineer / Multi-Instrumentalist who’s played with Father John Misty, First Aid Kit, Reignwolf and many. He recently released his video series The Bailey Method parts 1 & 2 recorded at his studio Trackland in Orange County . In part 1, Dan discusses his methods for setting up, and ultimately recording a drum kit. He do...
Behind The Company - Low Boy Custom Beaters
February 26, 2020 17:54 - 28 minutesBen sits down with Jeremy Brieske of Lowboy Custom Beaters for another episode of Behind The Company. Not only did Lowboy change the way people think about bass drum beaters, but Jeremy also continues to invent new gadgets to better improve the drum set with no sign of stopping. I hope you enjoy the story of Lowboy as told by Jeremy. Cheers! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Behind The Company - Tackle Instrument Supply Co.
February 19, 2020 19:07 - 16 minutesToday’s show is my interview with Scott Mcpherson of Tackle Instrument Supply Company. One of my goals with this podcast is sharing the story behind some of my favorite drum and drum accessory companies. On top of being a business owner, Scott has an incredibly impressive resume including Elliot Smith, Sense Field, Bright Eyes, M. Ward and many more…Beck. For a more in-depth and perhaps, heavier interview with Scott, check out his episode on one of my favorite podcasts… The Trap Set with Joe ...
Behind the Company - NickyMoon Custom Cymbals
February 12, 2020 16:38 - 18 minutesToday’s show is Ben's interview with Nick Margarite…founder/owner/and cymbal smith for NickyMoon Custom Cymbals. We talk about the history of him as a drummer, why he started the company and the story of how he traveled the world to learn the art of cymbal making. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How to Automate Your Pads/Triggers to Change Throughout A Song w/ Ableton Live
February 05, 2020 17:08 - 24 minutesAndrew Marshall of Billie Eilish sits down with Ben and discusses how to use automation in Ableton Live to change the sounds on each of your pads and/or triggers throughout any given song. This means less time thinking about choreography and more time playing drums. Also check out the corresponding YouTube Tutorial entitled "" where we take you on a step-by-step process of how to set up your session in the exact way we discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Drum Shop Showcase - Jim Pettit of Memphis Drum Shop
January 29, 2020 16:22 - 10 minutesToday’s Drum Shop Showcase is the Memphis Drum Shop. While on a recent tour, Ben had the chance to sit down for a quick conversation with Jim Pettit, who co-owns the shop with his wife Nancy. Through talking with Jim, we learn that, while Memphis Drum Shop is certainly still going strong, the priority has slowly shifted towards mycymbal.com which you’ll hear Jim describe shortly. We also discuss how their third venture, Memphis Gong Chamber, gives back in the name of health. Enjoy my short l...
Very (Live) Sound Advice w/ Mic Quinn and Geron Rains Part TWO
January 22, 2020 08:23 - 22 minutesPart Deux of Ben's conversation with Mic Quinn and Geron Rains... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Very (Live) Sound Advice w/ Mic Quinn and Geron Rains Part ONE
January 15, 2020 07:18 - 22 minutesBen sits down with two of his favorite sound engineers and people Mic Quinn and Geron Rains. Mic has toured the world as Production Manager, Stage Manager and/or Front of House Audio with Jet, Cut Copy, Empire of the Sun, Kongos, Biffy Clyro, The Music and countess more while Geron is primarily a monitor engineer having worked with Kongos, Ratatat, Vince Staples, Relient K and Hippo Campus. They discuss their personal philosophies, techniques and overall insight on micing and recording drums ...
Drum Shop Showcase - Bryson Nelson of Nelson Drum Shop
January 08, 2020 03:54 - 18 minutesThis is the first episode in a segment we are calling the Drum Shop Showcase. While we all (please say I'm not alone) admittedly appreciate the convenience of the national chains, the local drum shop will always be near and dear to any drummer's heart. As we travel the world with our various projects, both Kris and I try to visit these shops whenever time permits. Each shop has its own unique history and we want to bring that story to you. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...
Bonus Clip: Vessel Drum Co Workshop Tour
December 16, 2019 02:22 - 8 minutesIn this Bonus Clip, Preston Parsons takes us on a tour of the Vessel Drum Co workshop in Encinitas, CA and explains how he builds his drums. Check out our more in-depth conversation in Episode 4. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Inside The World of a Boutique Drum Company w/ Preston Parsons of Vessel Drum Company
December 10, 2019 22:35 - 20 minutesWelcome to the Big Fat Snare Drum Podcast. Today Ben sits down with Preston Parsons of Vessel Drum Company. They discuss the basics of drum construction and why boutique drum companies are such an essential niche in the drum community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Art of Hybrid Drumming w/ Joe Clegg PART TWO
December 03, 2019 07:24 - 15 minutesWelcome to the Big Fat Snare Drum Podcast. This is part 2 of Ben's conversation with Joe Clegg. Soo, if you haven’t listened to part one…I don’t know why you clicked on this…but go back and listen to the beginning. Ok…enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Art of Hybrid Drumming w/ Joe Clegg PART ONE
November 25, 2019 09:26 - 25 minutesToday Ben talks with Joe Clegg…who, if you listened to episode 1, is a big part of the beginning of Big Fat Snare Drum. Joe is a drummer and Musical Director associated with acts such as Ellie Goulding, Mumford and Sons, Clean Bandit, Sigrid and many more. With the growing popularity and somewhat daunting subject of hybrid drumming, Joe breaks down some tips n tricks on how to approach the subject and bring it into your playing. Believe me, if you want to be working drummer today…you need to ...
The Big Fat Snare Drum Story
October 29, 2019 23:42 - 28 minutesWelcome to the first episode of The Big Fat Snare Drum Podcast!...a podcast that snags insight and advice from the often-unsung heroes of our drumming community. In this show, we'll talk about the things you might not know unless you’re a full-time session or touring player. Furthermore, we’ll hound some of our favorite drummers on their techniques, how they developed their unique playing style, approach to songwriting, and specific sonic goals. And as we all know, drummers are known to be a ...