Modern Drummer
Encyclopedia
Modern Drummer is a monthly publication targeting the interests of on drummers
and percussionists. The magazine
features interviews, equipment reviews, and columns offering advice on technique, as well as information for the general public. Modern Drummer is also available on the internet
.
First published in 1977, today the print version of Modern Drummer is available in 67 countries. The monthly digital edition, enhanced with music and videos corresponding to the current issue’s contents, is available on the internet
. An electronic newsletter featuring unique editorial
, MD Wire, is also published monthly. A corresponding website moderndrummer.com is used to supplement the magazine with blog
s and other items which cannot be provided in the paper format (e.g., audio-video presentations).
In 1993 Modern Drummer Publications introduced a bimonthly drum dealer-oriented magazine called Drum Business, and for more than 20 years its book division has released works by drum educators. In 2006 the company published its first hardcover
book on the history of drumming, entitled The Drummer: 100 Years Of Rhythmic Power And Invention. Since 1987 it has also produced the Modern Drummer Festival.
, funded only with the family’s personal savings. The magazine’s initial staff consisted of Leo Spagnardi (Ron’s father, who taught him the to play the drums), and Ron and Isabel’s daughter, Lori. Although they had no real publication experience or financial backing, the Spagnardis placed ads in local newspaper
s, in Downbeat, and in Drum World. "What we didn’t consider when we put the ads in the papers," recalled Isabel in The Drummer, was that we were innocently breaking the law by advertising a product that didn’t even exist yet!"
The ads worked, however, and subscriptions began coming in as the first issue was still being laid out on the Spagnardis’ ping-pong table
. Ron contributed most of the magazine’s content, writing the majority of the articles on an old typewriter
under various pen name
s.
Within two years, the Spagnardis’ basement
could no longer provide the necessary space and so moved to its first proper office
in Clifton, New Jersey
. By 1984, the magazine once again outgrew its headquarters
and moved to a larger facility in Cedar Grove, New Jersey
. Ten years later, it moved to an even larger facility in the same town. Modern Drummer’s offices remain at 12 Old Bridge Road in Cedar Grove today.
Ron Spagnardi passed away on Sept. 22, 2003. In an interview, Ron explained “I think the timing was right, and it filled a need. “There were drummers who wanted something of their own, and no one was doing it. There were a couple of publications at the time, but they were created in-house by drum companies specifically to advertise their own products and endorsers. We needed something that was going to talk about products across the board, something that would talk to all drummers.”
features interviews with drum sellers, press releases for new products, drum-industry news, articles and news such as on the annual National Association of Merchant Musicians (NAMM) convention.
Among the books Modern Drummer Publications has released are titles by well-known drummers such as Gary Chester
, Carl Palmer
and Bill Bruford
.
Ron Spagnardi authored more than a dozen books.
, which highlights top drummers spanning all genres of music and inducts one drummer into the Modern Drummer Hall Of Fame. Awards are also given for top educational materials and recorded performances.
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and percussionists. The magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
features interviews, equipment reviews, and columns offering advice on technique, as well as information for the general public. Modern Drummer is also available on the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
.
First published in 1977, today the print version of Modern Drummer is available in 67 countries. The monthly digital edition, enhanced with music and videos corresponding to the current issue’s contents, is available on the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. An electronic newsletter featuring unique editorial
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
, MD Wire, is also published monthly. A corresponding website moderndrummer.com is used to supplement the magazine with blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s and other items which cannot be provided in the paper format (e.g., audio-video presentations).
In 1993 Modern Drummer Publications introduced a bimonthly drum dealer-oriented magazine called Drum Business, and for more than 20 years its book division has released works by drum educators. In 2006 the company published its first hardcover
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
book on the history of drumming, entitled The Drummer: 100 Years Of Rhythmic Power And Invention. Since 1987 it has also produced the Modern Drummer Festival.
History
Modern Drummer magazine was conceived in the basement of Ron and Isabel Spagnardi’s home in Nutley, New JerseyNutley, New Jersey
2010 Census Data:*TOTAL: 28,370 or 100%*White: 23,405 *African American: 628 *Asian: 2,824 *American Indian and Alaska Native: 36 *Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 4...
, funded only with the family’s personal savings. The magazine’s initial staff consisted of Leo Spagnardi (Ron’s father, who taught him the to play the drums), and Ron and Isabel’s daughter, Lori. Although they had no real publication experience or financial backing, the Spagnardis placed ads in local newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s, in Downbeat, and in Drum World. "What we didn’t consider when we put the ads in the papers," recalled Isabel in The Drummer, was that we were innocently breaking the law by advertising a product that didn’t even exist yet!"
The ads worked, however, and subscriptions began coming in as the first issue was still being laid out on the Spagnardis’ ping-pong table
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
. Ron contributed most of the magazine’s content, writing the majority of the articles on an old typewriter
Typewriter
A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical device with keys that, when pressed, cause characters to be printed on a medium, usually paper. Typically one character is printed per keypress, and the machine prints the characters by making ink impressions of type elements similar to the pieces...
under various pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
s.
Within two years, the Spagnardis’ basement
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
could no longer provide the necessary space and so moved to its first proper office
Office
An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
in Clifton, New Jersey
Clifton, New Jersey
Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 84,136. The 2010 population represented an increase of 5,464 residents from its population of 78,672 in the 2000 Census, making it the state's 11th largest...
. By 1984, the magazine once again outgrew its headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
and moved to a larger facility in Cedar Grove, New Jersey
Cedar Grove, New Jersey
-Climate:Cedar Grove has a humid subtropical climate, with warm/hot humid summers and cool/cold winters. The climate is slightly colder overall during the summer than in New York City because there is no urban heat island effect....
. Ten years later, it moved to an even larger facility in the same town. Modern Drummer’s offices remain at 12 Old Bridge Road in Cedar Grove today.
Ron Spagnardi passed away on Sept. 22, 2003. In an interview, Ron explained “I think the timing was right, and it filled a need. “There were drummers who wanted something of their own, and no one was doing it. There were a couple of publications at the time, but they were created in-house by drum companies specifically to advertise their own products and endorsers. We needed something that was going to talk about products across the board, something that would talk to all drummers.”
Drum Business And Book Publishing
In 1993 Modern Drummer Publications introduced Drum Business, a magazine dedicated to the needs of drum retailers. The bi-monthly publicationPublication
To publish is to make content available to the public. While specific use of the term may vary among countries, it is usually applied to text, images, or other audio-visual content on any medium, including paper or electronic publishing forms such as websites, e-books, Compact Discs and MP3s...
features interviews with drum sellers, press releases for new products, drum-industry news, articles and news such as on the annual National Association of Merchant Musicians (NAMM) convention.
Among the books Modern Drummer Publications has released are titles by well-known drummers such as Gary Chester
Gary Chester
Gary Chester was one of the 20th century's busiest studio drummers. Gary is counted as one of the greats when it comes to studio session musicians. His work appears on thousands of tracks, including hundreds of hit records from the '50s, '60s and '70s...
, Carl Palmer
Carl Palmer
Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer is an English drummer and percussionist. He is credited as one of the most respected rock drummers to emerge from the 1960s...
and Bill Bruford
Bill Bruford
William Scott "Bill" Bruford is an English drummer, percussionist, composer, producer, and record label owner. He was the original drummer for the progressive rock group Yes, from 1968-1972. Bruford has performed for numerous popular acts since the early 1970s, including a stint as touring...
.
Ron Spagnardi authored more than a dozen books.
Readers Poll
Each year Modern Drummer magazine publishes the results of its Readers PollPoll
Poll, polled or polling may refer to:- Figurative head counts :* Polling, voting* Show of hands, voting* Opinion poll* The polls, polling places* Poll, an election* Polling , sequential interrogation of devices- Other :...
, which highlights top drummers spanning all genres of music and inducts one drummer into the Modern Drummer Hall Of Fame. Awards are also given for top educational materials and recorded performances.
Current Staff
- Isabel Spagnardi - Publisher/CEO
- Lori Spagnardi - Senior Vice President
- Kevin W. Kearns - Vice President
- Tracy Kearns - Associate Publisher
- Adam J. Budofsky - Editorial Director
- Michael Dawson - Managing Editor
- Billy Amendola - Associate Editor
- Michael Parillo - Associate Editor
- Suzanne Hurring - Editorial Assistant
- Scott G. Bienstock - Senior Art Director
- Gerald Vitale - Art Director
- Bob Berenson - Advertising Director
- LaShanda Gibson - Advertising Assistant
- EJ DeCoske - Digital Media Designer