 Neil Peart on the February 1994 cover | |
| Categories | Music |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Publisher | David Frangioni |
| Founder | Ron Spagnardi |
| First issue | January 1977 |
| Company | Modern Drummer Publications |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | Boca Raton, Florida, U.S. |
| Language | English |
| Website | moderndrummer |
| ISSN | 0194-4533 |
Modern Drummer is a monthly publication targeting the interests ofdrummers andpercussionists. Themagazine features interviews, equipment reviews, columns offering advice on technique, and information for the general public.Modern Drummer is also available on theinternet. The publication is based inBoca Raton, Florida.
First published in 1977, today the print version ofModern 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 theinternet. Anelectronic newsletter featuring uniqueeditorial,MD Wire, is also published monthly. A corresponding website is used to supplement the magazine withblogs and other items which cannot be provided in the paper format, such as audio-video presentations.
In 1993, Modern Drummer Publications introduced a bimonthly drum dealer-oriented magazine calledDrum Business, and for more than 20 years its book division has released works by drum educators. In 2006 the company published its firsthardcover book on the history of drumming, entitledThe Drummer: 100 Years Of Rhythmic Power And Invention. Since 1987 it has also produced the Modern Drummer Festival.
Modern Drummer magazine was conceived in the basement of Ron and Isabel Spagnardi's home inNutley, New Jersey, funded only with the family's personal savings. The magazine's initial staff consisted of Leo Spagnardi (Ron's father, who taught him how to play the drums), and Ron and Isabel's daughter, Lori. Although they had no real publication experience orfinancial backing, the Spagnardis placed ads in localnewspapers, inDownbeat, and inDrum World.[1]
"What we didn't consider when we put the ads in the papers," recalled Isabel inThe Drummer, "was that we were innocently breaking the law by advertising a product that didn't even exist yet!" The ads worked, however, andsubscriptions 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 oldtypewriter under variouspen names. Within two years, the Spagnardis'basement could no longer provide the necessary space and so moved to its first properoffice inClifton, New Jersey. By 1984, the magazine once again outgrew itsheadquarters and moved to a larger facility inCedar Grove, New Jersey. Ten years later, it moved to an even larger facility in the same town. The publication is now based inBoca Raton, Florida.
Ron Spagnardi died on September 22, 2003.[2] David Frangioni became Publisher in 2019 and then CEO/Owner in 2020.
In 1993 Modern Drummer Publications introducedDrum Business, a magazine dedicated to the needs of drum retailers. The bi-monthlypublication features interviews with drum sellers,press releases for new products, drum-industry news, articles and news such as on the annualNational Association of Merchant Musicians (NAMM) convention.
Among the books Modern Drummer Publications has released are titles by well-known drummers such asGary Chester,Carl Palmer andBill Bruford. Ron Spagnardi authored more than a dozen books.
Each yearModern Drummer publishes the results of its readerspoll, which highlights top drummers spanning all genres of music and inducts one drummer into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame.[3] Awards are also given for top educational materials and recorded performances.