Michael Anthony Mangini

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Mike Mangini has successfully applied his Rhythm Knowledge learning method to all styles of music, from Classical & Jazz to Speed Metal. He has consistently developed both the melodic and rhythmic sides of his musical personality. He has documented his command of these styles on recordings, with Internationally Renown and Multi Platinum Selling bands, as a multi-time Grammy nominee, as the featured clinician at most every drum festival in the world, and as a full-time faculty member at Berklee College of Music along with being named to their Educational Committee and as Advisor to the Percussion students.
He is both teacher and student. He has been performing since the age of 4 and studying music since age 5. He studied percussion privately with Walter Tokarczyk (Public School System, Waltham, MA), from age 10 through 18. Since 1987 he has given private instruction to drummers, guitarists, and pianists. Michael completed his first drum clinic tour in 1996, and since then he has traveled the World as a clinician selling out venues in over 40 countries. The principles on which he based his extraordinary style can be found in his publications entitled "Rhythm Knowledge" Volumes I and II.
His numerous awards include: Official Multi Category W.F.D. World’s Fastest Drummer, Boston's Best Drummer/Rhythm Section; NAJE All Eastern United States Percussionist - First Chair; All Massachusetts Jazz Band Drummer - First Chair; All Massachusetts Concert Band Percussionist - First Chair; All Massachusetts (N.E. District) Jazz Band Drummer - First Chair; Concert Band Percussionist (N.E. District) First Chair., and he appears in Drum Magazine Reader’s Polls yearly.

He has spent time in the recording studios. His more celebrated Rock credits include his 6 records in 4 years with Steve Vai, Waiting for the Punchline by Extreme, Set the World on Fire, Metal & All for You by Annihilator, (Mullmuzzler 1, 2, and Elements of Persuasion) with Dream Theater’s James LaBrie, & Tourist by Pop Artist Chris Emerson .

When Mike speaks of the importance of being able to relate to others "in and out of the limelight", he is talking from experience. He has performed in over 40 countries numerous times, led his High School bandmates to State, or National 1st place victories in Classical, Jazz, Percussin Ensemble and Marching Band, as well as, won Outstanding Musician Honors 7 times at mulit-school events, and is an active clinician with close multi year relationships to his endorsement companies and to the bulk of his drumming peers. He has also earned the respcect of his students on a personal and professional level with the highest student response rate percentage (in three consecutive years,) for all college professors in the national OCE online evaluations. It is an honor for Bateröz to share Michael´s words with his readers.


.What is your city, country and age ? Boston, USA, 46.

What led you to study drums ?
I don't know. I understood the shapes and tones of the drum sets I saw on album covers when I was 2 or so. I was performing by age 4 and studying by age 5. Maybe I was born with a drum magnet in me and was lucky to have older siblings that helped me along.

What were your main teachers ? Walter Tokarczyk.

What was your first important concert ? Annihilator in London in 1993.

What was your first recording in a music studio ?
Rick Berlin the Movie (Boston).

How is your study routine in drums ?
No routine since 1998 except this year. I finally had knee surgery and I practice 5 hours per week at home and between students when I can at Berklee where I teach.

What drums books do you play regularly ?
Mine. "Rhythm Knowledge" volumes one and two, along with my new excercises.

What styles of music do you prefer to listen to ?
Riff oriented Hard Rock/Metal. For example, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin.

What styles of music do you prefer to play ?
All. Please look at my bio on my website.




What are your tips to improve the hands technique ?
Develop strength with no sticks in the big muscles, then work on technique with the smaller ones.

What are your tips to improve the feets technique ? Work on balance.

What are your tips to improve our drums independence ?
Work on balance and use the eyes, not the ears.

What are your tips to improve more speed on the drumkit ?
Use distance. For example, practice paradiddles from the left crash cymbal bell to the floor tom on the right side.

What latin drummers do you like ?
So many are so, so great ... Horacio Hernández is my #1.




If you could invite some great musicians for play 3 concerts around the world ...
Who would you call ? Where ? You play there ?
I would call Ronnie James Dio, Dug Pinnick and Jimmy Page. The concerts would be at the Boston Gahhden, the next Olympic Closing Ceremony, and in my frikking parents basement straight to TV.

Something you really try and try with the drums and you could not get yet or are not satisfied with the results you got ?
My right leg has been terrible, terrible since I was a teenager and injured it in sports. I can play ultra fast stuff, but not slightly slower stuff well; it is tense and messy. My feet are great only very little and are tense and awful most of the time until now. I only now got it fixed with surgery. I am now playing things I never could touch before. I feel so much better because I knew something was wrong with me and it is now repaired.

A link to you for drums classes and music performances ?
Most Youtube clips of me suck and piss me off because people only post the fast hands stuff. It is not musical, it is not meant to be musical; it is meant to be entertaining to a live crowd, not meant to be put on Youtube without my permission and only a for a clip. People put up a clip of me, but they do not put up the other 30 minutes of drum solo that is groove and not crazy stuff.

Anything else you want to share with us ?
I will be filming my own clips for youtube before I leave for Italy in may. I will also be filming on the road. I would like these clips to get more hits on Youtube than the other stuff that I did not put up. Check my Facebook page and website and my Youtube in April of 2010.





Thanks Michael for share your words with Bateröz ! Sincerely, Tito Faraut García.
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