Shout out to the Chicago College of Performing Arts Percussion Ensemble at the Music Conservatory of Roosevelt College for using an authentic log drum from @thumbdrums . Dr. Brooks Truly (a friend and fellow thumbdrummer) requested this instrument more than a year ago. It was completed in about 2 weeks but… life got in the way and was not delivered to him until about 3 days ago. Don’t ask, just trust. Anyway, the timpanist playing the log drum is killing it and the rest of the ensemble are locked in playing a piece titled “Ku-Ka- Ilimoku” by Christopher Rouse. The piece is about the Hawaiian God of War. You can rest assured, these students are standing on business. You may ask, “How’s that?” My response is… IYKYK. Good on you CCPA Percussion Ensemble. Thank you for playing @thumbdrums instruments. Keep drumming! #thumbdrums #customdrums #ccpa #keepdrumming
My side gig tonight… playing a Sousa March (The Liberty Bell) and Battle Hymn of The Republic with the McDowell Music Club. Great musicians performing amazing piano arrangements of timeless tunes… and @thumbdrums was bringing the needed percussion sounds! #thumbdrums #stavedrums #customdrums #woodworking #pianomusic
So, my baby girl just nailed it at the 2026 MS State NATS Competition. She won 1st Place in Musical Theater. A humble drum maker is one thing, but a friggin’ proud girl-Dad is another! Love my Skooch for her dedication, development and ability. So proud! Keep a look out, you will see her on a stage or big screen soon!
In between building drum shells, I sometimes have an opportunity to participate in community musical events. In March I will be part of the “Grand Night” event in my hometown where I’ll be playing snare for The Liberty Bell march by Sousa. The march features an authentic “ship’s bell” and so I figured I’d secure one… you know l, for the concert. 😁 So, I built a simple platform to mount the bell and gave it a nice gloss black finish. Dang it… I do love all things percussion!!! #thumbdrums #sousa #woodworking #custom #percussion
Had some rare free time today, so I thought it fitting to start the new year with resurrecting a previously put-to-rest drum shell that was once thought lost to a ill-timed, butter-finger situation; preempted by an unfortunate trip hazard that has since been dealt with. The shell was already considered salvaged… being shaped from damaged material of red oak and ash. Nail holes and pot marks and scratches and dents were visible after the machining and rounding and sanding processes… but throughout the process, the wood was good. So, I figured an opportunity to bring something to life that was once gone. 14” x 6-1/4” meaty treat. This one will be deep and punchy and just the right amount of oomph! Stay tuned cause @thumbdrums is coming back again! #thumbdrums #customdrums #drums #newagain #keepdrumming
A recap of this last year summarized in a phrase… “looking for something good right now.” This build was definitely something good. I could write a novel on the ups and downs and good and bad about this project but I’ll let that go… for now. What I will say is, this build taught me more than I really was expecting. But, I got better at my “hobby” and I learned a lot more about myself as a craftsman, a drummer (aka wannabe musician), and a person than I thought was possible by sifting through sawdust and glue. I’m still humbled by the experience but I’m proud of the result. Saying that, my retirement plan is underway: @thumbdrums full time! 😁 #thumbdrums #customdrums #drums #woodworking #keepdrumming
Humbling compliments from a satisfied customer. When the first, fully complete, handmade snare drum was tuned up and tested in 2017, I never even considered receiving such wonderful descriptions of my work would be possible. The main reason for building the first one was to see if I could take the sound in my head and make it a reality. One might say the approach of @thumbdrums is “drums built for drummers by a drummer with drummers in mind.” It would actually be more accurate to say, “drums built by a drummer because this goofball just loves the sound drums make.” To read these words from a veteran musician who knows what he’s talking about just floors me. With each drum I complete I simply hope the sound in my head comes to life when the build is done and the customer is happy with the result of a custom build. @renegade44shk and The Off 61 Band confirmed that sometimes, the build goes right and the imagined sound is real. I couldn’t be more grateful! Simply put, I. Love. Drums. #thumbdrums #custom #bluesmusic #drums #theoff61band #humbled #keepdrumming
1. Ben & me showcasing the memorial Lanny Robinson solid maple snare. 2. Ben, Stephen & Joe of Stephen King & The Off 61 Band. 3. My good friend and brother in all things music and ministry, Stephen and me. What an emotional, time consuming, challenging, heart wrenching, frustrating, celebratory, humbling and ultimately rewarding build this was. I’ve learned a ton from this latest project and received the greatest compliment I could ever with get the result of this kit. If you’ve ever built a handmade instrument, you understand everything that goes into the process: the methods, the mistakes, the starting over, the meticulousness of it all and the indescribable feeling when you see the look in your customer’s eyes and the tingle in your ear when the instrument just sings as gloriously in real life as it did in your head the whole time you were bringing it to life. Thank you, my dear friends for this opportunity to learn more how to hone this craft I’m so lucky to be able to call a pastime. I’ll keep saying it… I. Love. Drums. 😍 To @renegade44shk and The Off 61 Band, I’m looking forward to the chance to jam together soon. Love you guys! #thumbdrums #customdrums #woodworking #bluesmusic #keepdrumming
Original tune by Stephen King & The Off 61 Band with their new @thumbdrums custom maple black-wash kit. No mics, no effects, raw audio in a home studio. I. Love. Drums. #thumbdrums #customdrums #stavedrums #woodworking #drums #blues #livemusic #keepdrumming
Well, after a long, long time… @thumbdrums finally delivered the latest full kit build to Stephen King & The Off 61 Band. A 5-pc, solid maple, stave design, handmade wood drum kit sporting a custom black-wash and double drum badge finish. Using reclaimed, refinished chrome hardware and new @evansdrumheads , this custom kit now drives the rhythm section for this award winning blues band from central Mississippi. The most beautiful part of this build is the special honorary decal in memory of the band’s former drummer, Lanny Robinson. Lanny’s son, Ben stepped into his father’s shoes by picking up the sticks to keep this amazing Christian blues trio in the groove. Stay tuned, more to come. #thumbdrums #customdrums #bluesband #off61band
