X8 Drums Blog

Austin Music Foundation empowers Austin musiciansand fuels the city's creative economy. Official AMF logofrom austinmusicfoundation.org.Whether you’re a musician who’s new to Austin or simply looking for new opportunities in the city’s renowned music community, the Austin Music Foundation (AMF) is your first stop for uniting with fellow Austin musicians and making a name for yourself in the city’s music scene.AMF helps make Austin the city for working musicians to survive and thrive by uniting t …

Here at X8 Drums, we're not only drawn to the cultural significance of the djembe drum, but its rich sound and rhythmic versatility. Originating from West Africa, djembes are traditionally used to provide rhythm for ceremonial and celebratory dances during weddings, funerals, and other occasions. Just as special occasions in Western cultures are associated with certain music, each occasion in West African culture has a corresponding djembe rhythm, such as the enchanting Kuku rhythm played in the …

Last night in Austin, TX, Zimbabwean musician and instructor, Joel Laviolette, shared a story with his audience about the cultural difference between American audiences and those of Zimbabwe. In the U.S. the audience plays a passive role - we sit back and enjoy being entertained. The artist is separated and elevated away from the audience, working to push their energy out to get a positive response.In Zimbabwe, the performer and audience are one unit. The music is a part of their everyday lives …

Assuming the audience reading this is a drummer, we'd like to know more about your drumming needs as we expand our product offering.We want to know if modern kit drummers and world music hand drummers are interested in the same instruments and accessories. Do kit drummers know what duns, doumbeks and djembes are? Do world drummers appreciate toms and drum pedals? Where do their needs overlap? Would there be more interest in crossing over from one to the other if there was more educational mater …

Percussion instruments can be a paradox. The simplicity of the design of many hand percussion instruments versus the incredible depth of sound they provide can be a challenging concept for anyone to truly understand… except the percussion fanatic, that is. The shekere (pronounced: SHAY-kuh-ray), for example, may be one of the most underestimated hand percussion instruments; yet, it has an incredible versatility in both image and sound that can take rhythm to entire new heights. Shekeres were or …

Many people think of drumming as a youthful or lively activity, found amongst younger generations with able bodies and minds, but drumming has numerous benefits for older citizens as well. In fact, in senior citizen centers and assisted living facilities, drumming programs are being included in the various activities offered, allowing our elders to continue enjoying the music and rhythms of life, through the eyes, ears and hands of wisdom. Drumming helps stimulate the mind while presenting rhyt …

For fans of hand percussion, X8 Drums has always provided a complete, online multimedia experience to help customers find the best djembe, cajon, bongos and other hand drums on the market today. With videos, high-resolution images and sound clips, the X8 Drums website has been the “next best thing” to shopping for instruments in a music store, only with hundreds more drums, hand percussion instruments and other products available to “try” 24/7, 365 days a year, plus live support and advice from …

If you ask a drummer or percussionist the best thing about drumming, the answers will be as varied as the people you ask and the drums and beats they play. Drumming is just as much a passion for life as it is a quest for excellence, but, there are also untold health and wellness benefits that could rival a marathon runner’s experience. A University of Oxford study released in 2012 determined that under the right circumstances, drumming releases endorphins, and drumming within a group setting mak …

Rhythm in music provides the background for the other elements and instruments to fully express the vibe of a song. Through rhythm, and especially drumming, there is an innate ability to take a song and expand on its original meaning, through the interpretation of the phrases and overall feelings and emotions within. Without the drums and percussion, a song cannot first establish a regular rhythm and then improvise the beat to match the mood, communicating more than lyrics or other instruments. …

February is upon us, and the hearts and flowers are being sprinkled around like fairy dust in preparation for Valentine’s Day. While there are plenty of references to romantic rhythms and heart beats during this time of year, when it comes to drummers, there can be a different vibe to dating and relationships. That is not to say that drummers are not like the rest of the world, but, being a drummer or percussionist takes a special commitment. After all, being surrounded by rhythm changes the bra …