8.22.10 Drum Fantasy Camp Wrap Up
  For the second year in a row, Tommy taught and performed at Drum Fantasy Camp. The camp took place August 11-15, 2010, at the Hyatt in Cleveland.

Tommy was joined by Dave Weckl, Peter Erskine, Thomas Lang, Jojo Mayer, and Jo Goretti. The camp opened with a group clinic at Cleveland's House of Blues. Later that evening, Tommy and the other drummers performed with Mike Stern and Tom Kennedy.

For the next four days, Tommy and the other instructors taught small three-hour master classes twice per day. In the evenings, the instructors joined the campers for fun jams with Vinny Valentino (guitar), Baron Browne (bass), and Chrissi Poland (keys/vocals).

You can view photos/video and learn more about the camp at: www.drumfantasycamp.com.

 
1.1.10 Great Hands for a Lifetime Released by Hudson Music
  Hudson Music is proud to announce the release of Great Hands For A Lifetime, a new DVD from Tommy Igoe, the world-renowned drummer, educator and star of the Groove Essentials™ series of educational DVDs, books and play-along CDs. While Groove Essentials has become the new standard for mastering a variety of musical styles and drumset patterns, Great Hands… focuses on developing and maintaining the physical tools that are essential for every drummer and drumming application: their hands.

“Solid technique is never about winning a speed contest or mastering any particular trick, it’s about having the foundation to play whatever you want and stay healthy doing it,” explains Igoe. “Behind the drumset, we all have different musical goals and I want to give everyone the tools they need to realize their individual dreams. Great Hands… doesn’t use a ‘method’, but rather shows the practical concepts I use myself and have refined over 25 years of private instruction. This approach allows everyone to find what works best for them rather than forcing anyone to follow a particular set of ‘rules’.”

At the heart of this life-changing, career-extending system is the three-tier “Lifetime Warm-up™” originally conceived in the 1950’s by Tommy’s father, Sonny Igoe. Featuring basic, intermediate and advanced levels, the Lifetime Warm-up is a challenging routine that weaves it’s way though standard drum rudiments and original exercises while simultaneously keeping players in command of their basic drumming motions. The “Lifetime Warm-up” is designed to be a friendly companion to a regular practice session or, in it’s advanced version, a tough task-master that will test the control and stamina of any drummer.

“The real challenge after you get great technique is to maintain it. I’ve been playing this incredible routine since I was six years old and my hands feel as fresh today as they did when I was teenager,” says Igoe. “It’s been with me for my ‘lifetime’ and now new generations of drummers will be able to make it part of their daily musical journey.”

The nearly four-hour DVD includes Tommy demonstrating the basics of his system, Matched and Traditional Grip, Fulcrum Concepts, Rebound Strokes, Singles and Doubles, Check Patterns, The Five Families of Rudiments, and group demonstrations with five of his students, including all three versions of the Lifetime Warm-up. Included are a free, color-coordinated, wall sized “Lifetime Warm-up” poster and a compact fold-out guide courtesy of Evans Drumheads as well as a printable, 60-page eBook with instruction and exercises.

Created by one of today’s most successful and progressive drum educators, Great Hands For A Lifetime brings the no-nonsense, inspiring approach of the Groove Essentials series to hand technique and provides proven alternative for drummers who wish to discover the full potential of their hands and stay healthy drumming over the decades to come.

Sample exercises and video clips from Great Hands For A Lifetime are available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MofYoqZzXDw . Hudson Music DVDs, Book/Audio packages and digital downloads are sold at leading drum shops, music stores and online retailers. For more information, go online to www.hudsonmusic.com or contact Hudson Music at tel: 212-643-1028, fax: 914-945-0910, e-mail: info@hudsonmusic.com .
 
11.14.09 PASIC 2009 Recap!
  Tommy and the Birdland Big Band closed out PASIC 2009 with an explosive two hour concert in front of more than 2,000 people!

The show featured some great moments, including swinging tunes from the band's enormous book. There were some spectacular duets featuring Tommy and percussionist Rolando Morales-Matos. Afterward, Tommy gave away sticks and signed autographs for hundreds of drummers who stuck around after the show.

Many drummers were asking Tommy how he achieved such a great SOUND at this show. Clearly, this in part can be attributed to Tommy's DW Collector's Series drums. But Tommy also pointed out to the group of drummers that his Evans heads deserve equal credit.

Here are the Evans heads that Tommy used:

Toms Top: coated G2s
Toms Bottom: clear G1s
Snare Top: Power Center Reverse Dot
Snare Bottom: Hazy 200
Bass Drum: Emad 2

Special thanks to Evans for their support! Click here for more information about Tommy and all of the quality D'Addario products he uses.
 
8.30.09 Birdland Big Band to Close Out PASIC 2009 in Indianapolis
  The Birdland Big Band will close out the 2009 PASIC Convention with a concert on November 14, 2009. Click here to learn more about PASIC. Tommy and the band hope to see you there!
 
8.20.09 Tommy at the Drum Fantasy Camp
  Tommy joined Peter Erskine, Steve Smith, Dave Weckl, and Dafnis Prieto on the staff of the 2009 Drum Fantasy Camp, which wrapped up today. Tommy taught at the opening clinic, performed with the other instructors at the camp concert (featuring Steve Smith's Jazz Legacy), and taught master classes to drummer from all over the world! Click here to watch the wrap-up video, which includes footage from Tommy's classes and his incredible solos during the "jam night!"
 
7.1.09 Buddy Rich Memorial Concert DVD
  The Birdland Big Band was THE featured band for the 2008 Buddy Rich Memorial concert! The concert featured Tommy, Peter Erskine, Neil Peart, John Blackwell, Chad Smith, Terry Bozzio, Efrain Toro, Nick Rich, and bassists Will Lee and Jeff Berlin, among others! Click here to get your copy at Amazon.com
   
3.31.09 Groove Essentials 2.0 Wins "DVD of the Month!"
  Tommy Igoes's Groove Essentials 2.0 won "DVD of the Month" in UK Drummer magazine! Click here to learn more and purchase!
 
3.25.09 Groove Essentials 1.0 Goes Multilingual!
  Groove Essentials 1.0, one of the best-selling instructional videos in the world, is now available in German and Italian. The product has been faithfully translated word-for-word, and will be an invaluable tool for drummers who speak these languages. Visit your local retailer or e-tailer for more information.
 
3.1.09

New Web Site Launched
  Tommy Igoe is proud to introduce his new Web site! More content and information will be added over the new few months. Tommy will be communicating more frequently with fans, so make sure to sign up for his e-mail list!

News Bits

Buddy Rich Memorial Concert
Featuring the Birdland Big Band

Drum Fantasy Camp -  Recap