
The Drum Panel: What is a blue groove?
From Drummers on Drumming by Ben Hilzinger
March 11, 2026 · 53 min · Season 3 · Episode 207
About this episode
The episode features a discussion on blue grooves, music education, and the importance of community in music.
Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming...a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. In this segment of The Drum Panel, I’m joined by Eric Urrea (Marina City) and Matt Starr (Sarah McLachlan) for a conversation that starts in the weeds and slowly turns into therapy. We kick things off with some proper nerd talk about trash can endings, stingers, and the infamous shugidaboom. From there, the conversation opens up into music education, what band programs still get right, and what probably needs to change if we want young musicians to feel like there’s a real place for them. Along the way, we talk about community, ego, self-direction, and why playing with other people is still the part of music you can’t really learn from a screen. Then the back half gets more reflective, as we get into success, creative identity, and the weird pressure of trying to make something that actually feels meaningful. --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 Click here to order now! Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s…
People in this episode
Host: Ben Hilzinger
Guests: Eric Urrea, Matt Starr
Topics covered
- blue groove
- music education
- community
- creative identity
- collaboration
- musical success
Keywords
- blue groove
- music education
- community
- creative identity
- collaboration
- musical success
- drumming
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Big Fat Snare Drum
Books & works: Drummers on Drumming
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