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An interview with drummer Andres Patrick Forero is presented. Forero discusses his involvement in the off-Broadway show entitled "In The Heights," including his part in the show and the challenges he countered when doing the show. He also describes the Latin music in the show as well as his other projects, such as "The Electric Company" and "Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival." Moreover, he offers tips for drummers when doing a Broadway show.

A list of the top drum music recordings of the 1980s is presented. These include the drum playing of Scott Rockenfield in the song "Eyes of a Stranger" included in the 1988 album "Operation: Mindcrime," by Queensyche, Phil Collins in the song "In the Air Tonight" included in his 1982 album "Face Value," and Lars Ulrich in the song "Master of Puppets" included in the 1986 album "Master Of Puppets," by Metallica.

This article presents an interview with drummer Mark Guiliana of the band Heernt about their debut album "Locked in a Basement" and playing with jazz bassist Avishai Cohen. He recommends the album to music lovers. He describes his first meeting with Cohen and eventually played music with him. He talks about his interest in jazz music.

The article presents an interview with drummer Kevin Dow. Kevin started playing drums in the fifth grade and started putting bands together with his brother when the school district cancelled all music programs. He uses two different kits because of staging, in which one kit moves upstage and downstage and the other moves across the stage from side to side. Kevin concluded that the performance of the "Jersey Boys" is a cooperative effort of the members, the musical director and the conductor.

Discusses the drum solos of Neil Peart, drummer of the rock band Rush. Description of his approach to soloing; Analysis of his drumming strategies for several Rush songs, including "YYZ" and "The Rhythm Method"; Views on Peart as a drummer.

The article presents tips for drummers on how to prepare for being a substitute drummer in a band's gig on short notice. Steps to take if one receives a request to be a substitute drummer a day before the event include requesting recordings of the songs to be played, making shorthand charts, and asking for help on stage. Ways to prepare for a gig to be held within a week or within a month are also described, including getting the tempos and arranging for rehearsal meetings.

The article discusses how private drum instructors can create their own syllabus for their students. According to the author, in order to be a good teacher, a drummer must have a broad knowledge of music and drummers, including a selection of music that he or she continually listens, refers, and recommends to students. The author recommends the inclusion of instructional books and digital video discs into the syllabus of a drum instructor to enhance the student's learning experience.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues related to drum music, including the story about drummer Neil Peart, the list of the 25 Tmeless Drum Books, and an appreciation for educator and musician Mike Johnston for building a globally linked family of drummers.

The author looks at the possible career pathways for college-bound drummers. He notes that he usually recommends majoring in music performance at an accredited university to his most talented and hard-working students. He points out that students who major in music education have an opportunity to obtain a teaching position in a public school. He adds that he would recommend attending a non-degree-granting school to students who are likely to benefit from exposure to a high-level music scene.

Several musical notations for the drum beats of various songs including "The Light That Blinds," "The Power Of I And I," and "Failure Of The Devout," by Jason Bittner are presented.

The article features drummer Chuck Burgi. He is involved with the concert tour of musician Billy Joel in 2006 after working with him on the Broadway musical "Moving Out." According to Burgi, the biggest challenge in joining Joel's band is finding his role in the latter's music. Burgi also has to get used to a slightly lower tuning on his Tama drum kit.