After 6 years and 212 episodes, Eddy and I are officially pressing pause on the DRUM with Mike & Eddy podcast.

This episode isn't a recap; it’s a massive "thank you." To everyone who has tuned in, supported us on Patreon, shared screenshots, or sent us messages since we started this journey in August 2020: we appreciate you more than you know. You got us through a pandemic and gave us a reason to show up and talk drums every single week.

Our final lesson to you is the one we are living right now: when an opportunity arises, and the iron is hot, you have to go all in. Both of our professional lives are demanding our full attention right now, and we have to practice what we preach. Please know our friendship is stronger than ever, and we will definitely still be doing things together in the future, but for now, the weekly podcast is hitting the pause button.

We would love to hear from you one last time. Send us a DM and let us know your favorite episode or moment from the show.

Keep practicing, and we'll see you when we see you!

Mike & Eddy!

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Welcome to Episode 211 of DRUM with Mike & Eddy! This week, we are looking back at the exact turning points that shaped our careers as professional drummers. We’re skipping the "hustle culture" buzzwords and getting straight into the reality of what it actually takes to build a life around the kit.

Here is what we get into this week:

• Grail Gear Guilt: Eddy scores a legendary pair of Joey Jordison sticks, and I break down why I couldn't resist dropping my own cash on a 1970s stop-sign badge Gretsch bop kit.
• The Return of NAMM: Why the drum industry is finally getting its pre-pandemic vibe back and the magic of experiencing gear in person.
• The Year That Changed Everything: We break down the specific years we had to go all-in. Eddy talks about his intense 2017–2018 transition, and I take it back to 2005–2006—late-night coding, the "two-shake rule" with Amber, and building a 99-cent online lesson site from the ground up.
• Staying Authentic: Why doubling down on real, honest connection is the only way forward in an AI-heavy world.

Enjoy - Mike J

www.mikeslessons.com

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In this episode, we get into what it really takes to prepare to record, and why “jamming to a song” and tracking a song for an artist are two totally different worlds. Eddy shares how he practices and preps parts (often without writing anything down), why e-kits can be a secret weapon for learning technical material, and how to identify the non-negotiables in a drum part when a demo already has programmed drums.

We also talk about fighting muscle memory, why simple pop parts can be harder than complex chops, the “less is more” mindset, listening back with ruthless honesty, and the ultimate litmus test: did your drumming make the song better, or did it pull the listener out of it? Plus: the courage to “dare to suck” during the process… because that’s where the magic shows up.

Enjoy - Mike J

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