Join Ollie Winiberg for an in‑depth chat with Mike Mangini, where he shares his insane coordination secrets and how cognitive science shapes his drumming, scaling down his kits, insights on A View From The Top Of The World, the design of his drum kit for his new band Monolith, mastering critical thinking, hilarious stories about taking his Grammy to parties for tequila shots, and valuable advice for aspiring drummers. Whether you’re a drummer, a prog fan, or just curious about the mind of a Grammy-winning musician, this interview is packed with technical wisdom, laughs, and behind-the-scenes stories.
00:18 – Intro
01:10 – Coordination Secrets and Cognitive Science
05:30 – “Everything Is Technical”
08:48 – Scaling Down Kits & A View From The Top of The World
15:00 – The Design of the Monolith Kit
17:00 – Handing Back To Portnoy, Leaving Dream Theater & Understanding Critical Thinking
24:38 – Tequila Shots From His Grammy!
37:35 – Advice For Aspiring Drummers
Mike Proudly Plays…
Pearl Drums
Zildjian Cymbals
Remo Drumheads
Vater Drumsticks
Roland Electronics Modules, Pedals and Pads
Samsom Electronics and Audio Accessories
Zoom HD4K Cameras
BIOGRAPHY:
Mike Mangini is a versitile musician, educator, and business owner.
He has been performing since the age of 4, has a musically diverse background containing over 60 awards, is multi Grammy nominated with one win, been on the faculty of the Berklee College of Music for 11 years, was the percussion dept. councilor, was rated top 1% of USA College Professors in the O.C.E. database, was the subject of an award winning documentary film, was featured in television shows, magazine and social media articles, gear products and thousands of YouTube videos.
Mike is an avid teacher and student. His three volumes of Rhythm Knowledge, plus accompanying videos on his Vimeo page, reflect his seriousness with sharing and learning information.
See Mike’s vast network of music instruction and other websites and online landing points via his Link Tree here.
