Roy Burns

Roy Burns’s career, as a drummer, has taken him through many related professions.  He has been a big band drummer, author, featured soloist, teacher, clinician, studio drummer, publisher, and one of the owners of AQUARIAN drumheads.

As a big band drummer, during his early twenties, he performed with celebrated musicians, who included Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton ad Woody Herman.  In the New York area, in the sixties, he did studio work and freelancing.  In addition, he performed in TV shows including the Merv Griffin Show, the Tonight Show, and both TV and radio commercials.  When leading his jazz group he performed at clubs including Birdland and The Metropole in New York.

Burns was inspired as a teacher to write books for drum instruction.  Some of his books became classics to this day.  His books include “Elementary Drum Method”, “New Orleans Drumming”,  “Finger Control”,  “Advanced Rock Drumming”  and “One Surface Learning”.

Roy Burns set the standard for drum clinicians.  He was the first American drummer to create clinics in countries such as Denmark, Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, and others.  His clinics were attended by young drummers in both the U.S. and internationally.  For 12 years the Modern Drummer Magazine ran a column called “Concepts” that was read by thousands of drummers.

Roy became a house drummer, during the ’70s, for the Monterey Jazz Festival, where he backed up many of the greatest musicians in both jazz and blues.  In 1980, Roy, along with two close friends, started a business called AQUARIAN,  which in 1987 began to make of drumheads.

AQUARIAN experienced tremendous growth, because of innovative ideas and superior quality. As Roy says, “In everything we do, we keep the drummer in mind. We focus on helping the drummer attain a musical sound and achieve a better performance”.

He is featured on a couple of lists for “best books”

• List of Beginner Books to Learn how to play the Drums.
• List of Intermediate Books to Learn how to Play the Drums

Books that Roy Burns wrote

• Elementary Drum Method
• Elementary Rock and Roll Drumming
• New Orleans Drumming
• Finger Control
• Advanced Rock Drumming
• One Surface Learning