Top instrument manufacturers unite to form the Electronic Percussion Industry Council (EPIC).
Established to create new drummers and support the drumming community by promoting electronic drums and electronic drum technology, the Electronic Percussion Industry Council (EPIC) is a new alliance of the world’s top electronic drum, accessory and media companies. The newly formed organization is undertaking a variety of projects to achieve its mission, including a consumer education media campaign, creation of educational resources for drum dealers and the development of a curriculum for integrating electronic drums, percussion and technology into school music programs.
One of the group’s first efforts was in support of the highly successful electronic drum lesson lab at the recent Chicago Drum Show held in Villa Park, Illinois. The lab was co-sponsored by Alesis, Alto Pro Audio, JamHub, Hal Leonard, Vic Firth, DRUM! magazine and EPIC and hailed as one of the highlights of the event. Registration for the 30-minute, group lessons was completely filled during both days and, according to Alesis’ drum manager, Tim Root, every drumkit on the booth was sold by the end of the show.
“We had young boys and girls as well as teens and adults in the classes and the response was phenomenal,” Tim explains. “We’re looking forward to replicating the lab at PASIC and other drum festivals not to mention at schools and dealers. The set-up is simple, effective and extremely affordable— and it’s a great way to get people drumming.”
The Chicago Drum Show also featured the debut of the first in a series of “Plug-Ins”, EPIC factsheets that are intended to educate drummers and the general public about the features and benefits of electronic drums. Available as a free download from the e-drums.org website, translated into English, Spanish, French and Chinese and entitled “Electrify Your Drumming”, the article was written in collaboration with teen drumming sensation Antoine Fadavi and discusses the advantages e-drums
can bring to the development of young drummers. Future “Plug-Ins” will cover a range of topics such as the growing importance of technology in drumming, combining electronic and acoustic drums into hybrid kits and the exciting, new generation of electronic hand percussion and mallet instruments.
