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Mike Packer
Mike Packer is a drummer, educator, and author dedicated to contemporary drum performance and drum education. With a career grounded in live performance and hands-on teaching, he is known for connecting technical development, musicality, and real-world application for today’s working drummers and students. As a performer, Mike has worked with artists including Wilson Phillips, Lorna Luft, Nils Lofgren, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, bringing stylistic range and musical depth to his playing. As an educator, he has taught and mentored students in secondary and postsecondary classrooms, clinics, workshops, and private instruction, emphasizing time feel, groove development, technique, reading, and stylistic versatility. Mike is the author of instructional books on bass drum technique and the Drum Channel Method, a producer of the Playing Techniques series with Ralph Humphrey and Joe Porcaro, and a regular contributor to Modern Drummer Magazine.

Bass Drum Essentials – Mastering Weight Distribution

Drumset
ClinicLive

This clinic is designed for drummers of all skill levels and focuses on building a strong, efficient approach to bass drum technique through an in-depth exploration of weight distribution. Participants will examine how proper use of body weight influences sound quality, consistency, endurance, and rhythmic accuracy. The session breaks down essential bass drum strokes and foot mechanics, helping drummers understand how different approaches to weight transfer affect articulation, dynamics, and time feel across musical styles. Through guided demonstrations and practical playing examples, attendees will learn how to produce desired sounds with less effort while improving control and musical clarity. The clinic includes performance demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and interactive discussion, giving participants practical tools they can immediately apply to their own practice and teaching. A Q&A session will conclude the presentation, allowing attendees to clarify concepts and explore solutions tailored to their individual playing goals.