Drumsticks

Chad Brandolini began working for Vater Percussion when he was just 17 years old. Back then he pitched in to help in all areas of the factory and production. Soon his skills for marketing developed and Chad played a vital role in Artist Relations for Vater. As new ways to promote and market their products became popular, such as social media, Chad jumped in with both feet creating special programs and videos featuring top-name drummers using their sticks and brushes. While he admits he did not arrange it, Chad is proud to point out that Will Ferrell used a Vater stick in the now f

Herb Brochstein had a million stories about his long and successful career in the industry. One of these stories was about how he developed a new drumstick and formed ProMark, one of the leading innovators in the music industry. Other stories Herb could tell include his years as a drum retailer in the 1950s and how he sold Elvis Presley his own drum kit before anyone even heard of Rock and Roll. The best stories he told were of those friends he had met along the way. 

Maury Brochstein recalls growing up in the drum business. His father, Herb, established Pro-Mark drumsticks in 1957 and involved Maury at a young age. Maury saw the need to expand the product line and was instrumental in the company’s involvement with international markets. As president of the company, Maury has vision of future growth and continuation of innovative products, which have come to define the company.  

Pat Brown has a most familiar face. His smile can be seen in the ProMark booth at every NAMM show and PASIC convention. More than a friendly smile, Pat has proven to be a strong supporter of the industry and music education. As the director of sales and marketing for ProMark, Pat has introduced the industry to the company’s new products and has worked hard at providing clinics and endorsee-attended events at music stores, schools and special events that work to promote the product as well as to encourage music makers at every level.

Joe Calato was the inventor of the nylon-tipped drumstick, who turned the small idea of preserving his favorite sticks into an industry success story. He formed Regal Tip to produce his unique line of drumsticks and over the years extended his product line to include brushes. The Classic (583R) retractable brush might be the best selling wire brush on the marketand yet it is over-looked in comparison to the enormous popularity of the nylon-tipped drumstick. Joe passed away on September 1, 2023, at the age of 102.

Bill Clark began working for Vater Percussion right when the company was officially established. Alan and Ron Vater’s grandfather, Jack, started making drumsticks for his retail store in 1956 and in 1975 Jack’s son Clarence formed the official company. That is when Alan and Ron, along with their school mate Bill, started with the Vater line of products. Bill played a vital role in the development of the production when the brand became popular. Among his contributions to the factory was a significant improvement on making their world class drumsticks faster, thanks in part to a un

Jack DeJohnette was truly a drummer’s drummer — admired by his peers and celebrated by jazz fans around the world. His innovative approach, blending subtlety with power and creativity with groove, made him one of the most respected and influential drummers of his generation. Beginning in the 1960s, Jack became a driving force on countless jazz and popular recordings, performing and recording with legends such as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Sonny Rollins, and Pat Metheny.

Tom Gauger was a regular member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra for over 40 years and taught percussion at Boston University for over 30 years. Over those decades, he developed several methods as well as designs for improving bass drum mallets. His friend in the symphony, Vic Firth, encouraged Tom to form a company to make and sell his mallets, which he did. Thanks to the distribution by Steve Weiss, Tom's mallets are known throughout the world.

Matthias Hellinger and his brother, Andreas, own Rohema which was founded in 1888 by Eduard Robert Hellinger and produced batons, drumsticks, and percussion instruments. The company was small enough during socialist times in East Germany to remain private, but production was challenging. The company had to source hickory wood for drum sticks from a factory producing skis. In 1989, after the reunification of Germany, Matthias and Andreas took over the company from their dad, Armin, and developed export opportunities at international trade shows.

Jim Hennessey was working for Kaman Aerospace when he was transferred to the Ovation Guitar division. There, he collaborated closely with Charlie Kaman on several projects before moving into Ovation’s advertising department. Jim later expanded his responsibilities by leading the company’s endorsement program, helping sign more than 300 artists to Ovation during the 1970s. After leaving Kaman, Jim founded The Music People in 1979. What began as a distribution company steadily grew into a successful manufacturing operation.

George Jacob greatly enjoys creating musical products for musicians –of all levels and ages. When a customer needed a softer sound with his drum sticks, George came to the rescue and developed a full line of drum sticks and mallets.  Among his innovations was the use of materials not yet used in the industry for mallets and gong sticks. George introduced a line of durable handles geared towards school band students and a large variety of mallet tips geared towards professional players. His career began in the 1950s and along the way he befriended many within the industry, which Ge

Neil Larrivee was just four years old when he began playing drums. His father was a manager for rock bands and music was all around Neil as he grew up. He served in the Drum and Bugle Corps when he was 11 and soon embraced orchestral music and the timpani. He landed a job with Vic Firth, just as the mallet company was taking off. Neil’s first office was in Vic’s home, near the washing machine. As the company grew and developed so did his role within the business, staying with Vic for over thirty years. After Vic passed away, Neil stayed on as the company transitioned to Zildjian i

Ed Thigpen, known as Mr. Taste for his remarkable touch and feel as an innovative drummer, had a few (hundred) tricks up his musical sleeves when it came to brush work on the snare drums or speed on the high-hat. As a jazz drummer, Ed played with just about everyone everywhere. And yet, he was a firm believer in encouraging future percussionists and thus wrote method books and providing countless clinics in the hope of inspiring others to make music! His impact on the industry may never be fully realized but it will be felt for years to come.  

Alan Vater’s grandfather, Jack, established a music store in New England and found a need to produce his own brand of drumsticks. Young Alan recalls watching his grandfather hand dip his drumsticks in lacquer, which inspired his father, Clarence, to work on developing a faster process. In 1975 the company was formed to make sticks for a number of drum manufacturers. Alan and his brother, Ron, soon realized if they labeled the sticks with their own name they could build a reputation for their own brand. And so Vater drumsticks were born. Alan developed several products to help incr

Dante Vater grew up in the family’s drumstick factory just south of Boston. Dante’s great-grandfather started making drumsticks for his music shop (Jack’s Drum Shop) just one year before Dante’s father, Ron, was born. Ron and his brother, Alan, expanded the business to manufacture sticks and brushes for other companies, eventually leading them to establish their own brand with a series of products with the Vater name. The reputation of their sticks grew and soon a host of top-level musicians were playing and endorsing their product line. Ron focused his skills and knowledge on run