Mike Mangini is an American drummer from Massachusetts who is best known for his work with the band Extreme and Steve Vai. He is a highly skilled musician who began drumming at the age of five and practiced between five and ten hours a day in order to become the skilled drummer he became in adulthood.
Unlike other musicians however, Mike was hardly obsessed with his music, though he did go after his practice with the determination he would show in other fields of his life. He graduated high school and went on to college to pursue a computer studies degree which he would use to study the links between the human brain and the human body while at the same time designing software for Patriot Missile program.
His studies would lead him to develop the Rhythm Learning System, allowing him to mix his work with his talents. He did not become a fully performing musician until 1987 when he was invited to perform with the Rick Berlin Band and in 1991, he joined the thrash metal band Annihilator.
Between 2005 and 2006, he conquered three out of the four records for the Worlds Fastest Drummer and he held those records until 2007/2008. Mike continues to play music and teaches at The Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Mike was born in 1963 in the town of Newton, Massachusetts. He did well in school and extremely well in performing. His charisma also allowed him to easily replace the old drummer for Extreme when the time came; he slid easily into the role of the drummer for the band, the fans liked him, and there was no animosity between him and the old drummer and the rest of the band.
He did not simply go running into the band though-he knew everyone on the band for a number of years before joining and this could have aided him in joining so smoothly. He worked with them for a couple of years before shifting over to Steve Vai Band for a number of years and then Tribe of Judah which he is currently affiliated with.
He is a rare drummer who recognizes that his love of music may not necessarily be enough to keep a roof over his head, let alone make him rich and famous, so he enjoys the music for its sake and takes on other jobs, such as teaching, for income. However, he is also very good at his music, able to perform in most genres and thus has become both one of the most prolific drummers in his age group.
Mike has a strong sense of humor and enjoys cooking and sports. He has won many awards for his drumming, written a few books on music and percussion, and teaches a number of courses at The Berklee College of Music, earning him the title of Associate Professor of Percussion.
He has a rich life outside of his music and involving his music, which helps keep him off the problems that plague many other musicians and allows him to have enjoyable conversations with interviewers, friends, and family. In short, Mike successfully manages his music career and the rest of his life with few issues of cross over.
Author Resource:-
Drew Mers is an advertising consultant to to Empire Rehearsal Studios, which rents music rehearsal studios to bands and musicians in Manhattan (New York City) and Queens.
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