Neil Peart's Legacy Honoured with "Spirit of Drumming" Scholarship

Join Modern Drummer magazine in celebrating the life and legacy of Neil Peart by inspiring an up and coming, young drummer with an incredible opportunity!  In memory of Neil, with the support of his family, Modern Drummer is proud to present an up-and-coming drummer with the annual “Neil Peart Spirit of Drumming Scholarship”.

The scholarship, originally announced at the 2020 Modern Drummer Festival by Carrie Nuttall-Peart, provides the recipient with 52 weeks of free drum lessons from world-class drum instructor Dom Famularo, along with a 1 year subscription to Modern Drummer All Access, plus a selection of classic Rush album releases from Universal Music Enterprises.

Potential recipients of the scholarship must be qualified entrants to participate. A “qualified entrant” is defined as someone who is between the ages of 14 and 21, is not a professional musician, and is not a party to any sponsorship or entertainment contract that, in Modern Drummer’s judgment, conflicts with the spirit of the scholarship.

Potential recipients must submit up to a 2-minute video of their playing AND a short essay describing why this scholarship will be significant to both their life and their drumming. The impact on their drumming that has been inspired by Neil’s playing and legacy.

All submissions must be received prior to November 26, 2021.   Click here for more.

Ohio State Marching Band celebrates the music of Rush

Today the Ohio State Marching Band celebrated the music of Rush, and I may be prejudiced as a Rush fan, but it was incredible, and is a must see below!  I'm sure Neil would be proud!

To honor the early 2020 passing of one of the greatest drummers in history, Rush’s Neil Peart, the Ohio State Marching Band added a little more percussion to the mix for the halftime show Saturday.

Peart was a member of the progressive rock band for more than 40 years before he died from cancer. To help recreate Peart’s sonic impact, the percussion section was expanded by 20 toms and 20 extra cymbals mounted on four racks. They were at the front of the formation and played by the band’s five percussion alternates for this week.

The band blistered through some of Rush’s greatest hits, including “Red Barchetta,” “Fly by Night” and “Tom Sawyer.” Formations replicated Peart and Rush guitar player Alex Lifeson, and spelled out “2112” and “YYZ,” titles to Rush songs. - Ohio State News, Oct 9, 2021