APRIL 12 I RETAIL I EVENTS
March Clinic Madness

The past two months yielded no shortage of star-studded clinics at U.S. music retailers. Two highlights:

Adler Clinics Mark Mapex Blaster Debut
Mapex Drums recently sponsored a nationwide clinic tour featuring Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler. The "A Throne With a View" tour ran Feb. 28–March 16 and stopped at 11 U.S. drum retailers in 11 different cities. It was Adler's only drum and clinic tour for 2011. Aquarian, Pro-Mark, Gibraltar, Meinl and Zoom co-sponsored the event.

During the interactive clinic, Adler debuted the Mapex Black Panther Blaster drum kit, the first in a series of new drum sets based on Mapex's Black Panther snares. The clinic offered spectators a first glance at the Blaster's unique maple and walnut shell design.

"My goal is to share my experiences on and off my drum kit through interaction with those in attendance," Adler said. "Of course, I will be playing and giving tips, but I will be far more focused on the story that got me where I am than the notion of impressing anyone.

"I've found that most fans and young players want to know how I got to where I am, not the tech specs."

Explorers Percussion of Kansas City, Mo., one of Adler's tour stops, hosted the drummer on March 8. The clinic drew 175 attendees, according to KCCommunityNews.com.

Clarke Makes Cameo
On March 20, bassist Stanley Clarke appeared at Sweetwater's performance theater in Fort Wayne, Ind., for a clinic featuring Ampeg bass amplifiers. He discussed his philosophies on music and performance experience during a live onstage interview with Sweetwater Editorial Director Mitch Gallagher. Clarke also performed solo pieces on acoustic and electric bass.