Anthony Zicari has been playing drums for over 20 years and was fortunate enough to meet and jam with other musicians at a young age, which helped foster a desire to perform. He was self-taught until attending University for Classical Percussion. It was there that he took an interest in teaching. Anthony is currently active playing drums in multiple bands spanning many genres. If he had to pick, his favorite music genre to play is Progressive Rock/Metal. Now teaching at the School of Rock Markham, Anthony hopes to “give back” to the newer players and to encourage them along the way.
Anthony’s Gear:
Tama Drums SLP Dynamic Kapur
Taye Studio Maple
8,10,12,14,16″ Toms
18(2), 20, 22, 24″ Kick
14″ x 6.5″ Pearl Sensitone Elite Brass
14″ x 5.5″ Taye Studio Maple Snare
14″ x 10″ Tama SLP Duo Birch Snare/Tom
Czarcie Kopyto Pedals
Mapex Falcon Pedals
ACD Unlimited Drive SHAFT
Evans G2 Coated – Toms
Evans Emad2 – Kick
Sabian 15″ HHX Complex Md Hats
Sabian 10″ AA Splash
Sabian 8″ Ice Bell
Sabian 22″ HHX Complex Md Ride
Sabian 19″ HHX Comp Thin Crash
Sabian 16″AAX Recording Crash
Zildjian 16″FX Stacker
Zildjian 17″ A Custom Fast Crash
Wuhan 12″ China/Sabian Quiet Stack
Meinl 12″ Trash splash/Zildjian K Stack
Anthony Zicari – Prospects – Primal Place of Emptiness – Tracked with Jamie King at https://www.jamiekingaudio.com
Anthony’s Gear Continued:
Focusrite 18i20 + Clarett Octopre
Audix Mics – Snare, Toms, Kick
AKG C2000s – Overheads
Presonus SDC’s – Hi-hat and Ride
Shure sm57 – Snare reso, trash mic
Apex LDC – Room
DIY SubKick – Kick Out mic
Reaper DAW
Asus TUF Z590 Mobo
Intel i5 11600K CPU
32GB Ram
AMD Radeon™ RX 6800
Phantom Gaming D 16G OC
BeQuiet Dark Rock CPU Cooler
WD Black PCIe SSD
Phanteks Case
Anthony Zicari Interview:
SDM: How old were you when you started playing?
Anthony: I believe I was maybe 7 or 8 when my parents bought me my first drum set (a Maxwin by Pearl). I learned 3 beats and forgot all about it. It wasn’t until grade 7 (11 years old), when I met other kids who played music, that they inspired me to start practicing and learning music more seriously.
SDM: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?
Anthony: I was asked to play in the senior band when I was still a Jr. in High school and continued doing it every year after until I graduated. It was tough to balance soccer, football, hockey, and social life but I don’t regret it! We even played a concert at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
SDM: Who are your top 5 metal influences?
Anthony:
- Lars Ulrich
- Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan
- Mike Portnoy
- Blake Richardson
- An amalgamation of Matt Halpern, Matt Gartska, and Alex Rudinger
SDM: Who are some of your other favorites?
Anthony:
- Larnel Lewis
- Thomas Lang
- Marco Minnemann
- Jay Postones
- Neil Peart
- Eric Moore
- Shannon Lucas
- Chris Coleman
- Virgil Donati
SDM: Let us know 5 bands in your current personal rotation.
Anthony: I’ve been listening to some random stuff lately, but I always return to my favorites. Even though I’m a drummer, I love a lot of “guitar-centric” music. Currently, I’ve been listening to a lot of:
- Tesseract
- Plini
- Haken
- Protest The Hero
- Snarky Puppy
SDM: What do you do to warm up before a show?
Anthony: If I have time, I like to play some relaxed singles and doubles to ensure the blood is flowing. There is no specific BPM; I’m just making sure I’m relaxed. I also stretch the fingers and wrists with a few prayer/reverse prayer stretches and find it helps.
Anthony Zicari – Prospects – Orphic Trigger
SDM: Do you read music? Regardless of answering yes or no, please tell us how it might have affected your playing.
Anthony: Yes, I am fortunate enough to have completed a degree in classical percussion at Lakehead University. Wasn’t always the case, though. I used to only learn things by ear (still do sometimes), jamming over a song over and over until I figured out every little detail, but the ability to read music has drastically helped. Now, I can figure out difficult parts or transcribe something I’m playing into sheet music. Writing/learning things is a great tool and has made certain things much faster and more convenient.
SDM: Can you tell us about the gear you use?
Anthony: I use a mish-mash of gear and change it up occasionally. I have two Taye Studio Maple sets with different depths, two identical Taye Go-kits, and my gorgeous Tama SLP Dynamic Kapur. I primarily use a Pearl Sensitone Elite Black Brass Snare but will occasionally use a Taye Maple. I have no endorsements, but I am a “brand ambassador” for Czarcie Kopyto pedals, which I love dearly; they are seriously the nicest piece of hardware I’ve ever owned. I don’t discriminate when it comes to cymbals, either. I use many Sabian, Zildjian, and Meinl cymbals and will often change them up depending on the music style or vibe. I typically play Evans heads, but will play Remo if it’s what I have. I use Vic Firth Factory 2nds (discards) mainly because they are so affordable. I don’t really have a favorite brand, and with so many great companies out there, I often go for what sounds good to my ear and what I can afford.
SDM: If you could give one piece of advice to younger drummers, it would be…
Anthony: If this is something you truly love, don’t stop playing or chasing the dream. Stay consistent, work hard, and work smart, but remember to always have fun. It’s the reason we started playing in the first place.
SDM: Who gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?
Anthony: This is a tough one! I have witnessed so many amazing live performances, but one that stands out above the rest was Dream Theater’s Black Clouds Silver Linings Tour. This would have been the last time I’d witness Portnoy with DT.
SDM: Aside from drumming, what else do you like to do?
Anthony: Aside from long walks on the beach and candle-lit dinners, I enjoy several things besides music. I’ve played Airsoft for a good 15 years and have managed two fields (one of them being the largest indoor facility in Canada). During my 5 years at University, I needed other hobbies to fill my “non-music time,” so I explored quite a few things, from martial arts to miniature painting. I also enjoy camping and the outdoors, which I look forward to in the summer/fall months.
Anthony’s Links:
https://www.twitch.tv/azdrums
https://www.youtube.com/channe
https://open.spotify.com/artis
https://music.apple.com/us/art
https://www.instagram.com/pros
https://www.facebook.com/prosp
https://www.youtube.com/channe
