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Mike ManginiAmerican musician, drummer
Date of Birth: 18.04.1963
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Mike Mangini
Early Life and Musical BeginningsMike Mangini, an American musician, legendary drummer, and "professor of drumming," was born in 1963 in Newton, Massachusetts. He showed an interest in playing drums at a young age and began formal lessons at the age of five. By the time he was nine years old, he was practicing music for four hours every day. Mangini played in a local teenage band during his school years and also had the opportunity to play outside of the school ensemble.
Education and Professional Career
After finishing high school, Mangini attended Bentley University, where he studied computer science. Upon graduating, he worked as a programmer for the Patriot Missile. However, he never gave up his passion for music and continued to play drums. In 1987, Mangini joined the Rick Berlin Band in Boston and started giving private drum lessons. In the early 1990s, he played drums for the band Annihilator and recorded the album "Set the World on Fire" in 1993. He later joined the band Extreme and recorded the album "Waiting For The Punchline" in 1995. After the breakup of Extreme, Mangini became part of guitarist Steve Vai's band and toured with him from the mid-1990s to the end of the millennium. He also recorded with Vai on albums such as "Fire Garden" (1996), "The Ultra Zone" (1999), and "Alive in an Ultra World" (2001).
In 2000, Mangini returned to Boston and began teaching music at Berklee College of Music while participating in various projects. In 2010, when legendary drummer Mike Portnoy left the band Dream Theater, Mangini became one of the contenders for the vacant position. In April 2011, he officially joined Dream Theater as their new drummer. The audition process, which included seven virtuoso musicians, was documented in a film. Among Mangini's competitors were Marco Minnemann, Peter Wildoer, Virgil Donati, Derek Roddy, Thomas Lang, and Aquiles Priester. The album "A Dramatic Turn of Events" was recorded with Mangini, and he also participated in the recording of the album "Live at Luna Park" in 2013. In 2012, he embarked on the "G3 tour" in South America with guitarist John Petrucci and bassist Dave LaRue.
Achievements and Influence
Mike Mangini is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest drummers and holds four significant records. He is known for his titles in the categories of "Fastest Symmetric Grip," "Fastest Traditional Grip," "Fastest Hands," and he also set a record for foot beats. Mangini authored two books on drumming technique titled "Rhythm Knowledge." Additionally, he demonstrated his playing technique in slow motion for the Discovery Channel program "Time Warp."
Mangini's love for playing old-school heavy rock, blending with heavy metal, is evident in his musical preferences. He cites Canadian drummer Neil Peart and Frank Zappa as major influences. Today, Mangini continues to play drums in the band Dream Theater, where he has made a significant impact on the group's sound and success.
