Tony hosts the most eclectic vocabulary to describe cymbals. "Lush, shimmering, flavours, shades, Distortion boost, White noise, raw aggression."
Tony is responsible for Cymbals, Stick, Accessories and Gear at Zildjian
His role as Product Manager has an artist relation focus, brand awareness, and marketing co-relationship.
Tony creates his lists every day and eats his morning cereal from his desk.
" A funnel, not a tunnel. Funnel your ideas down into prioritization. This has the biggest potential... This is what people are absolutely screaming for."
Methods to the madness: Evernote, Google Docs
Cymbals trends: bigger Diameter and darker crashes, hi hats, rides. Fewer cymbals.
"There's so many directions we can go and there's never a shortage of ideas."
New Products
20" A Custom Projection Crash is the latest A Custom line addition
Extended ranges in K and K Custom family
Diversity in Ride Cymbal A Custom categories
New A Avedis Cymbal line - Vintage take on 50/60's A series. Taking the consumer through Zildjians footprint from the 50's - 90's. How Zildjian has managed to stay with popular music through the genres. A Series has followed that path.
"We make our cymbals as versatile as possible."
Schooling
Western Illinois University
Played in ensembles, rock bands, marching - DCI Drum Core
Worked for Tycoon Percussion and Corporate offices of Guitar Center in Southern California before Zildjian.
"This industry is pretty small... [if] you develop a good reputation for yourself, it can carry you along."
New S Family mid tier price point Cymbal line, B12 Alloy - Tony helped bring this product to market.
Favorite moments with Zildjian - Listening to the prototype, as a team, before it becomes the final product. Meeting drummers at events around the country, providing a background to drummers on what goes into the making of each cymbal or new product release.
Zildjian K line/series - A catch all for great ideas.
Special dry, k custom dark, hybrid...
K custom dark have really done quite well.
K Dark, K Custom Dark, Constantinople, Kerope
K Custom - overhammering with a lot of tone
K Dark - More of a fundamental pitch
Zildjian A line/series
Dave Grohl and the A Custom EFX - Distortion boost, White noise, raw aggression
People and bands Mentioned
Tool
Jason Bittner
Shadows Fall
Snarky puppy
Pucifer - James keening?
Mutemath
Deftones
Hands like houses?
Larnell Lewis
Taylor Hawkins
Dave Grohl
Foo fighters
Emily Smith - Link to her podcast on a special highlighted level
Breaking Through the Noise
What would have defined a superstar drummer 15 years ago would have been a headlining gig. Now to be successful; market yourself online and utilize social media and youtube. Those guys are the new hero's [of the drumming spotlight].
Not only are you able to look at those guys videos every day but you're able to get lessons with them.
If you do it well... you can really make a name for yourself... In a different way... We want that to continue.
Nothing truly good comes easy... Work hard and keep at it.