Overview: Rhythms of Resilience, by Alex Cohen, is a unique drum methodology book that doubles as a personal memoir of survival, transformation, and creativity under extreme adversity.

Written by renowned drummer and educator Alex Cohen, the book documents the advanced technical drumming concepts Cohen developed while battling—and surviving—malignant brain cancer.

It’s both a manual for drummers seeking new rhythmic frontiers and a story of hope, healing, and defiance in the face of life-threatening illness.

Verdict: To the musical world at large, drummer Alex Cohen is widely considered a modern technical drumming virtuoso and in addition to his role in the Murderhands three-piece, he has fast become one of the most sought-after drummers in New York City.

Furthermore, his first book entitled Ultimate Progressive Drumming (published via Hudson Music) was rightly hailed as a landmark piece of drumming literature by drummers ranging from Derek ‘One Take’ Roddy to multi-instrumentalist Charley Drayton.

But on July 7th, 2024, Cohen suffered a full-body seizure that led to his diagnosis with a malignant brain tumor. These tumors are characterized by uncontrolled cell growth and the ability to invade and potentially spread to other parts of the body. Unlike benign tumors, malignant tumors are life-threatening and require aggressive treatment.

However, and with that all said, over the course of the following weeks, Alex discovered that he could now play ideas and patterns with complexity never before seen on the drum set.

And thus he has now released his brand-new book entitled Rhythms of Resilience, an extremely enthralling new instructional drumming prose that at times pushes itself into new boundaries and shares the unearthing of new discoveries aplenty.

Incorporating a raft of very personal thoughts and black and white photographs of himself along his arduous journey, Cohen’s new drum method book (once again published by Hudson Music) may well have been developed during his painful battle with malignant brain cancer but still manages to merge technical exploration with a most dutifully crafted exposition.

Indeed, the heartfelt chapters brought forth within the construct of his innovative concepts include:

Eldritch Rudiments: Complex hybrid drumming rudiments inspired by cosmic horror and the feeling of insignificance in the face of immense adversity.

The ‘Cohen Method’: A technique system for both hands and feet, focusing on ergonomic motion, finger control, and endurance—developed during commutes and hospital stays.

Ostinatos, Extraction, and Insertion: Advanced limb-independence and polyrhythmic exercises, teaching drummers how to insert/extract rhythms across various limbs and ostinatos.

Extreme Dynamics: Exercises to develop nuanced control of volume and accents, reflecting the emotional extremes experienced through illness.

The Drift & Phasing: Concepts for developing the illusion of independent limb “drift,” as well as rhythmic phasing based on Steve Reich’s minimalist music.

Building Musical Lines: Approaches for creating melodic and contrapuntal drumming phrases, encouraging drummers to think like melodic instrumentalists.

In this book, which is dedicated to both his own father and his friend Owen Strong (both of who died from brain cancer), Alex documents both his extraordinary journey of surviving brain cancer, as well as developing the rhythmic concepts developed while near-death.

A story of survival, perseverance, and the remarkable power of drumming, Rhythms of Resilience shows us both what once seemed humanly impossible on drum set, and the power of music to help us heal during the most difficult times in life.

Furthermore, integrated into the book are more cutting-edge, extremely advanced concepts building on the ideas presented in Cohen’s first two books, Extreme Polyrhythm Coordination & Speed Techniques and Ultimate Progressive Drumming.

Whether following Alex’s journey of healing and discovery or using the exercises to push your drumming towards the most advanced abilities on the drum set seen today, Rhythms of Resilience will inspire you. Of this fact have no doubt.

About the Author - Alex Cohen has now emerged as one of the most advanced progressive drummers on the planet. Called, ‘Incredible’ by Thomas Lang, and ‘A revelation’ by Virgil Donati, Alex is pushing the boundaries of what was thought to be possible on the drum set.

Both of his books, ‘Ultimate Progressive Drumming’, and ‘Extreme Polyrhythm And Speed Techniques’ (co-authored with Brazilian drumming icon Ramon Montagner) have received rave reviews from drummers ranging from Derek Roddy to John Riley.

A faculty member at the world-renowned Drummer’s Collective in York City, Alex maintains a busy teaching and gigging schedule, as well as running a high-end recording studio in Pennsylvania.

Official Book Purchase Link

www.alexcohendrums.com