More About Me
My name is Kelly M. Kusumoto (KMK) and I can drum. KMKanDrum.
My paternal side is very musical. My grandmother was a lounge singer. For a while, my aunt was the lead singer for Hiroshima, a Japanese-American pop-jazz band. And my dad played guitar and sang in bands all throughout his youth. In the '80s my aforementioned aunt married well-known LA studio drummer, Carlos Vega. At the time, his main gig was drumming for James Taylor. So my first concert experience was seeing him from the side of the Irvine Meadows Amphitheater stage playing to thousands of people. I think at that moment, I realized I wanted to be a drummer.
I went home and fashioned my first set out of Tupperware, a rice cooker pot with a metal lid for a cymbal, and chopsticks for drumsticks. My favorite bands were my parents' favorites back then. Luckily, they had pretty good taste! UB40, Oingo Boingo, Kool and the Gang, Hall and Oates, Tears for Fears, and of course, James Taylor.
Then, when my uncle found out I was really into the drums, he brought me into his drum room and the first time I ever sat behind a real kit (his classic Gretsch yellow kit, similar to his idol's, Tony Williams), I was able to play a standard rock beat. Later that week, we took a drive to Guitar Center in Hollywood and we picked out a bright red Pearl Export Pro 5-piece set. He let me borrow some hardware and cymbals and I think from that moment I went (c. 1994-2001) 7 years straight of playing about an average of 4-5 hours every single day.
In 1994, I joined the esteemed Eagle Rock High School Jazz Band at the Jr. level and was promoted to the Sr. level a year later. I also started playing in my first handful of bands, punk, alternative, and rock.
After high school, I was playing in multiple bands of multiple styles. From rock to punk, metal, country, hip hop, pop, and even latin. I was fortunate enough to record on a good amount of full-length albums, EPs, singles, demos, and even a couple movie soundtracks. I was also fortunate enough to play a countless amount of shows, gigs, concerts, whatever you want to call them. From as little as 5 in the crowd to as many as a couple thousand. The bands I was in also opened for cool acts like Zebrahead, Hoobastank, Wank, Lit, NOFX, Lag Wagon, Guttermouth, Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Other, Donuts n Glory, Falling Sickness, Eleventeen (who later changed their name to Eve 6), and many more.
I've also been a part of many a failed contract negotiations with indie and major labels when I was in LA and Houston. I've had the pleasure of working with producers who have worked with Papa Roach, Kiss, Smashing Pumpkins, Bad Religion, Rancid, and Leftover Crack.
I've been lucky to live in some really cool places like Los Angeles where I was born and raised, Houston, TX which is a very good music town, New York City, another awesome place for music and life in general, and now I feel I've settled in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA, from where a lot of great music originated.
My time in Fishtown, Philly, was special to me because that is where I had enough space (which I was fortunate enough to call my own) to build my own personal soundproof studio. There, I made my first drum cover video. And up until then, I never took YouTube seriously.
But after uploading that first video, I got an amazing response from hundreds of viewers. Hence, a new venture was born.
I made a handful more videos and gained a few more followers before I decided to make a channel dedicated to drums.
I've been making videos for KMKanDrum since 2017 and absolutely love it. From the performing to the recording, the videotaping and editing, to sharing it with all of you, and reading and responding to the awesome and entertaining comments.
In 2020, I moved from Fishtown (an ultra-hip neighborhood of Philly) into the burbs and a small town called Media. A month into living in our new home, our basement flooded and a lot of my equipment and my new studio in progress were ruined. But I was able to salvage some stuff and when we rebuilt the basement, my studio was built at the same time.
In fact, I would like to say that the studio and the gear I'm using now are better than ever. I got a new DW Design Series drum set, I got a whole new Paiste Signature Series cymbal setup, and I've added some triggers to help accent certain songs. I've learned a lot about recording and engineering since I first started and in my humble opinion, my sound is pretty good! I've also grown and matured as a video editor, so there is a lot less fluff and a lot more substance and subtlety to my videos.
As of 2022, five years since I began, I am happy to call myself a YouTuber and look forward to many more years of creating the best content I absolutely can for you!
Be sure to check up on my NEWS section as I'll be posting as many updates as I can over there on the status of our rebuild and many other projects with which I'm involved.
For now, check below for lists of my gear, music I've been involved in, and many other details about me and my musical career!
My Portfolio
PAST & PRESENT BANDS:
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Eagle Rock High School Jazz Band (1994-1996)
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Solidarity (1994)
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Undecided (1994-1995)
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Blindsided (1995-present) Bankshot
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Plagiarhythm (1996-1997)
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FREaKS (1998-2001)
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Leftover Crack (2000) Epitaph
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Missile Command (2000-2003) Bankshot
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Osker (2002-2003) Epitaph
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Jeffrey Michaels and the Answer (2003)
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Patrick Cornell (2003)
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Beggar's Ride (2003-2004)
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Logan's Heroes (2004)
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Aimee Lynn Chadwick (2003-2004)
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Caller Ten (2005-2006)
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The Mormons (2006)
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The Charles Shaw Project (2006-2007)
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Kabuki Mono (2006)
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Kerosean (2006-2015)
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The Beeters (2007-present)
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The Woolly Bandits (2008-2018)
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Out of Grey (2009-2010)
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Teen Island (2009-2012)
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The Butt Connectors (2014-2015)
Plastik Glasses
Merchandise
Equipment
DRUMS:
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DW Design Series Piano Black
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Bass Drum: 22x18
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Toms: 10x8, 12x9, 14x12, 16x14
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DW Cherry Lacquer Stain w/ Maple Shells and Brass Hardware
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Bass Drum: 22x18
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Toms: 10x8, 16x16
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DW Champagne Sparkle Maple Shells w/ Chrome Hardware
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Bass Drum: 16x20
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Toms: 10x8, 12x10, 13x12, 16x14
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Ludwig 14x5 Black Beauty Brass Snare
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DW Mother of Pearl Maple Shell 12x5 Snare
CYMBALS:
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Zildjian Setup
CYMBALS:
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Paiste Setup
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Signature
- Signature Dark Energy
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PSTx
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HARDWARE:
STICKS & HEADS:
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ProMark Drumsticks
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Vater
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Ahead Drumsticks
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DW Clear-Coated Drumheads by Remo
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Remo Ambassador Drumheads
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Remo Powerstroke 3 Bass Drum Heads
RECORDING GEAR:
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Apple iMac 27" Retina 2019
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Apple iPhone 13 Pro
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Apple iPad Pro 12.9"
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Logic Pro X
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Audix Drum Mics
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MXL Mogami 603S mics (x2)
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Sony MDR-V900 Headphones
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Rokit-5 Monitors (x2)
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Adobe CC Premiere Pro 2021
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Adobe CC AfterEffects 2021
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Adobe CC Photoshop 2021
DISCLAIMER: If you are interested in purchasing any of the gear I use, please click on the Amazon links above. They are affiliate links, which means if you buy something from the above list, I may receive a commission. It doesn't cost you extra but helps my website and YouTube channel immensely.
Gallery
Latest News
