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Akron musician also trying to raise money for hospital, youths
By Malcolm X Abram
Beacon Journal music writer
Published on Friday, Jun 27, 2008
Playing drums in a band can be a thankless gig.
Fans often don't pay the drummer much attention unless he screws up the groove and then all eyes are suddenly on the person with the sticks.
But at noon today at the Margarita Factory in Jackson Township, drummer Link Logen of Akron will command all of the attention when he attempts to set a world record for continuous drumming to raise money for Akron Children's Hospital and the BlackHawks Youth Group, a local baton and drum corps group.
Logen, CEO of the Barberton-based Federation of Drums and Percussion LLC and an instructor with BlackHawks, has already set two records recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. In 2005 he set the ''double bass marathon'' record by consecutively playing 160 beats per minute on two drum pedals for 14 hours and 38 minutes. The following year he bested himself by working the double bass pedals for 432 beats per minute for 101/2 hours.
Today, the 37-year-old will attempt to break the ''drum kit marathon'' record which entails playing the drums to music with no solos or improvisation. The current record is 84 hours set Feb. 1-4, 2004, by Arulanantham Suresh Joachim of Australia, who set the record at the Magic Factory in Zurich, Switzerland.
Guinness mandates a 15-minute break every three hours and says Logen has to have two witnesses on a four-hour rotation. He also needs either a nurse, doctor or emergency medical technician on location, also on a four-hour rotation.
''I do it because I can,'' he said. ''Being a drummer 23 years, I'm always compared to the next drummer or some other drummer. I pay attention to what they are not doing because whatever they aren't doing is what I want to do.''
It was those comparisons that prompted his attempts to set his two records.
''I'm always hearing things about who's fastest, how many beats per minute this guy plays and I thought, 'Yeah, that's great for 60 seconds but how long can you last?' '' he said.
However, for today's challenge, Logen has a cause that is much closer to his heart than his drummer's ego.
''A lot of the [BlackHawks] kids are from broken homes or are troubled teens and we give them something proactive to do rather than getting in with the wrong crowd . . . We try and teach them the value of respect, morals and responsibility,'' he said.
Logen's affinity for Akron Children's Hospital stems from personal experience. His son Ethan was born prematurely and Logen and his family spent a few days at a nearby Ronald McDonald House while doctors tended to his son, who Logen said is now a ''healthy as a horse'' 6-year-old.
Logen, who has played in area bands 43 freaks and MYsguYded, recently re-formed, will get help for his 85-plus hours stint from a self-made 71/2-hour-long mix of 109 songs that includes everything from rock and heavy metal to blues and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. It will repeat for the duration.
If all goes well, at around 2 a.m. on Tuesday Logen will have set another world record. He said he has not done much to prepare physically or mentally for the marathon.
''I'll warm up, stretch and make sure the sound check is OK, and then just rock and roll with it.''
Malcolm X Abram can be reached at mabram@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3758.
Playing drums in a band can be a thankless gig.
Get the full article here.
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