Kami Lujan's drum set setup for Legally Blonde at Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas.
Read Kami's write-up and gear list below photos.
About this unique Ludwig Salesman Finish:
"Back in the 1950s it’s the finish that traveling salesmen for Ludwig would use to show off the available colors that customers could order their drums in. Then in 2015 Ludwig made it for Patrick Carney (the drummer for The Black Keys). I bought mine used from a woman in town that was selling because she had too many kits and had never gigged with it, and it even came with the matching snare. I was actually busy teaching that day and didn’t want to wait in case I missed out, but luckily my husband is also a drummer and was able to go check them out and pick them up!"
About the show:
"This show has been an absolute blast! It's a really fun drum book with lots of syncopation and upbeat grooves that stay interesting the whole show. All the gear you see in the photos is only for the Legally Blonde drum book, which actually involves quite a few percussion accessories. The only thing I'm not actually playing is the electronic cues. Instead I'm using a 12" Tama snare for the Piccolo Snare cues, and I use a Drum Tortilla to muffle it for a very dry electronic snare sound.
The Ludwig Classic Maple kit has been my favorite for musical theatre, especially the 20" kick with an Evans EQ Pad inside, it gives me just the right low end I need without being too loud, and the Danmar Zoro Felt Beater sounds great at all volumes. I personally prefer using the Roots EQ O Rings instead of Moongel for tone control. Drum Tortillas are a perfect substitute for any instance I might need to use towels on drums (like changing the timbre of a snare or tom), but they come in specific diameters and unique designs.
I tend to prefer darker cymbal sounds as I feel like that timbre stays out of the way of the rest of the band and vocalists, and doesn't seem too washy or loud. I really like the Zildjian Hybrid Crashes for this, they give me the different tones I need without being too bright, and both work really well for suspended cymbal rolls in shows. I also prefer heavy cymbal stands (Yamaha Medium Weight) as it makes it easy to mount percussion accessories without having to worry about them falling over, but for a rarely used cymbal (like the Wuhan China) the Classic Lightweight stand was perfect, I just threw it in my hardware bag and didn't notice the space or weight.
I have also loved using the Pearl Boomerang arm for my 2nd crash. I don't use a 2nd rack tom, so the space next to my ride was completely empty. I'm usually reading charts and music over my hi hats so this keeps the crash in my peripheral and close by, which makes it easier to play at quiet dynamics.
Especially for groove heavy books like Legally Blonde, I've really enjoyed using an iPad with a Bluetooth page turner. I keep the Stomp (to turn pages) right next to my hi hat pedal, and can simply pivot my heel over to turn the page. The Stomp can run off of a 9v battery or be plugged in for power, and then can simultaneously charge my iPad. The adjustable iPad mount I use allows me to actually have my music closer than I could if it was on a music stand, and using forScore allows me to annotate or rearrange my music much easier than I could if I was using a paper book. I still keep the book close by just in case, but I've never had an issue using an iPad.
I really like to mount as much stuff as possible, it means less variables if I come to a space and there's simply not very much room. The Stagg accessory trays are usually what I use for my sticks and mallets, but they also come in handy if I have any percussion toys that aren't able to be mounted (shakers, cabasa, claves, etc).
As soon as I was told about the Miller Machine I bought one and haven't looked back! It makes triangle cues so much easier, and I don't have to worry about awkward mallet switches. For this specific show I mounted mine off of my floor tom using an LP Claw, but I sometimes mount it off of a cymbal stand if there's space."
Drums: Ludwig Classic Maple Downbeat Kit - Salesman Finish
- 20x14
- 14x14
- 12x8
Snares:
- Ludwig 14x6.5 Classic Maple Snare
- Tama 12x5 Club Jam Mini Snare
Cymbals:
- Zildjian 14" Vintage A Hi Hats
- Zildjian 19" K Custom Hybrid Crash
- Zildjian 11" K Custom Hybrid Splash
- Zildjian 15" K Custom Hybrid Crash
- Zildjian 22" K Custom Dark Ride
- Wuhan 16" China
Accessories:
- Mark Tree
- Bell Tree
- Cowbell
- LP Jam Block (Blue)
- LP Double Sambago Bell Blocks
- Cabasa
- Claves
- Police Whistle (Hot Pink)
- Mounted Tambourine
- Miller Machine with Triangle
Sticks/Mallets:
- Innovative Percussion Cool Ride Drumsticks
- Regal Tip Hickory Fixed Handle Brushes
- Innovative Percussion 240 Marimba Mallets
Electronics:
- Apple iPad
- forScore
Cool Gear:
- Drum Tortilla
- Pork Pie - Stars and Pigs Round Drum Throne
- Roots EQ O Ring
- Pearl Boomerang Cymbal Arm
- ChargerCity Multi Adjustable iPad Clamp Mount
- Coda Music Stomp Bluetooth Page Turner
- Stagg Super Clamp Accessory Tray
- Tama Classic Lightweight Cymbal Stand
- LP Claw
Legally Blonde - Regional - Kami Lujan
September 2021
