Jim Chapin (1919-2009)
When I became a music manufacturer’s representative, I started attending the yearly NAMM shows in Los Angeles and other cities. Seeing and hearing drummers play in music booths was a bonus. I’ll be writing about the many drummers I saw and heard in special events and general public performance.
Inspired to become a better musician, (1974) one of the books I acquired was Advanced Techniques of Modern Drumming. The author is Jim Chapin. Jim Chapin authored and published this book in 1948. It is known as The Chapin Book.
Jim Chapin was always a highlight at various trade shows, including NAMM and Percussive Arts Society. He could be found playing various drumsets or giving personal tips, playing on a drum pad. He was a student of Sanford A. Moeller, a rudimentalist who popularized the Moeller method.
Jim Chapin was a great drumming ambassador. He always had a pair of drumsticks, ready to demonstrate excerpts from his books.
Jim is the father of American Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Harry Chapin.