Matt Halpern (Periphery) Drum Workshop Live from Guitar Center Hollywood

On March 6, 2025, Matt Halpern of Periphery stopped by Guitar Center Hollywood for an exclusive in-store livestream performance and drum workshop. In this session, Matt performed select Periphery tracks, demonstrated his warmup routines, and discussed the art of songwriting, technique and endurance behind the kit.

He also broke down his signature Pearl snare, MEINL Byzance cymbals, and Promark sticks, sharing how his approach to tone and setup has evolved throughout his career.

Featured Performances:
“Atropos” • “Dracul Gras” • “Dying Star”

Chapters
04:25 - Intro with Matt Halpern
06:05 - The Start of Matt’s Drumming Journey
09:37 - On the Experience of Songwriting with Periphery
14:11 - Matt’s Life-Long Relationship with Guitar Center
17:25 - A Look at Matt Halpern’s Signature Gear and Kit Layout
24:45 - Which Periphery Album was the Most Challenging to Play/Record?
26:48 - A Look into Matt’s Warmup Routine
29:44 - Matt’s Physicality Behind the Kit
35:48 - Matt Halpern on His Drumming Influences
39:10 - On Joining Periphery and Marketing Yourself as a Musician
45:15 - Matt Halpern Performs “Atropos”
53:42 - Finding the Space to Improvise in Complex Arrangements
55:16 - Matt Halpern Breaks Down & Performs “Dracul Gras”
01:09:45 - Matt’s Take on Playing In Odd Time Signatures
01:17:07 - Matt Breaks Down & Performs “Dying Star”
01:27:44 - How Periphery Works Through Writer’s Block
01:29:54 - Does Your Kit Layout Ever Change?
01:33:56 - Outro

Grab Matt's signature gear from Guitar Center:

Pearl Matt Halpern Signature Snare Drum 14x6in:
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Pearl/Ma...

MEINL Byzance Dark Matt Halpern Concept Model Double Down Crash Ride 21 in.:
https://www.guitarcenter.com/MEINL/By...

MEINL Matt Halpern Byzance Artist Concept Double Down Stack Cymbal:
https://www.guitarcenter.com/MEINL/Ma...

Promark Matt Halpern Signature Drum Sticks:
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Promark/...

DrumKeyShop Matt Halpern Signature Drum Key:
https://www.guitarcenter.com/DrumKeyS...