LINDSAY BAKER
ZILDJIAN + VIC FIRTH
Team: Gary Mak, Lindsay Baker, Andrew Tamulynas, Pam Ricci, Mike Weber, Daniel Rojas, Scott Quade
To start with a brief history lesson, Zildjian’s cymbal-making roots trace all the way back to 1618 within the Ottoman Empire of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). The Zildjian family patriarch Avedis was the son of an Armenian metalsmith and servant to Sultan Osman II, as Avedis created cymbals for Sultan’s marching band.
Flash forward to 1927, where Avedis III with the help of his uncle Aram, set up the first Zildjian cymbal foundry in America.
1951 - Avedis A. Zildjian was issued the patent on the A cymbal. This demonstrated that by creating cymbals with varying thicknesses, you can achieve equally unique sound characteristics.
1964 - The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan show and the demand for Zildjian cymbals explodes.
2010 - The Avedis Zildjian Company, the world’s leading cymbal manufacturer, and the Vic Firth Company, the global market leader in drumsticks combine forces.
Working at this iconic brand opened my eyes (and ears) to how many cymbals and other products Zildjian truly has. Spoiler, it’s a lot - like 80 pages worth as you’ll see in the catalog. While there were a ton more projects I’ve worked on at Zildjian, here are some of my favorites to share.
Cheers, Z.