Born 1961, Jim Anderson started beating on things at age 4. By age 17, Jim
was teaching private drum lessons at Fullerton Music while attending
Fullerton College, where he earned his AA in Music Education. In his early
twenties Jim took a break from school to tour Japan with Robert Palmer's
Band. In his mid twenties Jim moved to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, where
he toured Western Europe with a variety of musicians including Jan Ackerman,
Candy Dulfer and Jan Cooper.
At age 27, Jim returned to the states to do studio work with Grammy winning
producer Les Pierce and Holland Dozier Holland and start his first company
Percussive Innovations. PI manufacturers a full line of drum and cymbal
mutes, pads and accessories. In 1998 Jim met his wife Kristen, and two
years later had their only son Matt. At age 30 Jim returned to college to
pursue his other passion - psychology. He earned his BS in Human Services
and a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychotherapy. Jim is a licensed
Marriage & Family Therapist and has been in private practice in Orange
County for the past 15 years.
Jim's interest in inventing continued to grow and by age 39 Jim had
designed, patented and licensed percussion products to Zildjian Cymbals,
Remo Drumheads, Toca Percussion and Quiet Tone by Sabian. In 2003 Jim
invented VertDrums (VertDrums.com) and followed that with Factory Metal
Percussion in 2004, both to rave reviews at NAMM.
By 2007 Factory Metal had been nominated for the MIPA Award, featured in
Modern Drummer and Drum Magazine, and developed an Artist Endorser Roster
including greats such as Terry Bozzio, Keith Carlock, Vinnie Colaiuta, Omar
Hakim, Gary Novak, Giovanni Hidalgo and Horacio Hernandez to name only a
few. FMP has designed custom instruments for the Blue Man Group, 20th
Century Fox Movie Robots, Tommy Lee of Motley Crue, Rick Allen of Def
Lepard, Street Drum Corps and most recently the rock band KoRn. Factory
Metal is sold worldwide and in the USA at Pro Drum Shops, Guitar Center and
Sam Ash Music.
In 2008 Factory Metal expanded operations, bringing in SoCal metal
fabrication specialists partners Greg and Jeff Wolfe of Wolfe Industries.
FMP is distribution Internationally through LP/ Kaman Music. Jim's future
goals include continuing to designs innovative percussion products for FMP,
developing new creative systems and approaches to drumming, and pioneering
new techniques with his Double Tipped Drumsticks and VertDrums.
Jim continues to do outside product development, invention and consulting
for a number of top drum companies in the industry. For more information on
product design and consultation, contact Jim at
JimA@FactoryMetalPercussion.com
