Drummer, educator, and composer Alex Cohen has unveiled Rhythms of Resilience, an unorthodox and highly personal drum method book published by Hudson Music. Developed during his battle with malignant brain cancer, the book merges technical exploration with a rare kind of vulnerability, offering readers more than just patterns and drills; it offers a glimpse into the mind of an artist creating through crisis.
Alex Cohen began writing the book during treatment, composing sections between medical appointments and during long stretches of recovery. Rather than retreat from the physical and emotional challenges he faced, he used them as a framework. The result is a collection of advanced rhythmic studies shaped not only by his musical background but by the raw uncertainty of his condition.
Among the material is a series of unconventional sticking combinations Cohen refers to as “Eldritch Rudiments”: angular, complex, and intentionally unpredictable. These are paired with layered ostinato exercises, coordination systems, phrasing concepts, and drills designed to push both physical control and expressive nuance.
Yet what stands out most is not the complexity, but the intention behind it. Cohen doesn’t present these ideas with bravado. Instead, the tone throughout is grounded, focused, and reflective. Every chapter carries the quiet weight of lived experience, with passages that trace how patterns developed during restless nights or how coordination drills became mental anchors during difficult days.
In choosing to publish the book, Hudson Music has added an emotionally layered title to its catalog: one that sits comfortably alongside its high-profile, technique-focused offerings but adds something distinctly human. Cohen’s story and approach resonate not only with drummers seeking new challenges but with artists of any kind who have ever created in the midst of adversity.
Cohen describes the writing process not as an escape, but as a way of making sense of his circumstances. “I wasn’t looking to distract myself,” he notes. “I was looking to stay present, to translate what I was going through into something rhythmic, something I could actually play through.”
Since its release, Rhythms of Resilience has drawn praise for its originality and depth. It avoids a didactic tone or polished narratives, favoring a voice that feels direct and personal. There are no claims of heroism, no tidy conclusions: just a steady pulse through uncertainty, delivered by someone who refused to stop creating, no matter the odds.
Rhythms of Resilience is available now through Hudson Music and select retailers.