Walking to the beat of a different drum

Upon their return to China in 2003, Webb embarked on a pivotal endeavor. Rallying a group of nine consummate drummers — a blend of three talented native Chinese musicians and six international virtuosos — he embarked on an intensive six-month journey of percussion mastery.

"It was not a normal band, which usually has a leader. We were doing it as a corporate event," says the 71-year-old.

Their inaugural performance in 2004 captivated audiences. " We never stopped traveling after that. We performed everywhere in China," Webb recalls, adding that the largest audience they performed to was over 30,000 people.

Their performances are always interactive. "At our shows, everybody in the audience has a drum," Webb says.

"What still excites me is, when we have a show, whether it's 200 people or 2,000 people, we get them playing drums with the same rhythm. Within three minutes we can get everybody working together," Webb says.

"You can't do it anywhere else. You can't do it with any other instrument," he says.