Music Blog | Op Ed | Percussion Education | Performance

2017 DCI Quarterfinals – Some Basic Thoughts

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Okay, well, since I probably won’t see DCI semis or finals, here’s my impression of prelims: Unfortunately, many of this year’s shows were rather boring. Compounded by the overuse of electronics and narration, many of the shows don’t differ in overall tone, which makes everything worse. The best shows emphasized brass and percussion music and visual design, using electronics and narration as *supplements*, not focal points. An arguable exception would be Carolina Crown’s show, where the … Read More

Music Blog | Performance | Students | Teaching & Instruction

Drum Corps Is Passion AND Competition

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Now that DCI is over, I’ve seen the inevitable posts about how the scores should have been different, and I’ve seen the inevitable responses about how people should let the scores go and focus on the drive, passion, and dedication these young adults put in all summer to put on a great show. This is ridiculous. When I marched, I did it because I loved music and wanted to learn how to play drums. And once … Read More

Percussion Education | Performance | Students | Teaching & Instruction | Technique

Drumming Basics – Where Are They?

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything percussion related. It’s not for lack of passion or interest – my focus has been elsewhere of late and I started an indefinite sabbatical from teaching a couple years ago for a few different reasons. But my knowledge, my skills, my desire to learn, and my need to take in and relay information are all still there. Last night (6-21-2015) was the Moonlight Classic drum corps show in … Read More

Percussion Education | Performing Drummers | Students | Teaching & Instruction | Technique

All That Talk, Talk, Talk (About Technique)

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Being the over-analytical person I am, I love talking about technique. I love offering my knowledge and love learning more about the teeny-tiny technical details of being a percussionist, of being a musician. During such a conversation with a couple friends, one of them asked why I felt the need to talk in such detail about technique. He postulated (and I paraphrase): does having these conversations really matter when, ultimately, we just need to concentrate on … Read More

Percussion Education | Practice | Students | Teaching & Instruction

Competition and Success

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Competition is good. Competition drives. Competition sets and raises standards. Competition is not for everyone. I know a band director who does not want to teach winning or losing to his students (whether he sticks to that or how well he does with that remains to be seen). He would rather teach excellence, which, in and of itself, is noble. Excellence is something to strive for no matter what one does, whether it’s drumming, golfing, cooking, … Read More

Percussion Education | Teaching & Instruction | Technique

The Fulcrum – Q&A

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A few weeks ago, I received an email from a friend I used to march with in the Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps: I wanted to ask you to think about it another way — instead of black and white index and middle finger, what about a shared fulcrum? I have students in San Jose who have had a lot of Santa Clara Vanguard-based instruction on technique (one of my kids even marched in the A … Read More

Percussion Education | Teaching & Instruction | Technique

The Fulcrum, Part 2

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I like Murray Gusseck. I don’t know the guy personally, only his work and reputation. I think he’s brought some interesting concepts to the world of drumline and I like some of the pieces he’s written for battery. I may not always agree with what he teaches, but I respect him and what he’s doing. So make no mistake: what I’m about to write is in no way intended to insult him or make him look … Read More

Percussion Education | Performance | Students

Don’t be so clever

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I had gotten together with some friends the other night to do a short rehearsal for an upcoming gig. I was playing drum set for several songs, one being a song I already knew but had previously played bass on instead. Intellectually, I knew how to play the song on drum set, but I had yet to acquire the feel my friend – the song’s writer and bandleader – wanted for the end of the song. … Read More

Drum Set | Percussion Education | Performance | Teaching & Instruction | Technique

The case for double bass

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I don’t get to play drum set much these days, though I really want to. That’s the problem with living in a condo: can’t be loud (tell that to some of my neighbors, though). But when I do, I try to take advantage of the situation by playing the drum set-related things I don’t always get to play. I have a double bass pedal. I became interested in double bass because of drummers like Tim Alexander … Read More

Music Blog | Percussion Education | Performing Drummers | Students

Mind your manners, please

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On March 27, 2010, the Northern California Band Association (NCBA) held championships at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, CA. And I was pissed for much of the day. I always let my drumlines know that, at least for me, drumline isn’t just about drumming. It’s about class and responsibility, amongst other things. If a drumline has no class, if they act like rude, obnoxious idiots, I pretty much refuse to watch them. This falls in line … Read More

Percussion Education | Teaching & Instruction | Technique

The Fulcrum – It’s SCIENCE!

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The use of the fulcrum has, to my knowledge, been a greatly examined topic and subject to much experimentation, especially in regards to match grip mechanics (which is what this post deals with). I’ve observed more attention being brought to it in the past decade or so, maybe because of my particular environment and who I know. Or perhaps it’s been the introduction of different techniques in the drumline arena, or maybe it’s just the natural … Read More

Percussion Education | Teaching & Instruction | Technique

The Basketball

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I’ve been teaching quite a few younger students lately. Anyone with experience teaching younger drum students has run into the problem of mashing the sticks into the pad or drum. It’s a natural problem for young students; it’s natural for someone to pick up drum sticks for the first time and then bang and mash the sticks into the surface because, for all they know, drumming is just about hitting stuff. Even older, more experienced drummers … Read More

Percussion Education | Practice | Teaching & Instruction | Technique

A quick word on your friendly assistant, “Rebound”

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As Obi Wan Kenobi told Luke in Return of the Jedi, “You’re going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.” An educated drummer will probably know what is meant when a drum teacher says, “Let the bounce do the work,” or, “Let the rebound do the work.” I know I do. However, as much as I hate to say “never”, I’m pretty sure that I … Read More

Percussion Education | Teaching & Instruction | Technique

That Diddle-Pattern Handfeel

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I’ve been away for a bit. I’m sorry. I hope that doesn’t mean you won’t do me a favor. Not a huge favor, just a small one, okay? Play four counts of 16th notes with an accent on each downbeat, starting on the right hand. Done? Cool. Now, play the exact same thing but use a paradiddle sticking. Start on the same hand. Finished? Thanks. I owe ya. Now answer this: did the two patterns feel … Read More

Percussion Education | Teaching & Instruction

Teaching, Teching, and Instructing

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I’ve tried writing something about this topic 4 or 5 times by now. It’s a tricky subject and one I think about a lot. After all, the goal is to pass on knowledge and wisdom to the students, right? As an added bonus, teaching helps one to understand and perform his or her craft better. I’m constantly analyzing my craft(s) and the ways I can convey concepts to my students. I want them to understand what … Read More

Percussion Education | Practice

You Don’t Need To Play On A Drum To Be A Drummer

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I got out of the car about 7:30 last night and heard someone playing his drum set. Oh… we live in a condo, by the way. It didn’t bother my wife and me because we live on the other end of the building so we didn’t really hear it unless we were actually listening for it, but I do remember feeling very sorry and angry for their upstairs neighbor (so I guess it did bother me). … Read More

Percussion Education | Performance | Practice | Teaching & Instruction | Technique

Technique First, Chops Second

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I’m pretty sure it was my age-out year of drum corps. I was walking across the gym at our housing site with my instructor/mentor/friend/boss, talking about… drums, probably… and we passed by one of my fellow snare players ramming beats on his pad. We asked him what he was doing and he said he was working on his chops. In response I said, for the first time, “Remember: technique first, chops second.” Technique, technique, technique. It’s … Read More

Percussion Education | Performance

The Final Say

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“With great power there must also come great responsibility.” -Ben Parker, from the pages of Amazing Fantasy 15 That’s right. I made a Spider-Man reference. Because it’s pertinent. You, the drummer, are the final say when you perform with an ensemble. You are the final, deciding factor in how a piece feels, how comes across stylistically, how the tempo moves forward. That is great power you wield, power to either be abused or to use wisely. … Read More

Percussion Education | Practice | Students

How To Practice

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Last year, after a drumline rehearsal, one of the students was sitting on the floor practicing a piece of music. She wanted to audition for a snare spot pretty badly and her chances were incredibly slim. My friend, the caption head of this particular drumline, told her she basically had one chance to show him that she was worth giving a spot. She’d asked me if I could help her after rehearsal sometime, so there I … Read More

Percussion Education | Practice | Students

5-Minute Hands

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I’m sure that most of us have read or listened to interviews with drummers that talk about how they used to “woodshed” for 8 hours a day, everyday. They loved the craft so much, and wanted to be so good, that they devoted themselves to such an intense practice schedule. Good for them, I say. However, I’m willing to bet that most of us can’t make that claim. Not that we don’t love the craft, and … Read More

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