Giveaway Update!

Christmas is over, but I've still got another gift up my sleeve. One of you is going to get your choice of gifts from me. Read the details here.

This gift is one way for me to say thank you to all of you who read my blog, even if today is your first visit. I sincerely appreciate everyone who visits the blog, offers feedback and comments, and those who have helped me to come up with great ideas and innovations to make this blog useful and worthwhile.

So, please help to share the drumming and percussion love by joining this site (button on top of the left column) and "Like" the Facebook page.

As soon as we get 25 members of the blog and 100 Facebook "Likes," somebody wins!

Thanks again, and happy drumming! 

Hardware Maintenance 101

I have always been proud of how I take care of my gear. I have some hardware that is more than a decade old and is still in good working order. In fact, I have a handful of Yamaha cymbal boom stands that I purchased in 1999, and I'm always looking to see if anybody else has stands that old that are still working. Mine are a little dinged up and have some scratches from living in my hardware bag, but all the moving parts, screws, etc. are all just fine.

Last week I mentioned that I played in the percussion section for AFCO's Christmas Concerts. There was also a drum set player, an amazing player by the name of Bobby James.  As I usually do, I took a look at his drums, hardware and cymbals. I was amazed (shocked, actually) to see him pull out Yamaha cymbal stands that were the model before the ones that I'm so proud of. These stands are easily 15+ years old, and they look and function like new.

It's my view that somewhere along the way, one learns to appreciate the equipment almost as much as the music. It's like a racer with cars or a jockey with horses, or a million other examples. If you want to do it well, your equipment must function at its best.

So, let's get down to it. There's probably one issue above all the rest when it comes to taking care of percussion gear: stripped out bolts, nuts, screws and ball joints (as in tom mounts). To fix this one issue is so easy!! Just follow these two simple rules:

1. ALWAYS loosen it before you move it. The place I see this abused the most is with tom-toms and cymbals. Students, if they don't like the angle or position of something, will just force it to go where they want it. This weakens the bolts, nuts, etc. that hold it in place, so they have to be screwed even tighter next time to hold the instrument in place. Over time, this forcing and over-tightening will ruin the equipment so that it has to be repaired or replaced. Not fun, and usually not cheap. 
2. NEVER over-tighten it. For most things - cymbal stands, tom mounts, etc. - the difference between loose and tight is somewhere around a quarter of a turn. Try this one at home: Take a cymbal stand, snare stand or another piece of hardware (make sure it doesn't have anything on it like a cymbal or a drum), and loosen one of the joints just barely enough to move it freely. Then, slowly tighten it just barely to the point that it won't move easily. You want it just tight enough to do the job and no tighter. Especially if your gear is fairly new, you'll notice that there's not much room to turn the screw from "loose enough to move" to "tight enough to hold."

Really and truly, that's about it. Follow those two rules, and your gear will last a long time and serve you well.

Happy drumming!

Want to be a session player?

This is a blog I read pretty regularly, and it is always full of good advice and inside tips for aspiring musicians. Find it here.

Over the years I have had the opportunity to play on many projects as a session musician. I've played everything from a single suspended cymbal roll (not kidding!) to all of the drum kit and percussion parts for the entire album.

Probably my biggest piece of advice is to get comfortable with a very wide selection of styles. Know how to sound like you were born country, or rock, rap, hip hop, etc.

Oh, and remember this post?  If you're going to play in the studio, get real comfy with chart reading and playing with a click.

Happy drumming!

Keyboard Percussion 3: Xylophone

I don't know exactly why, but the average non-percussionist thinks that any keyboard instrument is called a xylophone. Personally I get sort of a smug, self-satisfied chuckle out of it when somebody calls my marimba a, "little xylophone thingy," or when someone tries to sell a, "zylaphone" on the local classified ads.

Seriously, though. However you say it or spell it, they xylo is AWESOME. With its characteristic bright tone and cutting attack, it is one of the workhorses of the percussion section.

Don't believe me? Maybe these folks can help me out.

Notice the tone quality difference between the xylophone and the marimbas that are accompanying it.

Thanksgiving Day!

The Thanksgiving holiday has always been one of my favorites. It has always seemed like one of the more relaxed holidays (probably because I'm not the one preparing food), with lots of family around and time to just be.

This morning started very early for me (can you say Black Thursday?), and now that I have a few minutes I thought I'd just list a few of the music-related things I'm most grateful for.

First, music itself. From my earliest memories, nothing has had the kind of power in my life that music has. It allows me to feel and express emotions that I can't access in any other way. And even though I love jazz, classical and a hundred other styles and genres, I'm not afraid to say that modern pop music is what touches me the most easily.

I think it's the nature of the human voice. Many pop singers aren't formally trained, so the singing is raw, natural and visceral. Also, most pop lyrics aren't all that deep (sorry, friends, it's the truth), which makes them very accessible to the average listener.

At the heart of it, music makes me feel. I can't imagine any part of my life without its accompanying soundtrack. I love music. More than I could ever express in words, and that's why I play. That's why I teach, too, to help others to gain access to their own voice. Music is magic. It's life. It connects us to each other.

Next, I'm grateful for musicians. Not only the amazing people with whom I get to create and play, but all those who have come before. Music has always been a reflection of the world and of society. Music can be a reaction - or an outright rebellion - to anything, real or perceived, that is going on in the world. And some of the bravest musicians have been those who aren't afraid to challenge the constraints of the times, be they style, subject or vocabulary.

Consider this: What is the most abrasive, cutting-edge music you can think of? What do your parents or peers think is too "out there," or unacceptable? Is it metal, rap, country, punk, emo or something else? Remember that almost every style of music that is now "accepted" was once in this category of being strange, forward or unacceptable.

Can you even imagine music like Elvis Presley, Duke Ellington or even Mozart being too "hard" for any audience? And yet they were, each in their own time, considered to be pushing the boundaries of appropriateness and acceptability.

Don't get me wrong. I don't mean to say that all music will or should be universally accepted. It's worthy of an entirely different discussion, but as a consumer (yup, you are!) or creator of music, you have to consider what the music is doing to you - because it IS doing something to you - and whether that's something you want in your life.

But I'm grateful for forward-thinking musicians - even the ones who are abrasive and offensive to me. Because of them, I can create the music that I feel is right and good in the world. My music can make a difference.

More so all the time, I'm really grateful for instruments, and those who pioneer and manufacture them. It seems really basic, I know, but the ability to create such a diverse range of sounds with so little effort is such a gift to musicians. Especially in percussion, the sound choices are endless. Size, configuration, materials and construction are very flexible for drums, heads, sticks, cymbals and effects so that every player I've ever met sounded at least a little bit different from each other.

I love that I can sound like me, and you can sound like you, and we can both be musicians.

Last (at least for today), I'm grateful to have an audience. This probably sounds really self-centered, but who doesn't want to be heard and appreciated? So, whether you're reading this blog or coming to concerts, thanks for listening. You don't have to like it or agree with it. I appreciate that you are attempting to listen and understand.

So, happy Thanksgiving, everybody. I sincerely hope that it gives you the opportunity to reflect and reconnect with the people and elements of your life that are the most important and meaningful. And, of course, I hope you have some great tunes in your life today and always.

Happy drumming!

Vibraphone Addendum

I finally found this on YouTube and had to share. The track is called, "Times Like These," and it's from the Gary Burton and Makoto Ozone album called, "Face to Face."

Here's the story: Burton and Ozone came to Salt Lake City's Jazz at the Sheraton series in 2000*. They played this tune at the end of the first set, and when it was done nobody clapped for almost a full minute. It was one of those mesmerizing concert moments where the entire audience somehow recognizes the magic spell that has been cast and realizes that the moment somebody claps it will be broken.

When the applause finally started, it was an almost instantaneous standing ovation that lasted for several minutes.

Not only had I never heard a piano and vibraphone duet before (let alone an entire concert), I wasn't all that excited to attend because I knew there wasn't going to be a drummer. Man, was I wrong! This tune touched my heart in a completely new way, and helped me to realize what has become one of my deepest held beliefs:

The power of music is the music itself. The instrument is just the method of delivery.


I hope you enjoy the track as much as I do. Turn it up loud, close your eyes, and let it take you on a journey.




*Coincidentally, I attended PASIC later that same year in Dallas, TX, and saw them perform this tune again with the same effect on the audience. It really helped to solidify my respect for GB and MO, as well as my love for percussion and music.

More Swing Independence Workouts

A while ago, I posted a basic swing independence exercise. (You can read it here.) Here are two variations on that basic exercise. Again, go slow and get it really locked in, then try it with your favorite swing tunes.

Swing Independence 2

Swing Independence 3

Two more tips:

• Keep the ride pattern prominent so that it feels like swing.
• Try to make the hi-hat (in 2) and bass drum (in 3) feel like quarter note triplets, with the other instruments filling in the rest of the triplet.

Happy drumming!

Keyboard Percussion 2: Vibraphone

Ah, vibes. Such a misunderstood instrument.

One thing I neglected to mention earlier (for all you percussion neophytes), is that the keyboard percussion instruments are laid out similar to a piano. They play in concert pitch, and if you already play piano, they look familiar at first glance. You'll have no problem identifying the notes.

The vibraphone has metal keys and resonators, but also has a fan in each resonator tube that can be turned on to create a vibrato effect - hence the name vibraphone. Most of the time, the fan is left off. It is generally played with a harder, cord-wound mallet. Much like marimba, it's very common to see vibes played with four mallets.

So. Another couple of videos for you. (Why post pictures when YouTube is out there, right?)




And a more contemporary example.




And, finally, another Gary Burton clip, but solo this time. Watch the pedal (bottom center of screen) to see how much footwork goes into this type of solo. Also see if you can see "dead" strokes (when he uses the mallet to both play and dampen a bar at the same time) and silent strokes, called "mallet dampening." Gary is easily the foremost vibe player of all time, in addition to being a great composer.

Enjoy!

Keyboard Percussion 1: Marimba

In junior high, as beginners, we called them, "bells." Anything where you had to play actual pitches that wasn't timpani was bells, and only the weird kids played them.

Well, call me a weird kid. My favorite percussion instrument is marimba.

There are actually quite a few mallet instruments in the percussion family. Allow me to list the most common (and a few that aren't so common).

First, marimba. This is the largest of the keyboard instruments. The keys are usually made of rosewood, although some man-made materials (such as 'kelon' and 'acoustalon') and other woods (such as padouk) have been used to make the instrument a little more affordable.

Marimba is  played frequently with four or more mallets, and usually by soloists or in percussion-only groups. The amount of literature available for solo marimba has exploded in the last ten years, and it is considered to be one of the basic percussion instruments that every student must learn. It is also starting to be more commonly used in band and even orchestral music.

There is no way I can give even a cursory introduction to marimba in one blog post, so I'll just give you a little taste and let you explore away. And even if you're already familiar with the instrument, here are a couple of my favorite players.




And another, young marimbist and master percussionist, Casey Cangelosi, also a colleague of mine. He and I did our undergrad work together at Utah State University under the direction of Dr. Dennis D. Griffin.

As you can see, Casey has gone to other worlds. Enjoy!

Ryan Tilby - Amazing Dobro

While I'm at it, I can't leave this one out. This was the 2009 Blue Sky Faculty Jam/Concert at Westminster, and the first time I'd ever met Ryan Tilby. This performance left me speechless.

Keep in mind that this was recorded on somebody's cell phone.

Thank you, Aaron and Ryan.

For best results - seriously - put on some great headphones or the best speakers you can find, and turn it up LOUD.

The Gig Log - Aaron Ashton Band: Blue Sky Music Camp at Westminster College

Occasionally I have the privilege of playing with the Aaron Ashton Band. Check him out here. These videos are from a gig we played in July 2011 as part of Blue Sky Music Camps.

Featured in this video are (from your left to right): Sam Runolfson - Cello, Kendra Lowe - Keyboard/violin/banjo, Aaron Ashton - Violin, me, Ryan Tilby - Bass and Austin Weyand - Guitar. Easily the most talented band I've ever played with.



Also worth noting is that this was an audience of maybe 80 people, and they were LOUD and friendly. Awesome night!

The audio isn't as good on the next one, but it's one of my favorite tunes to play with Aaron.




As always, happy drumming!

Lokalgrown's New Promo Video

The new Lokalgrown promo video is finally done. Please check it out!

Visit http://www.lokalgrown.com for more.

The PRE-Gig Log - American Festival Orchestra

On Friday, November 11 and Saturday, November 12, I will be playing in the percussion section of the American Festival Orchestra and Chorus. We are performing Benjamin Britten's "War Requiem." This is a very challenging piece, and is considered to be one of the true masterworks of the 20th century.

It would be a pleasure to have you join us. Information here: http://www.americanfestivalchorus.org/

And, although this is for a different performance, the video below will give you a better idea of what you're in for if you come. Hope to see you there!

Are you a musician?

When I was in high school we talked about how there are three types of people who hit musical instruments: percussionists, drummers, and "dummers." It's sort of a matter of pride with us to be called a "percussionist," not a "drummer." (However, there have been countless times in my professional life that I've been very happy to be, "the drummer.")

These days, I like to think of myself as a musician who happens to also play percussion. Because music is created in so many different ways by so many different instruments, we should put the music first and the instrument second.

Are we all clear? We're musicians who play percussion. That being said...

In my view, there are six major categories of percussion with which students should be familiar. I'll give a very brief introduction of five of the six over the next week or so.*

So, to introduce the first area I'll focus on, two of my fave marimbists playing one of my favorite pieces.

Enjoy!




*Why not all six, you ask? Because drum set is one of the six, and I spend most of my time on this blog talking about and exploring drum set. I'll be giving only a brief overview of the others at this time.

The Gig Log - Utah Wind Symphony

I don't have any awesome pictures yet, but last night's Utah Wind Symphony concert with Larry Zalkind, principal trombonist of the Utah Symphony Orchestra, was fabulous.

Most of my parts were chimes, and I also played some bass drum, triangle, marimba, xylophone, and exactly four snare drum notes. Awesome!

The UWS is a rare group on the wind band front, and if you get the chance, you need to check it out. Hope to see you at a future concert.

The highlight of the evening for me was "Sunrise at Angel's Gate."

The Drum Set: What are you missing?

Too often we don't think about things we need to be successful that aren't a drum, cymbal or stick.

One of the most important? A good music stand.

There are many good choices, but this one is my favorite: http://www.manhasset-specialty.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=page&pageID=3

Well worth the money in terms of stability, durability and ease of use. I can't stress enough how important your music stand is to your success.

Despite its all-metal construction, this stand is relatively light-weight and has few parts. Less parts means less parts that can break or fail. Also, the stand is sturdy enough to hold some percussion goodies - like a triangle clipped to the desk, or sticks and mallets on a towel with the desk set flat.

Get a good music stand, put it where you practice, and use it every day.


Happy drumming!

Utah Wind Symphony Concert

Exciting news!

The Utah Wind Symphony is beginning its second season with a concert of epic proportions. It has been a privilege for me to be a part of this group, and I look forward to playing with them for a long time.

Please join us on November 2 if you can!

The Gig Log - Lokalgrown: Brigham City Fine Arts Center

On Friday, October 21, Lokalgrown played at the Brigham City Fine Arts Center as part of the "Music in the City" Concert Series. Special thanks to Austin Weyand for inviting us out. We had a great time - and talk about a friendly audience!

I apologize for the bad photos. This was another time that I felt like I just had to shoot a few quick photos. So...here they are!


From about 1/3 back in the audience.

It's a really small stage, and it's apparent that this building was used for something else before it was converted into a performance venue.

Right: A little closer up.













Below: Views from the right and left of the kit. The first kit shows my monitor, a Mackie SRM 350. Love those little dudes. Extremely hard working and great sounding.

Music is a language: learn it like one

I've always found it interesting that when we are trying to learn the language of music, we often limit ourselves to one particular dialect. When I moved to the midwest (USA) for a few years, it took me forever to figure out what a 'bubbler' was, and people looked at me funny when I asked for a drinking fountain. But I'm from the mountain west. It's not a bubbler (or is it?), it's a drinking fountain.

So it is with learning a style of music. Many of my students are learning jazz, and most of them play jazz at school, but they don't actually know how to speak the language. And the biggest reason we don't speak jazz is that we rarely hear it being spoken.

What do you hear on the radio at the mall, doctor's office, or grocery store? Usually it is a pop station or what we lovingly refer to as "elevator music." Not a good example of jazz. Again, in mainstream culture, you won't hear jazz.

You have to seek it out.

In the Salt Lake City area (and most of Utah, southern Idaho and western Wyoming) you can catch jazz here, on KUER 90.1 FM from 8 PM to 12 AM. There are also great online resources, such as Pandora, Jango and Grooveshark.

When I was in college, a roommate of mine attempted to teach me Spanish. He had some great books and CDs, but also told me that I had to watch daytime television.....in Spanish. Every day. I know it sounds odd, but it didn't take too long before I started to hear the words and phrases I was studying in the TV shows, and my accent improved tremendously.

The same is true with jazz - or any other style or genre you want to master. And just like a small child learning to talk, you start by imitating, then you speak with your own voice.

Good luck, and happy drumming!

A little 'timely' advice from an old pro!

Update 6-17-2012: The caller mentioned in this post is Sam Foster, former drummer for the Osmonds. I found out today that he passed away a few days ago. My condolences to his family for their loss. Sam was a kind, giving man and tried to help all that he came in contact with. My phone call from him is just one example of the way he lived his life, both personally and musically.

True story - I just got off the phone with a career musician, a drummer who studied at BYU, played in Synthesis, and toured and recorded with a very famous music group for over seven years.

Honestly, I didn't ask if I could quote him on my blog so I won't give you his name or more information, but he was really complimentary of my credentials and philosophy in my online ad (for teaching drum lessons) and - more importantly - asked that I teach my students two things:

1. "Make sure your students can read music very well." I completely agree! My caller said that one of the most important keys to his success as a pro was the ability to read drum music when it was given to him. It's common to have a short amount of time to prepare (especially on TV appearances) and that there was no way he could have survived without reading well.

2. This pro actually called me back after we had hung up to give this second piece of advice. Must be important, eh? He said to make sure that all of my students can play with a metronome. The first year he toured, he had a "really rough" time adjusting to playing with a metronome. It was the second most important skill he recommends to drummers who want to play professionally.

I was pretty happy to report to my caller that I teach both of these concepts religiously to my students (any of you want to comment below? Feel free!), but that I was grateful for the reminder and the endorsement of another professional, very accomplished musician.

So, to my caller: THANK YOU!! Your call made my night.

And, to my students: Read number 1 and 2 above again. Important reminders on two basic skills that will help to ensure your success as a musician.

Happy drumming!