It's all about the music

As a sophomore in high school, I was one of two drummers in our school jazz band. This may sound strange, but at our school the band had as much prestige as any of the athletic teams, and the jazz band was the top of the heap. It was an honor, but also a lot of pressure, to be in that band.

For the first couple of months, I struggled to open up in rehearsals. My playing was stiff and not very musical. I had a hard time reading the charts and couldn't see the, "big picture," of the pieces we were playing.

Each fall our band director brought in a clinician to work with us, an amazingly gifted and inspiring educator, the illustrious Dr. Newell Dayley. During the session with Dr. Dayley, I was more than usually nervous. I buried my head in the chart and tried for all I was worth to play every figure, hit, fill and groove to exact specifications. Our band had a very good reputation, and I wanted badly to live up to it.

Near the end of the rehearsal, Dr. Dayley walked over to me, smiled, and said, "How well do you know this piece of music?"

"Pretty well, I guess," I replied.

He smiled again, then took the chart off my music stand and started to kick off the band. I didn't know what to think - didn't know what to do.

How could I play the music without my part? What would I do without the chart?

Something seriously strange happened when we started to play. My entire approach changed. It was as if I had been playing under a cover, in a cave - as if in total darkness - and now the sun had come out, the clouds had lifted, and the drumming sunshine was bright and clear.

While playing without the sheet music to glue my eyes to, I was able to make eye contact with my rhythm section mates, as well as to look around at the other sections - to pay attention to what and how they were playing in a new way - and to take cues from the director.

Now, I'm sure it wasn't my best playing that day, but to my fifteen-year-old mind it was a totally new experience. I was no longer playing notes, figures and rhythms.

I was playing music.

When we finished the tune, one of the trumpet players looked at me and said, "I don't know what that was, or where you found it, but you'd better find it again!"



It was awesome. I loved it. It changed my perspective on playing music forever.

Scott Hagen, Director of Bands at the University of Utah, is fond of saying that the music is what happens between the lines, notes, rhythms and rests. So, next time you sit down to play a piece of music, be sure not to stop where the ink ends.

Happy drumming. 

Friday Feature: Diana Krall

Recently I was going through a box in my garage and ran across a pair of concert tickets from the summer of 2004. One of my close friends, also a serious music lover, took me to see Diana Krall for my birthday that year. Diana gave four (FOUR!!!) encores that night.* Just looking at the tickets put a smile on my face and sent me to my stereo to enjoy some tunes.

Diana Krall is at once a throwback to an earlier era and a pioneer into new places and dimensions. Her vocal quality and style of delivery are both timeless and innovative, and her piano stylings are the perfect compliment to her wide-ranging musical forays. As a bonus, she is a beautiful and photogenic person.

Personally, Diana has been my favorite jazz vocalist since the first time I listened to her. And given the musicians she generally plays with (some of whom I'll list below), listening to Diana Krall is both entertaining and educational. It's classic, timeless music.

Not only have I been in love with the voice and music of Diana Krall for years, I've enjoyed listening to the musicians she works with. A partial list includes:

• Peter Erskine
• Jeff Hamilton
• John Clayton
• Anthony Wilson
• Russell Malone
• Christian McBride
• More HERE

As with other Friday Features, I hope you'll do some exploring and get to know the music of Diana Krall for yourself. You will be very richly rewarded.

Happy listening!


*I've been to many, many live shows in my life, from major symphonies to rock, jazz, pop and country acts in the largest and smallest of venues. Even though I love the music and the atmosphere, I'm ready to go home at the end of the night. Not so with Diana Krall. Even after four encores, my hear broke when she said goodnight. I could have listened and enjoyed forever. 

"Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday

Today's post is another contribution from guest blogger Emily Sorensen in honor of Jazz Appreciation Month 2013. Please feel free to leave comments below. 

Strange Fruit is an iconic song made famous by Billie Holiday. First recorded in 1939, Billie's version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1978. In 1999 TIME magazine called it the, "song of the century."

The recording - even the performing - of this piece was an incredibly bold statement long before the mainstreaming of African-American civil rights was in full swing. The atrocities in the South and elsewhere were not talked about (a proverbial elephant in the room, if you will), let alone given the full, unvarnished spotlight by a prominent artist.

The lyrics of Strange Fruit are from a poem  written by Abel Meeropol, an English teacher at Dewitt Clinton (a public high school in New York), as well as a poet and social activist. The poem is titled Bitter Fruit and was published in 1937. Mr. Meeropol put this particular song to music himself (he would often ask others to put his poems to music). It gained certain success as a protest song in and around New York.

The simple melody is as haunting as the lyrics. It lies within a transparent -  almost non-existent - arrangement. The song begins with a disturbingly mournful instrumental introduction, only to lead to an even more disturbing metaphor of the southern lynching. It ends abruptly, without harmonic resolution.

The song has been recorded many times over the years. For example, Herbie Hancock and Marcus Miller did an amazing and haunting instrumental cover of the song with Marcus conjuring the melody with his bass clarinet.

I was first introduced to this song as a college Senior when observing an English 1010 class. I no longer remember the point of the class discussion, but I will never forget when the professor handed out a copy of the poem and then played first a rap version of the song followed by Billie Holiday's seminal rendition. I remember tears trickling down my face and knowing my life would never be the same.

Being an avid student of the Civil War and of civil rights heroes - the likes of W.E.B. Dubois, Martin Luther King, Jr and others who advocated a non-violent approach to civil rights advocacy - I was deeply moved by Billie's ability to use melody and song to evoke a living metaphor from the lyrics.

That day Strange Fruit became one of my favorite works - not because I was necessarily uplifted by the message, but because it was delivered in a way that spoke to all who heard it, whether they were comfortable with the protest or not.

Have a listen for yourself  - and be assured you can never be the same again.

Additional sources:
http://www.billieholiday.com/index.php

http://www.npr.org/2012/09/05/158933012/the-strange-story-of-the-man-behind-strange-fruit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_Fruit

April is Jazz appreciation month - JAM!

Guest blogger Emily Sorensen visits again with an introduction to Jazz Appreciation Month, and 2013's theme.

"The spirit of jazz is the spirit of openness." - Herbie Hancock

Designated in 2001 by John Edward Hasse, PhD of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History to honor jazz as an original American art form. The 2013 theme is "The Spirit and Rhythms of Jazz".
 April was chosen to celebrate the birthdays of Jazz greats like Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and others. However, jazz appreciation encompasses more than recognizing the iconic performers, it relies upon educators, libraries, museums, and musicians all through America to teach and cultivate this unique cultural expression.

Many resources are available to increase understanding and appreciation for this great American art form. One of the great works shedding light on the history and growth of jazz music is the 10 part series Jazz: A Ken Burns film; it is a pretty accurate review of the history of Jazz.

Enjoy this fantastic opportunity to embrace this amazing piece of our American culture and history.


Other great resources (which served as resources for this post) are:
National Endowment for the Humantities - Edsitement!
Smithsonian Jazz
Jazz Appreciation Month - Wikipedia

The Gig Log: Sam Payne and Savoy

It was a pleasure to play with Sam Payne a few weeks ago, and I was lucky enough to get the call this week to pinch hit for his band Savoy, playing alongside guitar great Joshua Payne (also Sam's brother) and bassist Ryan Tilby. The performance was in downtown Salt Lake City, as part of the summer Temple Square Performances.

The set was mostly jazz - some standards as well as Sam's originals - with a couple of his folk tunes thrown in. It's always amazing to me that I can play the same tune hundreds of times, but it always sounds different, especially with different musicians. Not only did Sam's vocals make each tune sound as if it was written specifically for him, the solos and ensemble playing of Ryan and Joshua gave our little quartet a very unique sound.

The venue was a beautiful park in the very heart of the city. It was a sweltering evening, but by the time things kicked off, we at least had some shade on the stage, surrounded by trees on three sides. The heat notwithstanding (not to mention there was another large concert going on a few blocks away), we had an audience of several hundred, and they were very friendly and supportive.

All in all, it was a lot of fun.



Things I learned: I need to practice A LOT MORE. My endurance, especially in the ride hand and hi-hat foot, was not up to where it needs to be for a high-energy jazz combo. My solos were barely adequate, and I struggled to stay on the form of the tunes in terms of phrasing and melody in my solos. And, finally (for this gig, anyway), I just need to know more jazz, mo' bettuh. In terms of head tunes and forms, my knowledge is definitely lacking.

So, here's to more practice, and a better gig next time.

Happy drumming!

"If music be the food..."

Shakespeare wrote, "If music be the food of love, play on..."

But imagine if music really were food. Would you only ever eat one kind of food?* Would you look down on people who liked pasta or vegetables more than a hamburger or fresh fruit? And if somebody really liked a food that you couldn't stand, would you think that person was "weird," and try and fit them into a generational or cultural stereotype? This is why almost no restaurants offer only one food choice - because we'd never eat with one another!

Me? I'm a soda guy. Absolutely love it. On days where I'm very busy or am not thinking about it, I can drink waaaaaay too much soda. And, very literally, that's not good for me. I also like burgers. In fact, if soda and burgers were all a person needed to be healthy, I'd be the the healthiest guy I know.

But I'm not. Even though I know that I need a variety of food, a balanced diet, etc, I don't always make the effort or have the discipline to make it happen. And in very real terms, I suffer (or enjoy) the consequences of my eating and drinking choices.

So, how does this relate to music?

Well, think about how many genres of music exist in the world today. Heck, just turn on a radio and hit the "Scan" button. I live in a mid-sized metro city area (about 1.8 million residents), and scanning the radio for even just a few minutes will net me all sorts of pop, modern and classic rock, jazz, classical, rap, techno, a variety of ethnic styles, country, modern and traditional Christian music, and more**.

But (especially when it's not basketball or college football season), I find myself listening only to the same handful of stations. Why? Because it "tastes good." And it's easy, simple and comfortable. Trying new things, or getting used to new things, can take a great deal of effort and patience, so we don't usually do it unless we have to.

But I've found that if I only ever listen to one kind of music, I start to appreciate and enjoy it less. In the words of Dave Ramsey, "If you eat enough lobster, it will start to taste like soap." And not only that, I start to tolerate other forms of music about as well as a four-year-old who has to eat spinach. Is spinach good for you? Yes. Does any little kid like it? Of course not. But as adults, we know that certain food is good for us, so we work it into our diets, find new ways to appreciate it, and eventually develop a taste for it. (I have one good friend who has actually "trained" herself to despise the taste of chocolate. Strange...)

To get to the point, there are at least two things that a thinking, conscientious music advocate needs to practice:

1. Get a balanced diet. Seriously. I try to actively listen to jazz for at least a couple of hours per week - even if it's while I'm working or driving - and do the same with classical music. Given the modern age of Pandora, Jango, Spotify, Google Music, iTunes/Genius and the million other music services available, there is no excuse for sticking to one genre of music. And you can have a taste, order an entree, or buy a restaurant. The point is to check out some of the food, er...music that you're missing now. You're guaranteed to find new sounds that suit you, as well as gain a greater appreciation for the stuff you love.
2. Get over yourself. Seriously (I know, I already used that). I used to hate those snarky, snobby jazz addicts in college. If you couldn't name the trumpet soloist in the first five bars, then, "You obviously don't know music." Who cares that I have a fairly thorough background in keyboard percussion soloists, and most of the jazz cats couldn't tell the difference between a xylophone and a marimba. (Wait...what?! There's a difference?!) Practice the art of open-minded respect that will allow you to recognize the differences in music and preference of such, and educate and strengthen your own musical pursuits. Seriously.

Some of the best musicians in every genre are heavily influenced by musicians from seemingly incongruent genres. I play with a fantastic classical percussionist who is also a double-kick, metal mayhem kit player. And he's awesome at both and loves both.

You're a total person. Get a total music experience.

Happy dieting!

*I'm staying away from the vegetarian/vegan/omnivore debate on purpose. Obviously, that's a bit of a different discussion.

**In some ways, I think that radio is still superior to "owning" a huge music library. Because when a favorite song comes on, it's a surprise and a treat. Sort of like ice cream after dinner at a friend's house.

Bag of Tricks: Simple Jazz Fill

Here's a simple idea to get you going. This fill isn't exactly subtle, but if you really lay back on it, it's pretty swingin'.

Try to keep the unaccented snare drum notes down (soft) as much as possible. You can then use the accents to develop the "melody" of the movement around the kit, and you don't have to play loudly. Remember that, in terms of dynamics, the more you can whisper, the more a normal voice will sound like shouting. It's all about contrast.

And, finally, the sticking. I like to play the first triplet alternating, starting with the right hand (so R L R), then play L L R the rest of the way.

Happy drumming!

The Weight Room: Flam Accent/Tap Groove

This one's pretty simple, but an awesome exercise to get your hands moving and your flams to smooth out.

It looks like this:

It is played as four flam accents followed by two flam taps.

Once you've got it smoothed out, here are some cool ways to apply it to the kit:

• Play it over jazz feet - light quarters on all four beats, crisp hat on two and four.
• Hi-hat on two and four, with bass drum notes on the flams.
• Hat two and four, kick notes on the 16th before or after the flams.
• Play the 16ths shuffled, hat on two and four - and try out some of the kick patterns mentioned previously. 
• Put the iPod on shuffle, and play it along with whatever comes up. 

Above all, make it groove. The more musical it can be, the more you're doing it right!

As always, happy drumming!

Friday Feature: Peter Erskine

Okay, time for a jazz artist who has changed the course of drumming history and contributed a great deal to the art.

Start here.

Then go here.

Then watch this.

There. You're welcome. Don't say I never gave ya nuthin'.

As an added bonus, check out this little jewel I stumbled across.

Happy drumming!

The Gig Log: Cedar City

Clinic at Canyon View HS

It's a gig of sorts, for my work. Last week I had the good fortune to travel to Cedar City with Ryan Tilby and Aaron Ashton to work with orchestra students at Cedar High and Middle Schools, and Canyon View High and Middle Schools. It was awesome. Great teachers and students, and a lot of fun besides.

Our job was to talk to string players (violin, viola, cello and bass) about folk and Celtic music, and teach them some basic improvisation. Aside from that, I had the opportunity to work on some drum kits.

I've included just a few pics of one of the clinics and a couple of drum kits.

CVHS' Yamaha Kit

Aaron Ashton

Ryan Tilby

CHS' Pearl Masters Custom Kit

Pearl Kit from the back

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!

Musical weirdness

While listening to some jazz on the radio tonight, I heard a song with this in it. Truly random, and I loved it.

Enjoy!

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!

Jazz Swing Independence

In our quest for swing independence, one of the goals is to keep the ride pattern consistent. Try the exercise below and see what it does for your thinking and swinging. Keep the snare, hat and kick all at the same dynamic level at first, then try playing around with some phrasing.

Remember, start slow and gradually speed up. Don't play this exercise any faster than you can do it accurately. 

Once you're feeling comfortable with it, try laying it down with the track below. Go for at least a full minute, and get it really dialed in.

Happy drumming!

Take the Next Step - Coordination and "Independence"

Okay, if you've been working on the exercises from the Stick Control book with the Slow-Fast Workout, you may be ready for the next step: Slow-Fast with "Jazz Feet."



Just remember to start slow enough to play it right. If you make a mistake two tries in a row, go slower. Your brain doesn't care how fast you are playing the exercise, but if you do it wrong two or three times, it will start to think that's how you want it played.

Set a tempo and time goal, like 90 beats per minute (BPM) for a full sixty seconds. Again, if you can do that, you can be pretty certain you've mastered the exercise at that tempo.

Good luck, and happy drumming!