Servants get all the good stuff

"You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want." - Zig Ziglar, Secrets of Closing the Sale (1984)

December is a great time to be a freelance musician. One of my annual Christmas gigs is to play in the percussion section of Dr. Craig Jessop's American Festival Chorus and Orchestra. It's a world-class ensemble, and always features a prominent soloist.

Dr. Craig Jessop

This year was no exception. The performances were electric, and the guest artist, Alyson Cambridge, delivered passionate, moving interpretations. It was a joy to be a part of the process of preparation and presentation of such a gift.

During one of the performances in a section where I had rests (welcome to orchestral percussion), I was watching the singers, the instrumentalists, the conductor, the soloist and the audience, and I had an epiphany.

I don't think about it often, but a section percussionist's role - almost without exception - is to be servant to the music. Candidly, what musician doesn't have this responsibility? Percussionists, possibly more than other musicians, have to find ways to fit fewer notes into the texture and framework of the performance, and make them count.

Watching the performance that night, suddenly all I saw were servants.

Each musician was giving, contributing his or her sound and heart. Dr. Jessop, with his back to the audience, while conducting energetically with both arms, was sweating and breathing heavily, smiling the smile of the joyous laborer. He was serving the music, the performers and the audience at once.

Alyson Cambridge

Alyson Cambridge, the soloist, was engaging the audience in every imaginable way, expending her considerable talents to the fullest. The audience, for their part, received the gift with absolute grace and rewarded the performers at every possible opportunity. The ovation at the conclusion of the program lasted for several minutes.

All gave. All received. That's how it's supposed to work.

I'll be honest. It's not totally altruistic. Nobody plays music exclusively to give. Music has huge rewards, and one of them was the rush of being a part of that much energy focused in one room at one time. There are other rewards, but I think this is the one that keeps me coming back for every gig.

Financial guru Dave Ramsey has a saying, "Live like no one else, so later you can live like no one else." In a nutshell, he's talking about being financially conservative now so you'll have money later.

If I may, I'd like to alter that saying a little bit as follows: "Play like no one else, so later you can play like no one else."

American Festival Chorus and Orchestra

The best, most successful musicians in the industry are the ones who give their whole hearts to each gig, be it a casual for a few people who don't even care, or a huge venue in front of attentive, die hard fans. When these musicians play, their colleagues, clients and audiences appreciate them and learn that they can depend on them to deliver meaningful music each and every time.

Develop a reputation as a good servant, and you'll soon be master of your own career.

Happy drumming!

Beyond the Kit: Percussion Ensemble

The percussion ensemble, also known as percussion orchestra, is rapidly becoming a major player in the modern chamber music arena. The ensemble can be made up of anything you can hit, er....strike. Any struck instrument is technically considered percussion, so it's fair game. From traditional instruments to trash cans, boat propellors, car doors, flower pots, whatever.

A standard ensemble line up would include marimbas (4), vibraphones (2), xylophone, bells or glockenspiel, battery percussion (bass drum, snare drum and cymbals), timpani, chimes and a variety of auxiliary percussion such as triangles, shakers, tambourines and more.

The first percussion ensemble experience most of us get is in junior high or middle school, and - I'm not gonna lie - it's usually pretty bad. It's probably one of what we call "drummy drummy" ensembles where a bunch of 11 and 12 year olds bang on snare drums, bass drum, wood block and cymbals. Most of those pieces aren't very musical, and they aren't very fun.

Fortunately, percussion ensemble literature has exploded in recent years. Probably the greatest advancement in percussion's public perception (also known ppp, or piannississimo) is the realization that percussion isn't just banging and crashing. It's also capable of breathtakingly beautiful melody and harmony, sensitive dynamic expression and exquisite mystery, just to name a few.

Check out some of my favorite places to pick up percussion music. (Did I miss some? Let me know!)

Drop 6 Percussion

Tapspace

Bachovich Music Publications

Row-Loff

KT Percussion

And, just for fun:

Beyond the Kit: Suspended Cymbal

I once got offered a college scholarship based solely on how I played a suspended cymbal roll. True story. I was a senior in high school and it was the only part I played at one of those senior invitational bands.

The only thing I can remember is that I was annoyed that all the other percussionists were playing back and timid, so when I got my chance I let it rip. The Graduate Assistant that was working with us pulled me aside at that rehearsal and asked if I might like to attend there on scholarship.

It was sort of odd at the time, but at this point I've coached enough percussionists to know that I probably would have offered me a scholarship, too. Not that I'm all that amazing, but suspended cymbal rolls are a big deal. They're a make or break moment in many pieces of music.

So, what is a suspended cymbal? (Just for fun, type, "suspended cymbal technique" into a search engine.) It is one cymbal hung by a strap or mounted on a cymbal stand. It is generally played in an orchestral or concert band setting, and is usually played with soft mallets.

A suspended cymbal roll is produced by playing fast single strokes on the cymbal to create as smooth a sound as possible. It might be the easiest percussion instrument with which to create a perfectly smooth crescendo, diminuendo or sustain.

Soft yarn mallets are usually used, but I've seen good percussionists get amazing rolls with cord wraps and snare drum sticks, too.

For some very detailed information on technique and maintenance of suspended cymbal, click here.

Happy rolling, pinging, swishing, scraping and crashing!

Timpani

Timpani are, in my opinion, the heavyweights of the percussion section. With the power of drums, but also pitch, they are known in the orchestra as the "second conductor."

They've also been used in many other settings, including in the rock band Led Zeppelin, by one of the most famous drummers of all time, John Bonham.

My first real experience with timps came when I was a senior in high school and made the All-State Band. I was the only percussionist to show up with a tuner, so I was "elected" the timpanist. It was an adventure, to say the least.

When I got to college I began to learn how amazing and fun playing timpani can be. We spent a long time learning proper strokes, dampening and getting great tone, as well as learning to tune the drums by ear. Along with ear training and sight singing classes, my private percussion lessons helped me to be able to "hear" the pitches in my head and get the drums in tune with the ensemble - usually the band.

For two of my years at college I was the timpanist for the Symphony Orchestra. It was challenging and very enjoyable. I learned to be connected with the conductor in a new way, and also learned to listen and align with other sections of the ensemble. In short, playing timpani made me a much better, more mature musician. These days I take the opportunity to play timpani any time I can get it!

Along with a rapidly growing collection of solo timpani literature, orchestral timpani is a high profile and very prestigious position for any percussionist. In most professional groups, the timpanist -while a part of the percussion section - usually plays only timpani. No snare drum, mallets or auxiliary parts.

A few tools are required to be a timpanist. I recommend at least three pairs of timpani mallets - soft, medium and hard. A tuning fork and a digital tuner are also not a bad idea. Most of all, get some lessons with somebody who knows a great deal about timpani and can teach you fundamentals.

Be a complete percussionist-musician. Learn how to play timpani well.

Happy drumming!