As many of you know yesterday was SOPA/PIPA (Stop Online Piracy Act/Protect IP Act) internet Blackout Day. All across the web significant websites, (Google and Wikipedia to name just a few) in various ways, protested against these anti-piracy bills by going black or offering specific instructions on how visitors can protest.
No one is questioning that stealing and pirating digital content is wrong, however, it is clear that our politicians have no real working knowledge of how the web works. These bills, if passed, could very easily take Drumchattr down WITHOUT due process. One photo, link, or background song in a video would be all it would take for the content companies to shut us down.
So what about a compromise? How do we stop online piracy without breaking the internet? Before I would be willing to support a compromise, I would want specific proof that piracy actually hurts the large content creators. There is no such proof because the nature of the web disallows the gathering of such information. I attest that no effort to curb piracy by any government will be successful as pirates will always find a work around. Has anyone been able to fix “spam”?
WordPress, which went dark yesterday in protest, is the very platform that this NEW BUSINESS is built upon. Imagine what would happen to the blogosphere if these bills pass and WordPress.org gets censored.
In a stunning result, over 7 Million people signed a petition against these bills through Googles site alone. In one day, as a direct action to the extreme protests online, 13 congress representatives switched their stance from pro SOPA to anti SOPA, causing serious doubt that the bills will pass. While this is good news, it isn’t over yet. The large content creating industries in Hollywood will continue to push this forward. So, we must continue to act.
Please consider joining the ground swell by signing the petition, telling congress no it SOPA/PIPA. In the meantime check out these two videos, the above and below. They show great explanations of what is really at stake.
While this post features no drum or percussion content these issues are so important we felt the need to get the word out to our valued readers. Thanks for reading and for your continued support.
Joe Morello, most known for his drumming with the Dave Brubeck Quartet died yesterday at his home in New Jersey at the age of 82.
Morello was famous for his delicacy, rhythmic acuity, and his execution of the difficult time signatures found in popular Brubeck tunes like “Take Five” and “Blue Rondo a la Turk”.
Today we pay homage to the jazz great and feature a clip of Morello with the Dave Brubeck Quartet in 1964, soloing on ‘Sounds of the Loop’. Do you have any stories, videos, or thoughts about Morello? Leave them in the comments below.
Originally posted on DrummChattr.com on March 13, 2011.
NAMM is over, but I wanted to point out one final resource that I think everyone should check out: The NAMM Oral History Project.
The NAMM Oral History is, im my opinion, a hidden gem of the internet and in April 2010 celebrated its 10th anniversary. Many great stories have been captured, industry leaders have been recognized and we may have successfully created a format to preserve the history of our industry. There are hundreds of percussion videos available on the site.
The only problem with this archive is that it is a closed system. You can not embed these videos. These videos have been around for 10 years and this is the first time I have heard of this archive. I only hope that NAMM sees the importance of these videos and allows them to be embedded.
What do you think of this archive? Were you aware of this archive? Leave your comments below.
Originally posted on DrummChattr.com on January 18, 2011 by Dave Gerhart
Yesterday, I attended the 2011 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show in Anaheim, CA. It was good to catch up with friends and see some of the new products in the percussion world. While I didn’t get to see everything on the show floor, there are a couple of products I would like to review for our community.
In my opinion, the biggest percussion release at NAMM was Zildjian’s Gen16’s, the AE (Acoustic Electric) Cymbal. While hanging out in the Yamaha booth, I was fortunate enough to hear Tom Brechtlein perform on the Gen16s. According to the Yamaha reps, this was the first live performance of these cymbals. As you will see in this photo, the cymbal design has been maintained, but there are hunders of wholes in the cymbal which allow the cymbal to be much softer than a “traditional” cymbal. According to Zildjian.com, “Unlike most existing electronic percussion systems, the AE Cymbal is not a sample trigger device. Instead, it’s an actual cymbal, and plays like one, but at reduced volume levels, utilizing a unique dual microphone and DSP engine to amplify and model the cymbal’s output.” At first, I thought the cymbal was triggering an electronic sound. But after visiting the Zildjian booth, I found out that there is a dual microphone system under the bell of the cymbal, located in the black area above the blue light. These cymbals are a great addition to the electronic world of percussion and can also be used for quiet practicing. While at the Zildjian booth, I was able to try the cymbals. They are very responsive and feel like “real cymbals” as apposed to the rubber pads on most electronic drum sets. I am looking forward to seeing how these cymbals are adopted in the percussion community. Check out Zildjian’s Gen16 website for more information.
While not new at the NAMM show, I was able to check out Remo’s Tablatone. According to Remo.com, “The Tablatone Frame Drum utilizes “loaded head” technology found in the Tabla drums of India. Skyndeep® drumheads, Acousticon® drum shells, and the unique Tablatone Dot deliver warm and focused fundamental tones and crisp edge tones.” They have two models of the Tablatone: Red Radial (pictured) and Fish Skin. I preferred the fish skin because of the dark tone of the drum head. This unique frame drum will be a welcome addition to the line of Remo frame drums.
Along with these instruments, there were other new releases from Toca, Vic Firth, Alesis, and Roland. Toca introduced the Jingle Side Kick, a 6″ tunable-head tambourine with a mounting bracket. Vic Firth introduced new signature drum sticks, including the new Peter Erskine Big Band Stick, the M36 Stefon Harris vibraphone mallet and more. For a complete listing, visit Vic Firth’s website. Alesis and Roland introduced new electronic drum kits and percussion controllers.
And finally, at the Drum Workshop booth, I was able to see Neil Peart’s new drum set. Check out the photos below. The drum kit included straight cymbal stands, a MalletKat controller, a Roland V-Drum Kit and painted cymbals. This drum set will be featured on the upcoming Rush tour. It was the center of attention and one of the most talked about items at NAMM.
The NAMM show is always an experience. It is a trade show and is not open to the general public, although it seems like most people do not have trouble getting into the show. The show is a sensory overload and it is almost impossible to visit every booth. Did anyone else attend NAMM? What were your thoughts and impressions? What was your favorite new percussion product? Leave your comments below.
Originally posted on DrummChattr.com on January 14, 2011 by Dave Gerhart.
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The Concord Blue Devils A Corp won their 14th DCI Championship on Saturday night in Indianapolis. The Blue Devils scored a 98.90 in their final performance. The Cavaliers (97.750) won 2nd place and the Bluecoats (96.400) placed 3rd. Phantom Regiment received high honors in percussion followed by The Cavaliers and Bluecoats.
The Concord Blue Devils B Corp won the 2010 DCI Open Class Championships with a score of 97.55. They also received high honors in Percussion. Second place honors go to the Oregon Crusaders (94.00) and third place goes to the Spartans (93.60). For more information, check out Drum Corps International. Congrats to all of the corps for another great summer of music.
Originally posted on DrumChattr on August 15, 2010 by Dave Gerhart.
