Every year, we are inundated with posts about the top “things” that happened in the past year. So I decided to post my 5 worst posts of the year in hopes you take some time to check these out. How did I decide what the worst posts were? Actually, I don’t think these are bad posts, but according to my site’s analytics, they were the worst performing posts. In the 1990s, NBC used to say “If you haven’t seen it, it’s new to you.” So, I invite you to check them out and let me know what you think. Happy New Year and I look forward to a great 2016!
I am happy to announce that my friend Tom Burritt has just released his recording of the J.S. Bach Suite for Solo Cello No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011 today on Bandcamp. Be sure to check it out and purchase the new album. He will also be featured at the PASIC convention in November.
Every year in November, the Percussive Arts Society hosts PASIC (Percussive Arts Society International Convention). PASIC is the largest percussion event in the world featuring over 120 concerts, clinics, master classes, labs, workshops, panels and presentations. This year, PASIC is in Indianapolis on November 19-22, 2014. (more…)
Steven Schick has always been an inspiration to me. He is an amazing percussionist, conductor and educator. When I was an undergrad, I will never forget a one week residency at the LA County Museum where he played three solo recitals, each with a different program, from memory! (more…)
The other day, I went over crash cymbal technique in my percussion methods course at CSULB. There is a good diagram below, but for some reason, it always seems to confuse people. If you were never a scout, I can understand how it can be confusing. I was going to make a video on how to tie the cymbal knot, but after searching YouTube, Keith Aleo had already made a great video. (more…)
On Friday, I posted three tambourine videos by Christopher Deane, Associate Professor of Percussion at the University of North Texas. (If you missed them, stop reading and go watch them. It will be the best 10 minute investment that will improve your tambourine technique forever.)
Periodically, I plan to post tips and tricks that I have learned and used over my experiences playing percussion. Since I posted the tambourine videos on Friday, I wanted to start with a tambourine tip. If you watch the first Christopher Deane video, you will notice that he is playing an incredible finger roll (sometimes called the thumb roll) in the Britten excerpt. I call it a finger roll because he is using his second finger. (BTW, I prefer that way for soft rolls, but I will talk more about it when I post my tambourine technique videos.) If you are not familiar with soft roll technique on a tambourine, you may wonder how he is able to do this. There are many ways to execute the soft roll and they all require putting something on the tambourine head. This leads to today’s tip: (more…)
On Friday, I posted 