Rest Takes Hard Work by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
Rest is crucial for our productivity and well-being, yet it remains undervalued in today’s work-centric society. To achieve a healthier balance, we need to intentionally cultivate routines that incorporate both work and rest, and develop the skills to prioritize and fully benefit from periods of rejuvenation.
Books I’ve Read by Derek Sivers
Derek Sivers is best known for founding CD Baby, an online platform for independent musicians. This is a list of the books he has read, along with notes for each. I always love reading about books, and this is a great list.
Inventing Your Own Exercises with Design Thinking by Michael Compitello
If you are not following Michael’s Substack, you are missing out. His posts are thoughtful, detailed, and a must for any percussionist. Michael is currently an Associate Professor of Percussion at Arizona State University. Check out his website, follow him on Substack, and let me know your favorite post.
Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC)
The Percussive Arts Society is the world’s largest percussion organization, and every November, it hosts PASIC in Indianapolis. This year, we will help them celebrate PASIC’s 50th anniversary. Hope to see you all there!
On October 20th, 2021, Prof. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi died at the age of 87. As an educator and performer, I read his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experiencemany years ago. I will definitely add that to my read list in the coming months. If you are not familiar with his writings, check out this TED Talk from 2004 and check out his books.
“Percussion Education Reads” Returns! It has been too long since I have written on my blog and I am going to do my best to post at least one thing per week for the rest of the year. Here are some articles that I have enjoyed reading this week. I am looking forward to connecting with you. Please feel free to send me article recommendations. Leave a comment below. Have a great week! (more…)
For the past 3 weeks, we have been working at home while our kids have been on their Chromebooks attending their virtual classroom. As a parent, I am grateful to the teachers who are doing their best to educate our children. We have to remember to be patient with the technology and do our best to help our students succeed in this stressful environment. Good luck and breathe!! (more…)
It is hard to believe that September is just around the corner. Even more difficult to believe is that most students are starting school from home. This Fall is going to be unlike any other Fall that we have experienced. Make the best of it. Take care of yourself. Breathe. Wear your mask when you are in public. We can do this! Just think of the parties that will occur when we are all back together!! Here are some articles to check out. Please let me know if you have any articles that I can add in the future. (more…)
I am embarrassed to say that it has been over a year since I wrote a “Percussion Education Reads” blog post. I don’t want to make an excuse for not posting. Instead, I want to post some of the things I have read that have made a lasting impression. For the remainder of the year, my goal is to post two “Percussion Education Reads.” If you have something that you enjoyed reading, please forward it to me and I will check it out. I hope everyone is well! (more…)
