June 21 is Make Music Day (#makemusicday). According to their website, “Make Music is a free celebration of music around the world on June 21st. Launched in 1982 in France as the Fête de la Musique, it is now held on the same day in more than 750 cities in 120 countries.” Today at Yamaha, the employees played on the front lawn. I am proud to be part of the Yamaha team. Below are some articles I have been catching up on. Let us know what you have been reading. (more…)
Happy Sunday. It’s June and we are halfway through 2017. Wow! I am attending the International Katarzyna Myćka Marimba Academy in Arcata, CA. The faculty includes Jean Geoffroy, Katarzyna Myćka, Juan David Forero, and Andreas Boettger. The week is full of lessons, masterclasses and concerts. Last night’s faculty concert was an unforgettable experience. Jean Geoffroy’s performance of J.S. Bach’s Chaconne was magical and I am glad I was in the audience to experience that performance. What summer programs are you attending? Leave a comment below and let me know. Here are some articles to check out. Enjoy and let me know what you are reading. (more…)
I subscribe to a great newsletter called “The Creativity 101 Digest.” It is a monthly newsletter that has 10 articles, videos or images that discuss creativity. (Highly recommended!!) In the April newsletter, Wil Reynolds talks about “The Hidden Danger of Confusing Outputs for Outcome.” The basic premise is that we shouldn’t concentrate on checking off the things on our to do Lists. Instead, we should focus on the outcomes that occur. Think about it. When we get rid of something on our to do list, it feels great and we can go on to the next thing, but what came out of completing the task? As musicians, we often think about practicing something until it is perfect or complete, but how often do you think about putting together a to do list with the goal of helping your development down the road. Check out the video and let me know what you think. Leave a comment below and let me know your developmental goals.
Reynolds started Seer Interactive—a leading SEO and online marketing agency—in a small apartment back in 2002. Since then, the company has grown to more than 100 people. But scaling the company was not without its growing pains. In this energetic talk, Reynolds shares how he learned to put a "lid on his hustle" and made sure his values weren't compromised as his company grew. "Getting things done means giving things up," he says. "It can't all fit. You need to have the border."
As a performing artist, we are always looking for new ways to improve and refine our craft. There are stumbling blocks along the path to mastery and for a lot of people, myself included, it happens in the practice room. A friend of mine from grad school, Annie Bosler, shared this video she created with along Don Greene for TedEd. Check out the video and then follow this link for the full lesson.
On September 4, 2016, principal percussionist Raynor Carroll retired from the Los Angeles Philharmonic. After serving the orchestra for 33-years and playing countless concerts, he has decided to step down and continue directing the percussion program at UCLA. I was fortunate to take private lessons with Raynor from 1995 – 1998 while I was in the American Youth Symphony. I still remember my first phone call and lesson. Raynor changed the way that I approached timpani and percussion. Years later, I had the opportunity to teach with him at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSULB and I will always be indebted to him for everything he taught me over the past 20 years. (more…)
Happy March! It is a busy time for everyone. WGI is heating up and I am in Indy this week for the Music for All National Festival and Sandy Feldstein National Percussion Festival. The level of middle and high school percussion ensembles are amazing. I saw groups perform percussion ensemble pieces that were once played by college ensembles. I also had an opportunity to visit the PAS Rhythm Discovery Center. It is a must for any percussionist. Here are some articles to check out this weekend. Please let me know your recommendations. Leave a comment below. (more…)
