Where has the year gone? I can’t believe it is December and the holidays are upon us. As we get closer to the end of the year, I hope you can take sometime to reflect on the year. Think about your successes and failures. Or about your great concerts and not-so-good concerts. What were your favorite classes and new pieces you learned? All these things shape who you are and who you will become. Value these new friendships, experiences, and moments and learn what you can while you are still in school. Don’t take it for granted. I know you have heard this over and over again, but it is the truth. It is difficult to appreciate this when you are in school, but trust me, it only gets harder. Ok, I’ll get off my soap box. Check out my suggested readings and let me know if there are more articles I should add next week. (more…)
In the past couple of days, Kevin Bobo has been posting some videos on YouTube. Kevin is on the faculty at Indiana University and these videos are unbelievable. Spend 30 minutes and watch them all. You will not be sorry. Bravo Kevin!
Zildjian has always been one of the leading cymbal manufacturers and curator of great educational content. In this video, Jake Nissly, Principal Percussionist with the San Francisco Symphony, talks about hand cymbal basics.
I am always looking for ways to improve the concert-going experience. As artists, I think we need to find a better way to attract and retain an audience. We need to think about concert programming and how to put pieces together that will be interesting to the audience and help our students learn about musicality and programming. I have always disliked going to percussion concerts and/or recitals and watching percussionists move equipment in between pieces. For this reason, I generally choose to have three parts on my percussion ensemble programs with minimal (or no) movements in between pieces. This takes some planning, but I think it is a more enjoyable show for the audience. (more…)
Considered one of the first multi-percussion concertos, Darius Milhaud’s ‘Concerto Pour Batterie et Petit Orchestre’ (1929-30) is a masterwork in the percussion repertoire. Joseph Gramley and the University of Michigan Percussion Studio has put together a seven part documentary on this landmark piece. Bravo to Joe Gramley, Jonathan Ovalle and the UM Percussion Studio on this great historical resource.
Follow the University of Michigan Percussion Studio on Twitter and Facebook.
LAPQ Performs “The Year Before Yesterday” by Shaun Naidoo. This is the title track from their album on Sono Luminus.
Since 2009, the GRAMMY-nominated Los Angeles Percussion Quartet (LAPQ) has forged a distinct identity as a world-class contemporary chamber music ensemble that is dedicated to commissioning and presenting new works for percussion quartet. Originally, members Nick Terry, Matt Cook, Justin DeHart, and Cory Hills joined together to create a classical percussion ensemble that would champion the important contributions of 20th century West Coast composers while collaborating with local artists to continue the tradition of innovation and exploration. Today, the group continues their mission while broadening creative output through recordings, performances, and educational outreach.
Turkey week is finally here! I am looking forward to spending time with my family and enjoying some good home cooked meals. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving and safe travels. Here’s some things to read before the Triptafen kicks in after the turkey feast. Happy Thanksgiving. (more…)
PASIC is over and it was a great week. I was so glad to see and meet so many people who I have known over the years and through social media. Since I was on the road all last week, I had a lot of time to read and catch up on my RSS feeds. Here are some of the things I have been reading. Enjoy. (more…)
PASIC week is here! Each November, percussionists from all over the world congregate at a convention center to watch clinics, attend masterclasses and clinics and talk about the new developments in the percussion world. It is a great time to catch up with old friends and meet new friends as well as see the new percussion products on the exhibit floor. As many of you know, I am the Percussion Product Manager for Yamaha Percussion. If you are going to be at PASIC, please stop by the booth and say hi. I look forward to meeting readers of this blog. Below is some reading for the plane ride. Enjoy! (more…)
Tongue and Groove by Robert Paterson
Performed by Micheal Barnes and Liz Cullen
ABOUT THE PIECE:
The title, Tongue and Groove, is borrowed from carpentry, and is a method of fitting similar objects together edge to edge. It also refers to the rhythmic interaction between the instruments and to how the different lines precisely follow each other.
The marimba part in the original version of this work uses six mallets. In order to allow percussionists who are unfamiliar with six mallet technique to play this piece, I created this four mallet version. The only difference between the two is that I removed a few notes here and there, but the essential feel is the same.
Tongue and Groove is also available in a four mallet version, and both versions were commissioned by CASE Arts Group Inc. and a consortium of performers.
