httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyjIRa_BHeQ
In today’s episode, we continue with the flam rudiments and talk about the flamacue and the flamadiddle (flam paradiddle). Be sure you execute the flam properly before diving into these new rudiments. For a complete list of rudiments, click here.
Level: Intermediate
I originally wrote this article on October 19, 2012 and I still believe that these points are true. How do you use YouTube? Do you post your performances? Do you make comments on other posts? Please leave your thoughts below.
We all know that YouTube is a valuable source for any musician. According to YouTube’s statistics, 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. We all know that there are a lot of bad videos included in this number, but there are also many videos that are educational and worth watching. So how do you use YouTube? Chris Robley wrote a blog post on the D.I.Y. Musician Blog (a service brought to us by CD Baby) detailing the “Top 5 Tips for Effective Music Video Promotion on YouTube.” Some of the top tips included:
1. Add links at the top of the description field for each video
This is very important since you only get about three lines of text before the you have to click the “Show More” tab on the window (see below). Unless someone is really interested in the video, they are not going to click the tab to see more information. You need to grab their attention immediately, which leads to #2.
2. Make the first 15 seconds count
How many times have you gone to YouTube to watch a video and clicked away because you did like the beginning of the video? I am guilty of clicking away from a video if it does not immediately capture my attention. Here are some other things to think about relating to this topic:
3. Respond to every comment
This is a common courtesy. I make it a point to respond to every comment, whether they are good or bad. This shows that you have pride in the video you are posting and also make a personal connection with the viewers. If you are responding to a negative comment, politely ask the viewer why they thought the video was bad. This is a learning experience for everyone. If the comments are unkind or abusive, you can always report the comment to YouTube and remove it from the comment section. (Don’t do this often.)
Please check out Chris’s post for more great tips. Click here for the “Top 5 Tips for Effective Music Video Promotion on YouTube” and to download CD Baby’s Ultimate YouTube Guide for Musicians for free!
What tips do you have about promoting yourself on YouTube? Let me know.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Blc3KWFnaKA
In this episode, we continue with the flam rudiments and introduce the flam tap and the flam accent. Be sure you execute the flam properly before diving into these new rudiments. For a complete list of rudiments, click here.
Level: Beginning
We live in a culture where things are either working or they’re not. And if they’re not working, we throw them away.
Apparently, there used to be these things called repair stores. These were stores that fixed your broken TV’s, washer and dryers and even blenders and toasters. The way products are made and purchased today, the vast majority of these stores have gone out of business. Our approach and feeling about the things we own has also driven these stores out of our lives.
We see this in the professional world all the time as well. A good example is the shelf life for professional coaches. An under-performing season for your team (maybe 2 if you’re lucky) typically means you’re looking for a new job. This is seen not only in sports but many professions including music. Fair or unfair, it’s just the way things work.
All this leads to some misunderstandings in the music world. Many students and teachers have the mindset of “this either works it doesn’t.” Students either get it or they don’t. This has also led to the belief that people are either naturally talented at something or they’re simply not. One of my favorite quotes about talent is this – I find it amusing when people tell me that they don’t have a talent for music. I tell them to go practice for two hours a day for the next year. Then, come back and tell me how untalented you are.*
This is also one of the reasons that I’m not a fan of talent shows on television like American Idol and America’s Got Talent. They seem to perpetuate this idea that a person is inherently talented and then is somehow picked and their life is changed forever. While that’s great for the very small percentage that it works for, this isn’t reality. Reality is more along the lines of practicing everyday for ten years and creating a career through learning and experience. There are plenty of other posts on this site about creating a career, so I won’t go into that here.
Thankfully, there are places in the music world teaching the concept of persistence. The first that comes to my mind are the lessons learned in the marching arenas of percussion. Showing up everyday in the summer and every weekend through the winter teaches students that nothing is handed out, it takes a large amount of time and dedication to get good at anything in life and that things can in fact be fixed. These are invaluable lessons that go against the grain of many things in our culture. If this lesson is learned early, it can have a tremendous impact in anyone’s life.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that things can’t be fixed. Teachers – be patient and take time with your students. Students – be patient and take time with yourself. Nothing will ever be able to replace hard work over a long period of time.
*I couldn’t find the origin of this quote. If you know where it comes from, please let me know!
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nS_rk1118M
This video features Pius Cheung performing Astor Piazzolla’s Verano Porteno. Recently, Pius published this arrangement and it is available here.
There are a lot of great websites for musicians, but one I keep coming back to every week is The Bulletproof Musician. The site, by Dr. Noa Kageyama (performance psychologist and Juilliard graduate), features a weekly blog post, coaching and an online training course. According to his site:
“The purpose of this website is to teach musicians how to overcome stage fright, performance anxiety, and other blocks to peak performance. The specific mental skills you develop will allow you to experience the satisfaction of performing up to your abilities – even when the lights are brightest. Wait, let me rephrase that. Especially when the lights are brightest.”
I wait anxiously every Sunday morning to read the latest blog post. Unfortunately, I have never had the opportunity to take part in his coachings or online course, but I have a couple of friends who have and they are incredible.
Recent posts have included:
Why I Should Have Paid More Attention in Music Theory Class
How to Keep Performances of the Same Piece from Getting Stale
The Learning-Performance Distinction and Why Gains in the Practice Room Don’t Always Stick
Is This the Key to Being Less Distracted on Stage and in the Practice Room?
3 Entertaining Videos on Life and Career Success
The blog posts are well written, researched and presented. I would highly recommend adding this to your Sunday morning routine. The posts are not just about performance anxiety. Some of my favorite ones talk about creativity and practice habits.
As I continue to build my site, I will write about sites, apps, books and other resources about music that I have found valuable in my development. If there is something that I should check out, please leave a comment below and let me know.
—–
Originally posted on PercussionEducation.com on July 13, 2014.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTKgCJ81p_8
In this episode, I introduce the next category of rudiments: Flams. Make sure to practice in front of a mirror to make sure you are executing the strokes properly. For a complete list of rudiments, please Episode 5.
Level: Beginning
There are a lot of great websites for musicians, but one I keep coming back to every week is The Bulletproof Musician. The site, by Dr. Noa Kageyama (performance psychologist and Juilliard graduate), features a weekly blog post, coaching and an online training course. According to his site:
“The purpose of this website is to teach musicians how to overcome stage fright, performance anxiety, and other blocks to peak performance. The specific mental skills you develop will allow you to experience the satisfaction of performing up to your abilities – even when the lights are brightest. Wait, let me rephrase that. Especially when the lights are brightest.”
I wait anxiously every Sunday morning to read the latest blog post. Unfortunately, I have never had the opportunity to take part in his coachings or online course, but I have a couple of friends who have and they are incredible.
Recent posts have included:
Why I Should Have Paid More Attention in Music Theory Class
How to Keep Performances of the Same Piece from Getting Stale
The Learning-Performance Distinction and Why Gains in the Practice Room Don’t Always Stick
Is This the Key to Being Less Distracted on Stage and in the Practice Room?
3 Entertaining Videos on Life and Career Success
The blog posts are well written, researched and presented. I would highly recommend adding this to your Sunday morning routine. The posts are not just about performance anxiety. Some of my favorite ones talk about creativity and practice habits.
As I continue to build my site, I will write about sites, apps, books and other resources about music that I have found valuable in my development. If there is something that I should check out, please leave a comment below and let me know.
In this episode, we combine all of our paradiddles into one exercise called the paradiddle pyramid. For a complete list of the rudiments, click here.
Download the Paradiddle Pyramid Exercise Here.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
BookChattr is in full swing and I hope you are enjoying reading the book. As you know, we are reading Learning to Listen: The Jazz Journey of Gary Burton: An Autobiography by Gary Burton. This post will discuss chapters 3-9 and will include listening examples as mentioned in the book.
Chapters 3 – 5 take place in Gary’s early years (around 1959 – 1962). He continues to talk about growing up in Indiana and starting college at the Berklee School of Music. Chapters 6 – 9 are the beginning of the section marked “Apprenticeship” and include his move to New York (when he meets Joe Morello), his time with George Shearing and then Stan Getz. I am enjoying reading about his experiences and lessons he is learning at a very young age.
“Sometimes, we play because we really want to play; sometimes we play as a favor for another musician; and sometimes, it’s just because we need the money. Despite countless hours of practice and concentration to elevate our art, we all too often have to put that aside because of circumstances.” – Gary Burton [Chapter 4, pg. 48-9]
Below, you will find the listening resources. I am also going to put together a Spotify playlist and I will add a link to it on this post. If you find something that is not correct or missing, please let me know.
Chapter 3: The Local Scene
The Nashville All-Stars – After the Riot at Newport
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slZ4vg5L-8g
Chapter 4: College Bound
No musical examples
Chapter 5: New Adventure
New Vibe Man in Town (1961) [Gary’s First Album as a Leader] – Selections
“Joy Spring”
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4NbONUpufc
“So Many Things”
Part II. Apprenticeship
Chapter 6: “Autumn in New York”
Who is Gary Burton? – Selections [with Clark Terry (trumpet), Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone), Phil Woods (alto sax), Gary Burton (vibraphone), Tommy Flanagan (piano), John Neves (bass), Chris Swansen (drums)]
“Storm”
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_icObnisiE
“I’ve Just Seen Her”
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V7AiknIIe8
Chapter 7: On the Job Training, Part One
George Shearing Quintet – September in the Rain
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHpiMqqS3Sw
George Shearing Jazz Concert – Not Available
Chapter 8: The West Coast Scene
Harry Partch – Genesis of a Music
George Shearing Quintet – J.S. Bop
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgwPP3ctf_w
George Shearing Quintet – Out of the Woods
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgwPP3ctf_w&list=PLjRpv3cr2epH0qolHaHRPfzIZULSBNglw
Gary Burton Something’s Coming – Selection
“Summertime”
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soYP5yNnQNE
Chapter 9: On the Job Training, Part Two
Jazz Samba with the Charlie Byrd Trio – Selection
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-vlX8uRLMQ
Stan Getz Focus
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcf455NwMOY
Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto Getz/Gilberto (1963)
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KpIV57PSeo
Getz Au Go Go (1964) – Selection
“Corcovado”
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEbe3OJsdak
The Hanged Man (Movie – First broadcast November 18, 1964)
This was the second made-for-tv movie shown on U.S. television.
“The Girl from Ipanema”
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aYNdWeHE8A#t=24m50s
“Only Trust Your Heart”
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aYNdWeHE8A#t=1h01m59s
Get Yourself A College Girl
“The Girl From Ipanema”
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzw1xEcQg4Y
“Sweet Rain” – Not Available
Bob Brookmeyer and Friends
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fgoFCEpkd0&list=PL8DD04F42C1FE650E
The Groovy Sound of Music – Not Available
A Genuine Tong Funeral
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymbcq5RW0ho&list=PLn2RzTNvfUD_cGMrgkNGRBDHC1zGFwAMs
Skype Lessons with Dr. Gerhart