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Freestyle Improvisation on the Drumset

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Structure is important in your rehearsal and your performances, and that is true of a performer on any instrument. Goals, lists, calendars are all tools to help keep you on a path towards achieving your performance goals.

But, one thing to keep in mind is the importance of freestyle improvisation on the drumset (or concert or marching snare, or piano, violin, etc., etc.). Letting your mind run free while your hands and feet create combinations seemingly on their own is extremely important to a musicians’ growth.

Freestyle improvisation is a great exercise for any drummer/percussionist out there building a solo piece for a performance or for an audition.

A Thank You to Woodland Percussion

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We want to thank our event sponsor, Woodland Percussion, for their support in making the June Student Recital possible. 

Woodland Percussion specializes in creating handcrafted percussion instruments. From basic hand percussion to custom stave snares and drum kits, each instrument is individually crafted, ensuring every piece is as unique as the musicians that play them. In addition to our own products, we are delighted to offer a number of unique percussion accessories from brands such as Evans, Vic Firth, Promark, Zildjian, Puresound, Lowboy Beaters, Keplinger Drums, Spinbal, Drumkubes, Big Fat Snare Drum, Latin Percussion, Tackle Instrument Supply Co. and many more! 

For more information, please visit http://www.woodlandpercussion.com to learn more.

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The Importance of Repetition With Purpose

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The Importance of Repetition With Purpose

When you are pursuing any amount of technical ability on a musical instrument, there is no substitute for hard work. Hard work, though isn’t enough. Once you identify the skills you want to work on, you have to develop those skills through repetition.

After all, drumming has a huge physical component to it: the mechanics of the player’s hands, arms and fingers, posture, relaxation, grip…the list goes on and on. Those aspects of a student’s playing are refined through repetition, which is a decidedly unglamorous thing to talk about, but it is indeed the key to greatness.

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To Master Control, Be Consistent

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Anyone can play a ton of notes. The difference between being an apprentice and a master is CONTROL. Control is developed through consistent (i.e. every day) practice. There is no substitute. Playing with control is what separates the elite players from everyone else.

For more info on studying percussion with me, click here.

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The Breakthrough

One of the most rewarding moments in teaching is when you have a student that has been working on a chart, or a groove, or a technical aspect of their craft, and you see the moment when the proverbial lightbulb over their head turns on. This is what I call The Breakthrough.

Breakthroughs can involve big picture concepts or tiny details. Often, The Breakthrough arrives when you don’t expect it, when you aren’t trying too hard, when you are not trying to force things. In other words, The Breakthrough arrives at mysterious times, but the common theme here is that you can’t force yourself to advance to the next level. You work, you fail perhaps, you try again, and over time diligence and persistence do pay off. Get your instrument in your hands every day. Pick up the sticks every day. Over the long haul, there is no substitute for consistent practice.

Once a student has The Breakthrough, that student creates his or her own momentum. Success creates confidence, and confidence creates success. It’s a loop. Once you can get into that loop, your growth will follow.

And….most importantly, you will find that these concepts apply in music, in school, in business, and everywhere else. It is universal.