playdrumsforlife.com

Whenever I get a call or email from a potential student, I always wonder about two things…how the student will react to my studio (it’s cluttered with instruments!) and more importantly, what the chemistry will be like between the student and me. For years, I have told prospective students and parents that (presuming a competent teacher!), the most important thing is how the student and teacher interact. All the knowledge about technique and teaching are useless if the personalities of the student and teacher are incompatible. It always pays to take time to get acquainted with a new teacher before you start lessons. The extra time is well worth it in the long run.

The best thing about music school was being a drumset player in an academic environment. I learned many useful techniques from playing in percussion ensembles, musicals, ballets and assorted other types of performances. I use all of those techniques when I play for local churches several times a year. Most of the parts are easy to read and not very difficult, but are written for two or three players plus a timpanist. I combine all of the percussion parts and play them as a multiple percussion part, and get another player for the timpani parts. It usually requires juggling several different sticks, mallets and beaters, and finding ways to mount instruments so that triangle, cymbal, orchestra bells, and snare drum parts can be covered at the same time, while covering various accessory instruments like shakers and hand drums in between. Lots of fun, actually. That’s why we play drums (for life)…

I played the Irish music gig last Friday, and was pleasantly surprised at how things went. The feel of the ensemble was good, and we were complemented on the ensemble sound, despite the fact that we had some sound system difficulties. I had to “reset” my internal balance since we had a stage set up that was different than our rehearsal space, and I had never played the bodhran on stage with the band before now. I used what I had learned from reading the book The Inner Game Of Music (by Barry Green and W. Timothy Gallwey). I listened around the circle, from right to left and left to right, instrument by instrument. Then I listened to the total ensemble sound and used what I heard to keep the groove. Along with rehearsal, listening to music and the experience of live performances, reading books like the Inner Game of Music has helped me both as a musician and a percussion teacher. Getting different perspectives to and from your ears and eyes is always good for the music.