Are You Sure You Are Practising Drum? - Part 2

Modern medicine now has practitioners who specialize in problems peculiar to musicians of all instruments. They are finding that players of the same instrument experience the same or similar problems. (Two of the problems for drummers are carpal tunnel syndrome and lower back pains.) To alleviate and/or prevent some of these problems experts recommend resting for five minutes each half hour instead of continuous practice. The recommendation is twenty-five minutes - practice, five minutes - rest.

I have made a list of some important points that if adhered to should not only make your practice session more productive but also more enjoyable. (We all enjoy what we're doing much more when we can see advancement and improvement.)

1) Watch Your Hand Position: this is the No. 1 problem I have found with drummers and students - from beginner to advanced. Whichever grip you use, when practicing always be sure your hands are in the correct position. It just doesn't make sense to put time in practicing technique and not have your hand positions correct. These positions are used for a reason and your development will be limited if you do not use them correctly. Once your hand position improves you will find your playing will become much cleaner and faster.

2) Sticking: this is the second biggest problem I've come across in teaching. Keep in mind the phrase "one stick up, one stick down" and practice that way. You will always have a stick in position to make a stroke either from the high ("up") position or from the low ("down") position. With concentration on "sticking" your hand techniques will start to flow much more smoothly.

3) Stick Height: this is different from sticking in that it refers to how high you bring the sticks. Whether you work from a full 90 degree position, a 45 degree angle or anything in between the important point is that both sticks return to the same height. Because most of us are not ambidextrous we have a tendency to favor our strong hand and bring that stick to a higher position than the weak hand. This means one stick is traveling a shorter distance to reach the drum whenever a stroke is made. Think about it. It stands to reason that if one stick is traveling eight inches and the other only five inches, the stick farther away has to move faster to reach the drum in the same time interval as the closer stick. This also means the rebounds will be weaker with the closer stick. Are your Single Stroke and Long Rolls uneven? Stick height is probably at least part of the reason - along with the Hand Position and Sticking. Concentrate on these three common problems and you will see a vast improvemet in your technique.

4) Play Off The Drum: unless they have learned this somewhere along the way, most drummers, especially heavy hitters, play down into the drum instead of off it. When making your stroke think up and bring the stick away from the head immediately after striking it. Some teachers describe this as "drawing' or "pulling" the sound out of the drum. The shorter the time the stick is on the drumhead the more resonant and responsive the drum will be. Thus, a cleaner and fuller tone and increased stick speed.

5) Learn And Practice The Drum Rudiments: even if you only spend a minimal amount of time on them do at least something. If you only study one rudiment a week - just one - you will have learned all 26 in exactly six months. You do not have to be a rudimental champ but the knowledge will be a definite plus - and you'll feel good about your accomplishment besides.

6) Work With A Metronome: use it at different speeds including the slowest ones. It won't make your playing stiff but will improve your time and meter. And, if you ever encounter a click track in the recording studio you will be thankful for any time spent with a metronome.

7) Keep The Practicing Habit: We all know that occasionally time is at a premium and a full practice session is impossible. On those days at least do something - even if it's just a 10 or 20 minute keep-in-shape or warm-up routine.

8) Strive For Perfection: be as perfect as possible when practicing. There is no sense in putting in the time and hard work if you don't go for perfection. Be your own worst and toughest critic and don't sell yourself short.

9) Vary Your Practice Routine: this is especially helpful when practice time is limited. Sometimes it is better to look at your practice sessions on a weekly instead of a daily basis. One day spend the majority of the time on hands, another on independence, another on reading, another on rudiments, etc. and be sure to rest for a few minutes between segments or five minutes per half hour. This will help avoid overuse or strain of your muscles. Be sure and spend some time creating and just playing. Some teachers suggest you do it at the end of your practice session. However, I have found it often works better to do it at the very beginning to get it out of your system. Then you can just focus on what you planned to work on that day.

10) In Regard To Sticks: you should generally use the same size stick to practice with that you play with. But it can be beneficial to spend a few minutes a week with heavier or lighter sticks to give your hand and wrist muscles a change. This can improve strength and reflexes.

11) Study The Traditional Grip: and if you generally play traditional spend some time playing matched. The traditional grip has some definite advantages which include finger dexterity and flexibility of the weak hand. If you generally play matched grip, spend at least some time every day on the traditional grip. The increase in finger dexterity will even help your matched grip playing.

12) Keep Challenging Yourself: never be satisfied. Try to be working on something new at all times - a rudiment, book, rhythm - and once that is accomplished, whether it takes a day, a week or a month, move on to something else new. Strive to constantly improve during each practice session.

These previous tips should be concentrated on only while practicing. Once you are at rehearsals or the gig don't think about them. Concentrate on the music and feeling relaxed and comfortable. If you use these tips diligently every time you practice you will find they will creep into your playing without your realizing it and you will see a vast improvement in your technique and playing in a few short months.

Copyright Mat Marucci

Mat Marucci is an active performer, author, educator, and clinician listed in Who’s Who In America and International Who’s Who In Music. His performing credits include jazz greats Jimmy Smith, Kenny Burrell, James Moody, Eddie Harris, Buddy De Franco, Les McCann, Bobby Shew, Don Menza, Pharaoh Sanders, and John Tchicai, to name just a few. He also has seven critically acclaimed recordings to his credit as a leader and others as a sideman, including those with John Tchicai and Jimmy Smith, with many of them garnering four stars (****) in various trade magazines including Jazz Times, Jazziz, and Down Beat.

Mat is the author of several books on drumming for both Lewis Music and Mel Bay Publications, is an Adjunct Professor for American River College (Sacramento, CA) and an endorser for Mapex drums, Zildjian cymbals, Pro-Mark drumsticks and Remo drumheads. He has written numerous articles on drumming for Modern Drummer magazine, the Percussive Arts Society’s Percussive Notes and Percussion News, Pro-Mark’s Upstrokes, and the online drum Magazine Cyber-Drum [www.cyberdrum.com]. Wave files of Mat’s playing can be heard at: http://www.jazzinspiration.com/artist15.html

Motivation

Ever get in a slump and can't get excited about drumming? This is often due to lack of motivation or stimulation. Just as you would read positive books of wisdom and understanding to improve yourself as a person, the same holds true with drumming. You must find ways to be excited about playing. The following offer a few suggestions:

1. Surround yourself with great musicians. When you're around great
players, you will strive to be the best yourself. It rubs off, I promise!

2. Buy a new cymbal, piece of hardware, or drumset. Sure, it's a bit expensive, but it never fails to help get the juices flowing.

3. Listen to great drummers on CD and Video. The more you hear, the
more you will have the desire to play like them.

4. Go to drum clinics! What can I say, if you don't walk away inspired by a great clinic, then you probably shouldn't be playing.

5. Set goals for yourself. No matter how small the goal, it
gives you something to strive for and gives you a sense of purpose in life. Life is more fulfilling when you're moving forward.

6. Take some lessons. Despite your level of experience, lessons always seem to inspire us. You will find new approaches, viewpoints, and techniques that you may have never encountered otherwise. Even the greats will often go back and study with a teacher after a long successful career. They are maintaining goals in their life and assuring continual motivation, excitement, and competitiveness.

http://www.drumarticles.com

Are You Sure You Are Practising Drum? - Part 1

Are you sure you know "how" to practice drums?
Pro drummer Mat Marucci offers a valuable article on this subject.

There is a saying regarding practicing that has been attributed to the concert pianist Vladimir Horowitz and paraphrased by many. One version of this saying is: "If I miss one day I know it. If I miss two days my wife knows it. If I miss three days my audience knows it." That is arguably the consummate statement on the importance of regular practice.

The hours we all put into practicing technique are very important to us. We all do it to maintain or improve our playing. However, often much of the time spent behind the drums is not put to the best use.

Time spent practicing brings up the old debate of quality versus quantity. If the musician's focus is right, more can be accomplished in thirty minutes time than two hours of time with the instrument.

Many musicians do not really practice but "play" their instruments. That is to say that they sit down (or stand) with the instrument and play what they know. This can be great for the maintenance or polishing of certain techniques but, with those exceptions, no progress is being made.

The essence of the practice session should be musicality while striving for perfection and improvement. Even while practicing, the musicians should concentrate on playing music!

Perfection, improvement and musicality are the guidelines for a productive practice session.

Perfection: Every technique should be done as perfectly as possible. This includes hand positions, stickings, stick height, wrist movements, touch, etc. Practicing wrong will develop improper technique - and all execution is affected by technique. To strive for perfection is the first step in practicing.

Improvement: Each practice session should create a challenge for the musician to accomplish something never previously done. This could be a new rudiment, piece of music, or exercise. It could also be a new tempo for an old exercise, etc. And the tempo does not necessarily have to be faster - just different. Old exercise books are excellent ways to improve. (Every book should be played at least twice, because it is never mastered the first time through.) But, whatever it is, some new accomplishment should be attempted at every practice session.

Musicality: The purpose of playing any instrument is to play music. And music should
be kept foremost in mind whenever practicing. Even when playing a rudiment or
technical exercise it should be thought of musically and how it can be applied to music. As stated earlier, musicality is the essence of playing an instrument.


The amount of practice time will vary from individual to individual and also from beginner to professional. A beginning drummer might practice thirty minutes to one hour a day and increase that to two hours per day as he progresses after the first year or so of study. If the student continues to be serious and is looking toward or is in a college program as a music major, the practice time should increase to approximately two to four hours per day. As a struggling career minded professional it can increase to four to eight hours per day. As steady engagements, playing situations and other responsibilities increase with a developing career (and with life in general) practice time then starts to decrease again. It might be one to two hours per day again or maybe two to four hours three times a week - whatever the individual needs are and professional and personal schedule allow. But, whatever the situation allows, practice should be continued throughout one's professional life under any conditions.

Mat Marucci is an active performer, author, educator, and clinician listed in Who’s Who In America and International Who’s Who In Music. His performing credits include jazz greats Jimmy Smith, Kenny Burrell, James Moody, Eddie Harris, Buddy De Franco, Les McCann, Bobby Shew, Don Menza, Pharaoh Sanders, and John Tchicai, to name just a few. He also has seven critically acclaimed recordings to his credit as a leader and others as a sideman, including those with John Tchicai and Jimmy Smith, with many of them garnering four stars (****) in various trade magazines including Jazz Times, Jazziz, and Down Beat.

Mat is the author of several books on drumming for both Lewis Music and Mel Bay Publications, is an Adjunct Professor for American River College (Sacramento, CA) and an endorser for Mapex drums, Zildjian cymbals, Pro-Mark drumsticks and Remo drumheads. He has written numerous articles on drumming for Modern Drummer magazine, the Percussive Arts Society’s Percussive Notes and Percussion News, Pro-Mark’s Upstrokes, and the online drum Magazine Cyber-Drum [www.cyberdrum.com]. Wave files of Mat’s playing can be heard at: http://www.jazzinspiration.com/artist15.html

Concerts Toms and Bass - Lesson

CONCERT TOMS

A few simple things apply whether you have a set of two, four, six or eight toms. Begin from a standpoint that your concert instruments are not be related to your marching band instruments, i.e.: don’t try to imitate the sounds you go for on the field. This generally means tuning things to a lower fundamental pitch which will ring longer and produce a fuller more projecting and long ringing sound. DON’T OVERTIGHTEN! Start with good heads, medium thin weight and coated. The idea is to get a warm ringing sound without sounding like the concert toms just came from a drum set. Think of imitating the sound of natural calf skin which is used in most professional orchestras. When mounting heads, start by measuring under the rim of the drum just above each lug to where the lug meets the female threaded insert. This will be an excellent starting point so that the head is balanced from the start. Simply bring the head up in pitch until there is a low pitched clear ringing sound before you try to fine tune at all. At this point don’t worry with the pitch relationship between each tom, just get each individual tom to its LOWEST RINGING TONE. Once you are satisfied that each drum is at it’s lowest ringing tone, tap the head directly in front of each tension rod close to the rim to check that the head is relatively “clear” or that the pitch of each lug matches fairly closely. If the sound is very poor and you followed instructions closely, DON’T BLAME THE DRUM, try another head. Your next step depending on how many toms you have is to try to achieve an interval difference of roughly a minor or major third between each drum. It is best to start with the lowest tom first and tensioning upward from that tom. Before you begin, you may wish to bring the lowest toms pitch up SLIGHTLY from where you found the LOWEST RINGING TONE so that the pitch is not too low and unfocussed. This method will produce a set of concert toms that sound full, resonant and projecting with a good pitch differential between each drum. When using a large number of toms the sizes become very gradual therefore you may wish to utilize a smaller interval difference between each drum in order to maintain the drums sonic integrity and not have the highest toms too tight and choked.
Muting your concert toms is generally not recommended because it is simple enough for the player to either play dead center for a dryer more percussive sound or towards the rim for a more ringing sound. If muting is desired, it is recommended to utilize Pearl’s OM-1 Outside Mufflers which provide minimal and accurate muting without ruining resonance as things like tape will.

BASS DRUM

The most important thing to remember is that this is a BASS drum. Not a tenor or soprano drum. It should be the BASS voice of the percussion section. With that in mind, first make sure that there is no muting material attached to the head or inside the drum itself. The object again, as with the concert toms,3 is to bring the instrument to its lowest free ringing “singing” pitch level. We will deal with how to control ring at the end. Assuming the drum is free of any muting materials, start with good heads that are thicker coated and NOT thin uncoated plastic.
Follow the same procedures as above, measuring from underneath the hoop to where the tension rod meets the female threaded insert. With large instruments like this, it is best to do this work with the drum flat in a suspended stand of placed on a table in a flat position. Measure in opposites from one side of the drum to the other just to keep things balanced. Repeat this process on the opposite head keeping track of exactly how far the rods are pulled down. Use a ruler and keep a pen handy so that you can match this distance on the opposite head. Next put the drum in it’s playing position and listen to the drum striking the head about 6-8 inches from the dead center. It should sound very low and “flappy” at this point. This being the case, begin by turning every T-rod on the drum one full clockwise turn keeping all tension rods “square” so that none are in a half position. Listen again. The drum should start to ring long and very, very low. Experiment and bring the heads up further if needed, EVENLY, so that all tension rods move up or down in equal amounts. If these instructions are followed closely, both heads will ring evenly producing the most possible low end sound from the drum. When muting is required for marches or just short notes in general, it is best to produce this from the player. Have your percussionist try this technique for better control of the bass drum: For a right handed player, keep your left arm stretched across the drum with the fingers touching the opposite head. Place the LEFT leg against the playing head (not the right as many do) to varying degrees for the desired amount of muffling. It is important to provide the player with some sort of foot rest. If your bass drum stand does not have one, a simple plastic milk crate can suffice or any wooden box 8-12” tall depending on the height of the drum. Using the left leg for muffling will be twice as effective as the right leg because of the increased amount of contact from the entire thigh. Most players who use the right leg are only able to get the knee to touch the head, which only raises the pitch of the head and generally does not muffle enough when needed. Again as with the concert toms, for a dryer more percussive sound, the player can also move toward the center in combination with the left leg for muffling (avoiding playing dead center).

Tom Freer - A native of Millbrook, New York, Tom began his percussion and timpani training seriously at age 9 with Jim Atwood, a former student of Cloyd Duff. Up until then Tom had always planned on being a rock drummer because his brothers and sisters discovered he could actually play along to the “Cousin Brucie” show on the radio in time at age 5. Tom got his first drum set immediately after that and then disassembled it when he started studying with Jim Atwood, so he could use the toms as timpani. By age fifteen, he won an audition to become principal percussionist with the Asheville, North Carolina Symphony, and then principal timpanist at age 16. Tom attended the Cleveland Institute of Music where he was accepted as Cloyd Duffs last student before retiring. He continued his timpani and percussion studies there with Mr. Duff’s predecessor, Cleveland Orchestra timpanist Paul Yancich, and principal percussionist Richard Weiner, until graduating in 1986. While in school, Tom formed a band called Exotic Birds along with now Stabbing Westward drummer Andy Kubiszewski, Pittsburgh Symphony timpanist, Tim Adams and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. This was an original alternative band that toured with Culture Club and opened for many major acts of the time such as The Thompson Twins, Psychedelic Furs, Paul Young, Big Country, Modern English and others. In 1986 Tom resigned from the rock scene and headed to Stockholm Sweden, to become principal percussionist and assistant timpanist of the Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra. After one year there Tom became principal timpanist for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic for two seasons and then principal timpanist of the Alabama Symphony in Birmingham for two seasons. Tom has now been assistant principal timpanist and section percussion for the Cleveland Orchestra for seven years. He has recorded and toured with some of the greatest conductors of our time all over the world. Tom can be heard with the Cleveland Orchestra on London/Decca and Deutsche Grammophon records.

www.pearldrum.com

Uriel Jones Motown Died At 74

Uriel Jones, whose muscular, hard-rocking drum style was an integral part of the Motown sound on classics such as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" and "Cloud Nine" by the Temptations, died at Oakwood Hospital Tuesday afternoon. Jones was 74.

Jones suffered heart problems in recent years, including a heart attack in early February when he was in the hospital getting a blood transfusion. While he seemed to be on the mend, he hadn't been able to go home yet.

"I feel blessed to have worked with him," said Bob Babbitt, who played bass with Jones on many Motown hits as part of the Funk Brothers, Motown's core backing band. "As a musician he was incredible."

"Uriel was one of the great R&B drummers," said Allan Slutsky, who made the 2002 movie about the Funk Brothers, "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" and managed the Funks for a while. "Of the Funk Brothers drummers, Uriel was the hardest rocking," Slutsky said. "Benny (Benjamin) and Pistol (Allen) were more finesse, jazz players. Uriel was a beast, that's why he and (Motown pianist) Earl Van Dyke were such a pair. He would hit really hard."

Born in Detroit, Jones always credited music with saving him; like many musicians of his generation, including Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops, Jones did a stint at Moore School for Boys, which was for Detroit public school boys with a discipline problem.

But Moore had a strong music program, and it was there that Jones found himself, using the drums as an outlet for his energy. Jones started out backing Marvin Gaye on the road, and segued into a role as a session drummer at Motown in 1964, the year when the label had exploded on the national pop charts.

A clip from the Funk Brothers film "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" will air on one of this week's "American Idol" Motown week programs, to air Wednesday and Thursday

Surviving Jones are his wife June Jones and three children, Lynnaire Barnett, Gary Jones and Brooke Gardner; as well as seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Modern Drummer recently interviewed Uriel for a Motown feature that will appear in an upcoming issue.

http://www.moderndrummer.com/

91 Year Old Drummer Still Going Strong

Allee Willis is a Grammy-winning, Emmy, Tony and Webbie nominated songwriter, composer, artist, animator, director, pop culture collector, technologist, party thrower. Her songs have sold more than 50,000,000 records including Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” and “Boogie Wonderland,” The Pointer Sisters’ “Neutron Dance,” Pet Shop Boys with Dusty Springfield's "What Have I Done To Deserve This,” The Rembrandts’ “I’ll Be There For You (Theme From Friends)”, the Broadway musical The Color Purple and the current myspace smash, “Does She Love Me?” by Stallionaires.

Willis’ latest collaborator is Jerrie Thill, a 91 year old female drummer on an oxygen tank, who’s played drums and led her own all girl bands since the late 1920’s when she was discovered by the Capone Boys in Chicago. She has never stopped drumming and continues to gig in Los Angeles at least once a month.

Willis’ first two music videos, which she co-wrote, sang, produced, drew, animated, shot, edited, directed and starred in, were both featured on YouTube and have won numerous web awards. “Hey Jerrie”, released just over a week ago, exploded online and continues to climb, at one point ranking as the 12th most popular video on YouTube. It’s certifiably viral, all the result of pure word of mouth. The video was also featured twice in The Huffington Post this week.

“Hey Jerrie” is about Jerrie’s love of drumming and how it’s kept her 91 years young. Although she has numerous sets of drums, her favorite is still the Camco set she plays in the video and which she bought in the 1970’s when they were vintage even then. She uses only Remo snare heads.

Allee and Jerrie have received mountains of email from people saying they’re going to learn to play the drums. Alee is about to do a series of videos featuring her massive percussion collection, much of it handmade. Allee’s songwriting is always based around the drums.

http://www.moderndrummer.com/

Mayhem Fest Drumkit From Tama To Be Won

OS ANGELES, April 7 - Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival announced today that Massachusetts-based metallers Killswitch Engage have been added to the main stage on this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. The quintet, who recently put the finishing touches on their yet-to-be-titled new album (due out in June), join a bill topped by hard music monoliths Marilyn Manson and Slayer, and featuring fellow main stage act Bullet For My Valentine. The much-buzzed-about road show kicks off July 10 at the Sleep Train Pavilion in Sacramento, CA and will storm through 26 cities in the U.S. and Canada. Tickets will be available on Friday, April 10 at www.mayhemfest.com via a limited-time pre-sale. Pre-sale tickets will feature a custom-made limited-edition design, and will allow fans to enter the venue early. In addition, all pre-sale ticket buyers will be entered to win an exclusive Mayhem Fest drumkit from Tama drums. Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning April 24. For specific on sale dates and additional ticketing information, visit www.livenation.com.

Snare Tuning and Adjustment

Concert percussion instruments should be approached with a much different point of view than those of the Drum Corp. It is important to adjust and tune your concert equipment with this in mind due to the completely different acoustic and dynamic demands made on them. In general, your “concert” percussion instruments will have a much wider dynamic range demanded of them, and must be tuned accordingly so that the listener and player can accurately produce the full sonic spectrum that these instruments are capable of. Symphonic band music and orchestral music requires percussion instruments that can provide the extremes of subtlety, finesse and power, and it is with these goals in mind that we would like to offer these tips on tuning these instruments so that you can utilize their full potential.

BASIC SNARE DRUM TUNING AND ADJUSTMENT

Please follow these simple and basic instructions for tuning and adjusting your Pearl snare drum. In order for you to get and maintain the best possible sound out of your instrument, it will be important to save this sheet so that you can "tune up" the drum as the heads become broken in, and replace heads when necessary.

YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING TOOLS TO PROCEED:

1. DRUM KEY
2. RULER

STEP ONE:

Loosen the top head completely. Place the drum on a flat surface and unscrew all the tension rods so that there is no tension on the top head. You don't need to take them out, just loosen them all the way. Next, begin to tighten down each rod just until they touch the counter hoop (or rim) WITHOUT PULLING IT DOWN. Just screw the tension rod down until it just touches. Go across the drum and do the same to the opposite tension rod and repeat, always working across the drum head in opposites, this keeps the head very even. Next, when all the tension rods are seated and just touching the counter hoop, take your ruler and beginning with the tension rod directly beside the strainer, measure the distance from underneath the counter hoop to the top of the lug. Repeat this process with the lug directly across the
drum and repeat until all measurements are the same. Remember we are not concerned with how tight the head is right now, just how even the tension is. Now that the head is evenly tensioned, bring the top head up to pitch. For a 6.5" snare drum, the pitches G - Bb are what you should listen for (Ab - B for a 5" drum). Using your drum key, tighten each tension rod ONE EVEN HALF TURN always working in opposites across the drum until you come near the pitch. Use a piano or keyboard percussion instrument to help find your pitch. Make sure your snares and muffler are not on when listening to the pitch of the top head. Once you are satisfied with the top head pitch, move on to step two below to adjust the bottom head.

STEP TWO:

Turn the drum over and follow the exact same procedures described in step one above to evenly tension the bottom head. The bottom head will require more tension than the top head in the end, and will be at a higher pitch. Don't be alarmed by wrinkles that might appear on the bottom head, be patient and tension all the rods evenly as in step one. Once all the rods are evenly tensioned and the measurements are all the same by checking with the ruler, begin tightening the rods in EVEN HALF TURNS always working across the drum in opposites. Bring the pitch of the bottom head up until it sounds a perfect fourth to a perfect fifth higher than the top head. This means if your top head sounds like the note A, then the bottom head should sound like D or E above that. This is a little hard to hear sometimes, and you need to do this in a very quite room with no distractions. You can hear it best if you place the drum on your stand and lightly tap the top head near the rim and then the bottom head also near the rim in order to hear the interval relationship and the note you are looking for. Again, use a piano or keyboard percussion instrument as your guide and you can't go wrong!

FINAL STEP - FINE TUNING

Fine tuning the top head will help the drum ring longer and sound better. Simply tap the head very near the rim and very softly right in front of each tension rod. Listen for exactly the same pitch at each station. If one spot sounds very much higher or lower than the other, make a small adjustment with your drum key. Remember not to over adjust, turn the rod only one quarter turn in either direction and then LISTEN again. Turn on your snare strainer and readjust your snare tension if necessary. Make sure they are responding at all dynamic levels. At this point you may also want to adjust your snare muffler to make the top head sound a little drier if needed.Remember to keep this manual and your snare drum key handy at all times, so that you can readjust your drum whenever you need to as the heads get broken in over the first few months. If you memorize these simple steps, you will become an expert snare drum tuner and have the best sounding drum around!


Tom Freer - A native of Millbrook, New York, Tom began his percussion and timpani training seriously at age 9 with Jim Atwood, a former student of Cloyd Duff. Up until then Tom had always planned on being a rock drummer because his brothers and sisters discovered he could actually play along to the “Cousin Brucie” show on the radio in time at age 5. Tom got his first drum set immediately after that and then disassembled it when he started studying with Jim Atwood, so he could use the toms as timpani. By age fifteen, he won an audition to become principal percussionist with the Asheville, North Carolina Symphony, and then principal timpanist at age 16. Tom attended the Cleveland Institute of Music where he was accepted as Cloyd Duffs last student before retiring. He continued his timpani and percussion studies there with Mr. Duff’s predecessor, Cleveland Orchestra timpanist Paul Yancich, and principal percussionist Richard Weiner, until graduating in 1986. While in school, Tom formed a band called Exotic Birds along with now Stabbing Westward drummer Andy Kubiszewski, Pittsburgh Symphony timpanist, Tim Adams and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. This was an original alternative band that toured with Culture Club and opened for many major acts of the time such as The Thompson Twins, Psychedelic Furs, Paul Young, Big Country, Modern English and others. In 1986 Tom resigned from the rock scene and headed to Stockholm Sweden, to become principal percussionist and assistant timpanist of the Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra. After one year there Tom became principal timpanist for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic for two seasons and then principal timpanist of the Alabama Symphony in Birmingham for two seasons. Tom has now been assistant principal timpanist and section percussion for the Cleveland Orchestra for seven years. He has recorded and toured with some of the greatest conductors of our time all over the world. Tom can be heard with the Cleveland Orchestra on London/Decca and Deutsche Grammophon records.

www.pearldrum.com

Cymbals Checklist

Did you ever realize that along with the bass and snare drum cymbals are the most vital part of a drum kit. In fact in traditional Jazz the ride cymbal is the driving force. From basic drum beats to that extra edge or distinctive sound variation, there's always a creative way to musically enhance your kit with quality bronze.

It seems that each year the selection of cymbals from the major manufacturers expands. Many drummers probably feel "to many choices" overload. Where do I start? What are the price ranges? Which companies have a warranty? Which models sounds the best? Which models fit my drumming style?

Before you just give up and purchase an electronic set with 500 unbreakable cymbal sounds, focus on your ride cymbal and hi hat. When you get those right the rest is pretty simple. In addition to the snare and bass drum, cymbals form the foundational glue in most drum beats.

Consider anything beyond these two to be special effects cymbals, which is really what they are. Of course, a couple of really great crash cymbals for each side of your drum set is important, but they can wait. Below is a basic checklist.

Ride Cymbals

Which Ride cymbals sound would be the most versatile?
Does the "ping" or stick sound need to be very sharp?
Do I need a large piercing bell or a more subdued one?
What size do I prefer? (20 to 22 inch are the most popular)

Hi Hat

What Hi Hat cymbals would be the most versatile?
Does the closed "Chick" sound need loud or moderate?
How do they sound played very tight and partially open?
What size do I prefer? (13 to 15 inch are the most popular)

Crash, China, and Special Effects

What Crash cymbal would be the most versatile?
Will the China cymbal be used for crashing and riding?
What sound "color" is needed in special effects cymbals?
What sizes do I prefer?
Am I a hard hitter? (Cymbals will crack if abused)

Cymbal Buying Checklist

Maximum budget?
Pro or intermediate models?
Used on eBay, Craigs list, music stores, etc?
Listen to cymbal before buying?
Name Brands?
Overall pitch - high or low?
Overall sustain, dry or glassy sound, etc.
Volume Requirements?

Most drummers own Zildjian, Sabian, or Paiste because they make excellent cymbals and are the most well known name brands. They also have many top name pro endorsements along with huge advertising budgets. Companies like Bosphorus, Agean, Instanbul (Agop & Mehmet), Meinl, Wuhan and others also make excellent drum set cymbals. These less advertised brands are hard to find in stores. Try checking out the company websites. Some even include sound samples which gives a rough idea of the sound.

Always try to play the cymbal first if possible, as each one is usually one-of-a-kind. Rumor has it that Paiste models sound very similar from one to the next, important if buying after only hearing website sound clips. Also, If you buy online or eBay make sure there is a return policy. If not be sure it is a great deal so if you don't like the sound you can get most of your money back out of the cymbal. The professional high end models are always a better choice, because cheap metal does not sound too musical.

Remember that the Ride and Hi-Hat are the foundation. Crashes would be the next in line. After that it's "anything goes" according to your preferences, style, budget, etc. You can never have too many gigs, drums or cymbals!

The word Cymbal comes from the Greek word "Kumbalom" meaning "A Small Bowl".


http://www.drummuffler.com/

Drummers Collective proudly announces College Credit for Drummers Collective Courses!

Students taking regular fulltime courses at Drummers Collective can now apply to have their credits accepted at Capital University in Columbus Ohio. Once accepted, these credits can be transferred to most other 2 or 4-year colleges. Capital will charge a nominal per credit fee for this service.

For details please contact John Castellano at johnc@thecoll.com

Drum: Ministry of Sound Trance Anthems Now Available On Apple App Store

iDrum: Ministry of Sound Trance Anthems lets iPhone and iPod touch owners recreate their favorite Trance tracks of yesterday and today. Starting with professionally produced iDrum kits that emulate the greatest Trance anthems in clubbing history, users can customize the included beats any way they like or mix and match hundreds of original samples to make their own epic tracks. iDrum's simple interface lets even novice users build beats layer by layer by tapping the touch screen or create music with simple shapes and color combinations that let anyone visualize the rhythm.

Key Features:

- The fun and simple way to make music on your iPhone or iPod Touch
- Includes professionally produced samples and beats from Ministry of Sound
- Over 300 original classic and old school dance samples
- 20 unique kits with dozens of pre-made patterns
- Customize patterns to create your own unique beats
- Take control of the rhythm of every drum sound and sample
- Tap the touch screen to play and record your own musical patterns

Patrick Hagenaar, head of mobile at Ministry of Sound added: "After the great success of iDrum Anthems, we're very excited about the follow up: iDrum Trance Anthems! Trance is an extremely popular dance genre around the world and I think that people would love to create their own Trance Anthems!"

Nick Dika, content manager at iZotope: "Dance music fans can create their own epic beats instantly with iDrum: Ministry of Sound Trance Anthems. The combination of iDrum's fun and easy-to-use beatmaking tools and Ministry of Sound's excellent original content make this app a blast to use."

A collaboration between Ministry of Sound and iZotope, this special edition of iDrum is the perfect companion to Dave Pearce's newest album representing Trance history, "Dave Pearce's Trance Anthems 2009" available on 23rd of March on the iTunes Music Store. The follow up to last year's over 200k selling album, "Dave Pearce's Trance Anthems 2009" includes three discs filled with the best Trance classics of all time.

http://www.moderndrummer.com/

Did you ever realize that along with the bass and snare drum cymbals are the most vital part of a drum kit. In fact in traditional Jazz the ride cymbal is the driving force. From basic drum beats to that extra edge or distinctive sound variation, there's always a creative way to musically enhance your kit with quality bronze.

It seems that each year the selection of cymbals from the major manufacturers expands. Many drummers probably feel "to many choices" overload. Where do I start? What are the price ranges? Which companies have a warranty? Which models sounds the best? Which models fit my drumming style?

Before you just give up and purchase an electronic set with 500 unbreakable cymbal sounds, focus on your ride cymbal and hi hat. When you get those right the rest is pretty simple. In addition to the snare and bass drum, cymbals form the foundational glue in most drum beats.

Consider anything beyond these two to be special effects cymbals, which is really what they are. Of course, a couple of really great crash cymbals for each side of your drum set is important, but they can wait. Below is a basic checklist.

Ride Cymbals

Which Ride cymbals sound would be the most versatile?
Does the "ping" or stick sound need to be very sharp?
Do I need a large piercing bell or a more subdued one?
What size do I prefer? (20 to 22 inch are the most popular)

Hi Hat

What Hi Hat cymbals would be the most versatile?
Does the closed "Chick" sound need loud or moderate?
How do they sound played very tight and partially open?
What size do I prefer? (13 to 15 inch are the most popular)

Crash, China, and Special Effects
What Crash cymbal would be the most versatile?
Will the China cymbal be used for crashing and riding?
What sound "color" is needed in special effects cymbals?
What sizes do I prefer?
Am I a hard hitter? (Cymbals will crack if abused)

Cymbal Buying Checklist

Maximum budget?
Pro or intermediate models?
Used on eBay, Craigs list, music stores, etc?
Listen to cymbal before buying?
Name Brands?
Overall pitch - high or low?
Overall sustain, dry or glassy sound, etc.
Volume Requirements?

Most drummers own Zildjian, Sabian, or Paiste because they make excellent cymbals and are the most well known name brands. They also have many top name pro endorsements along with huge advertising budgets. Companies like Bosphorus, Agean, Instanbul (Agop & Mehmet), Meinl, Wuhan and others also make excellent drum set cymbals. These less advertised brands are hard to find in stores. Try checking out the company websites. Some even include sound samples which gives a rough idea of the sound.

Always try to play the cymbal first if possible, as each one is usually one-of-a-kind. Rumor has it that Paiste models sound very similar from one to the next, important if buying after only hearing website sound clips. Also, If you buy online or eBay make sure there is a return policy. If not be sure it is a great deal so if you don't like the sound you can get most of your money back out of the cymbal. The professional high end models are always a better choice, because cheap metal does not sound too musical.

Remember that the Ride and Hi-Hat are the foundation. Crashes would be the next in line. After that it's "anything goes" according to your preferences, style, budget, etc. You can never have too many gigs, drums or cymbals!

The word Cymbal comes from the Greek word "Kumbalom" meaning "A Small Bowl".

http://www.drummuffler.com/

How To To Make Your Drum Life Easier

A positive attitude makes all the difference in musician to musician relationships.

Practice everyday to keep loose - 20 minutes is better than nothing.

Always arrive at the gig earlier than you're supposed to.

Carry a spare snare head and snare cord.

Learn your drum parts completely before rehearsal.

Playing in between songs is really amateurish sounding.

Never argue about anything on stage.

Getting drunk and playing drums at a gig is NOT the cool thing to do. Having a friend or cab drive you home after getting drunk at the gig IS the cool thing to do.

Keep the breaks at gigs precisely the time agreed upon.

Have plenty of drumsticks, especially if you play loud.

Use a personal monitor that is easy to hear and portable to set up.

Compliment band members for playing well.

Refrain from mentioning band members mistakes.

Listen carefully to the other musicians and play to compliment them.

A bass drum mic is essential in most band situations, except very low volume playing or rehearsals.

Wear very comfortable bass drum friendly shoes when possible.

Bring a small "pocket practice pad" and warm up a few minutes before the the show.

A drum gear checklist is a good idea if you break your equipment down into smaller pieces.

If you always transport your own drums consider quality drum bags like Beato or Humes and Berg instead of hard cases.

A heavy duty baseball bat bag can be a very light and affordable drum hardware bag.

Keep your cymbal hole protective seating and washers in top shape to prevent cymbal damage.

Look sharp (as Joe Jackson would say) for the gig or show.

Remember your brushes, mallets, and breath mints - just in case.

Keep a small powerful fan in your trunk just in case your drumming gets too HOT! (sorry, couldn't resist)

http://www.drummuffler.com

Beginner Drummer With Video Lesson

Use a beginner drum set lesson book to learn to
play drums

Try using a beginner drum set lesson book to learn how to play the
drums. There are many books offering drum set lessons suitable to
learn on your own. This is a great tool to use anytime and at your
own pace. You will find that each drum book available at music
stores and online will differ in their approach of instruction. You, the
student, will have to take the time to figure out what manual will work
for you.

Where to find drum manuals

You can find many drum manuals at your local music store. They
will vary in prices depending on the content, added CD/DVD, and the
author that wrote it.

Even try online and possibly get a better deal than you would from a
brick and mortar establishment. Not to forget to mention, by searching
online, you will be exposed to other authors/musicians selling their books
that you will not find in stores.

You found your book

You finally purchase your drum lesson book and are ready to embark
on the journey of playing the drums. The most important step is to
setting up a plan as to how you will self-teach. First, write down on
paper when and the amount of time in the day that you will devote to
practicing. Will it be in the morning, afternoon, or at night? Will you
practice for 15 minutes, 30 minutes or an hour?

Next, what will you practice? This is important in that it will help you
stay on target of your learning. Focus on the basics until you are solid
at what you are performing before moving onto more difficult lessons.

In other words, perform the simplest techniques slowly and purposely
then gradually increase your speed until fully confident. Do the same
for all of the exercises. What is wonderful about learning from these
lessons is that you can refer back to them at anytime and brush up
what you might need to strengthen.

Take a lesson

Do not be opposed to taking a lesson or two from a qualified drum
teacher. There is always room for improvement and new techniques.
The private lesson will enhance what you have learned and broaden
your awareness to different styles of playing. Be sure to share with
your teacher the book that you are learning from. He or she may
work from the one you have or suggest something different.

Have fun learning

Have fun learning from your book all the steps that it takes to be a
great drummer. Some steps may be difficult but if you are patient and
focused, you will overcome the difficulty and be ready for other lessons
waiting for you.

http://www.megadrumsets.com/

Nicko McBrain Talks ‘Iron Maiden: Flight 666′

Articles below is an interview done by Metal Hammer and Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden

Metal Hammer continues its exclusive chats with Iron Maiden about their forthcoming movie, ‘Iron Maiden: Flight 666′. ‘Iron Maiden: Flight 666′ is released worldwide on official Iron Maiden Day - April 21st.

We continue our series of exclusive chats with iron Maiden with a chat with Iron Maiden drummer and all-round diamond of a man, Nicko McBrain!

Metal Hammer: In the film, Bruce says, “You play South America and it makes you want to up your game to match their expectations”

Nicko McBrain: ”Yeah, it’s difficult to explain, because when we go onstage we give it 100 per cent plus. One show isn’t different from any other in terms of what we put into it, but this passion down here in South America, and like Bruce says the further south you go, the hotter it gets. You don’t want to disappoint them so you feel you have to be a little bit more on edge. We don’t go on and play any better or worse. It’s Iron Maiden and you get what you get. But with the audience, they get so emotionally involved, the cheering and the chanting between songs and five minutes can go by”

“We control the way we behave on stage. It’s noticeable. Last night, Steve and I were talking in the dressing room about how we were both feeling with the altitude…he had a dodgy tummy and wasn’t feeling 100 per cent. We have two expressions in the band when someone’s not feeling well, we say it’s a Ronnie Scott’s gig tonight or a Holiday Inn gig. And you say that…I said to Steve “You know that ain’t gonna happen, but we know we’ve both got to pace ourselves”…a little nudge to each other not to spend ourselves too early. But as soon as you get up there, that intro tape stops and off I go on Aces High, you can’t sit back and have a Ronnie Scott’s gig…but pacing yourself is very important.”

“The great thing is, the crowd takes over for you. You get a little breathing time between songs because the kids are going crazy and you’ve got to let them vent. That’s what happens in South America. You can see it in the movie. It’s such passion. We love playing everywhere in the world. People ask ‘Where are the best audiences in the world’, but they’re all the same. Some are louder than others but the passion is there everywhere. There’s just this difference here, and I don’t know what it is.”

Metal Hammer: Was that part of the point of the film…to capture some of that on tape?

Nicko: “Of course, yeah. The Colombian audiences and the Costa Rican audiences…but the Colombians, they just tell you what it’s like. You can see that passion, not just from the audience’s point of view while we’re playing and we finish the song and the reaction we get, but at the end of the show, you see the passion and the true love that these fans have for Iron Maiden. Having said that, doesn’t mean to say that Japanese audiences aren’t the same. They just show it in a different way.”

“It’s a stunning movie actually. It really captures primarily the essence of what we do as band and what we’re doing in between the shows, and a lot of the family vibe. It was mentioned before when we were talking about doing it, that we’d have these cameras in our faces 24/7, and there was some grumbling going on about it. But Sam and Scott were absolutely amazing guys to work with and I think it made what we have…they weren’t really in our faces that much. I did tell them to fuck off a couple of times, usually when I was closing the toilet door. But it really, really captures that whole…if you haven’t been a fan of Iron Maiden and you see that movie, then you’re probably going to want to buy a record or come and see us live.”

Metal Hammer: It was a big undertaking…

Nicko: “It was a daunting proposition, especially for Sam and Scott, because they had so much. Rod was very keen to work with them and get the continuity and flow right. Taking the 757, doing what we’re doing, we needed to document this because it’s a first, it’s very historic. So we thought ‘How can we do that?’ We didn’t just want to make another music DVD, as such, like a concert. If we’re going to do it, let’s make it about the family and that includes the audiences as well as what we’re doing in our down time. As you probably noticed, it’s a bit more subdued. It’s a busman’s holiday now. All the crew, they’re a bit quiet!”

“When I first saw the film, I didn’t know what to expect. I was more thinking ‘I wonder how they captured me and my playing’. It’s very difficult to film because it’s such a humongous drum set. I wondered how it would all turn out. Did I embarrass myself? That’s what I normally do. There was some nerves beforehand, but when I got to watch it I was stunned by the quality of the filming and Kevin Shirley did an absolutely phenomenal job with the mix. I only had the stereo version. I haven’t heard the 5.1 surround sound version, so I’m looking forward to hearing that in its glory.”

“They’ve all done such a great job. I was really surprised. I showed it to my mate in Florida and he said ‘This is it. It’s a taste of Maiden. This is what you guys are all about’. It’s something that I think appeals…people will go and see this with maybe their parents. It’s not just concert footage. It’s everything around us. I don’t think we made this to get people into the band or to capture.”

http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/

Anthrax Record New Album, Reissue Fistful of Metal

There's finally some action in the Anthrax camp. Just when the New York, NY-based thrash metal originators seemed to be social butterflies, as opposed to diligent musicians (they've put in more face time trading on their moniker than performing over the past half-decade), guitarist Scott Ian has revealed via his MySpace page that they are finally going into the studio to record a follow-up to 2003's We've Come For You All.

Work will begin on the new affair, Worship Music, during the first week of May, 2009. Expectant fans will have to wait until October for Megaforce Records to issue the final version. In the meantime, Anthrax celebrate the 25th anniversary of debut album Fistful Of Metal with a limited edition, three-record reissue on May 12.

The news of Worship Music is even more enticing, as this will be the first official Anthrax music to feature new vocalist Dan Nelson. He replaced longtime singer John Bush in 2007. Drummer Charlie Benante, guitarist Rob Caggiano and bassist Frank Belo round out the moshers.

"We're gonna give birth to a really heavy baby," declares Ian. Too bad the baby has more covers than original tunes. At present time, Worship Music is rumoured to feature the following tracks:

"Down Goes The Sun"
"Earth On Hell"
"Face With No Name"
"The Devil You Know"
"Brain Of J" (Pearl Jam)
"Big Eyes" (Cheap Trick)
"New Noise" (Refused)
"Jackhammer" (Anvil)
"We Die Young" (Alice In Chains)

http://www.exclaim.ca/

Dojan Left Mustasch

Drummer Mats "Dojan" Hansson has left Swedish hard rockers MUSTASCH "due to his chronic muscle ruptures." The group says, "The pain has made it impossible for him to keep playing drums in such an actively touring band. We are of course all sorry to have him leave, and thank him for his ten years in the band. At the same time we sincerely welcome his replacer Danne McKenzie, who has substituted 'Dojan' several times before. Danne McKenzie is now the permanent drummer of MUSTASCH."

MUSTASCH is currently recording the follow-up to 2007's "Latest Version of the Truth" at Bohus Sound Studios in Sweden with producer Tobias Lindell. A late 2009 release via Regain Records is expected.

MUSTASCH released a "best-of" album, entitled "Lowlife Highlight", in February 2008 through Regain Records. The CD features 18 songs from the band's back catalogue originally issued by EMI.

www.blabbermouth.net

Steve Adler In Australia

Former GUNS N' ROSES and current ADLER'S APPETITE drummer Steven Adler has scheduled the following Australian drum clinics (presented by Allans Music):

May 26 - Melbourne @ 7pm - 152 Bourke St
May 27 - Sydney @ 7pm - 228 Pitt St
May 28 - Brisbane @ 6.30pm - 90 -112 Queen St
May 29 - Adelaide @ 7pm - 58 Gawler Place

Tickets are $25 and they go on sale April 27 at Allans Music stores and online at www.allansmusic.com.au.

ADLER'S APPETITE played its first show with vocalist Rick Stitch of the Los Angeles-based group LADYJACK this past Friday (April 17) at the The Galaxy Theater in Santa Ana, California. Check out photos on Adler's MySpace page.

Rick has been recording with former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke, and his song "Make It Right" recently appeared in the feature film "The Grind", starring Danny Trejo and Tom Sizemore.

Singer Sheldon Tarsha announced his departure from ADLER'S APPETITE last week, saying it was "time now for me to follow my heart and continue working with my original band."

ADLER'S APPETITE's current lineup is rounded out by Alex Grossi (HOOKERS 'N' BLOW, ex-QUIET RIOT) on guitar and Michael Thomas (FASTER PUSSYCAT) on guitar.

Adler is featured in "Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House", an eight-episode, one hour series that premiered on January 15 on VH1.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/

Dolmayan Tried For Pumpkins

System Of A Down's John Dolmayan was one of 12 drummers who auditioned for Smashing Pumpkins last Tuesday.

System Of A Down have been on hiatus for three years, but haven't officially broken up. Dolmayan and SOAD guitarist Daron Malakian's new band, Scars On Broadway, released their debut album last July. Dolmayan also played on SOAD frontman Serj Tankian's Elect The Dead solo debut and has performed a few shows with Tool.

Dolmayan has also launched an online comic store, so perhaps spending time at the kit with the Pumpkins behind frontman Billy Corgan could also provide him with inspiration for a new comic hero: Superjerk.

"Overall the drumming auditions were considered a very positive experience," said a message posted on the Smashing Pumpkins website last Thursday. "The talent in all the drummers that tried out was incredible."

The talent couldn't have been that incredible, however, since it appears another drummer tryout is likely to be scheduled in May.

Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin left Smashing Pumpkins in March. He joined the band in 1988 and played on every Pumpkins album with the exception of 1998's Adore. He was also a member of the short-lived Zwan with Corgan, A Perfect Circle bassist Paz Lenchantin, Chavez singer/guitarist Matt Sweeney and former Slint guitarist David Pajo.

"I will say, without going into any unnecessary details that this represents a positive move forward for me," Chamberlin posted on his website about his departure from the Pumpkins. "I can no longer commit all of my energy into something that I don't fully possess.

"I won't pretend I'm into something I'm not. I won't do it to myself, you the fan, or my former partner. I can't just, 'Cash the check' so to speak. Music is my life. It is sacred. It deserves the highest commitment at every level and the Pumpkins are certainly no different. I'm sorry but it really IS that simple. There is no drama, bad blood, or anything else but a full commitment to music. My best goes out to Billy and I'm glad he has chosen to continue under the name. It is his right.

"I will continue to make music with the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex as well as pursuing other musical interests. I feel that I have a long way to go and a lot to give. Thanks to everyone for your kind words and support through all of this. I am constantly humbled by all of you! It is an honor and a privilege to play music for a living and I don’t take it for granted not even for a second."

http://www.chartattack.com/

Faith For Drummers?

My 13-year-old son Ben has been learning how to play the guitar.

He's a self-teacher, the only kind of teaching that ever happens in our house. Ben is sort of like that -- he likes learning new things.

And it's becoming a problem.

You see, Ben is a drummer. It's been decided. Ben has been drumming for neigh on four years now. We tend to pick his "accessory" instruments as percussion-related.

He has an awesome set of bongos and I've been looking into buying him something called a bodhran that looks pretty cool. It's a Celtic thing. We like Celtic things. And we like drums.

So Ben is a drummer, Callum plays guitar, Jack plays a

fledgling keyboard and Nathan . . . Nathan is simply a rock star. Period. He tells me he doesn't need skills to be a rock star because he's already a rock star. Fair enough.

Secretly I think Nathan would make a great lead singer -- he has the pipes and the attitude that all great lead singers need. It would be fairly handy if Nathan was willing to round out our little family band like that. We could be like the Osmonds but cool, less Mormon-y.

I was thinking I could even be their band manager . . . although probably not. They already know too much about my less-than-stellar managerial skills. Still, we had our band locked down, tight as a drum. Until we lost the drummer.

Ben is simply refusing to fall in line these days. He's been playing around with his traditional role a bit too freely. I've tried explaining to him -- he

can't become a guitarist now. We don't need two guitarists, for Pete's sake! Who will be our drummer? Particularly considering the fact that he won't let any of us touch his drum kit?

http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/

SummerFest To Have Copeland

The La Jolla Music Society has a history of commissioning new works for its annual chamber music festival, SummerFest. But this year's SummerFest promises to break new ground with an Aug. 21 world premiere by Police drummer and accomplished film composer Stewart Copeland.

Copeland will also appear in an Aug. 20 screening and discussion of his 2006 documentary film, “Everybody Stares: The Police Inside Out.” His piece is the first in a series of Music Society commissions from film composers.

“Commissioning film composers will add a new dimension for us, just as the jazz commissions have,” said Christopher Beach, president and artistic director of the La Jolla Music Society. “It happened Stewart is the first one whose music is going to get played. John Williams has agreed to write a piece for us; he just hasn't told us when that's going to happen.”

SummerFest will happen July 31 through Aug. 23. For the third year, the festival will be anchored by three Tuesday night concerts focusing on a single composer – Mendelssohn this year. And it will devote three Wednesday night concerts to “An Evening with ...” format, this year featuring Menahem Pressler (famed as the pianist for the Beaux Arts Trio), pianist Andreas Haefliger and violinist Mark O'Connor.

The Music Society has not been immune to the slowing economy. Unlike other years, when the festival has ventured into Copley Symphony Hall, the North Park Theatre and last year La Jolla's Ellen Browning Scripps Park, the society is cutting costs by producing all the SummerFest concerts at its home base of Sherwood Auditorium in the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.

It has eliminated its Dancing at SummerFest and Jazz at SummerFest programs, and reduced the number of performances from 16 (last year) to 13.

“All of those save a great deal of money,” said Beach. “And I hope in 2010 we will be right back where we were before, with dance and jazz. But that decision won't be made until later.”

Still, with four commissions (from Copeland, George Tsontakis, Paul Schoenfield and Gunther Schuller), three programs including chamber orchestra, guest artists like actor Michael York, musicians of the caliber of Carter Brey and Fred Sherry, Beach contends that the festival has more than retained a variety of programming and its core offerings.

“In fact, you just can't cut and cut and cut,” said Beach. “You lose your momentum, you lose your focus. So we still have a number of big concerts.”

The SummerFest Chamber Orchestra, comprised of SummerFest artists and musicians from the region, with some members of the San Diego Symphony, performs on three programs, including an Aug. 18 Mendelssohn program with San Diego Symphony music director Jahja Ling.

“We've had Jahja Ling as a conductor and a pianist,” said SummerFest music director Cho-Liang Lin. “This relationship with the San Diego Symphony is very important to me. And I know it is to Christopher also.”

Lin, an internationally renowned violin virtuoso, will perform in seven of the 13 programs, ranging from an Aug. 9 program of “(Nearly) Forgotten Masterpieces” (with works by Dvorak, Glinka and Dohanyi) to the Aug. 21 “SummerFest Commissions” program (with new pieces by Tsontakis, Schoenfield and Copeland).

“My hope is people will come away from the festival thinking, well, there are well-known pieces, and there are less-known pieces, but when they are treated by outstanding players with great care and love, things come alive,” said Lin. “Whether the music is well known or not known, it can all be shared and enjoyed.”

Jim Chute is Special Sections editor of the Union-Tribune.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/

Akbar Bagus Sudibyo - The Jakarta Man

During Akbar Bagus Sudibyo’s childhood, his mother had a problem. She could never get
her son to put the broom down.

The drummer for Efek Rumah Kaca [The Greenhouse Effect], an indie band that has just released its second album, would go from room to room strumming the fake guitar, driving his mother to distraction. But as he grew older and switched from the broom to a makeshift drum kit he had designed himself, it was his father who would tell Akbar to knock it off.

Between jam sessions at Cafe Au Lait, the 33-year-old talked about how his musical career began with a high school bluff, and how it continues today with a commitment only a true musician would understand.

How did your career in the music industry begin?

I’ve liked music since I was a little boy. When I was little, I used to pretend to be a rock singer, but I knew nothing about playing music until one day when I was a freshman in high school and my friend was looking for a drummer for his band. I just bluffed my way into audition, telling him I could play the drums. Heck! I didn’t even know what a [music] studio was back then. So, there I was, knowing nothing about it, just playing “Don’t Cry” by Guns N’ Roses by ear.

By the time I was in college, at the Academy of Media, Radio, and Television in Jakarta, I was playing for money every chance I got, just going from cafe to cafe. I still remember how much I made for my first gig in 1995, it was Rp 20,000 ($1.76). Then the agent cut my take in half.

What about your family, were they supportive of your musical career?

At first, they objected to the idea of me playing the drums for money. Particularly when I wanted to have drums in the house. My father didn’t allow it because he said the noise was unbearable. So I designed and created a drum set made from used car tires, in order to muffle the noise so I could practice in my house. The same thing is produced by major drum factories now and they call it a drum pad.

Did you ever take lessons?

Yes, once, by accident. In 2000, my band was opening for Om Rudy Subekti’s band; we played back-to-back on a three-month contract. I was amazed by how he plays. On the last day of our contract, I mustered the courage to ask him to teach me a few things. The first thing he said was, “Do you really want to be a musician? Are you willing to live poor, but rich in heart?” He taught me so much about music and life. Now he’s like a father to me.

How do you feel about your position as the drummer, compared to more dominant roles like the lead singer or the guitarist?

The way I see it, the drummer is the general of the band, the one who decides the beginning, the tempo and the end of a song. I know the frontmen, either the lead singer or the guitarist, are the ones who have sex appeal; I’m cool with that.

I guess you are living your dream now, with two indie albums and thousands of devoted fans. Is there anything missing?

Thank God, some of my dreams as a musician have come true. But I still have other dreams to fulfill. One of them is to be able to produce major label albums, on the condition that our musical concept remains intact, untouched by the recording company. It’s our concept that sets us apart from the mushy songs of other up-and- coming bands. Efek Rumah Kaca is not just about entertainment, but is a band that emphasizes the social message of each song. For instance, the song “Di Udara” [“In the Air”] is talking about Munir, the murdered human right activist. “Jalang” [“Licentious”] is about the anti-porn law controversy, and “Kenakalan Remaja di Era Informatika” [“Teenage Delinquency in the Era of Information”] is talking about the porn movies made by some teenagers with their cellphone cameras.

What’s the worst experience you’ve had as a musician?

Playing for a month at dawn during the last [football] World Cup without getting paid. But it’s not about the money. What bothered me most is when I did not play my best; I just could not sleep afterward. You see, playing music is about being true to yourself; sometimes you’re the only one who can tell if you’re making a mistake or not.

What’s your proudest moment?

Launching the second album. It’s something for my children and grandchildren to remember me by. And most of all, being able to keep on playing music, how my perseverance has brought me this far. Fame is nothing for me — it’s my dedication to music that counts. Many great musicians play in cafes, oblivious to fame and money, but seem so happy with their musical life. It’s priceless.

So you’re content with the way your career has played out?

Definitely! Being a musician is hard. Unlike other occupations that you can learn from school and, voila, you’re an expert! Not even close. It’s a lifelong journey. Even now, I think I still have so much to learn. In music, you can learn the virtues of life, such as patience and other philosophies. You can hear it in the music.

Akbar Bagus Sudibyo was talking to Fariez Setiawan.

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