Tag: piano drum teacher

Did you know that in the mid 1920’s a drummer named Billy Gladstone invented an instrument called the (You might want to sit down for this one.) Bock-a-da-Bock. Now, right there, Google is going to bar my post from appearing in emails or my business page. Cause, see, the name is too weird. Now, what…

Drums are an instrument like no other. The guys who drive them are accused of being too loud, or too fast, or play too much. So many “Too’s”! Well, I know why: it’s because they don’t listen. They have only the faintest idea of what the rest of the band is doing. So, why drummers,…

Did you know that Drums were one of the last recorded instrument? I don’t mean by that that during a session the drums will go last, I mean it historically. And hysterically, too. Haha! Let’s laugh, so haha! Moving on. Why? Well, why, do you think? Because they were too loud. I should say, they…

Today I’ll talk about a subject that young drummers wonder about as they try to break through into the scene and make a name for themselves. Because the daunting question most of them have when confronted with an original song is: “What should I play?” Let’s suppose that they are proposed a typical rock song,…

And here we are, struggling with a new variant of the Covid-19, this one spreading like wild fires. It has engulfed all of our lives once again. We are not as afraid as we were two years ago but we don’t feel very safe either. More than that, many people are sheltering and refusing to…

When I get a brand new beginner on drums I tell her to grab her stick the way she prefers and then try to hit the hi hat or the snare. I do not give more direction than that. I let them find their marks with their grip. I know they usually are eager to…

As a drummer, I am fascinated with all sorts of sounds. Remember, when you don’t know how to categorize an instrument, you put it in the percussion section. For example, a whistle: percussion. A cueca: percussion. A squeaky wheel: percussion. As percussionist we have the most crowded department of them all. We take everything, from…

Some people have it. They come on stage and everybody’s eyes follow them no matter where they go. They don’t do a lot. Some people have it so strong, they just fascinate. It has a name, it’s called the “X” factor. It’s so rare and so important, they made a TV show to look for…

Fascinating! A city became a music capital because of Kevin Bacon! I’m half-joking. Since you know the title of this blog, you know the name of the city, no mystery here: Seattle. I should write: Seattle! With an exclamation point. Because, who knew? Seattle in the 80’s was trying to kick rock music out of…

I’ve been teaching for a long time now. Since 1989, to be precise. Before the dinosaurs, yes. One of the question that seems to come often is “What is the point of playing music?” Actually, that’s not exactly the question my students ask, more the question I ask them to think about. Now, let’s see…