I strongly believe we need to create our own opportunities in order to “succeed” as a working musician. Sure, some of us are going to win a Symphony audition or be at the right place at the right time, but more likely, you are going to have to work hard, practice a lot, meet and connect with people and hustle any gig you can get. One of the first things I recommend is to start a private lesson studio and offer your services to school districts and drum lines. Start developing a relationship with the local schools in your area. Offer to do a masterclass (for free) in exchange for passing out your business card or a flyer. Once you have secured some students, make sure you have somewhere to teach. Be sure you have all equipment that is needed as well as handouts, practice pads, metronomes, pencils, a mirror and anything else you need for the lesson. Remember that first impressions are important and if you look unorganized, the student (or their parents who are paying for the lessons) will find someone else. Create a good learning environment at your studio. This space will not only be used for lessons, but it is YOUR practice space too. Make it a place where you want to spend time. Hang your diploma, some photos, banners or inspirational items.

OK, now that you have set-up your private lesson studio, it is time to “hit the streets” and get some gigs. Over the years, the stress has been placed on playing the most incredibly difficult four mallet marimba solo or SD etude. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is very important to learn these pieces for listening, developing musicality and stretching your technical ability, but if you can’t play V-I (in tune) on a timpani or play a suspended cymbal roll properly, it won’t matter how well you can play “Merlin,” you will be sitting at home wondering why the phone isn’t ringing. If I look back at the last 10 symphonic/chamber/church gigs that I have played, I haven’t touched a marimba and I would venture a guess that this is true for most of our members in the community. (Note: I am not counting any University related performance. I am talking about professional, paid gigs).

With that being said, here’s my list of a couple suggestions for succeeding on your next gig:

AKA “It is important to know how to…”
1) …play V-I on timpani in all keys
2) …play cymbal rolls in the correct place (from one phrase to another, at a key change or at the climax of a piece)
3) …play steady time with a shaker
4) …play some grooves on congas or djembe
5) …know some basic “Rock and Roll” tambourine technique (especially for a church gig)

Lastly, I think it is important to own good equipment. I know it is difficult to go out and buy the most expensive equipment while you are in college, but I would recommend that you start early and try to accumulate equipment as soon as possible. Remember that birthdays and holidays are good times to ask for equipment. A good “starter” list would include:

1) Tambourine
2) Triangle and Beaters
3) Good Mallets (Showing up on a timpani gig with mallets that look like they are falling apart is not a good idea)
4) Suspended Cymbal (17″ – 19″) and Stand (with felts, washers and plastic sleeve)
5) Djembe or Congas

These lists are in no particular order. Am I forgetting something? What do you recommend to your students? Leave a comment below.

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Originally posted on DrumChattr.com on April 19, 2011.

Technology Article

For more information about the Percussive Arts Society, please visit their website. PAS is an international society of percussionists and if you play drums, you should be a member of this great organization.

For more information about the concert, visit the FaceBook Event Page. The concert is free and if you have a Tibetan bowl, please bring it with you!

Tibetan Bowl Samples by Carolyn Bremer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

The photo in this post is used under the Creative Commons License: Attribution – NonCommercial – No Derivs 2.0 by reway2007 on Flickr.com.

My previous blog post, Ten Things I Wish I Knew Going into my First Ensemble Rehearsal addressed rehearsal/concert etiquette. I got a lot of good feedback from people who left comments in the chatter section. Today, I would like to talk about Stage/Performance Etiquette. Have you ever gone to a performance and remember more about the poor stage etiquette than the performance? Me too! These suggestions may seem obvious, but I am writing this post because I have witnessed performances this semester that have demonstrated poor stage etiquette.

So, let’s start at the very beginning (“a very good place to start”):

Entering the Stage

When you first walk onto the stage, SMILE and acknowledge the audience. Walk with a purpose and get to your set-up without looking around or trying to see if your mom is in the audience. The person with the longest distance to go should enter first. If the applause continues until you get to your instrument, take a bow, otherwise you can acknowledge the audience with a head nod. Look like you are excited to play and SMILE. The audience has taken time out of their schedule to come see you and it is your role to be positive about your performance. Look like you are having fun even if you are nervous. If you look uncomfortable, the audience will feel/be uncomfortable too.

During the Performance

Do not talk during the performance, even if you have a lot of rests. Sit there and enjoy the music and be ready to play when it is your turn. Remember, once you are on stage, the audience can see everything you are doing. If you make a mistake, KEEP GOING. You are going to make mistakes and it is your responsibility to perform through your mistakes as if nothing unusual happened.

Bowing

When you bow, bend at your waist and don’t look at the audience–you are not greeting someone. My percussion teacher at USC used to tell us to bow and say “I can see my shoes.” The bow should last for a count of 2 (aka 2 quarter notes at 60 BPM). Don’t be quick. Enjoy the moment. People are clapping for YOU!! Take a bow (or two) and then exit the stage. If people continue to clap, go back out and take another bow.

Set-Up

This may be a personal issue I have, but I think it is important to avoid moving equipment during the show. I know this is not always possible, but less movement is always better. Try and program/set-up the first half and the second half of the concert with as little instrument movement as possible. For my percussion ensemble concerts, I draw out diagrams and we rehearse the set-up during the dress rehearsal. I also take two short pauses during my percussion ensemble concerts so that we can set-up 2-3 pieces per set. Going to a concert and seeing stage hands and performers move equipment should be minimized whenever possible.

Dress

Wear something that is professional but not distracting. The audience is there to see your performance, not what you are (or are not) wearing. Your outfit should not be flashier than your performance. (As a side note, I always recommend my students to do a run-through of their recital in the outfit they intend to wear for the performance. Performing in dress shoes generally means you have to adjust the height of the marimba and long sleeves will get in the way of your mallets).

Stage Hands

If you are going to use stage hands (which I would highly suggest!!) to help you move equipment, make sure they dress in all black. Before the concert, make sure you go over the set-up diagram and talk to them about how and when they should move the equipment. A note for stage hands: make sure you move with a purpose and don’t interact with the audience. Your job is to help move equipment in between pieces.

Stage Clutter

There should be nothing on the stage other than what you need to perform the concert. No backpacks, stick bags, instrument covers, jackets, empty Diet Coke cans, etc.

After the Concert

DO NOT BE NEGATIVE and tell your audience members everything that went wrong. During the reception, be sure to say hello to all of the people who came to your recital and thank them for being there to support you. Don’t talk about the mistakes you made. Engage with your audience and be positive. Finally, don’t go home and watch your video right after your recital. Wait at least a week and when you do watch it, learn from it and don’t beat yourself up for every little mistake.

Am I forgetting something? Are there any more things you tell your students about stage etiquette or something you have observed that you think everyone needs to know? Leave a comment in the Chattr Section and let me know.

End Note: I have to thank Barbara Matthews, a CSULB Theater Faculty Member, who gave a presentation on this topic for my inspiration to write this article. As I sat and watched her presentation, I thought this would be a good topic to address on the blog. Thank you Barbara!

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Originally posted on DrumChattr.com on November 5, 2010.

The photo in this post is used under the Creative Commons License: Attribution – NonCommercial – No Derivs 2.0 by kj.vogelius on Flickr.com.

The main difference between a CV and a Resume is the length and what is included in the document. A resume is a one page summary of your education, experience, honors and skills. A CV is at least two pages (usually longer) and includes a summary of your education background, teaching experience, publications, awards, honors, research and other details. It is common in the United States for a CV to primarily be used in academic circles. I prefer to think of a CV as an annotated resume.

The main differences between a CV and a Resume are:

The Curriculum Vitae (CV)

1) The CV is a multiple page document listing all of your achievements.
2) A CV includes ALL of your honors, achievements, teaching and educational background.
3) A CV is normally accompanied by a cover letter, which summarizes the CV and points out the strengths in your CV.

The Resume

1) A resume is a one page document that summarizes your education, experience, skills and honors.
2) A resume should only contain relevant information to the job your are applying for.
3) A resume is generally not accompanied by a cover letter.

To help illustrate the difference between a CV and resume, I have posted my CV and my Resume on DrumChattr. I welcome and feedback and contributions to these documents. I created the resume for this post by cutting down my CV. As a faculty member at CSU, Long Beach, I maintain my CV and haven’t used a resume since my undergrad. But, I thought it was important to show the difference between a CV and a resume, so I created a resume for the purpose of this post only.

I have found that CVs and resumes can come in a variety styles and formats. There are many resources on the internet on formatting these documents. I hope this inspires you to dust off your CV/Resume and make sure it is ready for the next opportunity to come your way.

When is the last time you edited your CV/Resume? Are there any resources that you would recommend? Leave us a comment in the Chattr Section and let us know.

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Originally posted on DrumChattr.com on November 9, 2010.

The photo in this post is used under the Creative Commons License: Attribution – NonCommercial – NoDerivs 2.0 Generic by ssteacher on Flickr.com.

We hope you can join us next Friday at 8pm. For more information, check out the Facebook Event Page.

I hope you enjoy the recording. In the next couple of weeks, I will be refining the piece and adding percussion.

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The photo in this post is used under the Creative Commons License: Attribution – NonCommercial – No Derivs 2.0 Generic by Trey Jones on Flickr.com.

IronWorks Percussion Duo (Self-published CD)

Formed in 2006, the IronWorks Percussion Duo aims to expand the repertoire written for their medium. Attempting to explore new possibilities for the genre, the group began a composition contest in 2008. Through their debut recording, the duo brings two of the prize-winning works to life in addition to three other new pieces. The eclectic compilation makes use of unique instrument combinations. Well versed in both Western and ethnic instrument performance, the duo demonstrates creativity in combining the practices of various cultures.

Encompassing a variety of styles and unique instrument combinations, listeners have several quality options to appeal to their taste. The first movement of “Uncompression” by Ming-ching Chiu is reminiscent of multiple percussion works by Dave Hollinden. The two movements of Roger Pzytulski’s “Arc & Current” provide one rhythmic and one laid-back duo for steel drums. I was most drawn to “Volume” by Missy Mazzoli. The mixture of vibraphone, steel drum, tuned wine bottles, and kick drum creates a distinct sound palette to establish a series of relaxed grooves created through irregular
metric groupings.

The two remaining tracks were written by the duo members themselves: “Tribute” by Dave Gerhart and “A Cosby Sweater” by Axel Clarke. Seeing what IronWorks has accomplished in five years, one can only assume this is one of several quality recordings the duo will produce in years to come.
—Darin Olson

The short answer is YES!! The 40 Standard American Drum Rudiments are a set of short patterns that are essential in building technique. Rudiments on snare drum are like scales on marimba. Over the past couple of months, I have been thinking a lot about how to incorporate rudiments into the college curriculum. It is almost assumed that by the time a percussionist gets to college, they already know their rudiments, but I have been finding that most students don’t know their rudiments as well as they should. I think this is very true about students who start on a mallet instruments.

A Brief History of the Rudiments

Over the years, percussionists have tried to come up with a standardized list of rudiments. The original rudiments were developed throughout Europe and were introduced into the the United States during the American Revolution. In 1933, the National Association of Rudimental Drummers (NARD) created the “Thirteen Essential Rudiments” from the 26 Standard American Drum Rudiments. The thirteen rudiments included the long roll, the 5-stroke & 7-stroke roll, the flam, the flam accent, the flam paraddidle, the flamacue, the ruff, the single and double drag, the double paradiddle, the single and triple ratamacue. These thirteen rudiments were adopted and used as a test for membership in the “Thirteen Club.” In the early 1980s, the Percussive Arts Society added fourteen rudiments, reordered them and published the 40 Standard American Drum Rudiments. Recently, many hybrid rudiments have been informally added, although most of these are combinations based on the original 40. Hybrid rudiments are common in drumlines and drum corps and are the combination of two or more of the original 40 rudiments.

Application

A “rudiment”, as defined in the dictionary is the beginning or early stages of development. For percussionists and drummers, snare drum rudiments are our vocabulary. Rudiments develop your hands and teaches you stick control. This control will help you develop your technique across all of the percussion instruments.

The 40 Standard American Drum Rudiment are broken down into four categories:

1) Roll Rudiments
2) Diddle Rudiments
3) Flam Rudiments
4) Drag Rudiments

There are also a number of hybrid rudiments that have been developed in the drum corp ranks over the past 20 years. There are numerous sources on the internet (PAS, Vic Firth, and YouTube) where you can explore snare drum rudiments.

How do you incorporate rudiments into your practice routine? If you are a teacher, how do you incorporate rudiments into your lessons and assignments? What is your favorite rudimental warm-up? Leave your thoughts and comments in the Chattr Section.

Here are my two favorite rudimental warm-up exercises:

1) || : Flam Accent | Flam Accent | Flam Accent | Flam Tap | Flam Tap : ||

2) “Paradiddle-Paradiddle”

|| : R L R R L R L L R L R R R L R R | L R L L R L R R L R L L L R L L : ||
Play with “normal” paradiddle accents.