20. Soap Box, THE Bell Kit and other issues

The following quote is pulled from a document for a Middle School in the Dallas Ft Worth area. I pulled it literally straight off the internet as a PDF. It amazes me that the snare drum in the kit is below standards based upon its life use, but the bell kit, which is never of any performing value, is still encouraged. Makes one go, mmmmmmm

"DO NOT purchase a beginner kit with the snare drum that is included. All companies that include the snare drum with the percussion kit is not suitable for your students needs. The snare drum is never built well enough to hold a good sound and is not a longtime investment if your child continues his/her studies. Purchase the beginner kit with a practice pad only. It will be wise to invest your money into a concert snare drum that could be used in middle school and through all of his/her high school days."

It puzzles my mind that the snare drum with these kits is unsuitable but that somehow the "BELL SET" is functional and somehow has a lifespan of some function which the snare drum does not have. Go figure.

Please, parents I emplore you, make your childs time in music a possibility rather then a effort fraught with a faulty concept of an instrument. You would not go and buy a piece of pipe and drill holes in it, put a cork in one end and call it a flute would you? Or study piano with a mini key board that isnt even 20" long, but expect the child to go to piano lessons on a full size "real" keyboard and have good results, would you?
Thats why and how I started making the Xylophone and now the "ZEBRA" Marimba. What an instrument at a great price. Rentals are available to students of mine. One of the perks for studing with me, WHAT A DEAL!

In all my years of playing and teaching I have never come across the person that DREAMED of playing PAD or the nightmare BELL KIT! Never have and never will! I wanted to be a DRUMMER! How about you?

You pay $300 at least for a standard "BELL KIT" which in the moment you buy it is loosing its life value. More time and energy has gone into the zipper and wheels or the new silk screened logo then on any value design changes of the "instrument".

So why not pay $600 for a real 2 octave instrument that CAN be extended into a REAL 4.3 octave instrument later by adding the rest of the ZEBRA!

from a new College Graduate,,,,,"but I need a Eb and you only have a D#" .....you just can't make this stuff up.

This misunderstood movement is still fraught with misconceptions and a lack of history connection. I am fortunate to have studied with a man that studied directly with Moeller. In our discussions coupled with my 1. personal time with Frank Arsenault 2. North Eastern style drumming 3. multi percussion performance and 4. drum set performance, I have concluded with a few thoughts and approaches.

The most dangerous aspect of the style, or the most apparent misconception is to isolate the movement to the "wrist". This could not be further from the point then the sun from the earth. The movement is pivotal in the forearm motion. The wrist which is 8 bones and the related muscles must be relaxed to allow for this pivoting or swinging of the palm. The Hand and all its elements, not the thumb and index finger as so many love to think it is. The "Hand" includes the thumb, index, middle, ring, pinky finger, and the inner palm.

If you observe great drummers the likes of Krupa, Rich, Bellson, Gadd and many others, you will see a relaxed forearm movement. DCI and the drum corps of today has moved with a (not new either) restricted arm movement. I remember when I was in college at Memphis State, some guys locking their arms to their sides doing the Stone stick control book. Fortunately for me, I had a vision to see that just didnt make sense to lock up the very same muscles that were needed to play with.

The key to remember is, relaxed muscles work best. Warm them up, breath and in time the speed will come. I will post some video soon with samples of exercises I use with young 6-7-8th graders that explain very easily how to aquire this technique and how it works for use on the drum set and makes styles so easy to play. Also this is explained in great detail in my book "Manual for Percussive Hands

College scholarships, how competing District to State Bands can help garnish monies.

Did you know that on your application to a University, that if you were chosen as a ALL State Band Member that you can garnish a scholarship from about any school in the US? Even if your major is not musically related. This is true, Bands need bodies, and good players are always welcomed in any band program. So efforts to be a member of that Region and District Band pay off greatly down the road. So get at working to be in that Middle School District or Region Band so you have the skills to compete at the High School level. It will pay off more then you realize!

I do a demonstration that shows this very clearly but here in type it takes a little more effort, which is another reason it is so easily ignored. For a drummer to not tap your foot is just musical suicide. I tell students all the time, the rule is, 1. TAP YOUR FOOT 2. COUNT, 3. EXECUTE. I will add more to eplain this in time.