Animals

Another middle school piece, this one was really driven by a 7th grade science geek. He convinced the group that they should do a composition progressing from fish to reptile to bird to mamal. Along the way they all learned blending and glazing, composition and design elements, collage techniques, and other mixed media methods.

Wizard

Same as the last: 36" x 46", acrylic, ink, pencil, colored pencil on cardboard. This one was done by three seventh graders. One of them loves to draw anime. She drove the bulk of the composition. The sun and the wizard's coat are just amazing. I keep thinking this one looks like a miniture. I mean it looks like a scene I'd find if I pulled apart some bushes and peered into secret fairy kingdom.

Flowers

This is the first in a series of images created by my middle school and high school students. 36" x 46", acrylic, ink, pencil, and colored pencil on cardboard. None of these students has ever done a painting of this scale. They worked in groups, this one was painted by four high school girls who only want to paint "pretty things". They copied from clip-art images of flowers, drew them larger, and arranged them to create a composition. They drew, then painted using glazes in the ribbons and ala prima techniques elsewhere. This is the culmination of a semester of work.

Random Studio Pic

This is my teaching studio. On the left is a six piece Po' Boy birch kit. On the right is a four piece 1967 Ludwig with a maple picolo snare. Between them is a music stand with the book Fundamental Studies for the Snare Drum by Garwood Whaley. On the far right are a bunch of drum cases. Between the sets is a little table with two pairs of isolation headphones. There is often a cup of coffee on the same little table. Sometimes there is a glass of Jack Daniel's on the little table, but only when the little students aren't there taking their little drum lessons. There is cardboard covering the window because I am Nosferatu and I fear the light of day. In the picture at the top of my blog (the blog profile picture) is a low budget Pearl Export with a pair of Reme Roto Toms. I don't really use that one any more. Wanna buy it?

Odd Time

Alrighty, so I have a student who's interested in exploring music, particularly drumming, in odd time signatures. My first reaction is to say, "Cool, listen to this piece by Gentle Giant. The verse is in 13/8, the chorus is in 5/4, and then there's a polyrhythmic fugal bit that's really catchy", but I know better. I want to put together a sampling of stuff that grooves. Music that you tap your foot to and don't even realize you're in an odd time signature. I also need it to be stuff that a fourteen year old, albeit with sofisticated taste, may actually enjoy. That pretty much eliminates most of the latest pop. Furthermore, while Tool and The Mars Volta would probably interest, I'm afraid they're way over the top. That leads me to think it needs to be classic prog rock and fusion jazz. Something she can tap her foot to and have a chance of figuring out. Tunes that tend to maintain the same groove throughout. Here's a tentative list. If you can think of other suggestions, please post.

Living In The Past (Jethro Tull, very catchy 5/4)
Take 5 (Dave Brubeck 5/4 swing)
Everything's Alright (Lloyd Weber's Superstar 5/4 swing)
Money (Pink Floyd very catchy 7/4)
Salisbury Hill (Peter Gabrial 7/4)
Frame By Frame (King Crimson 7/4)
Observations And Reflections (Billy Cobham, very cool 9/8)
Beelzebub (Bill Bruford 9/8 again)
Birds Of Fire (John Mclaughlin 9/8)
Watcher Of The Skies (Genesis, a very interesting 12/8)
Spectrum (Billy Cobham, excellent stage band tune in 15/16)

Darbuka Boy

One of my students recently purchased a darbuka. Yes, a darbuka. You may know it as a doumbek, but I still call it a darbuka because that's what the Turks call it and I bought mine at the grand bazar in Istanbul, so there. Anyway, Blake bought a darbuka and wants to learn eastern rhythms. Bless his pointed little head... only 12 years old and he already wants to play in 13! Nothing warms the cockles of my heart (whatever the hell they are) than a kid who wants to count "one, two, one, two, one, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, three", it's sooooooo cute! BTW, that's a picture of me playing the darbuka, not Blake. He's 12 remember?

Favorite Books for Beginners

I have three books that I like to use for beginning drum students. The first is the classic A Funky Primer by Charles Dowd, written in the '70s but just as relevent today. A simple book of straight eighth note grooves in 4/4 time that gets beginners up and playing fast. The section comprising just hi-hat and snare drum is very versatile. When I teach this section, I have students switch hands, invert the exercises, and play it with feet only. I also have students play the last quarter note of each measure twice, or drop off the last eighth note so they start learning odd time as well.

The second book is another oldie (1973) called Fundamental Studies For Snare Drum by Garwood Whaley. It contains exercises comprising all of your note/rest combinations from whole notes to sixteenths. The exercises are all multi-measure etudes in assorted time signitures. There are several duets and the last section introduces flams, drags, and rolls. For me, this has been a great book for prepping students for junior high and high school band.

Finally, I like The Drumset Musician by Rick Mattingly and Rod Morgenstein. A more contemporary publication. I like this one because it has several complete drum charts and a play along CD. Again, this is a great book for getting students ready to play in stage band.

Section Leader

One of my percussion students was just made Section Leader in her junior high symphonic band. In addition to playing piano, drums, and directing the school jazz band, Ashely will be playing piano and percussion in the concert band and now directing the batterie in the symphonic band. Wow, that's enough to make a teacher extremely proud. Hooray for Ashley.