Auditions are nerve-wracking, we all know this. You spend weeks rehearsing a few pieces of music, just to have all of your time and commitment judged on one given performance. The circumstances leading up to the audition might not always be fair either. In any case, here are a few simple ways to help ease the stress of an audition so you are prepared to nail it with confidence!
1. Practice, practice, practice I know this is common sense, but you can't ever expect to go into an audition and actually be successful if you never put the any time or effort into rehearsing. Diligent practice is absolutely a necessity for every audition. Here's why... No matter how skilled you think you may be, or how prepared either, the pressure will always be a factor. When you are right there in that moment, it is imperative that you receive as much training prior to this opportunity as possible. You will need to reference every bit of rehearsal you worked out, but luckily if you have practiced correctly, muscle memory and your inner soul will take over.
2. Get a good night sleep Another obvious one, sure. But the anxiety and stress will leave you prone to staying awake all night before the audition. My advice? Practice and work extra hard TWO DAYS before the audition. That way, you are a little more tired the day before and once you have finalized your audition, you will be ready to sleep through the night and rock the audition the next morning.
3. Eat healthy A balanced diet is another necessity to a successful audition. Whether you want to accept it or not, what you eat is in fact what you are made of. Proper nutrition, including: whole grains, protein, fruits, vegetables, and abundant hydration will keep your body in tip-top shape. The largest strategic advantage this has is that by having the proper nutrition, your mind can think quicker and sharper. This allows you to perform in ways that you did not think were possible when under pressure!
As you can see, these three basic tips for preparing for an audition are incredibly elementary. However, they are absolute necessities to performing a successful audition. Each of them are important in order to feel as comfortable as possible during the audition. The last bit of advice I would like to tell you is to believe in yourself. Confidence is the most crucial ingredient, but by properly adhering to these tips and tricks, it will come to you naturally.
Friday, July 10, 2015
Three New Learning Materials!
For all you snare drummers out there, I got some new pieces of material that should be a great help in practicing snare drum.
The first link provided below will direct you to a video that includes Mr. Bill Bachman. Bill has been a Vic Firth representative and instructor for over a decade now and really does provide some great insight for drummers of all ability levels. Bill goes into great detail surrounding three major areas to snare drumming, including: stick heights, velocity, and double stops. Any great marching snare drummer must master these concepts and have full control over how your stick moves. Check out this great learning resource to learn more!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_H55gIwQDE
The second link I have provided is a transcription, audio, and video representation of a piece of music from the 2015 Madison Scout snare line. The music is for advanced players, but it also includes some tasty licks. This piece of music has more of a snare "spree" to it. In any case, take the time to study this music. It's great fun and sounds really cool when you perform it! Not to mention it will give you a run for your money with the good 'ol flam drag rudiment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA4AtWNQMzA
Lastly, I have one more learning material for you to master! This last link will direct you to a simple piece of music that focuses on building your snare chops, more specifically, singles. Singles are very popular in advanced drumming. They require great muscle control and sound really impressive when played cleanly. Rehearse this exercise to nail down your singles on the snare drum so you are ready to throw down!
http://www.snarescience.com/exercises/32nd-note-singles1.pdf
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Helpful Hints for Starting Your Own Rock Band!
Us drummers have always fantasized about forming our own rock band and taking the big stage one day. Well let me tell you, it's actually not all that difficult to achieve! I have toured across the country and recorded an EP with my own band, so I know what it takes. But really it all comes down to just a few things. Follow these guidelines to successfully start your own rock band!
1. Practice
Before you go center stage with a rock band, you need to make sure your own skills are up to par. The more versatile you are as a drummer, the broader reach you will have to work with different musicians. Everyone has a different ear and style of music, practice diligently in order to make sure that you are equipped with the right tools to play with different people. Also, it is difficult to be successful in a band if you can't keep up. Often times, cover songs are a great way to start together as a band in order to focus in on a genre you want to sound like. Just don't forget to make sure you are solid with your own abilities first!
2. Spread the word!
Musicians love to make other new musician friends. Most of the time, they just don't know that you rock, or that you want to form your own band! Tell your friends, family, and teachers that you are interested in forming a band and the word will get out. Soon enough the talent will be seeking you! You just need to take charge, be a leader, and organize. Step up and take the initiative, and the others will find their way to you.
3. Designate a practice space!
If you want to have your own band, you have to have your own practice space to rehearse together. Maybe it's your garage, the school band room, or in the basement... but wherever it may be, you need to find a place big enough to store all your equipment. Most importantly however, make sure it's a space you are comfortable in. Remember, this is where you will bring your creative vision to life! Give the space some good vibes with decoration and various furniture if possible. A positive work environment is the most productive one when forming a band!
The most important thing to remember in forming your own band is never to lose sight of the goal. Stay motivated, stay determined, and stay excited! The band mates will appear soon enough, and you will make the best friends of your life with this experience. But if you don't let people know, you won't have the opportunity.
Don't be afraid, go after it!
1. Practice
Before you go center stage with a rock band, you need to make sure your own skills are up to par. The more versatile you are as a drummer, the broader reach you will have to work with different musicians. Everyone has a different ear and style of music, practice diligently in order to make sure that you are equipped with the right tools to play with different people. Also, it is difficult to be successful in a band if you can't keep up. Often times, cover songs are a great way to start together as a band in order to focus in on a genre you want to sound like. Just don't forget to make sure you are solid with your own abilities first!
2. Spread the word!
Musicians love to make other new musician friends. Most of the time, they just don't know that you rock, or that you want to form your own band! Tell your friends, family, and teachers that you are interested in forming a band and the word will get out. Soon enough the talent will be seeking you! You just need to take charge, be a leader, and organize. Step up and take the initiative, and the others will find their way to you.
3. Designate a practice space!
If you want to have your own band, you have to have your own practice space to rehearse together. Maybe it's your garage, the school band room, or in the basement... but wherever it may be, you need to find a place big enough to store all your equipment. Most importantly however, make sure it's a space you are comfortable in. Remember, this is where you will bring your creative vision to life! Give the space some good vibes with decoration and various furniture if possible. A positive work environment is the most productive one when forming a band!
The most important thing to remember in forming your own band is never to lose sight of the goal. Stay motivated, stay determined, and stay excited! The band mates will appear soon enough, and you will make the best friends of your life with this experience. But if you don't let people know, you won't have the opportunity.
Don't be afraid, go after it!
The Four Necessary Fundamental Exercises Every Drummer Needs to Know!
Fundamentals are the building blocks for every drummer’s style and interpretation. Some of us prefer to drum with a stronger marching background, while others drum with jazz influence. In any case, there are several exercises that all that drummers should practice to help shape their sense of time. After all, it is our job…we are the driving force behind any ensemble. Therefore, brush up on these fundamentals on the snare drum to maintain a well-balanced structure to your drumming.
8s Exercise –
This one is elementary, but it's one of the first fundamental drumming exercises you learn for a reason. Eighth notes provide a more consistent sense of time by breaking down the quarter pulse, providing twice as many references for time. Practice marking time to the quarter note, half note, and whole note. This fundamental exercise will force your whole body to interact with the rhythm. Lastly this exercise is great to practice technique, as well as understanding the mechanics behind the muscles you use.
Triplet Grid –
Triplet grid is a triplet-based pattern that focuses on the accents of each triplet-partial and how they relate to the beat. This is a great exercise for drum set players. Lots of drum fills can be dressed up with triplets and variations of accents. By marking time to this exercise you will be able to feel more comfortable with the bass parts. In short, this is a great one to further your triplet-timing skill set.
Double Beat –
Double beat is a consistent eighth note exercise with diddles on the down beat and off beat, alternating between the two in equal segments of time. Double beat should be an exercise that focuses on a drummer’s diddle control and quality. Start slow, around 100 bpm…and slowly get faster. Doing this everyday is also a great way to build chops!
Paradiddles –
Paradiddles are very common rhythmic patterns that show up in all forms of percussion. They also put into perspective alternating stickings. Practice paradiddles by placing the partials on different toms while on the drum set. This allows you to make new fills. Additionally, paradiddles are an excellent pattern to hone in on stick control.
Fundamental exercises can be tiresome, but they are necessary to every drummers routine. These fundamentals will build muscle, and they will also help improve your sense of time. If you really want to test yourself, practice these fundamental exercises with different dynamics too!
Good Luck!
8s Exercise –
This one is elementary, but it's one of the first fundamental drumming exercises you learn for a reason. Eighth notes provide a more consistent sense of time by breaking down the quarter pulse, providing twice as many references for time. Practice marking time to the quarter note, half note, and whole note. This fundamental exercise will force your whole body to interact with the rhythm. Lastly this exercise is great to practice technique, as well as understanding the mechanics behind the muscles you use.
Triplet Grid –
Triplet grid is a triplet-based pattern that focuses on the accents of each triplet-partial and how they relate to the beat. This is a great exercise for drum set players. Lots of drum fills can be dressed up with triplets and variations of accents. By marking time to this exercise you will be able to feel more comfortable with the bass parts. In short, this is a great one to further your triplet-timing skill set.
Double Beat –
Double beat is a consistent eighth note exercise with diddles on the down beat and off beat, alternating between the two in equal segments of time. Double beat should be an exercise that focuses on a drummer’s diddle control and quality. Start slow, around 100 bpm…and slowly get faster. Doing this everyday is also a great way to build chops!
Paradiddles –
Paradiddles are very common rhythmic patterns that show up in all forms of percussion. They also put into perspective alternating stickings. Practice paradiddles by placing the partials on different toms while on the drum set. This allows you to make new fills. Additionally, paradiddles are an excellent pattern to hone in on stick control.
Fundamental exercises can be tiresome, but they are necessary to every drummers routine. These fundamentals will build muscle, and they will also help improve your sense of time. If you really want to test yourself, practice these fundamental exercises with different dynamics too!
Good Luck!
Friday, July 3, 2015
Check These Out!
I came across a couple helpful resources that I think a lot of you beginners might find appealing, so I thought I would share them with you today!
1. Drum Building Secrets
2. Begin Drumming System
1. Drum Building Secrets
- The link I have provided will direct you to a website that offers a tutorial, specializing in putting together your very own drum set! Some people buy complete sets, others will purchase the individual pieces and shape an original drum set themselves. In either case, this guy can help you every step along the way! He gives tons of great pointers in what to do with specific parts, and how to adjust your drum set for maximum performance capabilities.
2. Begin Drumming System
- The link associated with Begin Drumming System will direct you to a website that offers a complete DVD collection set that provides you with practical drum lessons via video, audio, and text/graphic format. It includes over four hours of video instruction, 52 pages of printable materials, and 198 audio files. Jim McCarthy, the instructor, also has a very deep and extensive resume of credentials to back up his lessons and rationale. I am endorsing this DVD collection set because it truly is the most efficient and effective beginners learning tool I have encountered. If you want to pick up the sticks and fast, here's how you can do it!
Why I Recommend Every Drummer Should Audition for Drum Corp International
If I were to bring down my reasoning for auditioning for Drum Corp International, I would sum it up with one reason, and one reason only...
It opens up your mind.
Everyday we choose to interact based on our own personal experiences that shape who are today. So I can't help but recommend this life-changing experience to everyone. Auditioning for a drum corp pushes you mentally and physically. It requires memorizing extensive pieces of music and drill spots, dedicating time everyday to progressing as a musician, and being in top physical condition. But more importantly, it forces you to learn in ways that you didn't previously understand. With the help of instructors and mentors that have had the same experience on the national and global stage, you find yourself pushing beyond your breaking points that you didn't previously deem possible.
I guess what I am trying to say is that when you sign up to march in a drum corp, you are thereby dedicating a portion of your life to one single musical show. A show that you will constantly strive to perfect, as well as come to love inside and out. The music you perform represent the messages and ideas that are expressed. The theatrical and marching aspects of the show bring the visual representation of the emotions portrayed, and by the end of the season, you will have successfully brought a story...
To Life.
It is a matter of being apart of something that is larger than any physical world around you. It's about influencing others in emotional ways, and chasing the pursuit of perfection. A process that you will never again endure with such devotion and support from hundreds of other new family members that you come to love. This activity opens your mind because when you are finished with your first season, you come back to the real world with a learning experience that taught you how to learn. You are the only person that will ever hold you back.
So what are you waiting for already? GO REGISTER!
http://www.dci.org/
It opens up your mind.
Everyday we choose to interact based on our own personal experiences that shape who are today. So I can't help but recommend this life-changing experience to everyone. Auditioning for a drum corp pushes you mentally and physically. It requires memorizing extensive pieces of music and drill spots, dedicating time everyday to progressing as a musician, and being in top physical condition. But more importantly, it forces you to learn in ways that you didn't previously understand. With the help of instructors and mentors that have had the same experience on the national and global stage, you find yourself pushing beyond your breaking points that you didn't previously deem possible.
I guess what I am trying to say is that when you sign up to march in a drum corp, you are thereby dedicating a portion of your life to one single musical show. A show that you will constantly strive to perfect, as well as come to love inside and out. The music you perform represent the messages and ideas that are expressed. The theatrical and marching aspects of the show bring the visual representation of the emotions portrayed, and by the end of the season, you will have successfully brought a story...
To Life.
It is a matter of being apart of something that is larger than any physical world around you. It's about influencing others in emotional ways, and chasing the pursuit of perfection. A process that you will never again endure with such devotion and support from hundreds of other new family members that you come to love. This activity opens your mind because when you are finished with your first season, you come back to the real world with a learning experience that taught you how to learn. You are the only person that will ever hold you back.
So what are you waiting for already? GO REGISTER!
http://www.dci.org/
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Cafe Products Available!
When I first developed the concept for this
blog, I knew I wanted to provide an effective resource to help drummers further
their skills, despite peoples’ individual accessibility to the right instructors.
I had a vision of creating a community where drummers can come together online
to help one another, as they too embark on the same journey of music. However,
this goal requires a lot of time, capital, and commitment. To enhance this
website and deliver more helpful material to everyone, I came up with a
fundraising idea that ties everything together…
The fundamental component, the key to make this
whole project work, is the network of musicians. With that said, if you also
share this same vision and want to contribute to the process of the community I
have outlined here, I am pleased to announce that you can support the cause by
purchasing EDP apparel and accessories now online!
EDP online store consists of three products:
1. T-Shirts
2. Mugs
3. Coasters
Prices and images can be seen by following the
link below. These products promote our name and logos. So, if you want to be a
part of a team that includes talented, ambitious percussionists...show your
support with our merchandise to help spread the word! All of the proceeds
will go directly to creating new videos, hosting live performances, and tons of
other great ideas that I hope will help inspire others.
Thank you in advance to everyone who chooses to
support the cause by picking up our merchandise.
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