commentary

When a Little Frustration is a Good Thing...

Frustration is something that we ALL encounter in different phases of life.  It could be work, it could be school, it could be something personal.  It does happen to everyone.

Frustration, in some ways, is a positive thing, and I’ll explain why in one minute. 

From a teacher’s standpoint, the level of a student’s frustration is something that I pay very close attention to.  There is hard work, and there is fun.  

We want to balance the hard work aspect of studying an instrument with the FUN aspect of studying an instrument.  There should always be some of both to keep the student engaged and moving forward. 

Why is a little frustration a positive thing?

Because it shows that the Student cares about what they are doing and they want to do a good job and they are willing to spend the energy required to do a good job.  That is a huge positive. 

If you ever have any questions about this or other aspects of the studio, please email me or DM me.  Thanks for your support.  

Video Lesson: how to play grace notes & ruffs

One of the cornerstones of the teaching philosophy here is a strong emphasis on rudimental playing, as that opens the door to many drumset concepts. In short, good technique and control makes the flashy drumset work easier to execute at a high level.

Below is a video lesson I posted for a student which resonated with quite a few people, it was one of the most viewed video lessons on the channel. Click here to subscribe to the studio’s YouTube channel if this interests you!

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RIP, Taylor Hawkins (1972 - 2022)

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Earlier this week Taylor Hawkins passed away unexpectedly only hours before the Foo Fighters’ scheduled appearance in Bogota, Colombia. Tributes came pouring in from all over the music world, and every major news outlet has reported on his passing. He was at the top of his game, playing arena concerts in one of the biggest rock bands on earth.

This is yet another reminder for us to pursue our goals and dreams and not procrastinate or waste time on things that distract us from our calling. Life is incredibly short. Artists are remembered not only for how they interacted with people, but by the body of work they left behind.

Great songs and great art live forever.

-BT

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The Odd Time Playlist

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In my discussions with many of you throughout the last few weeks, we have addressed quite a few songs that are in odd time signatures (i.e. not in 4/4 or 2/4 time). I started a playlist of songs that I think are worth your time. One of the characteristics of these songs is that they don’t feel like they are in 5 or 7 or 13. That is the mark of skillful songwriting and arranging.

What songs would YOU add to this list? I want to hear from you. Email me here.

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The Pat Metheny Interview

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For those of you who aren’t familiar with Pat Metheny, he is a legendary jazz guitarist who has won 20 Grammys. He is a bridge to the past, but is a very contemporary composer and player. I saw this interview - which is absolutely packed with wisdom. Not knowledge - musical wisdom.

This is worth your time, but it is a longer piece (about 90 minutes). I listened to it in three sittings, a half hour at a time. Enjoy:

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Giving Thanks

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Thanksgiving is approaching, and as grooveKSQ enters its third year (already!), there are many things and people to be thankful for:

The students, who work hard to get better every week, and come up with interesting ideas for material to develop;

The parents, for supporting the students, bringing them to and from lessons, and reminding the students to practice;

The donors who have made financial contributions to assist in carrying out grooveKSQ’s programming; and

The business partners who have sponsored events, or have participated in projects with us.

THANK YOU ALL, without this tremendous growing community, none of our programming would happen. There are big plans for 2021 that I will share with you in the coming weeks. Until then, I hope that you all stay safe during this challenging time.