This afternoon I had one of the Charley Wilcoxon books out to work through some finger control exercises with a student. This stuff can be really fun to work through, especially if you can work them at low volumes! Control is the key as always....
Nothing fancy: a measure of single 16th notes followed by a measure of single 32nd notes. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
For information about lessons at grooveKSQ, email me!
There is an overabundance of choice out there when it comes to new music. That makes things tough when you are trying to find music of substance, that rewards each subsequent listen. We started the grooveKSQ Spotify playlist to highlight some historic performances that every percussionist should know about, and hopefully you discover something brand new to you that you love….
In building a new percussion set up for a groove program to be named later, I asked cymbalsmith Nicky Moon to make some cup chimes for me. We corresponded a bit about what I wanted them to do, and Nicky NAILED it. This was the first time I have ever hired a custom shop to do something like this and was very pleasantly surprised. You can learn more about his artistry here: https://www.nickymoon.com/
**NOTE I have NOT been paid to post this, I paid for the chimes arms-length and am sharing what I learned with you, because that's what teachers do!**
A quick sit down interview with master banjoist Mark Unruh about the instrument and his inspiration. You can attend a LIVE masterclass with Mark at grooveKSQ on Sunday, July 21, 2019 at 7pm.
It’s never been easy for me to stand still.
So over the years, vacations have turned into time that I can spend planning.
When I was looking at the waves this week, I spent some time reflecting on the fact that grooveKSQ started in earnest around this time last year. The time has gone very quickly.
While groove’s first birthday isn’t really until November 1, when we opened our doors, I can now look back on the development of the business and see new opportunities for programming in 2019 and 2020.
Another series of grooveLIVE streams featuring great acoustic musicians from the area.
More private lessons.
More public performance events for students.
More partnerships with the Kennett Community and beyond.
MUCH more content creation.
In other words, there’s much more to do.
If you love music, and live performance, and want high quality experiences, come along with me for the ride.
Join the email list.
Follow us on social media and YouTube.
Sponsor a live event or live stream.
There are a lot of ways to become part of the groove community.
I hope to hear from you soon.
There has been a lot written about the positive academic benefits of studying music. The pursuit of mastering a musical instrument is a journey of self-discovery and personal development. However, the simplest reason is that making music with other musicians is FUN.
Check out this recent video from a recording session I did last week. The band and I got a good take of a big band tune - the “keeper” take - and went into the control room to listen to it to make sure. Playing well live is one thing. Capturing that live performance on record in a way that communicates to a listener is another matter entirely.
