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GrooveFEST Spring 2022 Recap

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Well, what a fabulous day this was! The students all played with confidence and conviction. These student performance days are truly my favorite thing, as we can get out of the practice room and show friends and family what progress has been made. The students really do make the most interesting choices for the songs they want to learn. Many musical styles were well represented: punk rock, jazz and funk classics, some hard rock in there as well, and also a rudimental classic from the 1940s.

Thank you to the students’ families who attended, and especially to the three families who were in attendance even though their son or daughter was not performing that day. That really says a lot about the community that is surrounding the studio and these awesome young musicians.

We also have to thank Mark and Jossy Osborne for allowing our students to come in and perform at Kennett Brewing Company, that was a treat to have a professional venue for the students to experience.

There will be video pieces for each student coming out this week on our social media platforms. Stay tuned!

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation for the general support of the studio to enable us to produce more programming like this. Click here to donate.

You can also stay in the loop by joining our email list. Text GROOVEKSQ to 66866 on your smartphone.

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Creativity, Rhythm & Words

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One of the most important concepts for all our students here is creativity. How can you apply what you have learned in new and unexpected ways?

Spoken word and poetry is a prime example of another mode of performance (with words, rather than instruments) that has rhythmic complexity that might not seem immediately apparent. This is readily evident in metered poetry forms (i.e. a haiku is three lines comprised of 5 syllables, then 7 syllables, then 5 syllables. 5-7-5.)

It is my belief that each person has a natural cadence to their speech, regardless of how quickly or slowly they are talking. Cadence is defined as:

the rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words. See Dictionary.com

In developing a few performance pieces in this style I have become more attuned to the cadence of people’s speaking. Last week, I was invited to the Kennett Library to demonstrate this at their monthly poetry reading. It was a fun experience applying percussion and creativity to a completely different mode of performance.

Rhythm truly is all around us, you just have to listen closely.

GrooveFEST FAQs for families…

The last public student performance the studio produced was way back before the pandemic. Since then, there have been quite a few new students join the studio. Now that things seemed to have normalized, it is time to perform again. After all, being great in the practice room is one thing, being great in front of a live audience is another kind of test altogether. I put together this set of FAQs based on the questions I received from parents and guardians which I think will be helpful.

1. What is GrooveFEST exactly?

A. GrooveFEST is a catchier name for a student recital or student performance. GrooveFEST is intended to be a fun experience for the students in a friendly live environment.

2. Is participation mandatory?

A. No, participation is voluntary, but I strongly encourage students to participate because it is a terrific learning experience.

3. Is there a cover charge or fee for participating?

A. There is no fee, but this is a fundraising event for the studio to help cover its general operating expenses. You can make a tax deductible donation to the studio HERE.

4. How much performance time will my student have?

A. Performance time allotted to each performer will depend on the total number of performers we have signed up. We have ninety minutes allotted for this event.

5. Where is the event being held?

A. The performance is being held on stage at Kennett Brewing Company, 109 S. Broad Street in Kennett. KBC is located in the same building as grooveKSQ but on the ground floor. KBC has two entrances, one on Apple Alley and one on South Broad Street.

6. What if my son or daughter is nervous about performing?

A. My job as an educator is to put the students in a position to succeed. Some nerves before live performance is a totally natural thing. If I think that your son or daughter is going to have difficulty, I will let you know. (note: this has not happened one time yet!).

7. When should we let you know if my son or daughter is participating?

A. The earlier the better! The more time I have to plan the program, the better experience everyone (performers and guests) will have.

8. Is this a competition?

A. The only person the students are competing against is themselves. So no there is no competitive aspect among the performers. We will have some trivia and games and maybe a few prizes.

Next Level Finger Control from NBA Great Kyrie Irving

One of the skills that quite a lot of our students work on is finger control - the ability to use individual fingers (or a group of individual fingers) to manipulate the drumstick in a controlled manner. Keep an eye on our YouTube Channel for a tutorial on that topic later this week.

If you want a truly expert display of finger dexterity and strength, check out this video from the NBA world showing Kyrie Irving warming up for a Brooklyn Nets game:

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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

An EXPERT level of groove from Nate Smith

If you are unfamiliar with The Fearless Flyers, it is time for you to become acquainted. This compact lineup (Mark Lettieri and Cory Wong on guitars, Joe Dart on bass and the Jedi Master Nate Smith on drums) is one of the most entertaining bands I have heard in a very long time.

Armed with only a bass drum, snare drum and a pair of hi-hats, Nate Smith expertly drives this band for a blistering 40 minute set. So much of what Nate plays is incredibly subtle, so this performance takes multiple listens and views to unpack what he is playing here. Also, his performance here is a testament to what can be accomplished with a minimal setup, and especially the hi-hat alone. This part of the modern drumset is often overlooked for just how versatile and effective it can be all by itself. There are no ride or crash cymbals in Nate’s setup. All hi-hat, all the time.

The other aspect of Nate’s playing here that demands your attention is his use of ghost notes on the snare drum. There is a tremendous amount of detail and intention in Nate’s playing.

Studying this performance is is a worthwhile use of time for my intermediate to advanced students.

Enjoy!

ALSO, note the presentation itself. The airmen/air force thing isn’t overdone. There are no props. There is no choreography. It is a gimmick that works well precisely because the band is subtle about it.