Welcome back to the Chops blog! Today we’d like to take the chance to preview the new college football season and several of our local collegiate marching bands. If you are a fan of the marching arts, it’s hard to beat Indiana. Between drum corps during the summer, marching band in the fall, and winter guard and percussion during the winter and spring, there’s rarely a break between marching seasons. However, it’s easy to forget that there are many great college marching bands in the state. Butler, Purdue, Indiana, Indiana State, and Marian University are all located in, or within a short drive from Indianapolis, and have excellent marching bands. These bands will perform before, during, and after their school’s home football games throughout the fall and winter. For the relatively inexpensive price of a ticket you can see an exciting college football game and performances from the band.  Be sure to get there early for some tailgating, as most of the bands will perform outside the stadium before everyone heads inside! The Butler University Marching Band will perform seven times this fall at upcoming games. 9/10 – vs. Franklin 10/1 – vs. San Diego 10/8 – vs. Marist (Homecoming) 10/15 –

Now that school has started, we’re getting visits from many parents that need equipment for the percussionist(s) in their home. Do you, the teacher, have a required list of sticks and mallets for your percussionists to get? If so, please don’t assume that we know what your student needs. A list of all of your required implements would be a huge help to us at Chops and would ensure that your students get exactly what they need when they need it. This also helps us with keeping your required implements in stock, so that no child is waiting on sticks or mallets weeks into the school year. Let’s work together and make sure your student is 100% prepared when they walk into your band room. Please e-mail your list to [email protected] and we’ll do our very best to make sure we have what your student needs in stock. If you’re unsure what equipment would be good for your students to use, please contact us. We’re always here to help!

We all see things plastered on the internet about activities that improve one’s physical well-being, but many people would be shocked to know that drumming is one of those things. There have been many studies done to back this up, but the article featured here is one of the more popular studies done on the relationship between drumming and physical fitness. So the next time you’re thinking of ways to get in shape, maybe you choose the drums instead of the treadmill! Rock drummers ‘are top athletes’ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7518888.stm

Welcome back to the Chops blog. Today we’re celebrating the birthday of one of the most influential drummers of all time, John Henry Bonham. We’d like to celebrate his life and influence by sharing some of our favorite Bonham-related links we’ve found on the web. They include an article from Drum! Magazine on 10 ways to sound like Bonham, a video from his drum tech Jeff Ocheltree on how to tune and mic like Bonham, and some isolated drums tracks of him in the studio. Give the article a read, check out the Jeff Ocheltree video, then sit back and listen to the bombastic sounds and heavy grooves of John Bonham. Article: DRUM! Magazine – 10 Ways to Sound Like John Bonham Video: Jeff Ocheltree on how to tune and mic to sound like Bonham: Audio: Isolated Drum Tracks from the Studio Fool In The Rain: Whole Lotta Love: What Is and What Should Never Be: Ramble On:

By now you have probably heard of the passing of a true innovator in the music world, Remo Belli. There have been a flood of great tributes to him and his career coming across social media. Below are a few that we thought did a good job in telling the story of Remo and everything that he has meant to the world of percussion and beyond. Remo Website This is a nicely written tribute from the Remo Company Family as well as a very informative obituary. http://remo.com/remobelli/ NAMM Oral History Project The National Association of Music Merchants does a great job of tracking the history of the music products industry. The have a great interview with Remo Belli in their archives. “We have interviewed Remo several times for the NAMM Oral History program, the first being on July 18, 2001.” https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/remo-belli   Inc. Magazine – How I Did It: Remo Belli This is an article that Jeff Huffman shared in the Chops Transmission back in April. It’s a quick read that covers quite a bit of information on Mr. Belli. Modern Drummer Spotlight: Remo Belli Modern Drummer put up a great video interview with Remo that’s also worth watching. You can

Summer is almost here, and that means there will be plenty of opportunities for music making. Whether you’re a gigging musician playing those outdoor acoustic patio gigs or just a hobbyist who enjoys playing around the campfire at the backyard cookout, the summer is a great time to make music with friends. Here’s a list of some great Meinl instruments guaranteed to make this a great summer of making music. We currently have these in stock, so stop by and try them out!   Cajons, Djembes, Bongos Traditional String Cajon – http://meinlpercussion.com/goto/CAJ3MB-M Snare Cajon – http://meinlpercussion.com/goto/CAJ1EB-M Turbo Slap-Tom Cajon (pictured) – http://meinlpercussion.com/goto/TOPCAJ2WN Bongo Cajon – http://meinlpercussion.com/goto/BCA2NT/EBK-M Djembe – http://meinlpercussion.com/goto/HDJ3-L Bongos – http://meinlpercussion.com/goto/FWB200NT   Other Creative Sounds Bassbox – http://meinlpercussion.com/goto/BASSBOX Mini Doumbek – http://meinlpercussion.com/goto/HE-1018 Heel Tambourine – http://meinlpercussion.com/goto/HTA Heel Shaker – http://meinlpercussion.com/goto/HSH Various Shakers – http://meinlpercussion.com/products/Product/PER-SHAKERS/PER-SHAKERS/ Cajon Add-ons – http://meinlpercussion.com/products/Product/ACC-ADDONS/ACC-ADDONS/

Chops Percussion was proud to once again be the presenting sponsor of the Indiana Percussion Association. It was an exciting day of performances, and the move to the Hulman Center at ISU gave the experience a whole new championship feeling. The weather created some issues, but the IPA board and ISU volunteers did a great job of making the experience great for everyone. We would like to congratulate the students, staff and parents of all the participating schools on another exciting year of great performances. It’s amazing what these young musicians are able to achieve, and the talent level seems to increase every year. Congratulations to everyone involved with performing and constructing these shows, along with all the support staff who made it possible for the students and staff to do what they do! State Championship Medalist Results Concert Classes Scholastic Concert A (PSCA) – Basic Level Lafayette Jefferson Brownsburg Twin Lakes Scholastic Concert Open (PSCO) – Intermediate Level New Castle Castle Munster Scholastic Concert World (PSCW) – Advanced Level Goshen Fishers Lake Central   Marching Classes Independent A (PIA) – Basic Level Cloverdale-Monrovia Independent Independent World (PIW) – Advanced Level Legacy Scholastic A (PSA) – Basic Level Zionsville Greenfield-Central

This weekend is the first contest in the history of the IPA (Indiana Percussion Association) that requires an outside warm-up. Those groups who have performed in Dayton for WGI Championships or participate in circuits in warmer regions of the country know this is a normal process. The outside extended warm-up can be very beneficial to preparing for the large arena environment. But for those who have not gone through that process before, here are some tips to make sure the experience is smooth and beneficial for everyone.   KEEP A VERY CLOSE EYE ON THE WEATHER. Be prepared for cold, rain, wind and heat. Take jackets and coats to warm-up. Have a parent push around a large plastic trash can for the kids to ditch their jackets as they enter the arena. They might not need them, but it’s better to be prepared. Standing in a parking lot freezing before your final performance isn’t going to help you have a relaxed, confident performance. Be prepared to change on the bus. If you aren’t showing up in uniform, don’t plan to go inside to change. This may be a possibility, but it is usually much easier and quicker to take turns

Music For All National Festival March 10-12, 2016 Indianapolis, IN There’s a fantastic opportunity to hear some great concert bands and percussion ensembles from all over the country this week, but we find many people don’t even know its happening right here in our backyard!  It’s the Music For All National Festival, featuring high school percussion ensembles, concert bands and orchestras from across the US.  The festival also includes a middle school concert band festival, along with Honor Ensembles for concert band, jazz band, and orchestra.  This is a non-competitive festival, meaning its all about just creating and listening to great music, created by some of the best high school and middle school music programs in the nation. Here’s a general schedule for the event: Thursday, March 10 National Concert Band Festival 5:00pm-9:00pm Friday, March 11 National Concert Band Festival 8:00am-6:00pm National Percussion Festival 9:00am-5:30pm Chamber Music National Festival 9:00am-3:30pm Honor Orchestra with the ISO 7:00pm (Hilbert Circle Theatre) Honor Jazz Band of America 8:30pm (Clowes Hall) Saturday, March 12 National Concert Band Festival 8:00am-2:00pm National Percussion Festival 8:30am-12:30pm Middle School Concert Band Festival 8:30am-12:30pm Honor Orchestra of America 8:00pm (Hilbert Circle Theatre) Honor Band of America 8:00pm (Clowes Hall)

Welcome back to the Chops Blog! Here at Chops we love a good drum solo, and today we’re going to take a closer look at a classic. In 1996 Tool released their classic album Aenima. The aggressive and conceptually innovative music was the perfect showcase for drummer Danny Carey. His powerful, but cerebral drumming helped him quickly become one of the most respected drummers to emerge in the 1990s. One of the radio signals from the album was the brooding “Forty Six & 2”. In the bridge, which is primarily in seven, Carey plays a powerful solo. It is a perfect showcase of his and his bandmate’s rhythmic prowess. Check out the pdf HERE , and listen to the solo with the tempo reduced by one third HERE. Take time to study the music, and listen to the reduced version many times. Then practice the solo by breaking it down into small pieces. After you are comfortable performing it slowly, gradually speed it up until you can perform it at the original tempo. Get to work, it isn’t easy!

Note: We posted this about this time last year, but thought it was important enough to bring up again.  Make sure you’re protecting your ears whenever you play music live, and that goes double for indoor season. Have you ever gone to bed at night after your indoor percussion rehearsal and had an incessant ringing in your ears? If you have, that is your body telling you that you’ve done some damage to your hearing. Please know that hearing loss is irreversible, so you need to start protecting your ears NOW! How, you ask? There are a couple of great ways to do so. Earplugs – These should be essential to your playing and performing. Many of the percussion instruments used in an indoor show are played at a high volume for long periods of time, so you need to be protecting your ears. Do yourself a favor and start using earplugs now. Tell yourself that ear protection is just as essential as the sticks and mallets you use to play. If you’re a cymbal player and execute many loud crashes at ear level, this advice applies to you as well. Headphones – Not so great if you’re trying to make

The following originally appeared at (hyperlink here) www.allmandrums.com. Here at Chops Percussion we’re big fans of Dave Grohl. Ever since emerging as the hard-hitting drummer of Nirvana, Grohl has been at the forefront of music. Even though he’s known today as the guitarist and leader of the Foo Fighters, he’s still an outstanding drummer and has played with many artists including Queens of The Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, and Tenacious D. In honor of Dave’s birthday last week we put together a quick lesson on five ways to emulate his playing. Check out the PDF here. Check out the lesson then listen to the artists and albums we recommended on the PDF, we guarantee you’ll enjoy it!

Welcome back to the Chops blog! We’re already a week into 2016, but I’d like to suggest some New Year’s resolutions for the high school percussionist. As a young and developing percussionist, you’ve got lots of room for growth and improvement. However, it can be easy to follow bad advice or spend time on the wrong things. The following suggestions are applicable to all young percussionists: Learn more percussion instruments A well-rounded high school percussionist is equally comfortable on mallets, timpani, drums, and accessory instruments. If you are unfamiliar with any instrument used regularly in your band, address those weaknesses this year. Don’t know where to start? You can easily find guidance by asking your band director or percussion instruction. Chances are they have some experience, or can help you find someone who does. If you’re serious about percussion, and learning new instruments, you’ll need to find a private teacher. Private lessons will help you grow as a musician faster than anything else Improve your music reading skills The ability to read music separates the truly excellent and mediocre musicians. A strong reader spends less time figuring out what to play, which allows them to focus on how to play.

Did you just get your first drumset this holiday season? What next? If not already taking them, private lessons are the next step in getting a good start. This will help ensure a return on your investment with a lifetime of music making enjoyment. We don’t currently offer lessons here at Chops, but here’s our list of suggestions in finding a lesson instructor that’s right for you or your child. – Ask your band director and/or school percussion instructor. Most will have a list of instructors in the area that they know will get you started on the right path to success. – Ask other students in your school. Sometimes great private lesson instructors fly under the radar and might not yet be well known to your band director. – Call us! We’d be happy to refer you to qualified private instructors we know and trust! These would be on the northeast side, so if that works for you, just give us a call and we’ll refer you to some of the best in the area. – Online lessons. There are new online lesson opportunities popping up all the time. If you choose this route, be sure to do some