Chops Percussion

Katarzyna Mycka Masterclass & Concert at Lawrence Central High School

International marimba virtuoso Katarzyna Mycka will present a master class next Tuesday, November 8th at 7pm in the Lawrence Central Auditorium. The master class will be followed by a concert of her marimba quartet from 8-9pm. Admission is for both events is $10 at the door. About The Performers: Critics have given the internationally renowned marimba virtuoso and chamber musician Katarzyna Mycka the sobriquet “she who dances with the mallets”: “the greatest fluidity”, “perfect mallet technique,” and a “marvelous, rhythmic precision” are characteristic for the musician, who is able to simultaneously produce up to six tones on her concert marimba with the sixty narrow wooden bars and resonance pipes. After receiving training in piano and drums, the artist born in 1972 discovered the marimba as her “ideal medium for musical expression” while studying at music academies in Gdansk, Stuttgart, and Salzburg. Numerous prizes and awards at international music competitions then followed: in 1995, first prize and audience prize at the International Percussion Competition Luxembourg for Marimba Solo, one year later first place at the First World Marimba Competition Stuttgart. Then followed stipends and invitations to master courses in the United States, Asia, and various European countries, through which the young

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Why You Should Attend PASIC 2016

Guest post today from Justin Ramirez – Percussive Arts Society Join us for #PASIC16! The Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) will be taking place in Indianapolis, IN in only a few short weeks, November 9-12! Reasons to Attend: Be inspired by watching the best drummers and percussionists from around the world! Hang with over 5,000 drummers and friends in the industry See and Play the latest drum and percussion gear in the Expo Hall! Meet your favorite artists and participate in hands-on workshops and masterclasses!

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October 2016 News at Chops

Demo Gear/Clearance Items – September Updates October brings a fresh update to our demo gear/clearance list. Head on over to the demo page to see what’s been added. View the entire list. Audition Alert! – Indiana All-State Percussion Ensemble   Directors – We want to make sure you’re aware of this great opportunity for your most outstanding young percussionists. The experience of being involved in the All-State Percussion Ensemble is very rewarding in itself, but also comes with the added bonus of working with world-class performer, educator and featured guest, Casey Cangelosi. Read more. It’s All In The Bag Today we’re going to cover the different options available for stick and mallet packs. There are great options for starting a young percussionist, as well as expanded packs for the intermediate student. These sticks and mallets should last for many years and can be used at every level (beginner, intermediate, high school and college). Read the entire article.

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Audition Alert! – Indiana All-State Percussion Ensemble

Deadline: October 15, 2016 Directors – We want to make sure you’re aware of this great opportunity for your most outstanding young percussionists. The experience of being involved in the All-State Percussion Ensemble is very rewarding in itself, but also comes with the added bonus of working with world-class performer, educator and featured guest, Casey Cangelosi.  Here are details for the audition process and performance at IMEA, along with information on Casey Cangelosi.  Please share this with any outstanding high school percussionist that may be interested in this fantastic opportunity.   2017 Indiana All-State Percussion Ensemble Performance Information Grand Wayne Convention Center, Fort Wayne January 12-14, 2017 Featured Clinician: Casey Cangelosi IMEA, in partnership with the Percussive Arts Society and Indiana Percussion Association is pleased to present this fantastic opportunity for your percussion students! Participating students will have the opportunity to explore different genres of percussion ensemble music led by regional clinicians and featured guest Casey Cangelosi. Activities will begin on Thursday, January 12 at 1:00 PM and conclude on Saturday, January 14 by 5:00 PM.  Audition Information Eligibility: Students in Grades 9-12 residing in Indiana or neighboring states are eligible to apply. Application materials: Available at the following website http://imeamusic.org/programs-events/all-state-honor-ensembles/all-state-percussion-ensemble/ Audition Requirements: Applicants will make use of the online interface to submit audio or video recordings of 1-2 minute excepts from at

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It’s All In The Bag

Stick & Mallet Packs for Beginning Band and Beyond Welcome back to the Chops blog. Today we’re going to cover the different options available for stick and mallet packs.  There are great options for starting a young percussionist, as well as expanded packs for the intermediate student.  These sticks and mallets should last for many years and can be used at every level (beginner, intermediate, high school and college).  Our recommendations include packs from Vic Firth and Innovative Percussion.  Both make great quality products you can trust.  The only difference is what’s included in the packs.  A young percussionist should start with one of these packs, then add to it as they progress through their percussion education. I’ve broken the packs down into four categories: Basic packs, Core packs, Intermediate packs, and Expanded Core packs. Basic Packs Basic packs include the minimum supplies every young percussionist needs: Concert Snare Drum Sticks Plastic Mallets for Bells and Xylophone Rubber Mallets for Bells, Xylophone, Marimba and Vibes Stick Bag RECOMMENDED BASIC PACKS:

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2017 WGI Independent Percussion Auditions

Welcome back to the Chops blog.  Audition season for indoor percussion is upon us and many of you may be considering marching in an Independent percussion ensemble this winter.  Indoor percussion, although a relatively young activity, has become very popular, both locally and nationally, over the past 10-15 years.  Over this time, many “Independent” ensembles have been started to give percussionists the opportunity to continue performing after they graduate from high school.  It also gives those whose high schools do not have a performing ensemble, an opportunity to join and experience the thrill of performing in an indoor percussion ensemble.  For those of you not familiar with this, there are “Scholastic” and “Independent” classifications in indoor percussion.   Here is the class description from the WGI website: Scholastic – units whose membership comes from the SAME High School or a school that feeds to that particular High School. Independent – units whose members are not necessarily associated with a particular school. Scholastic and Independent units are then further divided into classes: A Class – Beginning programs and performers. Open Class – The intermediate developmental level of performers. World Class – The most advanced programs and performers. Here also is a link to the

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September 2016 News at Chops

Demo Gear/Clearance Items – September Updates September brings a couple of new items to the list, as well as a couple of items with lower prices. There are some fantastic deals on this list. Make sure you check it out ASAP. First-come, first-served! View the entire list on our website. Marching Season Is Here   Fall is here and it’s already week 2 of marching season! Head on over to indianamarching.com to see results from last week and to pick out which show you’re going to see this week!   College Marching Band Preview 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. Read more >> Read the entire article on our blog. Product Spotlight & Special Offer: Lalo Quick Mount Practice Pad and Mount Designed in collaboration with Pearl Artist and acclaimed percussionist Lalo Davila, the Lalo Quick Mount Rehearsal Pad provides a convenient way to stay productive during a

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Product Spotlight & Special Offer: Lalo Quick Mount Practice Pad and Mount

Is your drumline “hacking” on the rims during rehearsal and causing a loud distraction to the rest of the band? Give them something productive to do! Designed in collaboration with Pearl Artist and acclaimed percussionist Lalo Davila, the Lalo Quick Mount Rehearsal Pad provides a convenient way to stay productive during a slow rehearsal or just to keep your hands warm. Watch this video to see it in action and explained by Lalo himself! The small, 3.5” diameter pad stows away easily, and mounts to any 3/8” post for convenient positioning. Practice in silence in any environment, from the concert stage to the football field. The Lalo Pad is a great rehearsal tool for marching percussion ensembles, providing the battery with a silent practice option. Use the following items to mount the Rehearsal Pad to each of your drums: Snares – use the Pearl MUH-20 Accessory Mount or the XL Accessory Post or the LP Accessory Claw. Tenors – use the Pearl MUH-10T Accessory Mount or the LP Accessory Claw. Bass Drums – use the Pearl PCS-11 Accessory Mount Get your hands going while that woodwind arc is adjusted to picture perfect, or work out a tricky lick conveniently and

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2016 College Marching Band Preview

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 –

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Chops Percussion

A New Tool for Every Marching Band Percussion Instructor!

Marching band season is here and that means marching equipment and concert instruments in the pit are being put through their paces.  The constant wear and tear on instruments requires us to keep a toolbox close, either in an electronics cart or carried around in a backpack.  You never know when something will happen and it usually happens at a contest.  Pearl has introduced the new Techtool, originally designed with the drumset player in mind, but we feel it’s also a great tool for percussion instructors!  MUCH lighter than carrying around a heavy pack of tools in your backpack at a contest, the compact Techtool fits right in your pocket and has many common tools needed for percussion repair. 5 Screwdrivers: 1.5mm, 5mm, and Phillips #00, #1 and #2 6 Hex Keys: 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm and 6mm Drum Key and Bottle Opener Call, email, or order from our website HERE  so you have the tools when you need them!

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Student Equipment Lists: Help Us Get Your Students What They Need For Class

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!

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2016 DCI World Championships

Welcome back to the Chops blog.  We’re busy gearing up for the Drum Corps International (DCI) World Championships this week, held right here in Indianapolis!  It takes place all this week, at Lucas Oil Stadium and surrounding areas.  The competition inside Lucas Oil isn’t the only thing to see.  There are many events throughout the week, most of which are free and open to the public! Here’s our basic guide to help you take in some of the action. Drum Corps Competitions Monday, August 8:  Open Class Prelims – Ames Field (Michigan City, IN) Tuesday, August 9:  Open Class Finals – Ames Field (Michigan City, IN) Thursday, August 11:  World Class Prelims – Lucas Oil Stadium Friday, August 12:  World Class Semi-finals – Lucas Oil Stadium Saturday, August 13:  World Class Finals – Lucas Oil Stadium Ticket prices vary by event.  See DCI Tickets for details. See the DCI day-by-day guide for more information.   Individual & Small Ensemble Competition (Performers Showcase) Wednesday, August 10, 10am-4pm Georgia Street Free!   SoundSport International Music & Food Festival (Food Trucks!) Saturday, August 13, 11am-3pm The Pavilion at Pan Am Plaza Free! DrumLine Battle Saturday, August 10, 11am-3pm Georgia Street & Pan Am

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August 2016 News at Chops

Demo Gear/Clearance Items Our demo list has been refreshed for August. Everything has been combined back to one list for your convenience. Plus, we added a few demo items that we’ll be getting from the Yamaha DCI Booth. View the updated list on our website. DCI Championships It’s been an exciting drum corps season and the end is almost here. Make sure you make plans to see some of the action next week as all the corps converge on Indianapolis for the DCI World Championships, where Lucas Oil Stadium will be the center of it all. Plus, Indiana residents can enjoy DCI Finals for only $19, and bring two children under 12 for free! You can find more info on the DCI website. www.dci.org Come visit us in the Vic Firth booth at DCI We’ll be running the Vic Firth booth at DCI, so if you’re attending any of the events inside the stadium, make sure to stop by and say hi! We’ll also have special show pricing on Vic Firth sticks, practice pads, stick bags, t-shirts, and many other items. It would be a great time to try out all the Vic sticks and pads and take something home!

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Proper Nutrition and Hydration a Must for Marching Band

When it comes to marching band, we tend to spend a lot of time thinking only about the notes being played or the steps being taken. There isn’t always enough thought placed on how to keep performers well-nourished and hydrated for maximum performance. Marching band, like any other sport, counts on members to be healthy in order to be successful. Make sure you (the director, parent, and student) are doing your part to keep yourself and everyone else on the field! Here is an article from July 11, 2014 that was found at halftimemag.com. You’ll find that many of today’s top drum corps and marching bands put a lot of emphasis on proper nutrition and hydration. If you’re in marching band, you are an athlete; it’s time to treat your body as such! http://www.halftimemag.com/features/fueling-your-body.html

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Accessory Mounting Options for Marching Drums

As the level of creativity in the marching activity continues to rise, we also find ourselves looking for ways to be more creative with the orchestration of marching drumline parts.  One way to do this is to incorporate auxiliary percussion sounds into the musical score by attaching accessories to marching snares, tenors and bass drums.  This makes it possible to add cowbells, jamblocks, tambourines, ribbon crashers, crash cymbals and hi-hats to your drums.  With a little work and possibly some drilling, you can even add bongos, doumbeks and other drums. Here’s a list of the accessory mounts we’ve found are the most popular and most dependable for mounting other instruments to the drums to help you achieve that next level of creativity in your marching percussion section.   Pearl MUH-20 Accessory Mount for Snare Drums http://www.chopspercussion.com/product?item=7024112 Snare attachment for Cowbells, Jam Blocks, Ribbon Crashers, etc. Designed to attach to the tube lugs of a high-tension marching snare drum. Features a 3/8″ rod to which you can mount any percussion accessory that has a matching 3/8″ receiver. Also good for mounting the Lalo Davila Rehearsal Pad, and much more. Pearl PCS-11 Accessory Mount for Bass Drums http://www.chopspercussion.com/product?item=7022377 Bass Drum attachment for

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July 2016 News at Chops

Student Equipment Lists For parents with kids in band for the first time, back to school can be quite confusing (especially with a young percussionist at home). Do you, the teacher, have a required list of sticks and mallets for your percussionists to get? We would love to have a copy of that here at Chops. A list of all of your required implements would be a huge help to us and would ensure that your student gets exactly what they need before their first day of band class. This also helps us with keeping your required implements in stock, so that no child is waiting on sticks or mallets when school starts. I know it’s hard to believe, but the first day of school isn’t that far away. Let’s work together and make sure your student is 100% prepared before 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. Thanks for the help and enjoy the rest of your summer! Demo Gear/Clearance Items Our demo list has been refreshed for July. Follow the link below to view what’s been

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In Need of Exercise? Consider Drumming

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

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Vic Firth Marching Percussion channel on YouTube

Today’s post is from our friend Mark Wessels at Vic Firth.  We asked him to tell us the story behind the new Vic Firth Marching Percussion channel on YouTube and how that came about. Since the early days of internet video, Vic Firth was a pioneer in delivering top-quality percussion education and entertainment to a worldwide audience. We’ve tried hard to represent all aspects of percussion – from drum set to concert, marching to jazz keyboard, our goal has always been to reach every genre of music. As a result, the Vic Firth YouTube channel has grown significantly. Our 205,000+ subscribers have racked up over 57 million views – by far the largest channel in the percussion industry. With the addition of 2-3 new videos each day to our library of over 3,000 videos, we’re consistently adding 1.5 million new views each month! The only downside is that we’ve actually had to “throttle” some of the percussion content so that we can deliver a balance between all the various genres of percussion, especially during the peak seasons of WGI and DCI.  Because most of us here at Vic have a deep marching percussion background, we weren’t happy with that…  we’re always

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June 2016 News At Chops Percussion

Demo Gear/Clearance Items Our demo list has been refreshed for the June Transmission. New additions include summer concert festival gear from Yamaha and Ludwig/Musser as well as some lightly used Pear gear from the Pacers High Octane Drumline! Follow the link below to view what’s been added and sold! View the list on our website. Todd Sucherman Clinic Gear Sale The Todd Sucherman clinic on May 26th was incredible. And, so was the gear that he played. All of it is now available for sale. Click through to see the list of gear and the pricing. Make sure you visit the store to see the gear setup exactly how he had it at the clinic. Visit the Todd Sucherman clinic gear sale page. Subscribe to our Chops Transmission

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Drum and Bugle Corps 2016 Season

As the school year comes to an end the drum and bugle corps season is just beginning. Drum and bugle corps are marching ensembles (brass, percussion, and color guard) that travel throughout the country each summer rehearsing and performing in competitions. If you’re unfamiliar with the activity, watch this brief introduction. There are many opportunities to see drum and bugle corps in competition in Indiana and surrounding states. Here is a partial list of events. Be sure to check out the event information at www.dci.org June 23rd – Indianapolis, IN – DCI Premiere Boston Crusaders The Cavaliers Phantom Regiment The Cadets Bluecoats Carolina Crown June 26th – Michigan City, IN Pioneer Colts Troopers The Cadets The Cavaliers June 27th – Hamilton, OH Cincinnati Tradition Colts Boston Crusaders Crossmen Blue Stars Carolina Crown Bluecoats June 29th – Evansville, IN Music City Legends Genesis Pioneer Troopers Colts Blue Stars The Cavaliers July 1st – Muncie, IN Genesis Legends Pioneer Colts Troopers Blue Stars The Cavaliers Carolina Crown July 9th – Rockford, IL Kilties Racine Scouts Colt Cadets Pioneer Pacific Crest Colts The Academy Blue Stars Carolina Crown Phantom Regiment July 13th – Metamora, IL Shadow Racine Scouts Genesis Pacific Crest Mandarins Madison

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