At the Indiana Percussion Association State Finals several weeks ago I held a simple trivia contest. Brave volunteers that visited the Allman Drums booth were asked to draw the name of a band or musician from a drum. If they could name a drummer for the group they received a piece of candy. It was for fun, but I hoped it would encourage young percussionists to know history. A crucial part of the development of young percussionists and drummers is a knowledge and respect for history. The music you play today is built upon decades and centuries of previous musicians. For instance, Neal Peart, legendary drummer for Rush, was influenced by Keith Moon of The Who. Keith Moon’s flamboyant style was inspired by the showmanship of big band drummers Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. Krupa and Rich were both innovators in the relatively new style of jazz, and drew upon the early work of Warren ‘Baby’ Dodds and Zutty Singleton. Considering this context, it’s easy to see the roots of Peart’s creativity, technical mastery, and showmanship. Steve Houghton, Professor of Music (Percussion and Jazz) at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, has a quote on the door to

Welcome back to our series on snare drum maintenance. In the previous post we discussed snares and how to tell when they should be replaced. Today we’ll address how to choose an appropriate replacement for worn snares. The most important criteria when replacing snares is the number of strands, or individual wires in the set. As the number of strands in a snare increases, so does the response and sensitivity of the drum. If you are unhappy with your current snares count the number of strands and select a replacement accordingly. Increasing or reducing the number of snares on your drum is one of the easiest ways to change its sound and character.   You should also select a set based on the depth of your drum. Deeper drums require more strands, while shallow drums require less. For instance, this piccolo snare is four inches deep and has a snare with sixteen strands. This snare drum is six and half inches deep and has Puresound Percussion Custom Pro snares. They include twenty strands and a clever cotter pin design that allows the snares to be removed quickly to change heads. We have many different snare choices available, including Puresound Percussion,

Welcome to part one of our series on snare drum maintenance. In this series we’ll be discussing the common maintenance and upkeep that should be done to care for concert and drum set snares. We’ll begin by discussing one of the most frequently overlooked aspects of snare drums: the snare wires. Much like drum heads, snare wires have a significant influence on the sound and performance of a drum, but unfortunately, they are often neglected. How do you know when wires are worn and need replaced? There are two easy ways to spot a bad set of snare wires. First, look for damage, including broken or warped strands. Individual strands that are not straight have more room to move and will vibrate longer than desired. The wires of this snare are warped, and caused excessive buzz. Compare that with the wires of this snare, which are straight and undamaged. If you have one or two strands that are warped you can easily remove them with a pair of pliers. If more than two strands are damaged it is probably time to replace the wires. Second, listen for excessive buzz and sympathetic vibration. If your snares ring too much look for

1. Gov’t Mule with John Scofield, February 28th, The Egyptian Room at the Murat Theatre. Drummer: Matt Abts Gov’t Mule will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their eponymous, debut release with guitarist John Scofield on February 28th at The Egyptian Room at the Murat Theatre. Drummer Matt Abts 2. Sarah McLachlan, March 10th, Murat Theatre. Drummer: Kurt Bisquera Although often associated with depressing commercials for animal rights organizations, there’s much more to McLachlan. The Canadian pop singer and Lilith Fair cofounder will revisit many of her hits when she visits the Murat Theatre on March 10th. She will be backed by veteran session drummer Kurt Bisquera. 3. Farrelly Markiewicz Quartet, March 14th, The Jazz Kitchen. Drummer: Gene Markiewicz Our good friend, and Indianapolis Jazz Foundation Hall of Famer, Gene Markiewicz will appear with the Farrelly Markiewicz Quartet at the Jazz Kitchen on March 14th to pay tribute to Michael Brecker. 4. Stewart Copeland, March 27th, Clowes Hall. The well-known drummer for The Police will visit Indianapolis with pianist Jon Kimura to perform chamber music. Their program will include Copeland’s original compositions and Parker’s adaptation of Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”. 5. The Wayne Shorter Quarter, March 21st, The Palladium. Drummer:

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 a fashion statement while playing, but hearing is way more important than looking cool! These are great if you have hypersensitive ears and they allow you to hear the music you’re playing while cutting out all

New Products for 2015 Continuing with our series of new product highlights from our recent trip to the NAMM show, here are some great new items from Pearl, geared specifically for outdoor use.  The new Pearl Field Percussion, designed with the elements in mind, features a protective, textured black lacquer finish, and outfitted with all-weather Remo NuSkyn and Fiberskyn heads, great for any environment.  See below for our hightlights, but be sure to visit the Pearl website for more details: http://pearldrum.com/products/marching/field-percussion/field-percussion/   PJF350FP649 Field Percussion Djembe   14” Weather resistant fiberglass body   WST20FP Field Percussion Shime Taiko 10” Thai Oak stave construction for cut and clarity      PFC202EDU649 Field Percussion Congas 10”/11” Weather resistant fiberglass body   PGA60FP Field Percussion Shaker 21” length Large, hexagonal body produces massive sound  

We just got back from the NAMM show in Anaheim, where there were quite a few exciting new products unveiled. Over the coming weeks we’ll highlight some of those items we are most excited about. We’ll start with some great new products available from our friends at Vic Firth and Innovative Percussion. See below for our highlights, but to see all the new products from these two great companies, please visit: Vic Firth: http://www.vicfirth.com/exchange/2015/01/16/new-products-for-namm-2015/ Innovative Percussion: http://www.innovativepercussion.com/2015_new_products New Products from Vic Firth http://www.vicfirth.com/exchange/2015/01/16/new-products-for-namm-2015/ Split Wire Brush – Two separate rows of medium gauge wire to help produce a unique and varied weighting of sound with different qualities of articulation. Universal Practice Tips –  Add these to any sticks!  Each package contains 2 pairs of rubber tips, providing the player with a pair and a spare! High Tension Drum Key – A new key designed for marching percussion applications, with clip. VicGloves – Specially designed to unique features to protect the player’s hands while improving grip. New Products from Innovative Percussion http://www.innovativepercussion.com/2015_new_products Chad Wackerman Paintbrush – An innovative new brush giving the player a number of different choices of timbre color. Pedro Carneiro Series Mallets – Five models built with heavy

IMEA Professional Development Conference January 15-17, 2015 Grand Wayne Convention Center Ft. Wayne, Indiana If you’re attending the IMEA conference this week, here’s a list of performances and clinics with percussion interest you should check out!  Make sure to stop by the Chops Percussion and Paige’s Music display booth and say hello! Performing Groups Penn High School Band – Friday, January 16       2:00pm Lawrence Central HS Wind Ensemble – Friday, January 16       4:30pm Fishers Junior High Symphonic Band – Saturday, January 17   1:15pm Center Grove HS Percussion Ensemble – Saturday, January 17   2:30pm All State Honor Ensembles Junior All State Band – Saturday, January 17   9:15am All State Honor Band – Saturday, January 17   11:30am All State Percussion Ensemble – Saturday, January 17   1:15pm Clinic Sessions Steve Houghton The Rhythm Section: The soul of the Big Band Friday, January 16 – 4:30pm Michael Burritt The Versatile Percussionist – Finding the Music in all of the Instruments Saturday, January 17   11:30am Robert Sheldon We Got the Beat! Rehearsing the Percussion Section from the Podium Saturday, January 17   3:45pm Full details and registration can be found on the IMEA Website.

Have you ever gone to bed at night after playing your drums, or after drumline 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 few surefire ways to do so. Earplugs/Filters – The most obvious solution, but one that definitely takes some getting used to. I started playing drums when I was 14, but didn’t start wearing plugs until I was in my 30’s. I wish someone would have told me how important hearing protection was when I was first starting out. Do yourself a favor and start using earplugs now. Tell yourself that ear protection is just as essential as the sticks you use to play. Drum Mutes – Not only do drum mutes help the player, but they also help the people around you. Have you ever heard “That’s enough of that noise” from a parent or sibling? If so, drum mutes may be the answer to your prayers (and theirs). The best part about drum mutes? You can

The Road to Drumming Stardom Begins at myfirstdrumset.com! Are you taking up drumming for the first time? Are you buying a drum set for the drummer in your life this holiday season? If so, you may want to start at myfirstdrumset.com. This website was created by the people at Pearl Drums with the idea of educating not only the drummer, but the parent or loved one who is buying the set. Here are the highlights: A “Welcome to Drumming” video with appearances by some of the top names in the drumming world. A step-by-step video that shows you how to correctly unpack and set up your drum set. Video tips on tuning, warming up, and playing your first beats on your new drum set. A drum set buying guide. A very informative FAQ section. Statistics that show what a great thing drumming can be for the mind, body, and spirit! If you or someone you love has decided that this is the year to take up drumming, there really is no better place to start than myfirstdrumset.com! And when you’re ready to make the purchase, Chops Percussion has many great instrument options for you to choose from, including the Roadshow

It’s November and in many regions around the country it is getting cold. Marching band rehearsals can be downright miserable in freezing cold temperatures.  Here are some tips to help keep you and your hands from freezing, and allow you to still have productive rehearsals. Wear warm clothes and be smart with your layers! Don’t worry about fashion. Nobody is impressed by the fool who looks great in their fashion jacket but is freezing, miserable and complaining about being cold. Stay dry. Wear a base layer that will soak up any sweat (spandex, Under Armour, etc).  You need to stay dry under those layers. Wear a hat that covers your ears, a hat with earflaps, or earmuffs.  Avoid just using a hood. Hoods blocks your peripheral vision and can fall down or not be allowed by your director. Keep your feet warm with wool socks or double socks, but make sure your feet don’t get wet with sweat. You won’t get them warm after they’re wet.  You can also get foot warmers for your shoes, but again, don’t let them sweat! Wear a jacket with decent-sized pockets and keep heat packs in them. Keep your sticks warm. Try holding them