Time to dream again. Covid-19 will abate this year; the vaccines are coming, spring will arrive. Time to get musically ready to share our music with the world again. 

Here are 10 ideas to mull over.

1. Organize your practice space with everything you need ready at hand: scores, recordings, pencil, headset for listening, phone recording app operational, metronome, lighting, drums tuned, distractions minimized. 
2. Schedule practice time in the calendar, the same way other non-work-related activities are. In short prioritize music this year. 
3. Plan to take lessons this year: Let a little fresh air in. A fresh perspective.
4. Learn to love how you sound at your instrument: Recording frequently and accepting how it sounds and thinking about how it might be improved is an effective step forward.
5. If your instrument is lacking, and you have the means, upgrade. 
6. Seek out other adult learners online. There are wonderful communities on Facebook. I belong to several them. Contribute, celebrate the privilege of being able to make music. 
7. When concerts return, go. Be sure to be there, it will be an emotionally cathartic experience of lifetime that first downbeat. Expect tears.
8. Find a band to jam with after you get your vaccine jab. Celebrate together, the joy of playing together again. There are people at your level, you just need to find them. 
9. Consider expanding or updating your musical preferences. There has been a lot of music created since our musical preferences were set in our youth. Much of it will speak to you in new ways and perhaps novel ways. YouTube algorithms are good for this. My teenage students have the most eclectic tastes which I attribute to these algorithms.
10. Make a fresh list of pieces you like to play this year, purchase, or print the music, put it in a folder and plop it on the music stand and visualize yourself playing.

Cheers, 

David 

Depends on your goals. Humble or ambitious? 

Easy if:

1. You want to fool around playing in the basement, alone. 
2. You want to play along with your favorite recordings. 

Slightly more difficult if:

1. You want to play in the school band; some rudiments and reading skills will be required.  In short  basic musicianship skills.
2. You want to jam with others at your level: Learn some basic technique, a few simple beats and an awareness of dynamic control and you are ready to go.

Drums are difficult if:

1. You want to play with others who already play well.
2. You want to jam in public.
3. You want to attend jam sessions in your local pub.
4. You want to play in a drum line.
5. You want to play music of some sophistication like Jazz, Prog, Hip Hop, Latin, etc.

Drums are formidable if: 

1. You want to reach your potential.
2. You want to be admired and talked about in hushed tones.
3. You want to be in a professional. 

Each level takes a different level of commitment and resource allocation. 

If I can help you get started. Call me. 

​David

1. Warm-up: singles, doubles, paradiddles over feet ostinatos with metronome.
2. Rudiments, rudiments, rudiments. Today Flam rudiments are on order.
3. Sight reading: Good sight-reading chops are required for all teachers. And, community band musicians. When I sub in a big band, fumbling with unfamiliar charts is out of the question. Sight-reading skills are one of the cornerstones of my professional success as a musician. Forty-five years and counting!
4. Repertoire review: Pandemic will over next year. I will have my classic rock repertoire up to speed and ready to go.
5. Double bass drum pedal rudiments: Single and double patterns.
6. Drumming skills: Bebop vocabulary including fills, riffs, and set-ups.
7. Review my students' repertoire and lesson plans.
8. Work on a mix of a track I recorded with pianist Jacqueline Leung this week: New Music/Improvisation. 
9. Transcribe a short drum groove from a current pop hit. I'll put it up here later today.  Say so, Dojo Cat drum groove. What a lot of fun that was. So simple, but so effective against the bass line.

David

​With the following steps in order, success and fun will be so much closer.

1. Your drums set up properly and in working order
2. The lighting is good
3. Sticks and brushes ready at hand
4. Music stand in place
5. Your books and videos are open at the relevant pages
6. You have a plan of what to practice
7. Your pencil and eraser are ready to make notes and highlight areas of concern in your books.
8. The sound system loaded, turned on and ready to play your play along tracks
9.  Phone in airplane mode
10. Metronome or metronome app beside you
11. The teachers notes are on the music stand
12. Audio recorder is ready to record your efforts
13. Ear protection on
14. Bonus: Drum journal ready to be filled in. More on this coming up.

Have fun.
 
David
“Musicians live to practice, and practice to live”
​

• Because it's fun. 
• Because it's wild.
• Because it exciting.

I help them realize this dreams while teaching them how to play and contribute in the band. 
​
​David

250 Classic Rock charts: Learn this, play forever. 

​David

Drummer in a blender. Now that's an image. That is a big part of the attraction for many kids. 

Kinetic energy. Loud noise. Excitement.

The second part?

The word "Play". Kids don't want another chore in their lives. The natural state for many kids is running in circles screaming in joy. They just want to have fun. 

Drums supply that to kids of all ages. I know from personal experience. I've marched in two parades in through the French Quarter of New Orleans. It was insane fun. Loud and very silly. Thousands of happy people watching in amazement. Check that off my bucket list.

Call me. 

David

1. Listen to drummers.
2. Listen some more.
3. Savour the fundamentals of drumming.
- Posture
- Stick control
- Rudiments
- Metronome
- Repetition
4. Listen some more. 
5, Seek out others on the same musical journey: bassists, guitarists, keyboardists. Learn to work in a musician's world early. We are friendly and excited to meet "Keener's".
6. As you discover drummers you like explore their discography. It will be online and easy to find.
7. Get to know the staff at your local music store. Over time, as they get to know you, they will introduce you to the community.
8. Solo Youtube videos are fun to watch. Chops, speed, and flash. I watch them too. Great if you play by yourself, but annoying if you play like this in a band. Remember musicians want time, groove and touch in that order. And, knowledge of repertoire.

Bonus step
9. Go do your drum homework. Think thousands of repetitions to security and spontaneity at the kit.

Best,

David

Summer time is a good time for renewal and practice. Here are some ideas. 

1. Head off to your local drum store and poke around. See what's new in gear. Dream. Then head home and hit the practice studio.
2. Now's a good time to explore some rudimental warmups on the snare drum and improve your hands. 
3. Explore tuning your drum set in different ways. The internet is loaded with tips. Jump in, make a mess, and work your way out of it. You will learn a lot. 
4. If you play real drums, explore the different type of sounds you can get from a single drum or cymbal.
5. Practice sight-reading with a metronome.  This is a real life skill. 
6. Buy a new drum book and get to it. 
7. Find a bass player and jam.
8. Call me for some lessons.

Cheers, 

​David