I’ve been reading lots of stuff on percussion lately.  I’ve been looking to educate myself further on what makes percussion what it is, why it is, and how a deeper understanding can help create great melodies.  I came across this youtube mini-documentary and thought you might enjoy. The message here is about drumming, yes, but also about music and musicians: “great chops” [wrists, fingers] may be great to have, but we still have to entertain and move listeners – the audience:
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Though I have not been piping for long, I’ve been given lots of good, and -  well – some not so good advice.   

An example of the bad: “Don’t play sheepskin bags. They smell, and require TONS of maintenance.”   

 Well, turns out that I now play a sheepskin bag, and love it!  They don’t smell, and don’t require much maintenance at all.    (more…)

I finish most emails to the corps by saying “practice hard and practice smart.”  Practicing hard is of course a part of being successful in this game and we all generally understand that, but knowing what to practice is the other and perhaps more important aspect.

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