Doc’s Blog

This page is all about percussion.  Look for links to great percussion sites, along with upcoming podcasts and more.

For starters, here is a great link to Vic Firth’s site that shows the correct way to hold the left hand for traditional grip. http://www.vicfirth.com/education/articles/wesselsgrip2.html

Every drummer (percussionist) should have the Vic Firth site saved to their favorites!

Here are a couple of really cool links to Jeff Queen on Vic Firth’s site. First is a podcast about paradiddles. http://www.vicfirth.com/podcasts/marching/queen_paradiddle_build.html

The second is about Vic Firth Artist, Jeff Queen. This dude is super cool and you need to download all his videos.  In fact you can subscribe to all the Vic Firth videos (podcasts) by clicking on the link in my blogrolls.

http://www.vicfirth.com/artists/queen.html

Check out the Jeff Prosperie video on the Blogroll.  Jeff is a former student of my Mom’s who currently plays in the U.S. Army Band.  He won the DCI solo snare drum competion in the 2007.

The following videos are of our St. Michael drum line playing our cadences.  This is very beneficial to all incoming freshmen.  You need to listen to these as much as you can.  I’ve included a full sequence of Bleu Raiders, Bleu Bells, and Engine Number 9.  I’ve also put our warmups, and individual parts for you to study.  Check out the hand positions, grips, etc.   The music for these can be downloaded from the audition page.  Notice that the part varies in a few spots from the printed part.

http://crackle.com/c/Music/Bleu_Tenor/2152072#ml=fi%3D%26fu%3D2342139

http://crackle.com/c/Music/Bleu_Raiders_Bass/2152131#ml=fi%3D%26fu%3D2342139

http://crackle.com/c/Music/The_Bleus/2161625#ml=fi%3D%26fu%3D2342139

http://crackle.com/c/Music/Bleau_Snare/2161650#ml=fi%3D%26fu%3D2342139

Most incoming freshmen have a more realistic chance to make our drumline as a bass drummer, cymbal player, or frontline player.  Pay particular attention to how we do multiple bass drum parts.

Here is a Marching Percussion feature called Cheetah.  It’s still in the rehearsal stage so it isn’t clean yet, but check it out anyway. http://www.crackle.com/c/Music/Cheetah/2212894#ml=fi%3D%26fu%3D2342139

We don’t just play the drums!  Check out a pair of our students (one of them an outstanding football and basketball player) playing a short version of Fur Elise.

http://crackle.com/c/Music/Fur_Elise/2161561#ml=fi%3D%26fu%3D2342139

Now check out these percussion blogs. http://percussioneducationonline.com/ and http://thirdstream.musiced.net/