The Final Step to Excellent Concert Preparation

As my students and I prepare for our Fall Percussion Concert this Thursday, November 3rd featuring the Clemson Percussion Ensemble, Steel Band, and Drumline, I thought I would share some strategies behind our concert preparation that others might find valuable as they...

Excerpt from Teaching Jazz Drumset

Below is an excerpt from my new article, “Teaching Jazz Drumset,” published in the October issue of the Jazz Education Network newsletter. To read the complete article, visit https://jazzednet.org/Teaching_Jazz_Drumset_Paul_Buyer. The fundamentals of jazz...

What I Learned from Warriors Coach Steve Kerr

Last week I participated in a live stream with Golden State Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, who’s team won the 2015 NBA Championship and came within a play of winning a second one back to back. The program, called Cats in the Corner Office, was offered through the...

How Seeking Out Criticism Can Make You Better

In Ryan Holiday’s new book, Ego is the Enemy, he writes about the importance of criticism and humility, stating, “The art of taking feedback is such a critical skill in life, particularly harsh and critical feedback. We not only need to take this harsh feedback, but...

How to Inspire High Performance

I am an avid listener of a podcast called Finding Mastery (www.findingmastery.net), hosted by high performance psychologist Michael Gervais who has recently worked with USA Women’s Volleyball in Rio as well as the Seattle Seahawks. According to his website,...