“What is your system for rehearsing?” If you were asked this question by a high school senior auditioning, a new staff member being interviewed, or a colleague visiting your program, what would you say? On Saturday, June 4, 2022, I co-presented a session at the CBDNA...
“No one cares what we don’t play.” -Paul Buyer This quote is about having the courage and conviction to take something out of your arrangement, concert, or show, no matter how badly you want to put it in. In marching band, it can be about deciding not to play...
Our students are going through a lot. They are stressed, burned out, and overwhelmed trying to keep up with the pace of coursework, exams, rehearsals, and other looming deadlines. Some are struggling with attendance, mental health, and the multiple pieces of music...
The state of marching percussion today has never been healthier and more popular, with thousands of students participating and hundreds of instructors teaching at every level. Due to this undeniable passion for the activity, marching percussion arranging has become an...
In Chapter 16 on Self-Caring, writer, speaker, and mental health advocate Katie Reed states, “Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you.” Self-care simply refers to taking care of yourself. Over time, the compound effect of...
Dear Friends: I am thrilled to announce the upcoming release of my new book, Drumline Gold: Innovative Systems for Marching Percussion Excellence, published by Meredith Music Publications, a division of GIA Publications, Inc. due out in late September/early October....
I am excited to announce the release of my 4th book, Drumline Gold: Innovative Systems for Marching Percussion Excellence. I wanted to share an excerpt from one of the chapters on “how to practice,” which serves as a blueprint of sorts. I thought it...
Just wanted to share this short excerpt from a great interview I heard this morning on the Success Talks Podcast with Entrepreneur Jordan Harbinger. Success: What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you? Harbinger: You don’t have to be the best at...
“Typically a musician develops this in their mid-30s when you’re well into your career where you’ve dedicated your life to your craft and your art and you find it slipping away.” —Billy McGlaughlin, guitarist In early 2005, I was playing Parcours en Duo for...
As percussionists from around the world make their final plans for PASIC 2016 in Indianapolis this week, I wanted to share the power of PASIC and the impact it can have on your life, whether you are attending your first or forty-first convention. Those of us who have...
