20 inspiring thoughts on playing music (in middle school)
This morning I helped for the first period of 6th grade band and it got me thinking about all the things I like to say to kids when I visit a classroom or teach at summer camp. They all came tumbling out, in no particular order. Well, except for the first one, because I think...
The Relevance of Rhythm: Why Drum? by Robert Wallace
A few months back, I wrote a short post, Forget about time and find the rhythm instead. When I opened percussionist and educator Robert Wallace’s newsletter recently, I read this essay and loved how he expanded on my thought from a drummer’s perspective. He also touches on another thought I had on this blog about...
Are you dead or alive?
I’m tired of “I’m old.” I’ve been feeling old since I left home at 18. I got married at 22, and by the time I was 30 I was a wife and a mom with a house and a career and I felt old. I meet old people all the time. They’re 35, or 23,...
Forget about time and find the rhythm instead
Time is infinite, ever flowing, on-ungoing. The six-year-old running barefoot at dusk with his mommy wears a watch for the first time. He calls out the time constantly, in time with the innocent slap of his feet on the pavement. He has no concept of measuring time. Yet wearing his big brother’s big blue...
Effortless Mastery, the Myth of Flow and Other Green Room Conversations
After making music with them, what I like most about musicians is talking to them. The hang before and after a gig is usually a source of inspiration. Last night was like that. We filed off stage, all 19 of us, either onto the dance floor or into the green room. One thing that’s annoying...
