How many parents are foolish enough to allow their first born child to play the drums? Whether it was lack of sleep or naiveté, they actually did bid on drum lessons for me at an elementary school fundraising auction. Imagine the response of the other parents when they were comparing what they had won. A day at the spa, a family portrait session, or a weekend getaway had to be the standard compared to freely buying drum lessons for a raucous seven year old. Little did they know, their whimsical prize would make me a better person. Drumming has brought out the best qualities in me and it never would have happened had they been like other parochial parents and used their bidding paddle for something more mundane. After three years of pounding out simple beats my …show more content…
In middle school, I joined the Jazz Band and Concert Band. Because of my faithful commitment to practice, I was able easily perform with others and continue my passion. In high school, I was one of the first underclassmen to audition for the highly selective Jazz Ensemble and I was accepted! Because Jazz drummers are responsible for leading the time and rhythm for the entire band I had to become a confident leader. During high school, I’ve played in numerous competitions and received praise for my skillful timing and improvisation. Both leadership and improvisation have had positive impacts at school and home. I’ve learned to remain calm under pressure during tests and became a more creative playmaker on the soccer field. In addition, drumming has also been an outlet for voicing my feelings. While most people listen to monotonous mainstream music, I’m able to use exotic rudiments and odd time signatures to play custom songs. Without drumming, my personality and skillset would be less than ideal for an ambitious Trojan. Drumming started as a whimsical purchase has grown into a life changing
The way drum corps members perform is deeper on a cognitive level in the brain. The performer has the music in their head while marching and this requires two different parts of the brain. A way to help with the intensity of cognitive power used is through relaxation training or “insight therapy”. In one study, “both the cognitively based treatment program and the behavior-rehearsal program proved effective in reducing musical-performance anxiety”(Kendrick, Craig Lawson, & Davidson, 1982) . These methods reduced performers’ negative self talk. This gives the members a smoother
Looking around and seeing bright lights and feeling all eyes on you. Hearing both sides of the stadium cheer and shout for their teams and getting nervous during the last few seconds of the second quarter and at the same time being very proud of what the band has accomplished in the brief amount of time it took to learn the pretty intense and complex drill. Then suddenly you get the adrenaline rush that pushes you to perform. Many people would agree that being a drum major is one of the most eminent positions that is held by students who are Being the Drum Major of any band shows that you have the respect and trust of the members of the band and it’s directors. It also shows that you are passionate about what you do, responsible and that
One of the biggest decisions of my high school career came my sophomore year when I decided to try out for the role of drum major in my high school band. This decision was very tough to make due to the fact that I was a sophomore, and although I already had three years of experience under my belt as a band member at Northview High School, I knew that it would be very tough to earn the respect of my peers if I succeeded in becoming drum major. Out of the three years I had spent in the band, the biggest influence on my decision to try out came from my very first marching season, between August and December of 2012. From that year forward, after seeing many areas that the band could improve, watching how underclassmen and middle school band members
Upon learning the position of Drum Major has an opening, I did not immediately consider pursuing it. Simply being able to play my instrument in band was enjoyment enough, or so I thought. Pondering the idea more thoroughly, I came upon the realization of all that I could accomplish musically holding the position of Drum Major. I realize that this opportunity has many potential benefits in regards to my future. Being Drum Major would allow me the opportunity to hold a broader leadership position in the band than my currently held position as section leader.
The two concerts that I chose to go see were Stanislaus State Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensembles & Combos Concert. These two concerts are both very similar yet different in their own ways. Each piece also has many attributes to contribute and it was fun being able to watch two very different genres.
A drummer’s main focus includes timing, rhythm, stick height, and tempo. When a band relies on you as a drummer to stay on time, these attributes become a must know. We walk in time, talk in time, breathe in time, and dream on time. Like other things in life, you don’t start off perfect. Drumming takes a lot of practice and time. So much that it can become hard to continue practicing, but like a language if you don’t use it, you will forget it. Percussion and drumming is amazing since it can fit into almost all genres. Also it is really up to the drummer how they want to build their set. We all have our style. Drums go way back to the earliest of mankind. Which makes sense
On Friday, April 14, I decided to go to BlueWhale jazz club in Little Tokyo, Downtown LA, which had a Jazz concert under the title “Anthony Fund featuring George Garzone”. I decided to google who is Anthony Fung who was a brilliant young drummer who was the same age as me, 23, I was very intrigued to attend. when I arrived at the Jazz Club the place was surprisingly packed. Me and my friends who I dragged along had to stand up for a while. the band has not yet started, there was only the drummer entertaining the audience. it seemed that Fung plays there often and he is quite popular. I scanned the audience to see what kind of people are there. It was my first time to attend a jazz concert, and since the beginning
Following in my sister’s footsteps, my mom signed me up to march trombone my freshman year. The idea alone baffled me; at the time dance filled my life and I showed no interest for this vastly different activity. However, I still joined, but since the peak of my dance season conflicted with the beginning of marching band, I joined a few weeks late. All would have been well if only the trombone section did not disintegrated leaving me without a home. This left me in the dust with no section to go to. To learn a brand new instrument would have shoved me even farther behind, and I refused to go on. In spite of my thoughts, my mom insisted in me not dropping out, so we took a new approach. I joined the color guard.
Mauricio, being a freshman that was just placed in a random band class and having no knowledge of playing any type of instrument, is now a close friend that has had a change of heart about his views of marching band. Many can say, himself included, that he was just a “kid who was in a group of guys” that he called his friends, always one to get into trouble for the most childish things, but when joining this fine art he was able to “find structure and balance out [his] life” and “find his love for music”. When joining band, it can impact one’s life, no matter what circumstances you are in, it helps you find who you are as a person, and give you confidence to be able to pick yourself up after a downfall. Mauricio was able to discover his love for both saxophone and drumming. To this present day Mauricio now a junior in high school is the section leader of percussion. Having that position is not as easy as it sounds, it took him countless days and section leader battles to get him to where he is now. Making the heartbeat of the marching band sound incredibly sensational. Mauricio has overcome his obstacles and his so called “friends” who first judged him for being a part of the “lame” marching band, now salute him for not only being able to play two instruments, but for also expanding his horizons to play all different sorts of
I remember taking a deep breath, closing my eyes, and listening to the silence around me. All of my hard hours of work and preparation were for that very performance. The lights shown on the freshly cut football field, the crowd filled the stands, and we were all stood at attention at the endzone. It was the home invite for the Kankakee Valley High School Marching Band and twelve other schools from all around.
Ferris High School, I was introduced to their developing jazz band. Adjusting to the schedule of a high school musician became tough, as I had to implement practice time along with daily academics. I patiently corrected my mistakes and always made sure I can perform to the best of my abilities. For the past three years, I have performed solos within concerts, and personally challenged myself to continue. Every year I have elected to compete in the New Jersey State’s Teen Arts Festival. Whether it’s a duet or solo, I use this opportunity to greatly expand my skill and learn from other musicians. Becoming a member of a band in middle school and high school has helped me develop into the person I am today. I’ve become more responsible, confident, and gained valuable knowledge. In the future, I expect to continue playing music, both instrumental and digital. Music has been a constant reminder that there’s always something new and with proper dedication, you can achieve your goals. I have been able to use music as a way to remain calm and help tackle daily obstacles. All in all, there’s multiple ways to stay positive by following your interests, and uncovering music has been a great
I attended “The Spring Jazz Collaboration” featuring the “CSI Jazz Combo”, “Swing Band”, and “Madrigal Ensemble” on March 9th. At first I thought it was just going to be three people playing the saxophone, the drums, and the bass. I was obviously wrong. Each song had their unique sound. I really liked how each musician had their own solo because it helped me hear the instrument and know what they sound like and that’s coming from a person who had never experienced a Jazz concert. The concert was broken up into four different sections. When the musicains walked out, I felt like they were a little nervous but when they started to play fell back into their comfort zone. Through the whole concert, I could see their passion for mucic.
As you live your life, and time passes. As society changes, and opportunities come and go. One thing never changes… A drummer’s passion for music. Coming from a musically gifted family obviously fueled my passion for drumming. The first step was to join the band, and being in band was what gave me a true appreciation for music. The passion for drums came first and then an appreciation for all the hard work musicians do. Unfortunately the marching band, in high school, was not affordable for me. So I wondered how i could continue my drumming career, and eventually came to a decision. I decided to take up playing a full drum-set, and it was the best choice of my life. Playing the full set, has given so many more opportunities than the band ever
Jazz is a music genre that is very rich in culture which is why I decided to attend a Jazz concert. This was my first Jazz event I had ever been to. I went to see the band The Chairman and the Board. This was a blues swing band. Having been to other concerts, I was expecting something similar as far as atmosphere and crowd. I was proved very wrong as this concert defied all my expectations and was in a whole different field as far as life entertainment goes. The first thing I noticed right off the bat was the audience. The age range of this audience was mainly 40-70. I definitely felt like the odd man out when I was there. It did get me thinking though, why was this audience so much older? I looked into the era of when most of those people
Like music therapy, drum therapy is also very effective for the people. Drumming has a lot of benefits, it is not only a musical instrument that entertains drummer and audience, but it is a technique that teaches people how to deal with every day’s problems. Besides, drumming helps to minimize hyper activity tendency and maximize concentration power.