I didn't plan on being here but here I am

In the wake of the shutdown, I lost all of my singer-songwriter gigs through at least July, and likely farther out than that. Since trying to hustle for those coffeehouse and synagogue gigs on the other side of the shutdown feels tasteless and wrong to me, I am taking a break from that space to focus on making some money in there present, in whatever limited way I can.

That has meant taking in bicycles for repairs, which has actually been nice.

And, a little to my surprise, it has meant taking on a few drum students periodically.
I've been working with a Honk! drummer from Austin one-on-one, for 30-minute lessons focusing on technique and rudiments.
And today I confirmed an online workshop for a Honk! band drum line based in Seattle, this will also focus on technique through warmups, a couple of DIY grooves the drum line can build however they like, and an approach to ensemble playing that focuses on groove and ensemble unity.

 So here I am, teaching marching drumming online, which honestly I never thought I'd be invited to do at this point in my life. In the current atmosphere I am grateful for the work, and for the opportunity to be of use musically.

I still have openings for a couple more beginner adult students. Hit me up on Facebook if you're interested.

the monstercorps thing

A couple of years ago, the rudimental show drummer SDJ Malik posted a video on how to make a shell-less drum from the top assembly of a free-floating marching snare drum.

To be clear, he wasn't calling this a practice pad -- likely because it's simply too loud for that -- he was calling it a personal snare drum. His video shows how to construct one of these without snares. For what it is, it's effective -- and quite loud, even without a shell.
I recently acquired the top assembly of a marching snare as part of a swap, and wanted to give it a try.

I liked the feel, but found the lack of snares meant a lack of dynamic possibilities.
I wondered how one might attach snares to such a thing. Adding snares might diffuse some of the overtones and allow for playing at slightly softer volumes.

And then I remembered Remo's Rhythm Lid kit -- a kit that lets you convert a five-gallon plastic bucket into a functional, fun-to-play drum.
The snare unit is sold separately, so I bought one. I removed the top rim and head from my setup, installed the snare unit by simply laying it over the edge of the bottom rim (which would have been the edge of the plastic bucket as in the video); reinstalled the head and top rim, tuned it up and voila! I had a strange but funky thing, not quite a practice pad and not quite a drum, but something in between.
Bending the metal snare holder slightly allowed me to adjust the sound of the snares to make them respond more crisply and with less buzz. (Remo encourages this in their instructions for use with the plastic bucket.)

Below: The installed snare unit from the underside.






























After I installed and adjusted the snare unit, I set it on a stand and played. It made a huge difference, both in the overall sound quality and in my ability to play with more dynamic nuance. Adding snares meant I no longer had to overplay to get optimal sound.

While this currently has a dedicated Kevlar head installed, swapping in a standard coated head might allow me to experiment with brushes, rutes and other sounds. I'm not ready to make that change yet -- I'm having too much fun with this as it is -- but at some point down the road I''ll consider it.
Meanwhile I'm having a lot of fun with what I've come to call my MonsterCorps Unit.

I may even experiment with a way to mount this on a carrier. Stay tuned.

A big, old Xymox pad. I kinda like it.

Since the shutdown began a few weeks ago, I've been stying at home and woodshedding on various practice pads pretty much every single day.
This week, I snagged an early-days model from Xymox Percussion. Now, I already own a few pads from this company, and I will admit I have another one on order. (I know, how many pads does one drummer need? That's hard to answer definitively.) It's all good.

This pad caught my eye because it was a light gray rubber VERY similar to what's been found on the Real Feel pads (now from Evans). But thinner. Since the price was right, I decided to buy it and see how it felt when compared to the Real Feel pad I own.

It arrived today, and I was surprised at how BIG it was. I was expecting a similarly-sized version to the other Xymox pad I own from the rubber-top-with-snare-sound era, roughly 15-20 years old.
But this thing is 14 inches across and seems designed to sit on a drum or tabletop.

Below: Both older pads, side by side. I've never seen a Xymox pad of this style this big before.

I set it on another pad already in a stand, and began to play. And while the feel is similar -- both pads use rubber of the same thickness, though the rubber on the smaller pad is recessed into the wood a bit -- it's not identical. The small pad feels a little livelier. The larger pad feels closer in response to the Real Feel, and that just means I'm really playing into it more -- sort of like the difference between playing on Kevlar and Mylar, respectively. Once I started playing on this new arrival, I actually liked it and didn't want to stop.



This does beg the question of age as it relates to "vintage."

Xymox has been in business for a little over 25 years now, and their initial design for a pad with a "snare drum sound" was granted a patent twenty years ago.
Xymox models have evolved over time, first with these rubber-topped models and then progressing into a two generations of Kevlar-topped model with snare sound.
(Interestingly, the mechanism for how the snare sound is produced has not change radically; today's kevlar-topped Reserve" model still utilizes metal beads inside the pad, though additional features now offer the option of reducing or canceling out the "snare" sound by inserting a rubber mute.)

A fourth generation of snare pad was recently released, though it may instead be a first-generation product of another kind. This new item actually plays and feels more like a miniature hi-tension marching drum, complete with an adjustable panel that allows one to alter the sound of short, actual snares against the underside of the head. (I bit the bullet and ordered one for myself. I look forward to trying it out when it arrives.)

So within the confines of a single company which designs and makes its own product, how does one regard the earliest models from that company when they may be over twenty years old? At what point does the early stuff become "collectible" or "vintage" in determining scarcity and value for both collectors and players?

I welcome comments.

my newest pad, by Jon Roberts

Jon Roberts is a rudimental drummer who marched with the Crossmen and is an instructor with the Jersey Surf. During the downtime he's been cranking out some homemade but VERY nice practice pads.
I bought one because the gum rubber is thicker than anything I've seen or that I currently own. I thought something a little softer might be nice to switch off to, and closer to the old Mylar-headed drums I played as a kid.
I was right.
The pad arrived today and I've been shedding on it for the last half-hour. My hands aren't tired or sore and I'm a happy camper.
As with any NEW gum rubber surface, it squeaks a tiny bit at first. When the newness has worn off a little the squeaking should stop.
This is a really nice surface to play on when your hands need that old-school Mylar feel, or when you want to chop a little while watching the evening news -- it's quieter than thinner gum rubber pads and won't disturb anyone but the most sensitive family members. (If they squawk, politely offer them headphones.)
At not quite 12 inches across, the pad is nicely finished and very sturdy, yet lightweight enough that if I want to toss it in my messenger bag and take it to a park I can. I'm going to enjoy playing this!

Two videos: the first is me demo'g my pad. The second is the video Jon tossed up at Youtube to talk about his pads.
NOTE: He is sold out of the first batch and is now working on a second. Hit him up in the comments at his Youtube vid to find out when more will be available.

chopping during the downtime

This is how I'm staying sane these days, chopping on a pad and staying home.
Occasionally, I'm offering short instructional videos on snare drum basics for my friends in the HONK! Band network. I've picked up one online drum student and am now in discussions with someone in Seattle to create an online workshop for an entire drumline.
So while my collecting action is slow, I'm playing a TON, and I'm pretty happy about that.
Stay safe and happy drumming!

drum lessions in the time of coronavirus

I'm happy to report that I've begun taking online drum students!

I'm keeping it basic and super-affordable (sliding scale $3-10 pay-what-you-can; no one turned away for lack of funds).
Your choice of a 15- or 30-minute lesson, focusing on any aspect of rudimental drumming you want.
My specialty is adult beginners playing or wanting to play with a community band or drum line, but I will work with teens and/or intermediate players as well.

SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR ACTIVE MEMBERS OF HONK! BANDS. Just show me a picture of you playing with your Honk! community band and we're good for a buck off whatever you can pay.

I will be teaching from a pad while weather keeps me in the house. When the days grow warmer I'll move outside with an actual drum if you want. All lessons available on your choice of FaceTime or Facebook Live chat.

Find me on Facebook and Private Message me if you're interested.