When I was a freshman in high school, I learned about the National Association of Rudimental Drummers, an organization devoted to promoting and recognizing education and excellence in rudimental drumming. It sounded totally geeky and cool. I decided to make it a goal.
I spent weeks practicing the first thirteen rudiments (slow-to-fast-to-slow again) and preparing a solo from the NARD Solo book ("Modern Syncopation," which remains a favorite today).
Unable to find a NARD member who lived close enough to me for an
in-person audition, I arranged to do a a cassette audition, recorded and
proctored by my band director. After weeks of practice and four
attempts at a quality recording, we sent off the best tape, a completed membership application and a letter
of provenance from Mr. Bish to the address on the membership application
in late October 1977.
(Below: A blank application, just like the one I filled out)
And then I waited.
I waited so long that I feared my packet had gotten lost in the mail.
Almost a year later, I got back a thin envelope. I figured it was a rejection letter.
Instead, it was a letter informing
me that NARD had been formally dissolved as of December 1977, and the former secretary
was writing to offer his thanks for a “very good” audition tape, encouragement
to keep drumming, and regret that there was no longer an organization to
admit me into.
I was disappointed, and encouraged. If NARD had still existed, I would’ve
been admitted.
(This was not the kind of encouragement I got from my nightclub musician father, who felt that rudimental drumming was a waste of time. He wanted me to become a jazz drummer or, better still, a symphonic percussionist. I didn't want a career in performance, but in music education. He didn't really get it at the time, though in later years he would warm to it.)
In this letter, I was told by an experienced drummer that I was good and
that I should keep drumming -- exactly the encouragement I longed for.
So I did.
Now, over forty years later, NARD exists again to encourage today’s drummers in the pursuit of musical
excellence and beauty.
While talking about our shared geeky love of drum practice pads and rudimental drumming, I told
my story to the president of the organization, Mark Beecher.
He'd seen some of my many drumming videos, and invited me to sign up as a member of NARD at long last. Today, my packet arrived in the mail, not so thin or small.
It’s not the same organization, and that's okay.
I’m not the same drummer.
And my reasons for wanting this have evolved as well.
I’m no longer
interested in bragging rights — here in the lefty radical landscape of Portland, there's no point in bragging about ANYthing conected to military history — but instead I’m much more interested in the the musical and technical
traditions of my chosen instrument, and in further democratizing drumming for anyone and everyone who wants to pursue it.
I’m humbled to be recognized by fellow drummers for my continued pursuit
of the craft and love of rudimental drumming, and encouraged to keep rooting around this rabbit hole simply for the joy of it.
While COVID has stripped away, or muted, so many of my other pieces of
musical identity, it has given me time and space to return to MY musical
roots and remember the joy. To remind myself that we don’t “work” our
instruments, we PLAY them.
(From the NARD web site)
Mission Statement:
The
purpose of the National Association of Rudimental Drummers is to
protect and preserve a system of standardized rudiments as an anchor for
all marching, concert and drum kit drumming.
As stated by Wm. F. Ludwig in the Spring 1936 issue of The Ludwig Drummer:
"It
is the purpose, aim and object of the N.A.R.D. to standardize drum
rudiments and to encourage their adoption by all earnest students of
drums; also to dispel the erroneous idea that the rudiments are only for
the drum corps drummer."
#playdrumseverday
#makemusic
#rudimentaldrumming
#diddleseveryday
#NARDdrummer
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