Educational Articles

The new DVD by Gil Sharone, Wicked Beats, is an in-depth look at the development of Jamaican Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae drumming. As Gil points out in his intro segment, these styles are seemingly simple on the surface, but many technically advanced drummers have a difficult time playing these beats convincingly.

There is one teaching situation that still puts me on edge – substituting for another teacher. It presents its own set of unique challenges and opportunities that are worth taking a deeper look at.

I was asked to review Baby Steps to Giant Steps by Peter Retzlaff and Jim Rupp and offer my opinions on how it may fit in a university setting. I will attempt to give an unbiased opinion as well as offer suggestions as to other educational applications of the book

I’ve been thinking about the whole process of teaching and the passing of knowledge and skills to others. This got me thinking about the subject of teaching, and specifically the imagined teaching “chain” that can exist in our minds.

Learning to play different styles of music is an important part of studying to be a professional drummer. And the best way to learn the nuances of a particular style of music—jazz, for instance—is to listen to recordings. For players coming from a pop or rock background, certain styles are more accessible than others. Most beginners would find it easier to play along to a CD by Aerosmith or Matchbox Twenty than a Miles Davis or John Coltrane album. Yet there are several jazz recordings, by those legends and others, that lend themselves to helping a new student of jazz find his way. One such album is Steamin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet.

I thought I would share some of my thoughts with you on the Keith Carlock DVD “The Big Picture” and how I use it in my labs.