Grand River Percussion Solutions “the Stream”
Promoting and teaching percussion topics
“The thing about playing percussion is that you can create all these emotions that can be sometimes beautiful, sometimes really ugly, or sometimes sweet, sometimes as big as King Kong and so on. And so there can be a real riot out there, or it can be so refined.” — Evelyn Glennie Greetings everyone! I’ve … Continue reading Grand River Percussion Solutions First Blog Post – why bother?
As we move back to face-to-face instruction for schools, teachers will need to get caught up with all the things they’ve missed since last spring such as planning for concerts, classroom organization, and cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. One important item that will sneak up on you is recruiting for your beginning programs, whether you do it … Continue reading Recruiting Beginning Percussionists – Part 1
After my blog post on sticks and mallets, I had a number of requests for specific recommendations. Many teachers have mallet requirements for their beginning students which often are not practical. Sometimes they ask too much of parents by springing a large shopping list on them at one time without warning or asking for more … Continue reading You asked: Concert Stick and Mallet Recommendations
What is needed and why? With so many choices of sticks and mallets available, what do teachers, students, and recreational players really need? There are many factors to consider and my goal is to help you navigate things a little easier. The topic of sticks and mallets can become as divisive as pizza toppings, including … Continue reading Concert Percussion Sticks and Mallets
Education and life, as we know it, has been changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools wonder how they will operate, let alone address the concerns of the arts. Music is especially troublesome with the close distances and enclosed spaces players often find themselves in. Many are developing solutions to allow performing ensembles to continue during … Continue reading Scholastic Percussion Suggestions Amid COVID-19
Too often I’ve watched people buy timpani heads assuming you buy it based on the size of the drum shell/bowl (32, 29, 26, 23, or 20”). Timpani heads are different, as they are larger to allow for the heads to stretch over the edge of the bowl. Timpani heads are categorized in two types; standard … Continue reading Making Timpani Head Sizing Easier Again.
Articles abound with various opinions on when and why to change your drum heads, with variations based on the type of drum, how often you play, the type of music, and the venue, but they all agree that you should. So, when should you? The first and most obvious point is when they break, just … Continue reading Should I Change My Drum Heads
Grand River Percussion Solutions “the Stream” 