You are asking yourself, "is this for me?"
Minimum: You need a basic sense of rhythm; if you have done band or piano for a couple years, that is probably sufficient.
Maximum: If you can already play Corps level music, this is not for you. If you can play all the fundamentals - place diddles and flams at any point within a phrase, paradiddles and other double and triple sticking, shift between sextuplets and 16ths, drags, ratamacues, etc. this is not for you.Equipment: Bring a concert snare with snare stand, drum pad, sticks, and music stand (with built in pins or bring clothes pins). In addition, every musician should own and regularly use a metronome at home. You do play at home, don't you? If you do not already have a drum, pad, or sticks, please let me know and I can bring extras.
How to handle the diversity in playing level:
I am writing music with multiple parts, just like wind instruments get. The hardest parts will include flourishes (like flams, drags, alternate sticking patterns, stick flashes). The 2nd part will be a simplified version of the 1st, and so forth down to the easiest part which will compliment the accents and flow of the music. As you master each part, step up to the next level. Just make sure that you know where the beat is! I plan to post the parts here on this blog.
The top picture above is of the Show Drum Line called Top Secret from Basel, Switzerland. I borrowed the picture from http://www.drummerworld.com. Check out some of TS's videos, like Edinburgh 2006 and Next level 2012. The picture of the waterfront is from WestSoundLive.com, a local realty company.
I plan on meeting at the gazebo to start with. If you need a ride, give us a call; we will have room for three more.
Depending on how things go and if we can get ahold of enough instruments, we might do some latin rhythms later.
Keep it frosty!
