A Percussionist's Notebook

Sometimes the instructions on music are small (such as Rit. or cresc. ) or the conductor adds a sezura after a section that wasn't in the arrangement. These are just 2 of any number of things that a player wants to emphasize on his part during rehearsals and the performance. MARK YOUR PARTS! A comment that I always make to my students is: "One of the things that separates a professional from an amateur is a professional never trusts his memory but an amateur will."* If you were to watch a professional player during a rehearsal they are constantly marking their parts. It's a basic step in any performance. For years I had a mechanical pencil that held a 2mm lead in a grade of 6B, this is softer than a typical writing pencil (2B). I used this pencil for marking all of my parts. I would intentionally wear down the tip from a sharp point to a rounded end. This gave me a very dark and broad stroke so that I knew it would get my attention and could be easily...

Putting our time to some good use during this social distancing. My wife joined a group of home bound seamstresses who have been sewing masks for low income families. Eventually the group got a call to make masks for First Responders. At last count they had made 33,218 masks. 1 of 33,218 masks She has also continued with her painting. And my favorite. Keeping busy knitting and crocheting Christmas presents for her nieces and nephews.                                                                         Lion Llama I on the other hand did some rather pedestrian projects.  I used some old pavers to build a raised vegetable garden for her zucchini and pumpkin patch and then a paved walkway so she could get to it. And some mixed results carving tagua nuts. ...