The Drum Buzz

I know that I might be writing this kind of late since the cubicle setting most of you read this blog from has almost completely faded from memory over your holiday break.  However, maybe I’ll get lucky and those of you that follow me on twitter (why aren’t you following me yet?) will see the link to those post and read it through holidazed eyes.

This time of year most of us tend to get sentimental, thinking of our first drum sets under the Christmas tree or our favorite brand of sticks that Santa carefully places in our stockings every year.  For some, this will be the first year that you give your son or daughter the opportunity to learn how to play drums by purchasing them their new drum set, practice pad, sticks, or instructional DVD.

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Popularity: 2% [?]

This is a guest post by Courtney Brandt;  author of the books The Line, A Fine Line, and Keeping In Line

If you would have told 14-year-old Courtney Brandt how much drum line would impact and ultimately change her life, she probably would have laughed in your face. Entering high school, I was an oboist (that’s right, a woodwind player). I knew I wanted to stay with my friends who were all joining the high school marching band. One problem. My particular instrument was not of the marching variety. Now, as you probably are not aware, most oboists choose to play flute and remain safely with their woodwind kindred. Not me. I heard the drum line on our 8th grade “field trip” to the marching section of the stands one night in the fall and somehow knew I was destined for the group. I could read notes better than a lot of 8th grade drummers, and after announcing my decision to join the Line, was plonked in the Pit. That day, I began a four-year relationship with the Brookwood High School percussion section and unknowingly set in motion the foundation for a series of novels which would introduce me to a number of amazing and talented people.

But freshman Courtney had no idea what she was in store for… She had no clue the friends, crushes, heartaches, victories, losses, highs, lows, discipline and lessons that drum line was going to provide. She just liked the sound of it all – the cadences, the rudiments, the loudness of everything.

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Popularity: 14% [?]

I’ve been trying to think of the right video to create as my first video on The Drum Buzz.  I had tons of thoughts, most of which I had already seen well done by other people.  Thought of instructional videos on technique, tuning, maintaining, and the like all crossed my mind.  None of these seemed good enough for my first video post.

As luck would have it one day, instead of having a normal rehearsal my band was going to work on our new music video.  I had grabbed my video camera to use as a backup or secondary camera and while driving the thought came to me.  I wanted to give my readers an inside look on how my band, an indie band with some technological knowledge, creates music videos.

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Popularity: 5% [?]