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I envision this site as a platform for discussion, i.e. an exchange of opinions, sharing ideas verbal and musical and being open for giving and receiving suggestions and constructive criticism. After submitting my version of "You don't know what love is" I asked for comments about what I changed harmonically. I was really looking forward to some interesting feedback. I wanted, as I mentioned to Tarik, to go beyond personal taste, "I like this", I don't like this", etc. (Although sometimes I could handle a bit more of "I don't like this", in a constructive way, of course).

So I'm giving the Mallet Improv workshop this year at PASIC. And so I thought!!!

I would like to get you guys to chip in. Open source the talk!

So give me some tips you found valuable for learning improv. Some commentary? Advice? What should young mallet players work on? Think about? etc.

I will also refer to this post in the notes and make this available for everyone at PASIC

Here is the chart for my version of "You Don't Know What Love Is," in case anyone is interested in having a look...
it was written mostly on piano. (the recording is "Connections, Volume Two: The Anthony Smith Quartet")

-Anthony

Hello all – I'm sure this topic is not very interesting for those who know that the musician makes the music, (for the most part) but I'm in a position to buy a second vibraphone...(I got approved for 0% – but don't want to go into hugh debt so the budget is tight) do not want to go past 4500 bucks – keeping that in mind.

Knowing that an instrument is a personal choice and most have limited budgets. I will be using this instrument for practice, (most of my practicing is on the second floor with a very tight stairway) special concerts and doing some personal recordings..

I had a talk with Stefon Harris a while ago. I don't think I've talked about it here yet.

The argument is this: The piano is part of the percussion family but percussionists don't learn piano. The piano is in a performing way, NOT part of the percussion family at all. It requires a lot of dedicated and unrelated skill and has moved out of the percussion family. Not how it's made of course, or the mechanisms that make the sound but in a performance way.

I played with a trio yesterday and we played Autumn in New York, which is a tune I've always liked but don't play much. Afterward, the bassist and I were discussing some different changes, so I thought I would check out the MJQ from the Django album when I got home. I liked their arrangement so much I did a rough transcription.

Hello all –

I was born with bad hips and as age I've had to become a bit more creative :-)

I was wondering if any vibe players ever have had hip and back pain while playing? I have found pedaling with my left foot and alternating with my right foot seems to help… Yes, unorthodox but I can make music.

Does anyone else have any tricks?

I thought it would be a good chance for us to talk about our careers. Not all of us :-) have had careers like Gary Burton or Mike Manieri or David Friedman. Three incredible and different careers.

I'm in Ireland and did two very different gigs. The first one pissed me off for musical reasons.

I think of playing my instrument as partly a job. Meaning I have to be proficient at what I do and competent. I want to be great but first I have to make sure I'm competent and proficient. Can't be great without that part! I get upset when musicians are not competent. It pisses me off. Of course I know there are sometimes when I haven't been competent. So I've been guilty of this in my life.

I've not posted recently, though I have been playing a lot. Summer workshop at UDel was awesome and for the first time, I felt like I at least understood the majority of the information, even if I couldn't play all the exercises. I'm playing for 3 weeks now with a band sponsored by the local Senior Center in Centre County PA. The "Second Winds" plays a lot of 30s and 40s big band and jazz tunes. We're booked in weekly for one rehearsal plus one performance at senior living centers throughout the county, also some outdoor fests, and the annual Bellefonte Jazz fest.