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Don't Know What To Practice?

Here is a list of things on the website, lessons I liked a lot or thought were important. For me it's all of them I guess.

Can any of you guys copy a link of something you thought was interesting and help and put it in the comments? I'll Building on this. This would be especially for new comers to the site or players who don't know what to practice. Pick something from here!

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Looking For Something to Study?

A Website With All the Grips

Have you guys seen this site?
https://doublemalletgrips.wordpress.com

All the grips are on there! It's pretty cool.

What is your favorite grip and most importantly if you didn't use the grip you use, what grip would you use next (can't be the same one :-).

My grip is on there and credited to Gordon Stout. I think Gordon uses one grip in his left hand and one in his right hand?

Did You Know Mike Balter Sold His Business?

Very sad news. Mike Balter sold his company to Zildjian. I saw it in an article in a newspaper online. I kind of wish I would have known in advance, as it was a bit of a shock.

I love Mike Balter. Like Steve Weiss he is an icon in this business. Mike is also a really good percussionist and drummer. It was great to endorse a company like his, as it felt like being part of a family business. We will see what the future holds. Mike said to me "Everything will be the same!". I laughed and said back "Nothing will be the same!". Mike is one of a kind.

How to book bands?

For many years now, I've been working with a local arts organization, the Hopkinton Center for the Arts (https://hopartscenter.org/). For the past several years I've organized what we've called the Sunset Jazz Concert series -- 6 to 8 outdoor jazz concerts during the summers on Saturday nights.

Two years ago, through some herculean fund raising, the HCA managed to complete building a new performance/gallery/instruction facility. At this time I added a monthly jam session, now on the 2nd Friday night of each month.

How do you teach experience? (Quick thoughts)

I'm thinking about teaching people and thinking about what I teach them and explaining things to them.

It hit me, that you can't teach experience and that's the thing that's most important of all. Experience is being on the gig, playing with others. Experience is making mistakes in front of people. Making bad decisions and good decisions.

That's the most difficult thing when I think about this. When I tell students to get out and play and they don't, but they say they want to be good players, I don't know what to do.