After a too-long break, I finally got my vibes set up and ready to play tonight. Any time I'm away from the music I usually play harmonic minor stuff the first day back for some reason (what can I say, I love that sound). Tonight I jammed on e harmonic minor, and what came out actually had a cool groove, so I figured I'd share.

The groove can be played in any harmonic minor key, it's just:
-the tonic and third together (E and G in e harm)
-move down half a step to the #7 & 3rd (D# & F#)
-move to the 6th and root (C & E)
-move to the 5th and #7th (B & D#)
-repeat!

Check out this Slingerland/Deagan vibraphone I found in the corner of my lesson room... It looks like it is in pretty good shape and it sounds very good. Motor is probably broken, but I have to fix the power cord first to find out.

Also check out the attachments.

Any of you guys seen one of these before? Any facts you want to share?

When Love Prevails by David Burge

My father composed this four movement work for vibraphone in 2003. The premier (video above) was done with dance (SanDiego Ballet) but the piece works very well as a solo offering. Each movement has its own character and draws from a variety of musical styles....avant garde, odd meter, lyrical, etc. The music is published by CF Peters. I have a better audio version and am happy to send the files if anyone is interested.

Hi Folks:

My band, Nós Novo, is doing our 2nd Annual Very Special Xmas Special tonight at Cornelia Street Cafe at 9pm. One long set of jigs, reels, old songs, and a few carols, woven into our repertoire and sounding like us. $10 cover for one long set... should be great fun.

It's that time of year again; a time for the endlessly curious combination of ancient ritual and online shopping; cloves and cinnamon wafting through Walmart, trees brought inside and dressed up, Lady Gaga singing about the infant christ on tv.

Let's focus on the TOTM's we've covered so far.

Let's also work on ways of building technique, solo playing, studying chords and all other topics you guys might have.

We'll start the day at about 10am and go till noon.
Then have lunch. Get back together at about 1:30 or 2. We'll go until about 4. Break for dinner. Come back for percussion ensemble at about 5:30. After percussion ensemble we'll hang and have a concert, or jam together.

David Friedman, Tony Miceli Behn Gillece, Anthony Smith, Matthias Goebel and Paschal Schumacher are doing an international vibesworkshop in Wuppertal..
The workshop will take place from March 5 until the 9th 2014 at the Hochschule für Musik, Bewegung und Tanz in Wuppertal. That's 5 days of mallets from morning until night!!.

The Workshop Includes:

• Classes Each Day
• Ensembles
• Bass Player
• Vibraphones
• Marimbas
• Pianos
• Practice Rooms
• Concert Hall

Rules:

1. ONE key per day.
2. you MUST run the board ascending/ descending >or< descending/ ascending at least 2 times per sequence. Lowest point o the instrument in that key to the highest point on that instrument in that key.
3. you MUST use a metronome, preferably set to 2 & 4. Slow to medium tempo.

the RHYTHMIC PROGRESSION
1st time = 8th notes
2nd time = 8th note triplets
3rd time = 16th notes

the STICKING APPLICATION
8th notes using alternate sticking, doubles, paradiddles (that’s 3 times up & down!)

Hey,
I'm crazy I know. First thing : I feel like a beginning gladiator who just jumped in the arena of a profesional game. I'm going to get killed.

1 take recording-3 pieces
- theme from the nutcrackersuite
- Christos his excercise on independance
- bags groove

I make a lot of mistakes, (notes pedalling, dampening) mistakes I usually don't make when I practise these tunes on there own. But in this situation I make more mistakes.
The main thing I noticed listening to myself :" Oh my god I play fast, that's way to fast for me!!!"