'Tis the Season!

The holiday season is here and I'm hoping those gifts under the tree are exactly what you were hoping for! I know my gift from Tracy worked out, although it's not under the tree and has already been used on a gig. Thank you to the fine folks at Cooperman for yet another terrific Christmas gift.

But this blog isn't about a new riq...

Spending time with family and friends, finding time to decompress, and getting caught up on sleep is typical for many of us. If you're like me, it takes a day of downtime before getting a little stir crazy. There's the, "I feel guilty for relaxing" immediately followed by "I feel guilty for not relaxing." Can You relate?

Just when I was leaning towards taking a day or two off from thinking about music, practicing, teaching, writing, etc I got a call from the great NYC-based percussionist Valerie Naranjo. She and Barry Olsen are in town visiting family and skiing and were interested in getting into the music building to.... yep... Practice.

Okay.

So here's the compromise I've struck:

1. Do something everyday I wouldn't necessarily find time for during busier times
2. Do something music/percussion/career-related everyday that I wouldn't necessarily find time for during busier times

For the first to-do, movies fit the bill, reading, dare I say, fiction, and exploring this wonderful valley I live in. Sounds relaxing, right?

For the second to-do, I have a stack of David Kuckhermann DVD's I've been meaning to get through. Then there's the advance copy of a riq text by my friend and fellow LSU alum Tom Zirkle. And practicing riq is relaxing, afterall!? (Question and a statement...).

That should hold me over for a week...

What do you do over extended breaks?

Visit my website at www.jameswdoyle.com

Paradigm Shifts for the Classical Percussionist

As of late, some of the blogs and percussion forums I read are ablaze with discussions about the lack of traditional career options for aspiring professional musicians and educators. This is a common thread in our modern day economy/society, regardless of degree earned, course of study, or pedigree.

Orchestra and university positions have become ridiculously competitive or have dried up entirely. As many students get closer to graduation, their idealistic mindset quickly evolves into panic as they see traditional careers simply unavailable, and consequently, they:
a. continue on with school
b. accept an arbitrary sense of defeat
c. Find a way to continue with their art outside of the norm

Can you relate to any of the above? Hopefully letter c. If not, well, read on.

Time for an assignment:
Make some lists; things you can do. Items include musical and non-musical work, hobbies, and other activities that consume your daily life. Here we go...

1. Make a list of what it is you are doing now or have done.

2. Make a list of what you want to do. What you can do now. What you think you can do with a little more work, or ten years of work.

3. Now, make a list of some craziness that would be daring. Ideas that seem insane but would be thrilling to achieve. What can you do that's not a traditional path.

4. Time to compare. Find commonalities? Anything non-traditional that sparks your interests? Diversified? Strengths you haven't considered? Enlist friends to do the same. Compare notes.

Example: You're a musician. You practice yoga. Yoga studios make great venues for performances. Some styles of yoga incorporate live musicians, including frame drums, marimba, tabla, and more. There are specialists in yoga for musicians. There are thousands of musicians who practice yoga... see where I'm going? Perhaps there's a niche you haven't explored. Can you get a degree in musical yoga studies? Not that I know of. Will this pay the bills? Depends on you.

A few months ago, I blogged about the variety of opportunities in my life and how I find the diversity rewarding. Music and pedagogy are both my career, hobby, lifestyle, and the one constant in everything I do.

At a Vic Firth meeting, I remember the Man himself, Mr. Firth say something poignant. He was asked about his career as a musician, educator, composer, publisher, and stick manufacturer. Then he was asked what he considers himself first- a musician, educator, etc etc. He responded, "A Business Man."

A piece of advice:
Talk to someone working in the business sector. How did they navigate their way through the post-college "real world?" Take notes.

Your Career is Yours. It doesn't belong to your teachers, institution, degree program, history, society, external factors, or fate. No finger pointing, just make it happen. Do what works for you and your art.

Once I got my mind around everything written above, a powerful and rewarding paradigm shift took place in my life. Suddenly, I was doing everything I wanted, stretching my comfort levels as a musician and educator, and living a very full life. It's my responsibility and my journey.

It's your journey too and trust me, well worth it. Now get started.



Visit my website at www.jameswdoyle.com

Three Documentaries Worth Watching

The following documentaries share a terrific amount of information on the music business. Some things you know, but surely a lot you didn't know.

What do you know about Les Paul? Find out more and how his inventions revolutionized the music business. Watch this documentary for free on Hulu.
Les Paul- Chasing Sound

How have corporations influenced the music business, and what do some of the greats in the business have to say? Watch this documentary for free on Hulu.
Before the Music Dies

And here's a great documentary discussing copyright issues with music and media in the 20-21st century. Watch this documentary for free on Hulu.
RiP! A Remix Manifesto

Check out the documentaries and share your thoughts.

www.jameswdoyle.com

Programming..."Monteverdi Mayhem!"

This post is more of a question than anything. In an era of bankrupting orchestras, there has been a movement recognizable to percussionists... the downsizing of the barely-hanging-in-orchestra to a "baroque" style approach to programming.

By eliminating the need to hire that third bassoonist/contra doubler, third flute/pic doubler, bass clarinetist, third through fifth (utility) horn player, a few percussionists who mostly sit around, and a drunken bass trombonist (stereotype?), you can save a lot of money through programming. Playing a "Voracious Vivaldi," "Handel the Heretic," or "Couperin's a Cool Guy" concert saves money on personnel, but how does it play with audiences? I don't know? Do you?

I teach a section of "Introduction to Western Art Music" to 70 general education students- a class I enjoy immensely. What better challenge than to find ways to make the music of mostly dead Europeans relevant to a student population of freshman students of a varied socio-economic background. I can tell you, even with my best theatrics, multimedia presentations, juicy historical gossip, and all out preparation, this generation won't likely subscribe to an orchestra season of "Fervent Frescobaldi" programming.

Will programming save the orchestra? Is the once mighty symphony destined to serve merely a segment of urbanity in a higher socio-economic range? Exist on a part-time basis?

What brings your tribe to a symphony concert?

Please share your thoughts!

Visit my website at www.jameswdoyle.com

Travel Time!

It's the most wonderful time of the year where we take to the roads and skies to visit family and friends in far off destinations. Food and good cheer is plentiful, shopping is required, and a home without a full compliment of percussion instruments becomes our temporary residence.

For the better part of my professional career, I've spent a lot of time on tour. In other words, frequent trips in vehicles and airlines, long weeks spent in hotels, and countless hours away from a rigid practice routine. With the travel season upon us, here are some ideas I use to continue pushing the ball forward as a percussionist while away from home.

In the car (for long commutes... but of course, please be safe!):

1. Egg shaker and/or bones practice. Put on your favorite driving music and practice patterns, alternative accent patterns, hemiolas, and tone color changes.

2. Practice Solkatu. Learning and reciting bols is a great use of drive time. Develop a new counting scheme that you can apply within your own practice and teaching.

3. Listening. There are countless recordings we all should spend more time listening to. Something I've taken to recently is listening to a jazz standard to memorize the head and absorb solo ideas (as well as memorizing solo phrases). Then, play an Aebersold of the standard, sing the head, and of course, sing solos. It's a great ear training exercise, focuses your attention on chord progressions, and expands you vocabulary of ideas.

On the plane

1. Writing. I find flight time to be perfect for writing exercises, creating practice spreadsheets, and forced time to reevaluate my goals.
2. Reading. There are so many books I want to read/reread but rarely slow down enough to partake. A long flight to the east coast is ideal for reading. Here are a couple of musts:
Talent is Overrated
The Savvy Musician
The Musician's Way
The War of Art
3. Podcasts. An outstanding opportunity to get caught up on Tom Burritt's great podcasts, Percussion Axiom TV, as well as my favorite inspirational podcasts by TED. Check them out!

In the hotel/guest house/guest room

1. Naturally, all of the above work in this situation.
2. A small practice pad and a pair of sticks. This is a no brainer, but you should never let a day go by without drumming. My small Vic Firth practice pad has traveled with me to three continents and countless states in the past three years. A small metronome is easy to travel with as well. The lists of exercises to practice is endless, but here are some favorites:
Stick Control
Rudimental Arithmetic
Polyrhythms-The Musicians Guide
3. A pandeiro, riq, or small tar. The volume of these instruments won't bother the neighbors while the weight makes packing and traveling easy. The course of study for these instruments is immense, but don't be afraid to dive in.

These ideas are by no means exclusive and I'm always looking for new ways to evolve my travel routine. Please share your traveling practice routine!

Happy Holidays!

Visit my website at www.jameswdoyle.com

How Often Do I Say...

Slow it down...

Count/subdivide...

First establish a pulse...

Keep your hands low...

More wrist, less arm...

Exaggerate the dynamics/phrasing/etc...

Watch your hands...

I have a wonderful studio of outstanding young percussionists that I'm honored to teach and mentor. In fact, it was at the conclusion of four great lessons that I thought about common threads from one lesson to the next. Each of these statements were finished with a "why." And then I began contemplating how many times, since 1993 (when I started teaching lessons), I have spoken the above words and many more phrases eluding me after five hours of rehearsals and four hours of teaching lessons... Who knows how often?

To be clear, this is not a rant, but a place to collect commonly uttered phrases in lessons. A collection of observations and instructions that may need to be turned into more efficient teaching strategies... ideas that can lead students to these discoveries without the need for an instructor to make statements or have a question asked of them. Essentially, a way to make myself obsolete.

Or perhaps I can record each statement and press the appropriate button when necessary.

Focus on the second note of the diddle....

Take a half step back from the marimba/snare drum/etc...

Relax your index finger/shoulders/etc...

Visit my website at www.jameswdoyle.com

Fostering Competition...

How about it? Competition. It exists in everything we do in life, from promotions at your place of employment to bidding for items on eBay, rushing for that coveted parking spot in a crowded lot to fantasy football leagues with your college friends. In regards to music, there's the audition, the concerto competition, festival appearances, marching/WGI/DCI competitions, talent shows, scholarships, job interviews, or simply trying to get ahead of your competitors in the music business world.

Is competition such a nasty thing for artists, or is it a fact of life? Should it be nurtured, taken with a grain of salt, or denounced?

As the fall semester is upon us, I cannot help but think of the arguments for and against. In my studio, I tend to foster some friendly competition on a number of levels. The most recent was to ensure the 40 rudiments are firmly in the hands of all students, from memory, at reasonable tempi, dependent on their individual development. The final round took place in front of my music appreciation class with the 70+ general ed students as the panel. After a split verdict, the student athletes in the class demanded a head to head "drum off" of improvised solos that was incredibly entertaining (and very impressive)! In the case of the two students in the "drum off," one marched snare with the Cavaliers this past season and the other is a frequent competitor in drum set solo competitions around the region. Their musical lives are surrounded by competition.

As a youth, I competed in team sports where 50% of the participants were winners and 50% were losers. As an adult, I raced bikes on the Northern California road and mountain bike circuits. Bike racing has one winner and 100 losers. It was here that my opinions on competition developed. I lost my share of bike races, but grew immensely as an athlete, physically, technically, and mentally. The key was keeping perspective. There were races I was in peak condition and didn't finish top 10 and races I won on days I was there simply for the training.

The same can be said in music, and for that reason, carefully creating competition amongst my studio allows an opportunity to address the realities of our mutual career choice, foster an outlet for those motivated extrinsically, and ensure proper perspective is kept.

Two questions for you:

1. How do you feel about competition?
2. What types of competitions do you foster?

Thanks for reading!

Visit my website at www.jameswdoyle.com

James

Guitarists have good ideas too!

My good friend and colleague Roberto Capocchi is a fantastic guitarist, freelancer, recitalist, recording artist, and educator. It's always a pleasure to spend time discussing music, music as a career and lifestyle, and teaching. He recently started a blog where he addresses the topics often repeated each year to students. Check it out for some wonderful thoughts on practicing and much more!

Roberto Capocchi

Under Destinations, scroll down to blog and instantaneously become a better musician...

Staying Connected- a new website

Informal education is easier than ever with the constant growth of online resources. One not to miss is a new website, http://drumchattr.com/

Check it out, stay informed, participate, and continue to learn.

Because You Never Know

How many times has a well-meaning acquaintance put you on the spot by asking how you'll make a living as a musician? Or maybe you've been the well-meaning individual who asks that very question to an aspiring musician under your tutelage? Either way, typical responses often include, but are not limited to:

Teach school
Get an "orchestra gig"
Go to grad school and then figure it out
Get a "college gig"
or
Move to NYC/LA/Nashville/Vegas/Burma/Chechnya/somewhere and "break into the scene"

Along the way, teachers, mentors, friends, family, clergy, rivals, significant others, classmates, idols, enemies, audition committees, and others in our environment offer up grandiose advice in an attempt to steer us in the "right" direction. Sure, we all know individuals who focused on a goal from day one (to become the timpanist of the Southern North Dakota Ukulele Radio Orchestra) and landed that dream gig. To those who found themselves following a direct route without interruption to their final destination, I salute you.

For the rest of us, it's a work in progress and subject to change. For that very reason, I've adopted the "Because You Never Know" approach to a music career.

In 1993, although I would have never openly admitted it, my career goal was to be an orchestral musician (learn excerpts, buy tux, take auditions, get job, wear tux, be happy). Somewhere in the career preparations, this goal seemed less important to me as other interests grew. In an ever-saturated market, diversifying your skills can not only be fulfilling, but profitable. Creating a niche for yourself may very well be the key to a fresh and successful career.

As preparations begin for a magnificently eclectic performance with the Andy Skellenger Percussion Project, the career path deviations from my 1993 projections are never more evident. Here's a partial list of "paying" gigs representing numerous genres, styles, instruments (50+ instruments played), and settings from late April through August.

-Orchestra gigs (tux, excerpts, etc)
-Teach course in improvisation
-Teach private lessons to college students
-Direct college jazz ensembles
-Host, direct, and perform on the college percussion ensemble/steel drum concert
-Adjudicate an indoor circuit solo and ensemble festival
-Present a clinic on frame drumming techniques for a Day of Percussion
-Perform a two hour percussion quartet concert for a music festival where I play marimba, vibraphone, and literally dozens of other percussion instruments
-Lay down drum set tracks for someone's recording project
-Play congas with a salsa band
-Tour for two weeks with a military concert band
-Teach for eight days at a summer music camp while performing with a band, orchestra, guitar ensemble,and choir, as well as faculty performances of jazz, Irish traditional music, and pop music
-Record congas and cajon for another album
-Teach private percussion, drum set, and frame drum lessons
-Teach drum line camps
-Record marimba tracks for another album
-Play doumbek, tar, bendir, drum set, udu, and cajon with a tabla artist and other musicians for a music festival
-Accompany a belly dance troupe
-Perform with a world-renown tabla virtuoso on a private concert
-perform marimba "background" music at a large national conference
-Play vibraphone with a jazz combo
-Teach a marching band camp, including writing parts
-Prepare classes and ensemble repertoire for the fall academic semester

The point is, you may never know where life's journey will take you. How you manage this may be the difference between a life full of rewarding experiences or an existence full of career disappointment.

Concerned about the "jack of all trades, master of none" label? Seems awfully black and white, don't you think? Who's to say you cannot be great at something and proficient at many other things?

There's no rule that states you must play vibraphone at a certain proficiency before age 23. No rule requiring you to be the best singer/songwriter before performing publicly. Sure, society has musical expectations, but there's always an "in the meantime niche" for your music. Perhaps if you diversify your musical skills, your experiences will remain new and exciting, and you'll continue to grow your niche.

Because you never know where your career might lead, absorb as much as possible. To quote a letter Bela Bartok wrote in 1931, "I don't reject any influence, be it Slovakian, Romanian, Arabic, or from any other source. The source must only be clean, fresh and healthy!"

What are your thoughts?

Please visit my website at www.jameswdoyle.com

Determining a Philosophy... Really?

The idea of writing a philosophy may sound disgusting. Seriously, could something be more academic? However, putting guiding principles into writing adds transparency and accountability to why you do what you do. Be it your approach to teaching, business, performing, or overall living, taking a moment to stream thoughts into words, words into organization, and organization into a declaration can be an enlightening exercise. Here are a few points to consider:

1. The philosophy is subject to change... never written in blood
2. Whether or not to share with others is a personal choice
3. The writing doesn't have to read like an 18th century philosopher's oration

Take a moment to consider where you are, what you do, how you do it, and why.

Here's a brief example of the "philosophy" for my percussion studio. In this case, the audience is the student, the setting is Adams State College, and yes, it's subject to change.

My educational philosophy can be summarized by the following statement:
‘When the phone rings, you will be prepared to say yes to whatever the gig may be.’

A corollary to the above statement is:
‘You will always be called back because of your musicianship, preparation, flexibility, communication skills, and collegiality.’

Achieving the technical facility to express oneself artistically is the goal of every lesson, coaching, and rehearsal. Additionally, many musicians, regardless of degree program, teach in some capacity. For this reason, it's important for all students to learn “how” and “why” technique and artistic expression is developed. The ability to articulate these skills through verbal explanation and modeling is of the utmost importance and beneficial to all percussion students.
Achieving success lies in the collaboration between student and professor.

In fact, this blog entry has inspired reevaluation... What are your thoughts? What would you change? What's your philosophy?

Please visit my website at www.jameswdoyle.com

Essential Tools for the Practice Room

Instrument
Music
Tuner
Pencil
Metronome
Recording Device
Journal or Checklist
Water
and...
Kitchen Timer

That's right, a kitchen timer. Preferably not a wind up, tick-tocking timer but an inexpensive, easy to use digital timer. The kind available at the dollar store for, well, a dollar.

When you start your practice session, you usually have goals to accomplish within a fixed amount of time. Set the goals, set the timer. As you practice, set micro goals and set the timer. You'll be amazed with the increased efficiency of your practice time and the focus you can keep throughout.

As a side note, set the timer for breaks as well.

Kitchen timer... trust me, you'll love it and it will revolutionize your practice sessions.

What are your practice room essentials?

Visit my website at www.jameswdoyle.com

Balancing Overwhelmed Inspiration

So you have a great meal that inspires you to achieve new heights in the culinary arts. However, boiling water is a challenge, you don't own a decent knife, let alone know how to slice, julienne, or mince, and your current repertoire of knowledge is limited to reading the box for suggested microwave cooking times. So instead, you let the dream go and order pizza.

Inspiration hits us for a reason, and even though the road may be long and without a Food Network contract, it's a journey worth taking. The upside is you develop new skills, eat healthier meals with fewer preservatives, and accomplish new things in your life that are extremely gratifying.

Having just returned from the inaugural Jazz Education Network conference, there's a lot of great information swirling in my head in need of digestion. In order to savor these captured moments, words of wisdom, and inspiring performances, I write. What stands out? What resonated? Why did certain ideas move me? How can I implement these new ideas into my life? Will these ideas transfer to other aspects of my musical career? Open new doors? Help me grow as a musician and educator?

When inspiration strikes, follow through with a few clarifying steps.

Step One:
Write down what inspired. Performances, quotes, ideas, conversations, anecdotes, etc.

Step Two:
Take a moment to reevaluate your goals- short medium and long term. How can this new inspiration meld with your goals?

Step Three:
Keep it in perspective and get to it!

Step Four:
Periodically revisit your list(s) of inspiration and re-sync your goals.

The great vibraphonist Stefon Harris made an excellent point in his clinic- when you step back and see what there is to learn, it can be overwhelming. So he gives himself parameters and decides to focus on the fundamentals. If he's amazing at the fundamentals (which he is), then he can get closer to being amazing at everything (which he already is).

Take your inspiration and move forward. It's a journey worth pursuing with guaranteed growth!

Please visit my website at www.jameswdoyle.com

Checklists for the Practice Room

Make a list.
Cross off the completed task.
Ahhh.
Sound appealing? If so, why not apply the same principle to the practice room?

I am a devoted follower of the Covey Quadrants and have set up checklists on Google Calendar to help me process tasks. The same approach is taken while structuring practice sessions. This need for organization includes the use of Excel spreadsheets. Not the creation of formulas and calculations, but to keep track of tempos, sections of music, knowledge of scales, techniques,or whatever needs organizing.

When preparing repertoire, analyze the music, determine form, notate the performance tempos of each section, and plot this information into a spreadsheet. For example, if the "A" section is 120 beats per minute, list "A Section" to the left and tempos from 40 bpm to beyond performance tempo across the top. As you accomplish the A section at 40 bpm, you can put a "yes" in the column. Instant and visible success! Before you know it, you are progressing in an efficient manner, have an understanding of the form, and clear goals in print for your next session.

Here are some useful checklists to print and use.

Scale Checklist

Rudiment Checklist

If you'd like these forms (or others I use) in Excel format, e-mail me.

Happy (organized) Practicing!!

For more practice resources, visit my website at www.jameswdoyle.com

Building an Inventory

How do you build a collection of the music, mallets, and instruments needed to freelance, teach privately, and make a living as a musician?

One purchase at a time.

Like all planning, think in the short, medium, AND long term. What types of gigs might you play? Do you currently have a vehicle to get you and your instruments to the gig with ample cargo space? What can you afford today? Save for tomorrow? Can you afford rent for the extra room these instruments require? Can you borrow instruments from your institution (either as a teacher or student) or the local high school?

While ordering the custom built marimba of your dreams will be inspiring, give you the ability to practice marimba whenever you like, and a nice big piece of furniture to add to your home, do you think you'll make a living playing marimba? To be honest, I bought the marimba of my dreams when I started teaching college... one place where a marimba is requisite.

Make a list of what you need for the career you desire. Then price that list, considering quality versus price point. Update your list as you purchase and your plans change. Set money aside for these purchases, and don't beat yourself up if you absolutely have to have that pandeiro but aren't sure if you'll play gigs on it. If you get proficient, there's no reason you couldn't. And you could always start with this pandeiro instead (I love mine and yes, have made money playing gigs on it).

Before the marimba, bills were paid with a drum set, concert snare, triangle, tambourine, an old Deagan glockenspiel, crash cymbals, a xylophone, etc etc. Lessons were taught on these instruments, and you know, they were affordable to acquire- one purchase at a time.

It's never too soon to start collecting your tools of the trade. Keep an eye on Craigslist, eBay, and the occasional estate sale. Although this is a dark statement, many of your peers bail from a career in music and are left with music, mallets, and more that are often sold for cheap.

Before you buy that incredible chromatic set of tuned almglocken, ask yourself if it is the top of your list, will help distinguish your career, and bring personal and financial reward to your future.

Now get to that list!


Visit my website at www.jameswdoyle.com

The Penny Method

How many times have you been making your way through your practice routine and found yourself guilty of the following:

Play, play, play, mistake, back up, play, continue (got it right!) play, play, etc....

or worse:

Play, play, play, mistake, back up, play, mistake, back up, play, mistake, back up, play, mistake, back up, play, continue (got it right!), play, play, etc...

What happened here? To begin with, you stopped and backed up. Was that part of your strategy for this session?

The other problem is the mistake, redo, mistake, redo, got it, move on mentality. Obviously, this gives a pretty low average of success, as you are reinforcing mistakes more than the smooth performances. Here's a quick fix:

The Penny Method.

Place a stack of pennies on your music stand. Play a difficult passage. Each time you are happy with the passage, move a penny to the right, making a new stack. Happy? Move a penny. Move another penny. But what happens if you make a mistake?

Move all of the pennies back to the left and start again...

This method will do two important things:
1. Improve your average
2. Put real world performance pressure on you to get it right.

The Penny Method- do it!

Visit my website at www.jameswdoyle.com

New Direction- Making Music Your Career

No one reads a blog unless:
a. Your reader is family and feels obligated/only know what's happening in your life by reading
b. You have something to offer

This blog was created in the summer of 2007 as a way to track an overseas trip playing drums in warzones. Since that time, it served as a random update of musical and personal events. The new focus will be to give you ideas and resources for your business- your business of making music a career.

In the Fall of 2010, the Adams State College Music Department officially launches a new emphasis for music students- the Music Business Emphasis. How many musicians do you know who are qualified performers and/or educators, but struggle to make ends meet? This first step will provide a foundation to succeed in the music business.

What will the blog provide? The anecdotal information gleaned through personal experience and continued research will be beneficial for those trying to answer the question, how do I get started/what do I do after college? An incredibly important question which is, unfortunately, often avoided by academics.


To begin, check out these blogs:
The Savvy Musician

Seth's Blog

These two blogs will give you more than enough "food for thought." Bookmark and enjoy.

The information is out there.

J-