Over the years I've spent teaching college percussionists, one thing I've learned is that whatever seemed to be absolute yesterday is open to question today. That's not an easy truth: young musicians want to know "what is the way, what is black and white, where is this going to get me, and when will I get there?" The way I look at it is, make a plan, include a destination either concrete or as nebulous as "over there," and try to keep moving. More importantly, observe everything along the way and pay attention to what is happening right now. From time to time that can keep you from moving in the direction you intended to go. You might even have to stand still for a spell, just to appreciate what's right in front of you. Don't be surprised to find that your original destination has a better alternative. Maybe one that's more feasible, maybe more alluring, maybe not.
With that in mind, that's how I wrote these articles. They sure seemed to make sense at the time. But I'm open to changing my mind if I discover something that is right in front of me. So I may revisit these articles and change things here and there. But for now this is what I think.
Reprinted by permission of the Percussive Arts Society, Inc., 701 NW Ferris, Lawton, OK 73507-5442; E-mail: percarts@pas.org; Web: www.pas.org.
Copyright © 2007 by Tyler-Rounds Productions