My drum practice now averages 10 hours a week. I’m organized, I’ve a long-term plan, a 6-month plan, and monthly, weekly, daily practice plans.  The practice space is in order, I’ve an accountability partner, a master teacher, workshops planned for the summer. I have deep listening sessions nearly everyday. I practice rudiments with my feet, I play along with great recordings. I’ve studied the history of jazz drumming. I’ve amassed over 90 tracks which have no drums. My jam partners have names like Oscar, Benny, Marc, Jim, Keith, Diana, and Barney. I’ve worked on my time. I’ve listened to over 400 episodes of drummer’s resource podcast. It goes on. Over the last decade since I’ve started, I’m about 5,000 hours in. I’ve listened to thousands of hours of practice sessions. Maybe 100 gigabits plus on my hard drive. I hang with other adults on a similar journey.  

How are my hands and feet? My spirit?

Happy.

(My long term goals.

1. My drumming is musically equal to my piano playing.
2. I play with other musicians who inspire me.
3. I bring new insights to my teaching of adults.
4. I continue to play with my adult jazz piano students
5. Teach drums)

It has been a great way to spend my 50s. Now to think ahead to my quickly approaching 60s.

The video below suggest ideas around staying in the game. 

1. emotional connected, visualisation
2. break the long-term goal into manageable bites
3. have fun, just play, get out of your head

​Cheers,
David

Another night of big band playing. Wow what blast, I'm grateful to have been invited. What did I learn? Some thoughts on my performance that come to mind are:

1. "Time, time, time" Terry Clarke
2. Set-ups at quicker tempi need work
3. Endurance
4. Dynamics
5. Sight reading
6. Fast cymbal needed; 17-inch crash is an awesome ride cymbal but is too long for a crash in this context. Flat ride and 20” paiste are great though.
7. Always bring my own drum set.
8. Horns really do slow down during breaks, therefore keeping the backbeat on the high hat going really helps.
9. I now understand why that drummer played so much backbeat: Keep the horns from slowing down.
10. This is no substitute for experience.
11. I must really listen in order not too rush.
12. It was fun, but really challenging last night.

Going forward:

1. Better physical fitness
2. Better diet
3. More sleep: even out my schedule to conserve energy
4. More transcriptions
5. “It’s all about the basics” Wynton Marsalis
   1. Time
   2. Rudiments
   3. Repertoire and more repertoire
   4. Gear

 
Now I'm off to see Terry Clarke for some coaching. 

Happy Swinging,

David

Last Wednesday I showed up at new boxing club for a cardio workout. Full of young bucks swinging away. Yikes. A couple of old guys, I was definitely the oldest. Over the next 60 minutes there was:  

• skipping
• punch combinations
  
• buddy sit-ups
  
• planks
  
• dumb bells
  
• more punching
  
• push ups and more push ups
  

Wow, I'm still standing. I'll be back. 

​David Story

Piano update. I teach piano: jazz and classical piano. The piano has fed me for over 40 years. But, as you know from reading this blog, I'm devoted to learning to play the drums with the dream that maybe someday my drumming will equal my piano playing. So, piano practice has been neglected.

​Over the last few weeks, I've been practicing 30 minutes a day advanced classical repertoire. Tonight I went to my first jam since starting this project. My friend Tim has a lovely well maintained piano. The guys all play well, they are friends. They all noticed a change in my playing. The piano was singing. 

Cool.

Next week 45 minutes a day.

Cheers,

David