A blast from the past

 

It was 50 years ago in 1973 that I started drum set lessons and playing percussion in my high school concert band. I started thinking back to this time when my church where I play djembe in the band told me they are thinking of purchasing an electronic drum set for me to play. Above in the picture, is my first music book I worked with and would you believe it is still in print? Originally published in 1968, you can see by the cover the hippy and mod influence from that era. I bought it online and received it last week. Wow! How fun it is to look back on those old coordination drills I did. 

In 1975  my teacher encouraged me join the Percussive Arts Society and participate in an event called the “Un-Contest.” For this I played a drum set solo called, “Wipe In” (a play on the famous solo “Wipe Out.”) . I even ended up winning an award for my performance of this!  However, it was all such a long time ago, I don’t remember many of the details. For years though, I did google searches for this drum solo and never found anything until last week it came up in a YouTube tutorial for this solo. It was notated that this solo was from a book “Drum Set Music” by Roy Burns and Saul Feldstein published in 1971. It turns out this book is still in print too! So I will receive it soon in the mail. I cannot wait!! 

All if this is so inspiring for me. The other day I decided to join the Percussive Arts Society again and as a member, I have access to the archives of old Percussive Notes publication they had going back to 1969. Yesterday I found the write up about the Un-Contest event I was in but it did not go into detail. However, I did find a funny article from a drum teacher who said that the cassette tape recorder has “revolutionized his teaching!” He went on to say that students often forgot the details of their lessons and now, thanks to the newest technology of cassette tapes and recorders, they can be recorded for the student. I thought that was amazing to think that the cassette was considered cutting edge back then! To think I lived though this time? ! Am I that old? :) 

So in the long run, I may not have become a famous or virtuoso musician but I certainly have had a lot of fun over these many years. I think it was Kurt Vonnegut who said, “Go into the arts. It may not be the best way to make a good living but it is the best way to make a good life. “ Enough said! 

Thanks for stopping by!