Project #1 - MAT Camp

When I first purchased my laptop, I was so excited to use it that I had it shipped to Evanston, WY where I was teaching at a week long music camp. These clips were all taken the same day, which I believe was one of the last days of the camp. Musically speaking, there isn't anything extraordinary on my part, I mostly just wanted to test out the recording capabilities in different situations. Regardless, I think its enough to get an idea of what the gig is like.

The camp hosts a handful of ensembles ranging from orchestras and jazz bands to celtic and folk ensembles. Players include 7th and 8th graders as well as faculty members. I teach percussion techniques classes, world percussion, funk band, and this year a bossa nova guitar class. I also help with the band, orchestra, and jazz band since percussion students are small in number. In this clip you'll hear Shannon Roberts (University of Utah, Woodscross HS) and Mike Giles (Iowa State University). I believe that the first two tunes are arrangements of Shannon's, and the third his own composition. Enjoy!

Comments:

In high school I was notorious for having terrible posture when I played drums or piano. After the first year of college I changed my ways, as well as my set up, and started to play with good posture. I like having a slightly better view of the rest of the players, and found that it increases my reach a bit. For some reason this week I had reverted back to the slouching method in an attempt to get closer to the drums be a little less 'formal' for lack of a better word. I wanted to connect more with the music being made as opposed to the music that was written. Kind of a letter of the law/spirit of the law sort of thing. I think it helped, but after that week I went back to sitting up straight. More than anything else, it keeps my back from hurting after each gig.