Thursday, November 21, 2019

Post-Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Saxophonist Keith Gamble: Arts and Crafts - Making Homemade Drums

Post-Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Saxophonist Keith Gamble: Arts and Crafts - Making Homemade Drums:      Looking for a great activity to do with your kids? How about making drums with your children. This is a great arts and crafts activity ...

Arts and Crafts - Making Homemade Drums

     Looking for a great activity to do with your kids? How about making drums with your children. This is a great arts and crafts activity to do with your kids, and afterwords you and your kids can march around the house with the marching band.


     To make drums and shakers all you need is an oatmeal container, or any snack container you can find. Open one end of your container, and put beans and rice inside your container. Also consider using beads and pebbles. Please, make sure to use hot glue of tape to secure any spills or choking hazards, and by all means, have an adult supervise at all times when making homemade toys. Very important, and NOTE! Avoid using kidney beans as they can be DANGEROUS if consumed uncooked.


     Decorate your drums and shakers with wrapping paper. Cut your paper to fit and cover your entire container with packing tape. If having your toddler, preschool or school aged child construct their instruments decorate with stamps, stickers, and color or paint them before covering with contact paper, or packaging tape.


     Fun activities for homemade instruments would include shaking them at various speeds. Roll your container between your hands and on the floor for different sounds. Use your hands or an object like a wooden spoon to hit or strike your instruments. Also, you and your child can have fun with your homemade instruments by dancing and shaking these instruments.


     Benefits for your homemade drums are in further development of gross and fine motor movement and skills, and visual discrimination learning about sizes. In other words, these are developmental and educational benefits in this arts and crafts activity. Besides, it`s fun.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Post-Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Saxophonist Keith Gamble: Jazz Musician, Classical Musician, What`s the Diff...

Post-Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Saxophonist Keith Gamble: Jazz Musician, Classical Musician, What`s the Diff...:      Classical and jazz musicians are both on average highly skilled instrumentalist. However, jazz musicians are more sensitive to experime...

Jazz Musician, Classical Musician, What`s the Difference?

     Classical and jazz musicians are both on average highly skilled instrumentalist. However, jazz musicians are more sensitive to experimentation and unexpected shifts in music. In general, a jazz musician is better able to react and respond to changes in music, where as a classical musician may have a technique awareness due to years of technical study. Classical musicians focus on technique and personal expression they add to music. Jazz musicians focus on being prepared to improvise and adapt notes they`re playing.

     In a study of 30 musicians, all pianist; 15 jazz pianist, and 15 classical pianist found differences in the way these pianist process performing the same piece of music. Jazz pianist re-planned sooner than classical pianist on a study of playing a sequence of chords on a screen. This study was conducted by the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, in Leipzig, Germany. They found "the brain creates pathways over time in response to different musical activities". Neuroscientist speculate different procedures established in their brains while performing make it difficult to switch between styles. Repeated actions influence and change how musicians think. Musicians practice on areas of music that meet the demand posed by their chosen art. "Repeated actions change the structure of the brain".

     In conclusion, there is a difference in how jazz and classical musicians process performing music. The brain creates pathways to musical activities that differ from jazz and classical musicians. Repeated actions influence musicians thinking, and musicians practice to meet the demand of their art. So what`s the difference, it depends on the musical genre you have chosen.




The Brains of Jazz and Classical Musicians Work Differently, New Research Shows. (2018, September 25).
Retrieved from openculture.com/2018/09/brains-jazz-classical-musicians-work-differently-new-research-shows.html

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Post-Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Saxophonist Keith Gamble: NPR`s Tiny Desk Concert, featuring Roy Ayers

Post-Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Saxophonist Keith Gamble: NPR`s Tiny Desk Concert, featuring Roy Ayers:      Fans of National Public Radio have heard of the Tiny Desk Concerts. On my computer I have enjoyed Tiny Desk concert performances by Esp...

NPR`s Tiny Desk Concert, featuring Roy Ayers

     Fans of National Public Radio have heard of the Tiny Desk Concerts. On my computer I have enjoyed Tiny Desk concert performances by Esperanza Spalding, Tower Of  Power, August Greene (a group that features Common, with Robert Glasper, and guest female vocalist such as Brandy), and Roy Ayers. In this blog I will share with you my thoughts and opinions on Roy Ayers` performance on NPR`s Tiny Desk Concerts.

     If you have not had a chance to watch and hear NPR`s Tiny Desk Concerts you are missing-out on some wonderful performances. One performance I reviewed is vibraphonist Roy Ayers. In this concert Roy Ayers gives us some of his most popular pieces for a 24:20 performance. Of three songs he performs "Searching" is one of my favorites. "Searching" sounds great! However, I would love to hear tenor saxophone and trumpet punctuate the background like on his 1976 Ubiquity recording.

     After "Searching" was Roy Ayers` performance of "Black Family". I cannot say I am familiar with this piece, but Roy Ayers released it in 1983, on his "Lots Of Love" album recorded on his label called UNO MELODIC. If you are looking for "Lots Of Love", well, good luck finding it. "Black Family" was re-released in the 1980`s on his "Drive" album. Also, "Black Family" was recorded on "My Vibes", in 2005. "My Vibes" represents the best of Roy Ayers` defunct UNO MELODIC label. Written by Roy Ayers and Dwayne Perdue, "Black Family" is inspired by Fela Anikulapo Kuti`s Afro-beat style.

     What is a Roy Ayers performance without his signature piece "Everybody Loves The Sunshine". Roy Ayers did not disappoint. This was truly the way to close-out his Tiny Desk performance. "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" is such a cool mystical piece, and his band, comprised of Mark Adams (keyboards), Trevor Allen (bass), and Christopher DeCarmine (drums) performs with such spirit and creativity. These guys are right in the pocket.