Although the finishing touches are still being put on the film, the website recently launched for The Graves. This is an independent horror film which I composed the music for. At over 74 minutes of music (for an 87 minute film), it was an ambitious project that I'm proud of. More news on the film's release will be forthcoming, plus a trailer which I'm also working on the music for! Visit the site, and sign up for news here.
Tuning snare drums of a modern day drumline is a very subjective topic. In fact, the sound of the groups I've worked with over the years has evolved from year to year. Some of this has to do with the sound we're trying to achieve for a particular repertoire. Some of it is just personal preference.
This year at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) in Austin, TX, Innovative Percussion, Inc. will be unveiling two new models to my signature line of keyboard mallets.
The 1003x marimba mallet is a souped up version of the popular 1003 model with added weight for projection and strength conditioning. The 1008 is a new spin on my super-sized xylophone mallet. It's made of the same material but has a newly formulated internal weight formulated to produce a full sound with a similar warm, non-brittle character as the 1007, but with a smaller-sized head.
Fez Fatale (the band in which I play drums) just released a short CD called "Six Pack." For those of you unfamiliar with the Fez, we're a quirky hodge-podge of lounge, funk, blues, and rockabilly. Something for everyone I guess. While I wish I had more time to practice with such a busy schedule, I'm proud of how the production of this project turned out. You can purchase the coaster-sized recording from CDBaby, or buy online at iTunes or Amazon. Thanks for supporting us!
It was a great year for drum corps. The group I write for, The Cavaliers from Rosemont, IL captured the bronze medal at Drum Corps International's world class championships in Bloomington, Indiana this Summer. We created an original show called Samurai which made heavy use of eastern sounds such as Yangqin (an Asian dulcimer), Shimidaiko, Hyoshigi, Chappas, Chudaiko, and many other colorful elements that created a show I'm very proud of. The percussion section was absolutely stunning. Big kudos to all the guys in the drumline, and the amazing percussion staff that brought it all to life!
