We all see things plastered on the internet about activities that improve one’s physical well-being, but many people would be shocked to know that drumming is one of those things. There have been many studies done to back this up, but the article featured here is one of the more popular studies done on the relationship between drumming and physical fitness. So the next time you’re thinking of ways to get in shape, maybe you choose the drums instead of the treadmill!
Today’s post is from our friend Mark Wessels at Vic Firth. We asked him to tell us the story behind the new Vic Firth Marching Percussion channel on YouTube and how that came about.
Since the early days of internet video, Vic Firth was a pioneer in delivering top-quality percussion education and entertainment to a worldwide audience. We’ve tried hard to represent all aspects of percussion – from drum set to concert, marching to jazz keyboard, our goal has always been to reach every genre of music.
As a result, the Vic Firth YouTube channel has grown significantly. Our 205,000+ subscribers have racked up over 57 million views – by far the largest channel in the percussion industry. With the addition of 2-3 new videos each day to our library of over 3,000 videos, we’re consistently adding 1.5 million new views each month!
The only downside is that we’ve actually had to “throttle” some of the percussion content so that we can deliver a balance between all the various genres of percussion, especially during the peak seasons of WGI and DCI. Because most of us here at Vic have a deep marching percussion background, we weren’t happy with that… we’re always wanting to do more, not less!
With the launch of the new “Vic Firth Marching Percussion” channel, we’re able to dive deeper into the content that our marching fans want to see. We’re always striving to go ‘beyond the lot’ to bring you new & exciting features, including “Learn the Music” videos – where you can grab your sticks or mallets and play along to the 2016 DCI shows – to “Vic Licks”, interviews with the show designers and instructors, plus much more!
The best part is that we’re just beginning! Keep an eye out for the Vic team on the road this summer as we continue to break new ground with the content we have to offer.
One of the latest videos from the new Vic Firth channel.
Our demo list has been refreshed for the June Transmission. New additions include summer concert festival gear from Yamaha and Ludwig/Musser as well as some lightly used Pear gear from the Pacers High Octane Drumline!
Follow the link below to view what’s been added and sold!
The Todd Sucherman clinic on May 26th was incredible. And, so was the gear that he played. All of it is now available for sale. Click through to see the list of gear and the pricing. Make sure you visit the store to see the gear setup exactly how he had it at the clinic.
As the school year comes to an end the drum and bugle corps season is just beginning. Drum and bugle corps are marching ensembles (brass, percussion, and color guard) that travel throughout the country each summer rehearsing and performing in competitions. If you’re unfamiliar with the activity, watch this brief introduction.
There are many opportunities to see drum and bugle corps in competition in Indiana and surrounding states. Here is a partial list of events. Be sure to check out the event information at www.dci.org
June 23rd – Indianapolis, IN – DCI Premiere
Boston Crusaders
The Cavaliers
Phantom Regiment
The Cadets
Bluecoats
Carolina Crown
June 26th – Michigan City, IN
Pioneer
Colts
Troopers
The Cadets
The Cavaliers
June 27th – Hamilton, OH
Cincinnati Tradition
Colts
Boston Crusaders
Crossmen
Blue Stars
Carolina Crown
Bluecoats
June 29th – Evansville, IN
Music City
Legends
Genesis
Pioneer
Troopers
Colts
Blue Stars
The Cavaliers
July 1st – Muncie, IN
Genesis
Legends
Pioneer
Colts
Troopers
Blue Stars
The Cavaliers
Carolina Crown
July 9th – Rockford, IL
Kilties
Racine Scouts
Colt Cadets
Pioneer
Pacific Crest
Colts
The Academy
Blue Stars
Carolina Crown
Phantom Regiment
July 13th – Metamora, IL
Shadow
Racine Scouts
Genesis
Pacific Crest
Mandarins
Madison Scouts
Phantom Regiment
July 16th – Alexandria, KY
Cincinnati Tradition
Jersey Surf
Spirit of Atlanta
Crossmen
Boston Crusaders
The Cadets
Bluecoats
Carolina Crown
July 17th – Dekalb, IL
Blue Devils
Blue Knights
Santa Clara Vanguard
Carolina Crown
Bluecoats
The Cadets
The Cavaliers
Phantom Regiment
August 2nd – Fort Wayne, IN
Les Stentors
Raiders
Music City
Legends
7th Regiment
Blue Devils B
Spartans
The season will conclude in Indiana during the week of August 8th. Open Class corps will compete in Michigan City on August 8 and 9. Look for us at the World Class champsionships at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis August 11-13.
The drum corps season is a great chance to see the most exciting and innovative performances in the marching arts. With plenty of shows in and around Indiana, there’s no reason to miss the action!
Welcome back to the Chops blog. Today we’re celebrating the birthday of one of the most influential drummers of all time, John Henry Bonham. We’d like to celebrate his life and influence by sharing some of our favorite Bonham-related links we’ve found on the web. They include an article from Drum! Magazine on 10 ways to sound like Bonham, a video from his drum tech Jeff Ocheltree on how to tune and mic like Bonham, and some isolated drums tracks of him in the studio. Give the article a read, check out the Jeff Ocheltree video, then sit back and listen to the bombastic sounds and heavy grooves of John Bonham.