Percussion Safety Tips

Today I was putting together a new set of marching multi-toms, or quads, if you prefer, and I came across the following safety warnings:

Be Careful Using Sticks and Wire Brushes
Sticks and wire brushes are intended for playing the drums and should never be used to hit or to be thrown at people. Doing so can be extremely dangerous.

Broken Sticks
Fragments and splinters from broken drumsticks can fly into the air and cause injury to the player and/or to those nearby.

So kids, now we know to be careful with those sticks. My favorite warning, however, is the following:

Earthquake Preventions
A strong vibration such as an earthquake can cause your drums and hardware to shift and tip over. Stay well clear of falling objects to avoid injury.

Consider yourselves warned...

Drum Circle with Matt Savage

The Concert Band had a special treat this morning with a visit from Yamaha percussion clinician Matt Savage. He is in town working with bands on the Northshore and to appear in Focus on the Arts at HPHS. He worked with our freshman today on elementary drum circle techniques and taught us a lot about rhythm and how to listen in an ensemble. We all had a great time, as you can see in the pictures below: