Yes, Virginia, Drummers ARE Actors

The Kindred is a big experiment and a bunch of risk. It is unlike anything that ECG has attempted before. As such, it might be hard to imagine we are on the right track, or if we are just...out of line with what 'everybody else is doing'.

Well, I was kicking around my notes today and I found this link hiding on my puter. After I hit myself with a frying pan, I realized this is EXACTLY the time for ya'll to be reading up on this stuff. And look--it's on Vic Furth...it's gotta be good!

http://www.vicfirth.com/education/articles/steinkoler_12-14-07.html

Now, I wouldn't want to get in hot water about stealing anyone's intellectual property, so be sure this is not my words, by the words of Mr. Steinkoler, an illustrious educator of drumming and such. However, I know how tedious it is to read a long article on a blog, so I have edited out some points that I think really apply to our work on The Kindred.

Here goes:

Excerpts from article, "Getting Into Character", by Jeremy Steinkoler

"I had a drum student for a number of years who went on to study acting at a prestigious program in England. He was an extremely bright and sensitive kid, whose enthusiasm for drums was second only to his passion for acting. We were talking one day about the similarities between acting and drumming, about the notion of “getting into character” both for different acting roles and for playing drums on tunes with different feels.

"pay attention to what the song is asking you to do..."

• Indoor percussion is all about creating a visual expression of the music, right?
• How can you use your body to create the world of the people and their story?
• Costumes, set and prots help give the audience clues, but they don't convey the story.
• And that was one of the most valuable comments we got this last go around: They were missing parts of the story...because the clues they had from music, costumes and sets weren't enough to let them really understand.

SO what we have to do is integrate, tie together the story AND the music by getting into character as individuals and as an ensemble.

THE BOTTOM LINE

"Remember, the drums are not always the main event, even though we drummers like to think so. You need to ask yourself what the song is asking of the drummer."

• So...although this is a sacreligious statement... the STORY is the most important part of our show.
• SO...what is the story asking of the drummer?
• If you are a minion...how can you show us that in the way you play your instrument?
• If you are one of the guard...the question is the same, but also has the issue of movement....why are you moving forward, turning, etc. and how does that movement help to communicate the story.

HERE ARE SOME OTHER INTERSTING TIDBITS TO CHEW UPON:

"Motivation: Similar to the way an actor needs to find motivation to portray a character, a drummer needs to know what motivates a drum part. "

• we are talking about acting the role of the drums WITH YOUR BODY in addition to your sticks.
• Isn't that the same as finding the right groove for a particular chart?

"Ask yourself what is the song about."

• Or in our case, do you understand what your character's part is in the story we are trying to tell?

Consistency!
"Two of the most critical aspects to playing any song well are playing with a steady tempo and a consistent feel. In jazz you can take a different approach, with each note having its own color and character, almost like speaking. But with rock and dance music or anything with a repetitive groove, consistency of sound is paramount."

• Now I am not trying to pretend to teach you how to play the drums, but playing consistency is important for getting into character
• He says that each groove is like speaking... the parts of the story really reflect the changes in the music
• Part of your character is expressed in HOW you play, not just WHAT you play...
  

Attitude, Presence, & Integrity
" Play every note like you mean it. Believe in your playing. There is nothing you are supposed to play – the only thing you’re supposed to do is sound good, and you don’t sound good when you don’t play with integrity."

• Indoor Percussion THEATRE is different than Drumline or concert playing or small group...yup, it is
• Maybe you don't feel comfortable being this far out of the box...out of your comfort zone.
• Indoor skills that you may not possess now...not because you can't do it...just because you haven't aquired them yet! But there is only one way to do that...you gotta start by trying. You have to be willing to take a risk to learn anything. So, just jump into the deep water. You might really like it...

Learning by Example

• Forget about that crazy potty mouth rodent video for a while and spend your precious YOUTUBE time looking at other Indoor shows. You soon see the difference between the good and the bad. The good ones communicate the story through music and story.