Tuesday, September, 26th

Practice tonight was fun.

I worked on Sync. 1 and 2. 1 isn't very hard, and there are only a few measures that confuse me from time to time, but i just cannot get the hang of Sync 2. The Bo-da-bo-da-bo-dop followed by almost anything confuses the holy heck out of me and i just can't get it back together after that. Its really frustrating.

On the brightside, the solo no.1. with bio-bass and samba-bass is coming a long nicely. Not as clean as i'd like it to be, but i'm doing better with it than i thought i would be so that was encouraging. I practiced some other random technique stuff before i called it a night.

Wes

Monday, September 25th

Practice tonight didn't go so well.

I started out wanting to work on my jazz pieces, but i just got frustrated and bombed out, plus on being tired - i basically just stressed out, and decided to just call it quits after a while and head home.

Wes

Saturday, September 23rd

Practice today was really fun.

I worked on the interdependence stuff mostly, and i'm already starting to get the hang of it. Its just a matter of setting it, and forgetting it - as far as my feet go, and just really concentrate on what my hands are doing. Still not perfect or anything, but i'm working on it.

For the rest of practice i was working on some groove stuff, and some jazz patterns. I don't know what happend today, but i feel like my hands just escalated in speed/control by like 2 fold. Its really encouraging too see that kind of instantaneous growth in myself as a result of tons of prayer and obviously the Lord blessing me with ability.

Practice was really awesome today.

Thursday, September 21st

Todays lesson was really awesome. Dave started me on some interdependence stuff and i'm siked.

I left lesson and went straight to the drum room and started working on it. ITs really challenging but i think thats why i like it. I worked on it as long as i could before app seminar started, and man was it so much fun!. It rocks face. I'm having trouble seperating my feet from my hands or visa-versa, but with some practice i know i'll get it.

WEs

Wednesday, September 20th

Todays practice wasn't as productive, necessarily, as i wanted it to be. I feel really stiff all over, mostly from last nights performance i'm sure, but regardless i still worked on the material.

The material has been coming pretty easily. The only thing that i really struggle with is to make sure i'm not accenting the third hit. The patterns are pretty mindless really once you get em under your hands. None the less, I enjoy it. They are good excercises.

After that i just worked on some groove stuff, and tried to loosen up some more but i just couldn't get loose, so I went through the jazz excersises again, playing them in procession, over and over a few times, and that about wrapped up pracice.

Wes

Tuesday September 19th

Today there was no practice time, because i went and played with Verde. It was a really good time, i know everyone had a blast, and i got to meet with God. We raised a good amount of money froma congregation so small - it just shows Gods faithfulness and it shows me that God is honoring what we're doing. It was a really awesome time.

Wes

Monday September 18th

Tonight practice went pretty well. No new walls jumped over or anything, but it was good.

I practiced the funk solo for tuesday. I got a pretty good hang of it now. I think i just make things to difficult in my mind when i see it on paper. It went well though.

I then started working on the jazz exercises. They came pretty quickly. Only one or two really challenged my brain, but i got 'em with some work. I'm excited about the jazz stuff - mostly just because it will expand my interdepence chops. Its good stuff.

Alright, short blog, but i think that really covers practice tonight. lol

Sunday September 17th

Today i was surprised when the school was open and ther was stuff going on. After rehearsal for 'verde' which i had fun at by the way, I went in to the drum room and rocked it out for a while. I just kind of entered in to it with the purpose to have a good time practicing, and man, I had a really good time. I was impressed at some of the stuff i was pulling off solidly. And dang. I have gotten so fast. I have been pulling off some ridiculous fills lately, and pulling them off well. It really excited me to just see that kind of improvement in myself. I hope that at the end of the next two years when i graduate, i will be an absolutely excellent player. I just want Gods grace to allow me to learn and digest the concepts that are being thrown at me well enough to make them a solid part of my playable catalogue so to speak.

Thursday September 14th

todays practice wasn't the full hour as it should have been just becuase of time restraints. I just kind of did some touch up work on my solo for tuesday, and had to cut it there. Stuff with the show, and classes, just didnt leave me with the time i needed today to get the whole hour in. Hopefully i'll get to make up for it later this weekend though.

Wednesday September 13th

Auditions went really well today I think. I dropped a frickin stick though, dang it. I REALLY need to work on that. I think its cause i naturally play with a really lose grip anyway, but, just something to be working on.

Tonight I walked into practice time, stopped, prayed that God would help me get this solo, and then got to work. Finally, it just clicked with me. I had a lot of fun playing this piece tonight. It was really encouraging to finally just get it and feel like i could play it well.

Admittedly though, i didnt spend as much time warming up as i should have. I really just wore out this solo, and playing some heat and other steve gad grooves that i love.

Tuesday September 12th

Practice today went better than yesterday. I'm still not where i feel i should be at with this solo. Its really frustrating. None of thee grooves are difficult, but yet for some reason i'm still stumbling through them. I would imagine its probably because my site reading chops arent up to where they need to be, so i focus to much on what i'm reading. Hard work, determination. I'll get it.

My bass drum chops are really coming along. I've been able to really make more sense of the muscle movements that i'm making to get different effects, and what it takes to get different things, its been really fun, and a really good time.

I've noticed that my left hand (when playing traditional) has also coming along really nicely too.

Tonight I worked on the audition material for the studio band tonight as well. haha, i played the american radio tune 15 times. haha how ridiculous. That songs just fun to play. I really nervous about tomorrow. Im' bringing my best though. Thats all i got.

Monday, September 11th

Today practice was kind of frustrating. Just being at the end of the day and having already been going all day long straight up until i started at about 8 or so, it just makes it hard to really get myself in the zone, but none the less I push forward. I worked on teh funk solo #1. For some reason i jut can't get the hang of some of these grooves, even though I feel like they should be coming ot me alot easier tan they are. I worked on this solo for quite some time toniht, as well as some of my other warm up excercises. I just pray that God wold continue to have grace on me that I might gain grasp of the concepts of what i need to learn here to be excellent at my craft, and that i may be able to puruse higher levels of laying even after my time at Visible School is completed.

Wed Sept 6th

Tonight was an absolute blast.

I first worked on the 1-2-3 excercise for a while, and started to work it up to a decent speed. I'm still catching myself putting right over left at the fastest tempos - it seems to be easier that way for some reason - but i'm trying to correct it and learn it the way that i correct.

After that I was working on some more interdependence stuff, and then - i started working up the audition tunes which was cool, though i really don't know what to expect or practice for the jazz tune, but i know the head well enough, so hopefully itll go good.

Tonight i started playing some heat, and i was very proud of myself - i have gotten so fast, its really encouraging. My bass drum chops have also started to really come along as well - tonight was a very encouraging night for me. Its awesome to see myself improve.

Tuesday Sept 5th

Okay. Wow. So the past four days i haven't been able to practice at all on account of Dougs wedding. Who knew it was so time straining to marry off your best friend. lol.

Today i did some simple warm ups, and got right to work on the lathem solo. So far it doesn't prove overly challenging, its just a matter of piecing all the grooves together smoothly. I'm afraid i'm not gonna have enough time to work this up to where i'm satisfied with it before lesson because of the wedding. We'll see.