Percussion mallet

As the school year progresses, Thomas Jefferson's extra curricular programs continue to display their hard work for the students enjoyment. During the boys’ basketball game on January 4th, against Westminster High School, TJ’s drumline did just that, bringing the audience musical enjoyment in an unconventional way: by using buckets. After months of continuous practice, the drumline, led by band teacher Robin Johnson, was ready to perform a few songs as a halftime show. In preparation for events…

The earliest form of music that came into our world was called the Drum-Based Percussion instrument (Hollis). These instruments of rocks and sticks were used in religious ceremonies that were known as representations of animals (Hollis). It is known that by 4000 BCE the Egyptians created the Harps and Flutes, and also by 3500 BCE instruments called Lyres and Doubled-Reeded Clarinets has been founded and created (Hollis). Almost all of the Indians and Africans had been using some of these…

Steel drum music has the ability to move an audience like no other type of music. From the first note, the songs exude a happiness from within each pannist. Even with the slower pieces, you can close your eyes and imagine yourself in a tropical surrounding. The AISD concert, conducted by CJ Menge, which took place April 14, 2012 certainly did not disappoint. The concert was performed in Austin, Texas and featured steel drum bands from seven middle and high schools in the area. The first piece,…

The Controversy of Women Percussionists and their Exclusion from Batá Drumming Batá drumming is a religious ceremony over five centuries old of Yoruba origin. The purpose of the ceremony is to call upon Orishas, or deities using the drums. There are three drums that participate in the communication with the orishas during the ceremony. These three drums are Iya (mother), dedicated to the Orisha Yemaya, Itotele (father) dedicated to Oshun, and Okonkolo (baby) dedicated to the orisha Chango. Iya…

Memory loss is a very stressful thing to face. While the brain in struggling to remember lost memories of family and friends, a person with dementia can become angry, sad, or even depressed. This is why music therapy is so helpful to them. Music is known to calm the brain from stresses. According to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, the best music to play for a person with dementia is music from they listened to from the ages eighteen to twenty-five. In-addition to familiar music, music…

My fingers slip on the keys during cool night rehearsals where the condensation gathers mischievously in the location it should not. I forgot my jacket on the day determined to dip below forty degrees; the player in front of me lent his jacket to his girlfriend but Will wears vests. During the break, whoever was kind enough would lend me their sweater until the next break. It was a regular stadium rehearsal that lasted two and a half hours but it was longest rehearsal I’ve ever endured. I was in…

The music of the caribbean counterpoints revolves around folk, ritual, and dance hall music in a new mode. Out of the chapter the “most important aspects of Candomble and Macumba as the main links to samba, the national dance of Brazil”. Africanisms show their emotion in brazil by a traditional dance and this takes place in Rio de Janeiro in the south where there’s colorful carnivals. The taditional music and dance of the Orixas, which consist of three drums which have three elements of music…

In comparison to how early percussion was performed and how musicians of the percussive arts are viewed upon today is almost an opposite perspective. In the medieval era of music, percussionists and parts were most definitely not used as much as which the other instruments were written for. The use of percussion back in this era were only written if the composer felt the percussion parts were a necessity for a piece, and if they were included in a piece, the parts were normally improvised. With…

After completing my first semester at Ohio State, I can already tell I am part of something very special. Granted, when I was accepted and when I made my decision to attend, I started to get the feeling that this would be the case. Growing up, I didn’t really think that this would be my case or story, but looking back on it, I am so happy it is. I was born in 1998 in Toledo, Ohio. Toledo as always been the place I call home, and I have spent most of my time in Ohio as well. I know the…

Whenever someone has free time they usually find something fun to do. As for myself, I found that audio engineering; lighting and special effects design, playing and learning about percussion instruments, and anything electronic or technical related are great things to play around with. When I was a little kid, I always played with different toys of mine that either ran on batteries, or that plugged into an electrical socket and/or took my toys apart so see how they worked. So, from that moment…