As the marching percussion activity becomes more and more popular, the access to quality instruction and information is becoming easier.
At this point, there are a lot of drumline members around the world who know what they should be doing and are doing a fine job of actually doing it.
But the problem that I’m seeing a lot of individuals struggle with lately is digesting and internalizing the quality knowledge that they’ve gained.
You see, with the revolution of the internet and the growing number of instructors sharing ideas, it’s become rather simple to get the information and knowledge you need to improve your abilities. All you need to do is call a friend, do some exploring on the internet, or go to a local clinic and you’re bound to find a person who will answer your questions with good advice.
While this ease of access is great, it can be dangerous from time to time because it can become addicting.
We all know the routine - you get to a computer and start skimming through YouTube videos, then you surf some forums, switch to browsing through some articles, head back over to YouTube for some more lot videos, and before you know it you’ve spent two hours absorbing information.
Having this type of passion for the activity is great, but there needs to be a point where you put your knowledge intake on pause and actually start practicing that knowledge to become proficient at it.
In other words, you can spend a lifetime reading books and watching videos on how to ride a bike, but you’ll never be able to actually ride a bike until you physically get on one and learn how to do it!
The same is true with learning a musical instrument.
You have to develop the self discipline to say “Okay, I’ve watched a video and read an article on this exercise. I have a respectable understanding on how it works. Now it’s time for me to start playing it and work it out.”
If you develop that habit - the habit of drawing a line and knowing when to go from absorbing information to actually practicing the information - you will be able to improve at a much quicker pace. Give it a try and see what type of results you get!
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Pat McLaughlin is the founder of Drumline Chops. He graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in music education and is currently the percussion director at West Bloomfield High School.
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