A four-session course covering the most important aspects of drumming and musicianship including technique, listening and analysis, improvisation, and the connection between your voice and body.

We’ll explore the drummer’s role through several genres.

SYLLABUS

Session 1: Technique
This session is aimed at giving you the basic tools for self-expression and supporting the musicians around you. We’ll use techniques such as the Moeller method and different ways to use George L Stone’s “Stick Control”. We’ll also utilize other techniques that I’ve discovered in along the way.

Session 2: Listening and Analysis
What grooves move you? Which drummers do you listen to and wonder, what is that thing he’s doing? Why is her time keeping so great? How do they get that sound?
How do they make the music dance? We’ll also look at the global influence on drum set playing, including Indian, African, and Brazilian sensibilities.

Session 3: The Voice-Body Connection
This session is about grounding your beat. We’ll discuss the importance of knowing and singing the melody of a song toward this end. We’ll explore the South Indian syllable system of Solkatu to sing grooves of your own making, and open the door to getting comfortable in odd time signatures. If you can sing it, you can play it!

Session 4: Improvisation and soloing
This session brings it all together. We’ll develop soloing over the form of a tune, over specific figure or phrase, using the whole kit. It’s all about self-expression.

MORE ABOUT TODD ISLER

Drummer, percussionist, teacher and author Todd Isler is based in New York City, where he has been active in the jazz and world music scenes for over 20 years. He plays with Mike Gordon of Phish, his trio International Orange, and numerous projects around New York City. He has released two original albums: Two Step: Duets and Beyond and his current Soul Drums, as well as his book “You Can Ta Ka Di Mi This”, published by Gerard and Sarzin in 2005. Todd, along with the band Savane, won the Disc Makers Unsigned Band Contest. He was also a winner of the JAZZIZ Magazine Percussion On Fire contest. Todd has toured Africa under the Goethe Institute, and studied the South Indian Mrdangham with Ramnod V. Raghavan and Karaikudi R. Mani in India. Todd has also studied with Brazilian greats Portinho and Vanderlei, as well as teaching and extensive performances in Brazil.

In addition to his own releases Todd has played on hundreds of genre-crossing recordings and performed and/or recorded with a wide rang of artists including Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, Steve Turre, Melvin Sparks, Bakithi Kumalo, Brian Blade, Ivan Neville, Badal Roy, Mark Murphy, Betty Buckley, Francis Mbappe, Dave Kikoski, Leo Kottke,Jack McDuff, David Krakauer, Al Kooper, Charlie Burnham, and others. He has performed with several dance companies throughout the United States, many of whose performances featured his original compositions. Todd endorses Sonor Drums and Bosphorus cymbals.

www.toddisler.com | www.davetoddgaku.blogspot.com