I just got back from a two-night production of Narnia performed by Ulster Temple in Belfast. I was invited to be a part of the production a few weeks ago. My part in the production was to provide a drum and percussion piece, about 3 minutes in length, to go along with an onscreen video exerpt from Narnia (the part where the two sides battle in the final war between good and evil). I played alongside 2 other drummers and we had a keyboardist providing some nice pad bassy sounds.

Choreographing a drum composition is not easy. It’s especially not easy when the neighbours are complaining about the noise as you’re trying to practice and work out parts! Continue reading »

When you get a whole lot of drummers in a room, you’re asking for trouble! Lots and lots of rhythms all over the place! Most of the time it can sound pretty good if you have enough ‘experienced’ drummers. What about drummers and percussionists? “Is there a difference?” I hear you say. Well, I believe there is. I have seen percussionists play their instruments and I have seen drummers on their kits. It’s very different. I have seen drummers playing percussion too and they play like…well…drummers! [I will elaborate that point of view later in this article] Now, don’t get me wrong here, I am not saying percussionists and drummers cannot play each other’s instruments, because they can. It’s HOW they play those instruments that differentiate them from each other.This article is about playing percussion alongside a drummer in a worship team. What can you do? How do you do it? What things should you consider and some practical tips will be provided.
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