The cymbal. Something I never gave much thought till I had to decide on which one to buy! I suddenly realised that intricate complexities, the subtle nuances and incredible soundscapes that these bronzed alloy compositions held within themselves. This disc-like object shimmered to life at the hint of a touch to its brazen armour. And then, after producing millions of sound waves, it gently and softly continues to sing a song of endless tones in a distinct voice unique to its make-up. Wow! What an instrument! Continue reading »

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” – Ephesians 6:12

To play in the natural physical world is easy. To play and be aware of the supernatural above the natural is not. There have been times when I have played in ‘worship’ and, in the natural physical it all sounded great with no mistakes and a good groove. But, afterwards, I realise it was all me and I not not spiritually aware or sensitive to the Holy Spirit and potentially missed opportunities to worship in God’s presence. Continue reading »

A succesful drum solo is one that takes the listener (and even the soloist) on an audio journey, washing over the participants with dynamics and emotion.

A drum solo that is inspired by God has a definite purpose. I will discuss soloing in church further on in this article. I will begin first by looking at a drum solo in general. Continue reading »

This article will be looking at the scientific and physical characteristics of sound. But I will also be looking at the spiritual aspects of sound and how to be a drummer that uses the properties of sound to impact people’s lives. So, before you get all weirded out by the title, read on and then make up your mind!

What’s that sound?
When you strike a drum, it makes a sound! Now that I have astounded you with this major revelation, allow me to elaborate further! That sound is created by sound waves created by the vibrations of the head of the drum. Ok, a rather simplistic evaluation, but the principle is sound (no pun intended, or is it?).

Sound is affected by many factors such as the size of the drum, the thickness and tension of the head/skin, depth, physical properties, height, environment and even moisture in the air! Continue reading »

I am in the process of writing an article for The Christian Drummer site called “Anatomy of a Drum Solo“. Now, it has nothing to do with Neil Peart but rather the subject of soloing in worship. I am looking at how and when to solo in the context of worship. The article should be published in January 2008 or before (depends how I feel!) as there are lots of other articles still in the ‘publish’ queue!

Here is an excerpt from the article (still a work in progress): Continue reading »