Modern Drummer blog.

Ricc Sheridan from the Modern Drummer blog.

Modern Drummer Web Log: MD Online Blog.

Check this out. My good friend and awesome drummer Ricc Sheridan has a really great and uplifting post on the Modern Drummer Blog. You owe it to yourself to check out his playing, and his band Earl Greyhound. I’m seriously honored to be mentioned.

Modern Drummer features

Check out loyal Main Drag Customer, Hold Steady’s, “Bobby Drake” in this month’s Modern Drummer Magazine Feature: Gimme 10! with The Hold Steady’s Bobby Drake

Crafty and Cool Drum Repairs

We’ve been getting a lot more repairs through the store, and we’re starting to get pretty crafty. Pictured here is Norman Westberg, God-Like Guitarist and Drum Repair Tech (go figure) laying up an extra ply on a seriously shattered bass drum hoop. The repaired spot was stiffer than the rest of the hoop, and the original integrity of the set was maintained.
Another cool trick we pulled off was on a major shell ding on a beautiful old Round Badge, Gretsch Silver Sparkle bass drum. After the fracture was fixed, we were left with some some collateral damage in the form of a drilled hole. Doweling with a maple dowel took care of the hole, but we left it just below the finish of the wrap and built it up with epoxy mixed with some Silver Sparkle shavings. This was brought up close to the surface plane, and then finished with a very thin layer of epoxy in the hole to build it up to the surface. It’s really hard to tell that there was a hole!
Repairs like these aren’t ridiculously expensive because we enjoy doing them. Got a weird drum or hardware repair? Challenge us with it!

Old World Craftsman Norman Westberg

Closet Guitar Hanger… bad idea

What will they come up next? How about an unstable guitar hanger for your closet?

“if you’re a rocker with a small wardrobe – this special hanger might just be your perfect small space storage solution:

It combines a hanger for a typical closet hanging rod with a harness for the neck of the guitar that supports it and allows it to hang in a row with clothing or with a collection of instruments.”

The Guitar Hanger sells for about $25 and is available at retailers or through the product’s website.

Original Post: APARTMENT THERAPY

Music education

A Suzuki violin recital with students of varying ages.

The incorporation of music training from preschool to post secondary education is common in North America and Europe. Involvement in music is thought to teach basic skills such as concentration, counting, listening, and cooperation while also promoting understanding of language, improving the ability to recall information, and creating an environment more conducive to learning in other areas.^[26] In elementary schools, children often learn to play instruments such as the recorder, sing in small choirs, and learn about the history of Western art music. In secondary schools students may have the opportunity to perform some type of musical ensembles, such as choirs, marching bands, concert bands, jazz bands, or orchestras, and in some school systems, music classes may be available. Some students also take private music lessons with a teacher. Amateur musicians typically take lessons to learn musical rudiments and beginner- to intermediate-level musical techniques.

At the university level, students in most arts and humanities programs can receive credit for taking music courses, which typically take the form of an overview course on the history of music, or a music appreciation course that focuses on listening to music and learning about different musical styles. In addition, most North American and European universities have some type of musical ensembles that non-music students are able to participate in, such as choirs, marching bands, or orchestras. The study of Western art music is increasingly common outside of North America and Europe, such as the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, or the classical music programs that are available in Asian countries such as South Korea, Japan, and China. At the same time, Western universities and colleges are widening their curriculum to include music of non-Western cultures, such as the music of Africa or Bali (e.g. Gamelan music).