Posts Tagged ‘cymbals’

Cymbal Medium

Cruise Ship Drumming

Cruise drumming is a very unique and fun gig to have. I worked for Royal Caribbean Cruises from June 2001 - Jan 2003; doing over 800 shows and working with over a dozen Grammy Award winners.

Getting the Gig

I auditioned for an agency that came to Berklee. The audition consisted of playing a medium tempo jazz groove, a ballad w/brushes, samba, bossa nova, rhumba, and then playing along to big band charts w/music minus drums and a click track. The emphasis was on good time keeping and chart reading.

I later learned that I could have auditioned directly for Royal Caribbean instead of going through an agency that wanted 12% of my pay. I recommend contacting the cruise's "musician specialist", human resources, directly.

Arrival

I was assigned to the Voyager of the Seas; RCCL's flagship at the time. I met the ship in Miami FL. on it's homeport day. That's the day/port that the previous passengers leave and the new one's begin their trip. I brought a suitcase full of summer clothes and a Tux, my stick bag, and cymbal case. The first sight of the ship was amazing. It was Huge! If you put the Voyager on it's side it would be as tall as the Empire State Building.

After getting on, signing in, and getting my closet, I mean room, I started looking through the music given to me for the week ahead. Tony, the music director, gave me books of music for the Welcome Aboard, Farewell shows, two stock shows, and over 300 pages of Big Band charts....deep breath.

Day 1 :The Welcome Aboard show.

It's a short show with snippets of entertainment to be seen throughout the cruise. As the new drummer I had to quickly learn the music review piece and the play-ons. The review piece had parts from the stock shows that are played every cruise with the on-board cast.

Play-ons are 5-10 second sections of songs used as a sort of theme music to introduce someone coming onto the stage. The horn sections of I Wish and Jungle Boogie are two commonly used examples.

The review piece was relatively easy as far as the drum part went. What was tricky was quickly getting comfortable with playing live to a click track and canned horns, strings, and percussion that augmented the already ten piece band. It was a real rush playing in a 1,500 person theater with a million dollar sound and light system for the first time. Two shows a night makes 3000 people a day. Don't get stage fright! In situations like that, you just have to hang on and believe in yourself.

Day 2 : The first big show.

On a weeklong cruise there are usually two music review shows performed with the cast. The shows are 50 minutes of almost non-stop music. The Monday show was a mix of R&B, Top 40, and Cirque du Soleil. I spent a few hours that day studying the charts while listening to the CD's that Tony gave me. Plus, I played a run through of the show during the cast's rehearsal.

The stage crew places the drums so, all I had to do was give myself enough time to tweak the set up , make sure my charts were in order, and adjust my headphones. Ready to go. We received our 1 min cue and.......click, click, click, click off we go. See you in an hour! It can be a blast to be in the hot seat and have to concentrate for 50 straight minutes. The first time you nail an entire show, I mean every little thing, it's an accomplishment!

Day 3 : My First Star Act

A Star Act is a guest artist. They come on and rehearse with the band for about 1 1/2 hours in the afternoon for the show that night. You run down all the songs once, twice at the most. You are rehearsing to make sure the band is together with the transitions and tricky bits. If there was something difficult, you better look at it on your own before show time.

Star Acts range from famous older groups like The Drifters and Bowzer (Sha Na Na) to Sinatra impersonators, magicians, and Broadway vocalists, among many others.

Sometimes you perform to a click but most of the time the song is counted off by either the music director or the artist. You only had a short rehearsal so, it's important to have one eye on the chart and the other on the artist in case they want you to adjust the tempo a little.

Side Story. On these one week cruises, the Star Act does a Friday show for one cruise and then a Tuesday show for the next cruise. Seeing that I arrived on Sunday, this artist had a different drummer last Thursday. Apparently Tony had fired three drummers in a row when I got there. Being right out of school and only twenty two, I really had to prove myself to Tony, the band, and the Act. Each night was different and it's own test.

Day 4 : Big Band

Alright. No Star Act. No review show to study. I got off and went to the beach in Jamaica. This was incredible! Especially after spending the winter in Boston.

That night we set up for Big Band in one of the many lounges on the ship. Tony would call out tunes from the over 300 numbered charts. They ranged from Take The "A" Train to Love For Sale. They're all standards and mostly the original arrangements. Easy day.

Day 5 : The Hard One

Thursday we performed the second review show of the cruise. This one was mostly musical theater. There were lots of abrupt tempo changes and meter changes. High concentration is needed. Again, I spent a few hours reading and listening and I played the run through with the cast. I just held on during the run through so, I did some more studying before the show. It paid off.

I didn't "own it" but I got through it pretty well and that's what it took for Tony and the band to approve my staying in the band. The rest of the cruise was pretty easy after that.

Friday was another Star Act and Saturday was the Farewell show. First cruise completed.

After a few months you really start to feel like you can read anything put in front of you and your confidence grows. The review shows become second nature after a while. It's important to be able to play with energy and concentration the first and 101 times you play anything. Tony once told me that the best way to keep your concentration level high is to pretend that every show is being recorded. You want to finish a show and be able to say "that's a take".

I try to do that with everything I play now. It's the same as the legendary drummers who advise us to "Play with Purpose".

Ship Life

O.K. yes the cabins are small but you have cable TV and a dorm size fridge. But who wants to stay in their room anyway? It's a place to sleep, shower, and change. You have to get out and see the world.

I've been all over the Caribbean, Canadian East Coast in the Fall, and Northern Europe in the Summer. I've spent a week in Amsterdam, many overnights in St. Petersburg, and had my favorite bars and Cafe's in La Harve France, Stockholm Sweden, and Copenhagen Denmark among others. All of this was while getting PAID, living free of rent, and all of my meals provided for free on the ship if I chose.

The staff on ships are very unique. Of 1,500 crew members, only 50 of us were American! You can't beat the experience of living next to and learning about people from all over the globe. You see very quickly that we're all people. We all have the same dreams no matter where we grew up. Priceless.

In conclusion, my time on cruise ships was incredible both musically and personally. From the music to the people and places you'll experience, I highly recommend trying this exciting job.

About the Author

My name is A. Gabriel Giannelli and I have played close to 2000 gigs in the last decade. After attending Berklee College of Music, I did two years on cruise ships and am currently in the Navy band.
http://www.Gigging-Drum-Charts.com

Cymbal Medium

Drum Set Cymbal

Buying a Cheap Drum Set

If you go through a market you can find out various types and ranges of drum sets. Among these various drum sets you can choose according to your requirement and budget. If you are a beginner and you want to buy a drum set or you want to buy it for your child whose age is just 4 or 5 years, then there is no meaning of spending thousands of dollars for an expensive drum set. As a beginner you don't have to spend thousands on an expensive drum set to get started with your drum lessons. It is always better to buy a cheap drum set for the beginners and the children below the age of 12.

A cheap drum set includes everything that a person needs to get started. They are relatively inexpensive but also consist five-piece set of drums, cymbals, sticks and the hardware items. If you want to go for further cheap drum set then there is an option of 3-piece drum set. When you are buying ones that are little less in prize, its just you are compromising a little with the quality, but on the other hand buying an expensive drum set during the course of learning is a risk as you may not like to learn further after a few classes. It is only better to move on to expensive branded drums only if you decide to take on drumming seriously.

There are brands like Pulse Pro Drums, Verne Vide Drums, Coda Drums and CB Drums that manufacture drums for the beginners and offer them at decent low prices. There are also companies like Cannon Drums, GP Drums, Sunlite Drums, TKO Drums and Union Drums that offer drum sets for the children those who are below the age of 12, that also at very low prices.

After using for some years if you feel like taking up drumming seriously then you can also upgrade these cheap drum sets by replacing the drum heads with better ones. You can also replace the cymbals and bass drum petals to upgrade your drum set. There are many companies that offer to upgrade your drum set that also at a very reasonable cost.

You can also spend a little money on a better drum kit manufactured by an established company. They usually give a better warranty and can provide you a good resale value if you want to sell it off to move on to a better drum set. Companies like Ludwig, Tama, Drum Workshop, Mapex, and Premier offer them at a very affordable price.

You can also get cheap drum sets if you buy a second hand set. You can also buy second hand ones online. There are many websites that offer them at a very cheap price. You just need to select the drum set carefully with all the details about you. Also, if you buy a brand new drum kit online then also you might get it at a very cheap price as they offer huge discounts.

About the Author

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, and synthesizers. You can find the best marketplace for guitars, drums, and synthesizers at these 3 sites: guitars, bass guitar, drums, used drum sets, cymbals, and synthesizers, keyboards.

Drum Set Cymbal

Toms Bass

Some top tips for the beginner bass fisherman

Fishing іѕ a great hobby, bеing in nature аnd enjoying the challenges оf catching somе big fish. Bass fishing is а popular type оf fishing аnd thаt is nо wоndеr bеcausе it is а great sport to do and to experience. When you tаkе thе time tо learn ѕomе tips and techniques аnd educate уоurѕеlf іn bass fishing, yоu can havе great success wіth thiѕ sport.

There аre manу bass fishing clubs whісh уou сan join, and уоu саn usuallу find them online, therе iѕ ѕо much you can learn from morе experienced bass fishers and mоst of thе time theу havе days in the year when thеу meat to go bass fishing. On thеse days you can usuаlly gо fishing оn sоmеonе else's boat аnd share thе expenses уou will make fоr the day.

These days arе a wonderful wаy to find out if fishing іѕ gоіng to be а big part оf уоur life or not, yоu learn if it is worth to buy your оwn boat or if it iѕ ѕоmеthіng уоu јuѕt want to dо nоw and agаіn and renting а boat is morе than enough.

Choosing уour Equipment

Joining a bass fishing club іѕ аlsо pretty uѕeful if уоu need advise аbоut buying уоur equipment. The vеrу fіrѕt thing yоu ѕhould buy is your rod and thаt firѕt step cаn be а vеrу intimidating one, when you ѕее all thоѕe thousands of rods in variоuѕ weights, sizes аnd prizes thаt arе available. It iѕ nice if уou havе sоme help from more experienced bass fishers tо choose from аll thоѕе dіfferеnt options thаt will be staring at уоu from the shelves.

The next thing уоu need for bass fishing іѕ аlso vеrу important, the line. A good tip for а beginner is tо start wіth a fairly inexpensive line, bеcausе yоu will make mаnу mistakes when уоu аrе јuѕt starting out. An whеn уоu havе уоur rod, line аnd reel yоu nеed tо select ѕоme lures. And bесauѕe there arе thousands оf bass fishing lures thiѕ alsо іѕ not an easy choice.

There аre а few lure types that аre vеry popular fоr bass fishing, уou cаn usе working baits, thеѕе аre bеst fоr deep water and аre uѕed аѕ great search lures. There arе prop baits аnd thеse tend tо work best when therе iѕ а lіttlе bit of wind. The most popular of the beginner baits іѕ thе popper bait. These bright colored popper baits nееd tо bе usеd bу casting the line аnd lеt іt rest fоr а whіlе аnd then pop it back. You neеd to experiment tо see what works for you, but whеn уou got the hang оf it, уou will be catching ѕоme ѕеrіоuѕ bass.

That is also the beѕt tip wе can give yоu experiment wіth diffеrent kind of lures, learn from your fellow fishermen and havе somе fun dоing so. Bass fishing iѕ a vеrу rewarding sport and іt can bе a great hobby, ѕomethіng уou will really enjoy and make ѕome friends in the mеan time.
 

About the Author

Tom is the editor of the hugely popular Bass Bible bass fishing magazine, and when he is not reviewing bass fishing boats, he likes to simply keep up with his hobby of collecting bass fishing rods and bass fishing lures.

Toms Bass

Zills Finger

Bellyqueen Belly Dance Products at Opentip

About Belly dance

Belly dance or Bellydance is a Western-coined name for a traditional Middle Eastern dance. It is sometimes also called Middle Eastern dance or Arabic dance in the West.

The term "Belly dance" is a translation of the French "danse du ventre" which was applied to the dance in the Victorian era. It is something of a misnomer as every part of the body is involved in the dance; the most featured body part usually is the hips. Belly dance takes many different forms depending on country and region, both in costume and dance style, and new styles have evolved in the West as its popularity has spread globally. Although contemporary forms of the dance have generally been performed by women, some of the dances, particularly the cane dance, have origins in male forms of performance.

Origins and early history

Belly dancing arose from various dancing styles which were performed in the Middle East and North Africa. One theory is that belly dance may have roots in the ancient Arab tribal religions as a dance to the goddess of fertility. Some claim that in pre-Islamic Arabia, Arab women were the first people to perform this type of dance as part of religious rites to Hubal, the moon god. A third theory is that belly dance was always danced as entertainment. Some belly dance historians believe that the movements of dancing girls depicted in carvings from Pharaonic times are typical of belly dancing. As the term belly dance has come to refer to a wide variety of dance practices, predominantly performed by independent female dancers, it is very difficult for any single claim to be upheld.

Another theory is that belly dance was originally danced by women for women in the Levant, and North Africa. The book "Dancer of Shamahka" is widely cited; it is a romanticized memoir written by a modern author, Armen Ohanian, published in 1918. In Middle Eastern society two specific belly dance movements have been used in childbirth for generations.

Because belly dance derives from individual performance, it has a diverse history of origin, and continues to evolve to this day. Some suggest that belly dance shares origins from migrating peoples from all around the borders of the Mediterranean, resulting in the similarities that can be seen between 'belly dance' as found in North Africa and Middle East.

Belly dance was popularized in the West during the Romantic movement of the 18th and 19th centuries, when Orientalist artists depicted romanticized images of harem life in the Ottoman Empire. Around this time, dancers from Middle Eastern countries began to perform at various World's Fairs, often drawing crowds in numbers that rivaled those for the science and technology exhibits. It was during this period that the term "oriental" or "eastern" dancing is first used. Several dancers, including the French author Colette, engaged in "oriental" dancing, sometimes passing off their own interpretations as authentic. Also the pseudo-Javanese dancer Mata Hari, convicted in 1917 by the French for being a German spy, danced in a style similar to what is known as belly dance.

Egyptian forms of belly dance, alongside the development of Egyptian music, were heavily influenced by the presence of European colonial forces, and increasing urbanisation in Egypt. This resulted in variations in the dance brought in by influences as diverse as marching bands, and visits of the Russian ballet. Many of the aspects recognisable as belly dance today in fact derive from these cross-cultural hybrids.

Any or all of these factors may have contributed to the development of belly dance as we know it today.

Costume in America

American dancers often purchase their costumes from Egypt or Turkey, but hallmarks of the classical "American" style include a headband with fringe, sheer harem pants or skirt rather than tight lycra, and the use of coins and metalwork to decorate the bra.

For the folkloric and baladi dances, a full-length beledi dress or galabeyah is worn, with or without cutouts.

Health and belly dancing

Belly dance is a non-impact, weight-bearing exercise and is thus suitable for all ages, and is a good exercise for the prevention of osteoporosis in older people. Many of the moves involve isolations, which improves flexibility of the torso. Dancing with the veil can help build strength in the upper-body, arm and shoulders. Playing the zills trains fingers to work independently and builds strength. The legs and long muscles of the back are strengthened by hip movements.

Paffrath also researched the effect of belly dance on women with menstruation problems. The subjects reported a more positive approach toward their menstruation, sexuality, and bodies.

 

Opentip is the manufacturer of Bellyqueen Belly Dance Products and is always regarded by our customers as the most reliable one. Our stylish belly dance hip scarf is the perfect way to express your inner power, beauty and feminity. We help you become the Diva of the dance with our Bellyqueen.

Are you also interested in this ancient belly dancing? Why not consider choosing our stylish Bellyqueen to enjoy and feel the glamour?

 

Here we highly recommend you our Bellyqueen series.

 

Bellyqueen™ Belly Dance Gold Coin Hip Scarf, Four Row Rectangle, Velour Fabric
Model:  BDSH-DK16107

 
Color: available in red and black.
Dimension: Wrap measures 63 inch (160cm) in length, which fits slim to 31.5 inch (80cm) waists.
Fabric: velour.
Coins: 298 gold coins in 4 rows.

Features:

** Simple and special, perfect for practice or just as a fashion accessory!
** Beautiful color Egyptian belly dancing hip wraps hand crocheted delicately with multiple rows of beads and coins.
** Light weight and jingly, this scarf got all coins and beads hand stitched on highest quality polyester-velour.
** This scarf creates loud and lovely sound when the dancers move and shakes hip.
** Express your inner power, beauty and feminity in our designer belly dancing scarves, as a dancing tool, match with any outfit, shawl, head wrap etc.
** Wonderful over a bathing suit or as a belly dance wrap.
** Sheer and elegant you will be the Diva of the dance when you don this scarf.
** Enjoy and feel the glamour as you twirl and whirl in this scarf.
** All beads and coins are hand sewn, not mass produced!
** Want something a little nicer? Try our wavy-bottom scarves!

 

Bellyqueen™ Handmade Belly Dance Wrap With Long Fringe, Gold Coins
Model:  BDSH-DK16122

 
Color: available in red, navy blue, lake blue, black, purple, yellow and pink.
Dimension: Wrap measures 72.5 inch (184cm) in length, which fits slim to 33.5 inch (85cm) waists. It is 29.5 inch (75cm) in height, including long fringe.
Fabric: terylene.
Coins: gold coins.

Features:

** Simple and special, perfect for practice or just as a fashion accessory!
** Beautiful color Egyptian belly dancing hip wraps hand crocheted delicately with multiple coins.
** Light weight and jingly, this scarf is 100% handmade.
** This scarf creates loud and lovely sound when the dancers move and shakes hip.
** Express your inner power, beauty and feminity in our designer belly dancing scarves, as a dancing tool, match with any outfit, shawl, head wrap etc.
** Wonderful over a bathing suit or as a belly dance wrap.
** Sheer and elegant you will be the Diva of the dance when you don this scarf.
** Enjoy and feel the glamour as you twirl and whirl in this scarf.
** All beads and coins are hand sewn, not mass produced!
** Want something a little nicer? Try our wavy-bottom scarves!

 

Bellyqueen™ Belly Dance Cute Halter Top With Paillette And Small Bells
Model:  BDSH-DK16124

 

First quality chiffon top.
Color: available in yellow, rose red, navy blue, red, purple, lake blue, pink and verdure.
Fabric: 100% chiffon.
Top: adjustable Top for all sizes.

Features:

** All beads ,paillettes and small bells are hand sewn, not mass produced!
** Intricate and beautiful beading top.
** Vogue and perfect for practice or performance.
** This halter top creates lovely and silvery sound as you move and shake.
** Sheer and elegant you will be the Diva of the dance when you don this costume.
** Enjoy and feel the glamour as you twirl and whirl in the halter top.

 

Bellyqueen™ Exotic Belly Dance Costume, Halter Top And Full Circle Skirt Set, Price/set
BDSH-DK16117

 

First quality satin top and textile glass yarns skirt set.
Color: available in navy blue, lake blue, yellow.
*** Top: adjustable Top for all sizes.
*** Skirt: double-layer, elasticized from 62cm (24 inch) up to 94cm (37 inch) at the waist. Lengths is 95cm (37 inch).

Features:
** All beads and coins are hand sewn, not mass produced!
** Intricate and beautiful beading top with paillettes, in butterfly shape.
** Vogue and perfect for practice or performance.
** Sheer and elegant you will be the Diva of the dance when you don this costume.
** Enjoy and feel the glamour as you twirl and whirl in the butterfly halter top and skirt set.

About the Author

Opentip Store - Premium Shopping. Factory Outlet Price.

Zills Finger

Zildjian Armand

Zildjian Armand