San Diego Drum Lessons
Just thought I'd take a break from today's drum lessons to let you know that I recently took a cruise from San Diego down to Mexico, on Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas. Having worked for so long on the Splendour of the Seas, this was a real trip down memory lane for me.
It's been over ten years since I was last on a Royal Caribbean ship, and it didn't disappoint. My wife and I had a great week, and it was interesting to see how the entertainment has evolved in the ten years since I worked in the theaters and lounge rooms as a young (and very inexperienced) drummer.
The musicianship on the Radiance was absolutely first class - and it makes me very grateful that I had the opportunity to work amongst some fine players in the same environment. If you have read my first couple of blogs about how I ended up living in the USA, you will know more of the story.
The one thing I learned from working for the cruise lines is the importance of sight reading. It was something that I had previously thought unimportant, as I had a good ability to learn by listening; which in itself is a great skill to have. My view is that if you really want to make a go of a career as a working musician, sight reading will always be helpful, and in many cases, put you ahead of other players that do not read. If you want to work on ships, or in theater, you really have to read at a high level. I have many students that come to me now who are already fine players, that want to learn how to read music, or improve on their reading skills.
However, it's not just about work opportunities. Have you see the number of drum books available today? All of these gems have a wealth of information, but almost all require an understanding of drum notation. So whether you want to be a working drummer, or just be able to get access to loads of exciting information; sight reading, in my opinion, is one of the best investments in time you will make.
It's also great to talk to other musicians in terms that everyone can relate to. Sight reading is great for this too since you learn about important areas such as time signatures, counting music and musical phrases and terminology.
If you have any questions regarding this, you can contact me through my website. If you are interested in taking drum lessons in the San Diego area, give me a call!
