Gateway Summer Musical

The Gateway summer musical, The Show starts a weekend run this Friday, August 16, 2013.  Performance schedule is available at www.gatewaypeople.com .  Get there early for the preshow, Star Struck--I am playing percussion for this eight minute bit of slapstick / physical comedy.  Check out this backstage photo of my rather intense percussion set up!

Boss DB-90 Metronome

Practicing the Bb melodic minor scale was more fun this morning.  I powered up my recently acquired Boss DB-90 Dr. Beat and began to play my scale exercises.   A techno groove from the DB-90 accompanied me as my mallets danced along the rosewood bars.   This metronome is a far cry from my tick-tock, pendulum-swinging tempo keeper from my college days and way ahead of my DB-66 from the last decade of the last century.  Every percussionist NEEDS a metronome and this one is packed with features including drum patterns that can be manipulated, subdivisions of the beat, storage of tempi in a playlist--and more.  I am diggin' the DB-90.   A bit on the pricey side--but worth it.

Remix with Beatlab

Percussionist John Homan (an early Percussion For Worship devotee--here's a photo of part of his church setup) recently used Beatlab to concoct a short ambient "mashup."  John took some fragments of my handpan composition, "As The Night Sky Sings," and used sounds from Beatlab to make a remix version. 

Percussionists might want to check out John's work and learn about the Beatlab capabilities.  It might just spark your creativity! 

http://www.beatlab.com/#!/matrices/308309

This link takes you to a recording of the original recording which John sampled:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/66750338/AsTheNightSkySings.wav

Just in case you are looking for some material to use for remixing on Beatlab, here's a link to an original song by me and Jonathan Malone.  Just guitar and vocal--recorded using click so it should be a good candidate for remixing.  Let me know if you use it.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/66750338/HowBeautifulShines.wav

Cajon and Djembe Article / Worship Musician

May/June issue of Worship Musician contains second article on cajon and djembe.

 

 

 

Click this link to read "Cajon & Djembe: Paradiddles, Permutations, & Patterns" by Mark Shelton

http://issuu.com/cmsproductions/docs/wm_mayjune13_issuu?e=6107002/2735921

Kokiriko Tutorial

 

A Quick Video Tutorial on the Kokiriko

 

 

 

More at www.youtube.com/marksheltonmusic

Cajon & Djembe Article

The current issue of Worship Musician contains an article in my series on Cajon & Djembe

Read the article online by clicking the link below:

 

 

www.christianmusician.com/magazines/

New Video Tutorials at Worship Training

There is a new batch of percussion tutorial videos from my Percussion How To series available for viewing at 

Praise Charts / Worship Training

View samples at:

http://members.worshiptraining.com/courses/percussion-for-worship-technique-tips/

There are a total of 58 videos available

Check out this one!

Gateway Worship The First 10 Years

THE FIRST 10 YEARS

What God has done in the early years of Gateway Church can be heard in the worship songs of the first ten years. Gateway Worship The First 10 Years is a compilation and reflection of what God has done at Gateway and a reminder that He has incredible things in store for our future as we keep giving Him everything in worship. With song titles including "O The Blood" and "Revelation Song,"  The First 10 Years is an album that will take you into the heart of worship and connect you with the vision that began as Gateway Church

...and you can hear a few different percussionists including yours truly, Mark Shelton.

Download the album at iTunes

Meinl Foot Tambourine

Yes, this thing works!   The Foot Tambourine from Meinl Percussion slips right onto your hoof and allows you to jingle along while your hands are otherwise occupied with a djembe, cowbell, or donut.

The four pairs of jingles produce a good volume and the overall construction seems pretty substantial--for a price of about 12 bucks!   I dig it.

http://meinlpercussion.com/products/Product/show/653/650/

Shaker Shuffle

This simple technique makes playing a shuffle / swing feel MUCH easier!

Worship Musician Article Triangle & Suspended Cymbal

Current issue of Worship Musician contains article on triangle and suspended cymbal

Click the link and go to page 43



http://issuu.com/cmsproductions/docs/wm-janfeb13-issuu/43

 

Working Toward Excellence

Working Toward Excellence identifies eight values for achieving excellence in work and life:

Hunger, Effort, Process, Quality, Consistency, Leadership, Time, and Perseverance

AND the book is written by a percussionist!

Paul Buyer is Director of Percussion at Clemson University and knows a thing or two (or eight) about achieving excellence.  

A fairly quick read at around 100 pages, Working Toward Excellence is packed with inspiring stories from business, sports, and the arts along with techniques for raising your standards and reaching your potential.

For more info: www.paulbuyer.com

Forever Yours from Gateway Worship

The drumming skills of six percussionists are part of the recent Gateway Worship "live" recording.
Released back in the fall of 2012, Forever Yours includes Josh Alltop and Chad Whiteley sharing drum set duties and percussionists, James Larza and Caleb Jobe.  Since I was in attendance at the event, I can also report that David Moore and Cody Carnes join in on the "big toms action" in "Be Lifted Higher."  Check out some great songs and some mighty fine percussion from my colleagues with Gateway Worship.

www.gatewayworship.com

Two-tone Drumstick

When you find yourself in that musical moment that requires the sharp attack of a drumstick bead or shaft AND a less pointed sound (soft mallet) but no time for a stick /mallet change, this simple modification can help you deliver both timbres.


Take any drumstick and wrap some "Cushion Tape" (like 3M Nexcare Absolute Waterproof or Dr. Scholl's Moleskin) around the lower shoulder / upper shaft area of the stick. (App. 3 inches of tape)

That's it!  Give this treatment to a couple of sticks and you can easily play that suspended cymbal roll and move instantly to using the bead on the snare drum--or the butt end on the cowbell. 

You can even generate a decent suspended cymbal roll with one stick.

I keep a "doctored pair" in my mallet case.

Setup Of The Month December

Here's the setup that was used this past weekend at the Plymouth Park United Methodist Church (Irving, TX) performance of the Benjamin Harlan cantata, A Candlelight Christmas.

I played percussion along with my college-age drumming daughter, Anna.   We played all the timpani parts (quite a bit) on the Handsonic 15...and the conductor was quite happy with the "digital kettles."   Notice my electronic tuner on the trap table to boost my confidence in the timpani pitches.  

Sleigh Bells--Just In Time

December is here and it is my solemn duty to repost my sleighbells tutorial video.

If you are a percussionist---Don't leave your home without the sleighbells for the next 24 days!

Worship Musician Magazine Article

The recent issue of Worship Musician contains an article based on writings from Percussion For Worship (unpublished book).



You can read the article on line.  Hit the link below and flip to page 48 to read "Tambourine Tips: Random and Useful" in the November / December issue.

http://www.christianmusician.com/magazines/

Triangle Vibrato

   

        Here's one of my Percussion How To videos

 A short tutorial on triangle vibrato

Tycoon Rhythm Rack

In the "Why didn't I think of that?" category...
The Rhythm Rack from Tycoon Percussion!

Here's a photo that I snapped at PASIC earlier this month. 
I was so impressed by The Rhythm Rack! 
Not only can you mount blocks, bells, etc...but you can play them without picking up a stick.  The circular paddles operate mallets that strike the instruments.  You can easily move from congas to cowbell and back using only your hands to play all the sounds.  
Check out the website  (link below) for more info on The Rhythm Rack and other great gear from Tycoon Percussion.

http://www.tycoonpercussion.com/products/shop-product-details/16/557.html

Set Up Of The Month November 2012

Mike Smith sent these photos recently.  The percussion playing of Mike has accompanied James Ingram, Gladys Knight, Marilyn McCoo, Macie Gray, and many more artists. 
 
The top set up is from a Kirk Whalum show.

 

 

Get more info on Mike at his Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=728311849&ref=tn_tnmn