Creativity is...

Steve Jobs said,  "Creativity is just connecting things."

That statement has the ring of truth.  Keep in mind that you have to collect those "things" so that you can have a stockpile in your brain at the ready when the creative moment is needed.  That is why it is important  to explore and grow as musicians.  LIsten to different styles of music...including pieces WITHOUT percussion. Check out methods of playing other than your favorites.  Read up on the newest innovations that you cannot afford...yet!  Attend concerts and clinics presented by great players that will inspire (and humble).

This "collecting for connecting" extends outside of music.  Studying other fields (history, visual art, dance, math, astronomy) can spark creativity in music.  

Devote some of your practice time to creativity. Improvise. 

As percussionists, our number of instruments keeps growing, the sources of educational media increases, and players continue to push the technical limits.

Be a lifelong learner.

Connect and Create !

Intelligent people are always ready to learn.  Their ears are open to knowledge.

Proverbs 18:18 New Living Translation
Scripture quotation from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

What techniques do you use to spark creativity?

Jesus, Holy Name

My songwriting pal Jonathan Malone and I composed this worship song recently.  Check out the lyric video for "Jesus, Holy Name."  

Danica Henry's sweet vocal delivers the simple--yet contemplative lyrics.  Jonathan Malone provides some tasty guitar along with a few well-placed licks from Danica's violin.

Jesus, Holy Name   (c) 2016 Mark Shelton & Jonathan Malone  

800-272-2249 

Drum Chart Builder

I had the pleasure of meeting Liz Ficalora a while back at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention.  Liz has designed a web-based drum charting software program that allows percussionists to create charts on their computers--and store them on their mobile devices.  

Check out the promo video below and head over to  www.drumchartbuilder.com for more info.

More info on Liz Ficalora at www.easydrumchart.com

RIQ Solo Demo

Check out a short improv demo on the RIQ (Middle Eastern tambourine). 
The RIQ (pron. RICK) is a frame drum with larger jingles (zils) than its Western culture cousin.

July/August Worship Musician!

 

Look for my interview with Todd Bragg (percussionist with Crowder) in the July/August Worship Musician!

 

Click on the link below and turn to page 40

 

 

http://joom.ag/ZhTQ

 

June Set-up of the Month

 

June Set-up of the Month

 

Todd Bragg's set-up for his percussion work with Crowder.

I met Todd several weeks ago at Gateway Men's Summit.  Look for an interview with Todd Bragg in the upcoming issue of Worship Musician!

 

 

Rock The Glock

Call it the orchestra bells, glockenspiel, campanelli, or just plain "bells"---- It's an IN sound.  You hear the metal-barred cousin to the xylophone in pop and alt rock (or Pomplamoose) these days...and worship music.  

You might consider investing in a set of bells.   They can come in handy in a variety of musical situations--- choir anthems, cantatas, hymns, and worship songs.

Glockenspiels come in two flavors: Steel and Aluminum
Steel:  Best sound, Heavy, Pricey
Aluminum: Sounds okay until you hear steel, Lightweight, Easier on the budget

Some bands use the bells from beginner percussion kits.  It works.  Mike 'em up and throw on some reverb.  You can get the desired effect.

My "gig glock" has aluminum bars mounted in a case which reflects the sound (like a resonator).

Check out the song, "When I'm With You" from the Great Great God CD from Gateway Worship.   About three minutes into the song, many instruments (guitars, bass, keys) play a melody in octaves.  After a couple of statements of that melody, I bring in the glockenspiel to give the passage that sparkling punch that the bells can deliver.

March Set-Up of the Month

Wow!  Thanks to Ricardo Tagliaferro (A percussionist who hails from Venezuela)  for sharing some photos of his set-up.  Ricardo currently serves at Calvary Church of Irving, Texas.

Learn more about Ricardo at:

https://www.facebook.com/RicardoTagliaferroPercussion/

 

 

Finger Cymbals

Learn a couple of methods for playing finger cymbals in this short tutorial from Mark Shelton

More tutorials at www.youtube.com/marksheltonmusic

February Set-Up Of The Month

 

Dallas area percussionist, Jorge Ginorio recently sent a few photos of his set-up at Chase Oaks Church in Plano, TX. Learn more about Jorge at his website: www.jorgeginorio.com

Percussion For Worship wants to feature YOUR set-up.  Send photos to markshelton@verizon.net

Tambourine eBook

Praise Charts/Worship Training recently added my tambourine eBook to their many resources.

 

 

 

For more info, go to www.praisecharts.com, scroll down, and click on worshiptraining.com

Silent Night (Ambient Jam)

Just in time for Christmas!



Here's a rehearsal recording from the world music ensemble that I led for over two decades.



It's the ambient jam version of Silent Night. Merry Christmas!

Sleigh bells tutorial

 

 

Just in time...here's my sleigh bells tutorial! 

 

 

 

 

Get ready to jingle your way through every December performance with these tips.

For more percussion tutorials, head over to my YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/marksheltonmusic

Cajon: Soup Up The Slap

 A short tutorial on how to increase the gap on the corners of the cajon and "soup up the slap."

Set-up Of The Month November

Set-up of the month for November 

 

Len Barnett sent these photos of a couple of set-ups at Covenant Church in Carrollton, TX (DFW area)

Thanks, Len

 

 

Do you have an interesting set-up? 

Send it to Percussion For Worship at markshelton@verizon.net

PASIC 2015

PASIC 2015 took place this past week in San Antonio, TX.  Thousands of percussionists attended the event which featured world-class performances and education.

As part of the Interactive Drumming Committee, I led a "flash jam" on Thursday afternoon--a short drum circle just outside the exhibit hall.

 

The amazing hand drumming of N. Scott Robinson, Christopher Deane's performance/clinic on composition, and the Thursday evening concert by Ghost-Note were among the highlights for me. 

 

Checking out gear in the exhibit hall is always a kick.  Here I am at the Yamaha booth with way more drum set than I can handle.

Paul Mabury (former drummer for Hillsong) session player and producer-- presented a clinic for Gateway Woship on October 23. 

I enjoyed hearing Paul's very musical playing and hearing him teach on a variety of topics.  It was great to have someone of his stature address the need to listen to various styles and drummers from the past along with developing the "soft" side of your chops.  

He talked about "loving the song more than you love playing drums."   Think about that!

 

During the clinic, a hot-air balloon drifted into the airspace behind Paul.

 

Walls from Gateway Worship

Yes!  The new live recording from Gateway Worship is now available.  Check out Walls on iTunes.
You can hear Thomas Miller, Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, Rita Springer, David Eric Moore, Tim Sheppard, and Mark Harris, and more on one album--along with me (Mark Shelton) on percussion. 

Legato Shaker Technique

During a recording session, I was using the Soft Shake from Latin Percussion (www.lpmusic.com/). I had been playing it in a conventional manner. The producer suddenly asked me to turn the shaker so that an end was toward me (as shown in the photo). Though slightly skeptical, I complied and immediately heard the difference. There was less attack in the sound and more length to each note. The length of this particular shaker is rather short so that you can control the rhythmic flow of the fill (beads) in this position. The “more legato” sound fit well in the song that we were recording and I continue to use this technique when appropriate.

Backing Wayne Watson

 

What a kick to play percussion behind the vocals of Wayne Watson!  This past weekend, Wayne was special guest with Gateway Worship.  Twenty three #1 hits on the Contemporary Christian Music charts.  Not only is Wayne a great guy and super singer/songwriter, but he also studied music at Louisiana Tech University--the alma mater of lil' ol' me--Mark Shelton.  Turns out that Wayne and I had a couple of music teachers in common during our LA Tech years.  Wayne sounded great in all five services singing "Almighty" and "Friend of a Wounded Heart."