This post is inspired by Seth Godin, he has been one of my biggest inspirations in the year of 2010 to motivate me to do work and accomplish specific goals.

I have compiled a list of things that I set out to do in 2010 for and that I saw through until they were completed and accomplished, or as Seth says in his book Linchpin, things that I have shipped.

• Drum circle event at The Marvelwood School for two groups of 75 students
• Rockland JCC drumming day  for elementary school children
• Appeared as a guest artist for JCC Camp J-Land
• attended 2010 ACA Tri-State Camp Conference and completed three interviews for CampNation
• Completed successful summer tour bringing drumming programs to Camp Canadensis, Fieldston Outdoors, Liberty Lake Day Camp, Sesame/ Rockwood Camps, Diamond Ridge Day Camp
• Appeared as a guest on the CampNation podcast
• Compiled a list of testimonials and created a killer web page
• proposed a session “Music Making in Summer Camp”  for the 2011 ACA Tri-State Camp Conference and was accepted to be a panel host and speaker (see you there?!!)

I encourage you to take stock in the work that you have accomplished and share it with the world.

Best Wishes for 2011!

This week I had the pleasure of being a guest host on the Camp Nation Podcast. We spoke about staff commitment, and I also spoke about the group drumming programs that I provide for camps.

Check out the podcast here.

Monday June 21st. Not only is it the Summer Solstice and the start of summer, but most camps will be starting within the next two weeks, which really marks the start of summer! It is an exciting time, and for camp directors it can be a stressful and anxious time. I hear this.  I am saying, relax for a moment, take a deep breath, and know that you are doing all you can to make this a kick-ass summer. You have already  hired  the best staff possible, and your leadership team is more than capable, so trust them to do their jobs. You have already made your enrollment numbers. You have already been in communication with parents and have kept them informed on all they need to know. Your H1N1 emergency plan is in place. And all of the 10,000 other things that may be distracting you will fade away, and come back, and constantly change and be there for you to stress about all summer. So don’t stress. Care, be concerned, but don’t stress. Breathe deep.  Take a look around,  remember with your heart why you wanted to do this job in the first place. You are an inspiration. A role model to staff. A Rock Star / demigod to the campers. The work that you do is important. I wish you good luck. I wish you a successful summer. Remain positive, and allow your self to take a step back from the work and enjoy what you have created.

Best Wishes for Summer of 2010,

Adam Issadore

This video was sent to me by my buddy Scott Denett…

This video is special to him because it happens to be his grandfather that is featured in it (playing with drum sticks). Scott was ecstatic to have stumbled upon this video.  Scott is an amazing musician in his own right. I have been playing music with Scott off and on for the past twenty years. We have much in common in that we both started playing music at a young age and  developed a passion for it.

This video inspired me. I enjoy how it is a choreographed routine, and I love how it maintains a sense of spontaniety and fun. I also like seeing how the drummers have talent and also have worked hard at mastering their art form.

All of this raised the question for me…Is rhythm in our genes, and if so, is it inherited?

I imagine Scott felt happy to see his grandfather and to know that he comes from a lineage of musically talented people.  I too come from a musical family, my father plays the keyboard and sings, and I have several cousins who are drummers, and a few cousins who are talented singer-songwriters.

I believe that rhythm is inherit in all beings. Life is rhythm. Nature, a human heart beat, birds singing, all of life has rhythm. I also believe that as humans we have a sense of rhythm that can be developed. Obviously musicians spend time developing this sense of rhythm. I do believe that genetics and family lineage can play a part in an individual having a predisposed developed sense of rhythm.

After having worked facilitating drum circles with beginners and adults who have never played drums before, I have seen first-hand how rhythm is in all of us, and we just need to get in touch with that pulse that is at the very core essence of our exisistence, the heart beat. Rhythm can be developed, so if you don’t come from a family of drummers, don’t worry, just start playing anyway. Who knows, you may just discover a video of a distant relative playing drums from 60 years ago!

Bonus: see a video of me and Scott playing together here.

Editor’s note: this is a follow up on a previous post entitled Are Children Starting to Drum at A Younger Age?

I have been contacted by several parents who have asked me what I feel would be the best way for them to support their young child’s desire to drum. These parents were speaking of toddlers to 6 years of age, and the children have already shown a clear and strong like for rhythm making and drumming.
Some of the ways to recognize this in a child are that the child…

• enjoys tapping and banging on things
• enjoys moving to music
• appears to be mesmerized whenever they watch a drummer in person or on TV
• can’t stop talking about drumming
• can’t stop talking about drumming!!!

Below are my thoughts, suggestions, and tips for parents who have found themselves wanting to help their child with drumming.

First off, find the help of a good teacher.
This will be the subject of a future blog post as it is obviously an important topic. But for now, the ideas below are a few that you can follow before you even find a teacher.

Buy some drum sticks.
Start there. I suggest a light to medium weight stick, like 5A. Encourage your child to play on a bed or carpeted floor with the sticks. Make it clear to them that they should not play with too much aggression, but encourage them to hit pillows and other surfaces to experiment with sound. They can hold the drum sticks using a “matched grip”, which is basically the natural way you would grab any stick, and do the same thing in both hands. For a more in depth and complicated description of matched grip, watch what this guy has to say.

Encourage dancing and moving in rhythm.
Like the song says…”Everybody dance now”…put on some music and encourage dancing. Movement and dancing are directly connected to drumming and rhythm making. It will benefit the child when they begin drumming if they develop their sense of rhythm in their physical body. Rhythm moves through us, dancing is a part of it, and it is fun!

Buy a hand drum.
Hand drumming is another easy way to access the joy of drumming. There are many drums made specifically for children. Synthetic drums can be more durable than wooden drums with natural skins. Although I prefer the sound of a wooden drum, I like this synthetic drum for use with young children. Another  product combines the concept of  drumming and modular Lego style building, check it out here.

Put on some music and encourage your child to drum along.
This is an effective way to help develop a sense of rhythm and develop the skill of keeping a steady beat. Yet another fun way to enjoy listening to music. And be creative, choose music that you like to listen to also.

Video games and drumming…
Personally, I am in favor of video games that incorporate a play along aspect as part of the game. Guitar Hero, and Rockband have exposed many children to music making and I have had many students who were inspired to study a “real instrument” after they tried these video games. I encourage you to unplug the video game, and let your child experiment with playing the plastic instrument on their own and improvising without the game. These games have a “stand alone” or “jam” mode, in which the instrument can still be played and heard, but the game is deactivated. The goal here is to have the child be able to play on their own and not be co-dependent on the video game in order to create.

Positive Reinforcement
By supporting your child’s musical interest and desire to drum, you are giving them the gift and blessing to follow their call to create and explore their own unique path to rhythm. Good luck!

Feel free to email me or find me on Twitter @pathtorhythm