Drum Circle

This week, Phil Collins, legendary drummer from both Genesis and his own solo career, announced that, as a consequence of surgery to fix damaged vertebrae that became dislocated during his tenure as a musician, he will never play the drums or piano again. Collins is incapable of holding drum sticks or curving his hands to play the piano, because the pain is too great.

The operation, although successful, limits Collins' use of his hands, a fact that, strangely, hasn't affected the musician. Despite fifty years of playing the drums, Collins has taken the news in stride, saying to the Daily Mirror, "I am not in any 'distressed' state -- stuff happens in life." Although the damage may not be permanent, Collins isn't particularly worried, as he is still able to write music and sing. The damage to his hands may be repaired in a few years.


Collins initially fought the pain, going as far as to tape his drum sticks to his hands in order to be able to hold them. However, after accepting his condition, Collins has stated that he considers his health to be more important than playing the drums.

Collins believes that the damage to his spine was incurred during his last tour with Genesis, in 2007. Because Collins neglected proper drumming posture while touring, he compromised the alignment of his spine, causing a few vertebrae in his neck to dislocate, crushing his spinal cord.

This information comes after Collins' 2008 declaration that he would no longer be making music, as he reported to the London Times. Though he may not be planning any more tours or studio albums, he does plan to continue writing music, if only for himself. Instead of music, he plans to devote himself to his Alamo memorabilia collection.

Collins is currently working on bringing the Prince's Trust, a charity run by Prince Charles, back to Britain. The Prince's Trust had its first concert in 1983 at the Dominion Theatre and was revived in 1988 at Royal Albert Hall, a concert which is available on DVD. The Prince's Trust concerts featured famous rock stars like Collins, Elton John, Sting, Ultravox's Midge Ure, Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton.

Collins entered the music scene in the big 1970s in Genesis as a drummer after answering an ad in Melody Maker. When Peter Gabriel left to pursue a solo career, Collins replaced him as the lead singer, and their album, A Trick of the Trail, reached number three of the music charts. Collins played with Genesis until 1996, before rejoining for the tour in 2007.

Meanwhile, Collins also had a strong solo career, with albums like Face Value reaching number one on the music charts, and his singles ranking high as well. Fans will recognize "You Can't Hurry Love" and "In the Air Tonight" as some of his most popular songs. "In the Air Tonight" was featured in The Hangover and a line of Cadbury's advertisements, bringing Collins to a newer generation of fans.

Labels: drummers, drums, music.therapy, Performers, Phil Collins

Meinl Cajon Headliner Series is constructed with a wooden (Siam Oak) body and various premium wooden frontplates. In this video, the frontplate is made from hand-selected Mahogany wood.

On the bottom of the drum, there are four rubber foot stoppers for dependable stability during performances.

Inside the drum there are adjustable wires to manage your buzz or "sizzle effect". You'll also find an Allen wrench tucked in the beam of the drum that runs along the middle of the backside of the playing surface. You can pop the Allen wrench out to Adjust your drum, then put it back for safe keeping during play and transit. The placement for the Allen wrench is such that it will not disrupt the sound of your Meinl cajon.

Once you have the Allen wrench out, play the drum a little to sample the sound. You'll then have a sense of the adjustments that need to be made to achieve optimal tones.

Tune your cajon at the bottom of the drum. Flip it over and use the Allen wrench to tighten or loosen the screws between the two front rubber stoppers. Just a quarter turn is all you need to make a noticeable difference, so take it slow and test the sound between each adjustment.

Once you are done, place the drum back on the floor and play some patterns. You might find that the tuning is good, but the slaps are not quite where you want them.

To get more or less slap our of the drum, you will use a screwdriver to tighten or loosen the top edge of the frontplate. The more space you create between the frontplate and the resonating body, the more response you'll get.

When working with the frontplate adjustments, always loosen the outside screws first. Do not adjust the middle screw.

Once your drum is in tune and the slap is optimal, you are ready to play.

And that is the introduction to the Meinl Headliner Series Cajon.

Labels: cajon, cajon.drum, cajons, meinl, Performers

Welcome! Today we are introducing the Trejon.

The reason they call it the Trejon is because the drum has three surfaces that you can play. It's a significant advancement in the development of cajons by Meinl Percussion.



Let's discuss the various parts of this cajon drum:

• The large frontplate in the middle of the drum will deliver your deepest tone.
• On your left-hand side, the small frontplate produces a brighter tone.
• On your right-hand side, you will find the snare drum.
  

On the side of the drum is a knob to adjust the snare. Turn it up for full snare effects or turn it all the way off for to create an additional tom.

Further adjustments for controlled sounds can be made by loosening or tightening the screws on the three frontplates. Each one can be adjusted separately, offering endless range for the player.

This is really an amazing cajon drum that is out on the market now and you gotta love it.

Watch the video above for a demonstration of three basic notes that you can play on the Trejon.

And of course, like all high-end Meinl Cajons, you have your own padded drummer's throne on top of the drum.

The Meinl Trejon is an amazing asset for any serious drummer. Use it for more range at acoustic gigs or mic it for electric shows to spice up the backline.

Labels: cajon, cajon.drum, cajons, Jimmy Lopez, meinl, Performers

Xavier Rudd is an Australian singer-song writer, voted the world's sexiest vegetarian celebrity in 2007 by PETA. The didgeridoo-playing musician is known for working with voice and several exotic instruments. His following is best in Australia and Canada, where he often plays live festivals.


Rudd frequently features a social message in his music, like Aboriginal rights and green living. In keeping with this theme, Rudd also uses Australian and Canadian indigenous people as back-up vocalists and musicians.

Rudd had great interest in the didgeridoo from a young age, practicing on vacuum cleaner hoses before playing in his first band, Xavier and the Hum. Rudd has been recording music since 2002, with his debut studio album, To Let, which he produced himself. Chris Thompson recorded and mixed the CD.

Xavier Rudd later released Solace in 2004, which hit the charts in Australia, premiering in the top twenty. ARIA classifies Solace as a platinum album, and was released the next year in America under Universal Records. Rudd created an American following by touring the United States, promoting the album.

In 2007, Rudd released Food in the Belly in America, the gold album that earned the player his second ARIA Music Award nomination. In the same year, Xavier Rudd opened for Dave Matthews Band on their North American summer tour and toured with Canadian artist Jeremy Fisher, and released White Moth on the ANTI- label.

His last album release occurred in August 2008, with his fifth studio album, Darker Shades of Blue. While the album is his darkest, Rudd believes that the CD embodied all that he had worked for over the last six years. Tarun Tikoo's Surfer Dude's score was written and composed by Rudd.

Xavier Rudd stands out most for his live performances, rather than his studio performances. In 2007, he performed at Bonnaroo, High Serra, West Coast Blues and the Sydney's MySpace Rock for Darfur show. 2008 found Xavier Rudd on a North American tour ending in Vancouver, Canada, where the majority of Rudd's North American fans live. The same year, Rudd played at both the West Coast Blues & Roots Festival and the East Coast Blues & Roots Festival in Australia. He ended 2008 with a brief European tour. Rudd toured the world after the 2008 release of Dark Shades of Blue. Beginning in Australia, the tour covered Europe, Japan and the United States at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Because he was born and raised in Australia, the Aboriginals taught him to play the didgeridoo. Rudd's prowess with the didgeridoo actually earned him adoption into an Arnhem Land family, which is an incredible honor. Rudd boasts a group of incredibly talented back-up musicians during his live performances, where he plays a great number of instruments himself - the djembe, the Weissenborn guitar, a few acoustic guitars, his own feet, and of course, the didgeridoo. The singer-songwriter distances himself from other musicians in the genre by playing an incredible number of exotic instruments.


Photo Credit: Robert Brink, Creative Commons License

Labels: didgeridoo, Performers, Xavier Rudd

Feel the beat right down to your toes: X8 Drums introduces new line of Elite Pro Djembe Drums

X8 Drums rolls out a new line of exclusive hand drums, unavailable anywhere else in the United States. Smooth in tone and visually stunning, the Elite Pro Djembe Drum will hypnotize you with it's sultry beat.

Watch video demonstrations of the new Elite Pro Djembe line and read more details below.









Whether you are a rocker with years of experience or a true novice to the ancient art of hand drumming, X8's new line of Elite Pro Djembe Drums is rhythmically calling your name. Hand made and custom carved out of the finest materials, the Elite Pro will give you the tone and tempo of the African jungle right in your own backyard.

When you are ready to experience X8's line of Elite Pro Djembe Drums, you will have to make the difficult choice between three varieties: King Cheetah, Midnight Elite, and Ivory Elite. The King Cheetah, not unlike its feline namesake, is a rare breed of Djembe drum for the customer seeking a specialty item. Exquisite carving not only gives this drum the appearance of the Cheetah, but also provides the user with the smooth sounds of the tropical forest. The Midnight Elite's solid black shell bellies its light echo, while the Ivory Elite’s natural mahogany shell is a visual stunner that provides outstanding sound.

Each Elite Pro Djembe Drum is hand carved and lathed. Not just any piece of hardwood is selected for these drums, and only 30% of the wood chosen for the Professional line meets the criteria for an Elite Pro. Each steel neck ring is welded through an intensive process that keeps your Elite Pro Djembe Drum tuned to your exact specifications. All wood is legally harvested and government certified, which means your drum not only sounds tight, it’s environmentally friendly.

X8 Drum’s Pro Gig bag is included with the purchase of each Elite Pro Djembe Drum. Useful for storage when you are not playing and as a carrier when you are, the gig bag is constructed from waterproof, durable nylon. It has extra pouches for any added baggage you may need to carry to your next drum circle.

Pricing and Availability
The Elite Pro Djembe Drum is exclusive to X8 Drums; you won't find the custom designs of these drums anywhere else in the United States. Priced at $349.00, there are only limited quantities available. The Elite Pro Djembe Drum is a true collector item and sure to become your cherished possession.

Labels: Dion Rivers, djembe, Performers