Music of Andrew F. Poor

About to March Drum Corps?   Some thoughts as you get ready for the summer.  1)  Accept the fact that 95% of your daily existence is out of your control and “Embrace the Suck! ”   Things will be tough; that is what you signed up for. You will be pushed extremely hard; again, what you signed up for. It will be hot; it is summer. You will take cold showers; again, it is part of the deal. There will be crappy fields, crazy schedules, long bus rides, short EPL, frantic show warm- ups etc…Complaining about any of these things helps NO ONE! So, DON’T! EVER!!!! I mean it!  2)  You grow the most when you are out of your comfort zone . You are going to be uncomfortable and feel overwhelmed. Great! That is what makes drum corps fun, and why only a select type of person can do this crazy activity. You will, most definitely, grow this summer. 3)  Your attitude and your performance are your greatest commodities  to the drum c...

"Hard work is fun!"-Jim Luce WARNING : some may find this cheesy or simplistic--remember I teach middle school--and I am sure someone can write a more sophisticated version of this concept. Regardless, I believe that this is an important message to instill in my students, and one I feel compelled to share.  The  Universal Law of the Fun Cycle  goes like this:  learn something new  then you work hard at truly learning this skill,  you start to have fun, so you work harder, then  you have even more fun, and  the cycle repeats even faster. However, when you stop working, you stop having fun.  Have you ever found yourself starting something and then wanting to quit shortly thereafter?  from  moenormangolf.com Have you ever picked up a book, with a deep meaning, and you found yourself not finishing the book?  www.petersons.com Have you ever started a hobby, only to later stop? guitarlessons....

This is a summarized version of a clinic that myself and Dr. Steven Tyndall gave at the 2009 Midwest Clinic in Chicago, Illinois.  Click this link if you are interested in the full handout from the clinic,  http://nebula.wsimg.com/14ee473521229f7b2d28c4c0bd7f485c?AccessKeyId=8A07B23F9D49DAA23B98&disposition=0&alloworigin=1 Building Block 1-On your mark! Get set...   Go slowly and be thorough in the beginning. It is important to s pend some time on basic reading/notation. You can g ive students written material to review while you are working with different sections. Be extra careful when setting the  embouchure-make graduating to the instrument an accomplishment. You must cover proper instrument maintenance from the beginning. I insist that that they be able to show me how to: properly assemble, swab, oil valves, care for a slide etc... Be insistent on proper hand positions and posture. Have you ever tried to fix bad right-hand positions...