COMPOSER SABRINA PENA YOUNG | MUSIC TECHNOLOGY | FILM | CLASSICAL | OPERA

The cowbell is a percussion instrument that resembles the shape of a metal bell without a bell clapper . This instrument supposedly originated from the large metal bells hanging around the necks of cattle and other livestock. The cowbell still represents its humble beginnings, though one would be hard pressed to find a cow at a rock concert. In most music settings, the drum set player attaches the cowbell to the high hat stand using a metal percussion clamp. In Latin percussion set ups, the cowbell may be attached to the timbales, a suspended cymbal, or even held in the hand, bell facing out. The instrument is struck loudly with a thick wooden stick near the edge of the bell. The percussion player avoids striking the end nearest the percussion clamp, as that end is slightly muffled. The cowbell has a very distinct music sound that is difficult to disguise in a quieter music setting. This percussion instrument is most appropriately played in a loud rock or Latin music setting or...

PHOTO CREDIT: christineredmond.files.wordpress.com The Dirty Truth on How to Buy Drumsticks : 4 Things You MUST Know Buying drumsticks may seem as easy as choosing your favorite burger at the local Burger King. There are several choices, but in the end you are still going to end up with the same burger (just with different toppings and sauces). That is not the case with drumsticks. Sure, in the end you will probably have a pair of whittled down wood sticks to bang on your drum set, but choosing wisely at the music store will save you splintered heartache in the end. 1. The Drumstick Warp Test An easy way to tell if a drumstick is warped (misshapen) is to do the drumstick warp test. Individually roll each stick on a flat surface. If the head does not wobble up and down and the sound of the drumstick is that of a smooth roll, then the drumstick is not warped. If the head of the drumstick wobbles up and down and the drumstick makes an annoying "clackity-clack" sound ...

In a unique blending of the contemporary and the past, the virtual Nano Ensemble 21 will combine live spoken word and percussion within the urban shell of technology in an exciting new work that explores our basic humanity and substance, all in the auspices of sound.  And yeah, that's me jamming in my PJs in my Buffalo, NY apartment! :) Buy the TUNE:  http://sabrinapenayoung.bandcamp.com/... SABRINA PENA YOUNG:  http://sabrinapenayoung.blogspot.com/ "BABY BLUES" used with permission from the Unravelling Music Album: https://www.easyeartraining.com/store... Related articles Top 10 Jazz Pianists New Orleans jazz for a just cause New single, concert coming up for Ryan Montano New Honda Jazz Teased in Video Ahead of July Launch; What You Need to Know SMT-V: Videocast journal of the Society for Music Theory IAWM Women Composers, Performers, and Conductors in Music - Classical, W... Last Week In Music Commentary: Streaming Music Matures - Who Pays When...

Composer's Guide to Drums and Percussion: Top 10 Mistakes when Composing for Percussion Instruments How to avoid the pitfalls amateurs make when writing music for percussion.  Real advice from a REAL PERCUSSIONIST. TOP 10 MISTAKES WHEN WRITING FOR PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS 10. Indicating the wrong mallets for an instrument. Brass mallets on vibes? Try a hammer on a violin! 9. Writing the glockenspiel part as heard. You shouldn't have to climb a ladder of leger lines to read a glock part. Keep it in the staff. 8. When in doubt, adding more suspended cymbal . This is a huge mistake made by arrangers. Yep, cymbals add automatic intensity to a piece, but so can a bass drum roll, a rousing hand drum part, exciting mallet licks, or a hundred other combinations. Well-written percussion parts stand out in the band and church repertoire. 7. Better means more complicated, right? This is my main mistake. A percussion part can be simple enough for a middle school, bu...