Well, I must tell you...I am VERY proud of SOOO many of you this past 10 days, as I have returned to sites that have had one practice already, and knew to work on my Tick Tock beat AND been to other sites where it should be the first time to learn it...but folks already knew it...because they used Drum Stick (your Facebook teaching friend!)...and I cannot believe how many of you are not only doing it well, but doing it FASTER and FASTER everyday! At this rate, we may be able to meet my mental goal...of debuting the new song by the end of the summer (keeping in mind that the middle, the moving, and the Sheila E fill will all take quite a few weeks to master). Many of you have found ways to work on the beat that include NO drums...and that is even better!! To see you all rising to the challenge of this beat, and then Never Giving Up, Doing What It Takes, and Believing in Yourselves and your ability to conquer something truly difficult...WAY TO GO! I am very proud of each of you...no matter where you are on the beat, or how fast you are (but if you feel you are still struggling with it, or not getting it as fast as you want...tell yourself this...YOU CAN DO IT!).
Secondly, for those going to MTR mega practice, wait until you see the David, Drew, Elizabeth surprise they have planned for you all...it is wonderful and you will all be very proud of them! Way to go in terms of Taking A Chance!!
Thirdly...summer shows are on the horizon...and I want to make sure you all know there are MANY of them and we will need to really work hard to cover them all (again this summer)...so start looking ahead, and figuring out what fits around other things you have going this summer (including jobs, sports, camps, etc).
Finally for this one...MAKE SURE YOU ALL KNOW THAT THE SUMMER MEGA EVENT IS OFFICIALLY SCHEDULED! This is the new thing we decided to do last year at MEGA practice in Rapid City for Easter...to start scheduling a summer version of the same thing but do it through our sites this time. This summer is the FIRST official SR Summer Mega Event...and the details are:
Friday August 6th: ALL DAY HANDS ON MISSION WORK/PROJECTS
Saturday August 7th: ALL DAY practice, most likely outside, weather permitting of course
Sunday August 8th: Afternoon MEGA show
This year the event will be taking place in the St. Louis, MO metro area...with events on both sides of the river there (MO and Southern Illinois in other words). PLEASE MARK THIS WEEKEND DOWN and start talking about it with ALL of your SR site members, SR friends at other sites, etc...as we have set a goal...WE WANT 200 drummers! We will be working hard to help you all do Whatever It Takes to make sure that our first Take A Chance Summer Mega Event succeeds for you all...so BE EXCITED...MARK IT DOWN...and PLAN TO BE THERE!!
We will be sending out more details on the mission projects, locations, times, sound equipment issues, etc...in the coming weeks, so watch the blog about this AND watch emails to all members.
I am off to a show in Moline, IL tomorrow then down to STL on Saturday night for practice in Centralia, IL which may become a new site by Sunday evening...news on that soon...and more blogs from me next week as I am not driving 10-12 hours each day...which is great...the last 2 weeks have certainly been OVER packed.
Steve- I WILL conquer the Sheila E beat! Right now it looks and feels and sounds really bad. But I WILL conquer it. :D
ReplyDeleteAnd why are you driving so much? I cringe just thinking about that!
Im kinda excited to see this whole surprise thing after mega practice. I dont care what it is it just means i get to spend a little more time with my family!!!!! :) W00t!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteokay i am so excited for MTR but even more excited for the SUMMER mega weekend. it is going to be so much fun and i definitely agree with Amanda it would definately be amazing to spend more time with my extended family :)
ReplyDeletei cant wait to find out what this surprise Drew, Elizabeth, and David have for us!
This sounds like A LOT of fun! I also can't wait to show everyone our surprise!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth- should i be scared? haha
ReplyDeleteColleen- No you should not be scared! I hope that everyone likes it though.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth- okay good, i bet i will like it, so dont worry your self too much :)
ReplyDeleteSteve- Yay! More Mega events means more times to see out of state friends! It also means I'll be going to St. Louis twice this summer. Once with church, once with SR.
ReplyDeleteThe Sheila E fill is hard for me because I'm not used to doing double strokes... or moving that fast in general... But I'm already improving from yesterday! (Guess what I did on tables, textbooks, friends, etc today)
Elizabeth- Can't wait to see what you have planned!
Well, i hope i can come. It's just 10 hours away. Lol, no biggie. I love st. louis, and i have been there a lot and have done shows there, since some of my family lives there
ReplyDeleteElizabeth- i cannot wait to see what you guys are up to!
I AM SOOOOOO EXCITED FOR MTR!!! Then the Mega practice in the summer... Oh man!!!! This year is rocking!!!! Woot!! :D LOVE IT!!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth- I am soo pumped to see what you guys are up doing!!!
The Sheila E fill.. It took me awhile 2 get used to it. I dont know why but I kept on wanting to do doubles with both. but I got it now. ^_^ I want to make it faster now. I think its fun once you get it.
Dee- I kept either missing the right hand double or doing one with my left too. It's just easier to either alternate hands or do two of each, it seems.
ReplyDeleteSonja- yeah. I had to say keep on sayying Double left right left over and over in my head to get it i my head. Then im a goof and like to do it the oppiste way because I'm left handed and I like to know if I can do it. I don't know why but I always do it :) but I like it.. Its fun ^_^ I did it on the floor before I put it on the drums. I did it to the whole Beat Acc. Then the next day I did it on the drums :) thats how I did it :)
ReplyDeleteSteve- will this thing in St.Louis be replace doing MTR then?
ReplyDeleteSonja, when are you coming to St. Louis and where for your church? Is it for an Urban Mission Project or something else?
ReplyDeleteHey guys, will someone be taping this surprise for Steve so we can post it to facebook? That's for the benefit of the 1/3 of our members who cannot go this year, including me. I would love to "see it". Can't wait to hear all about your experiences at MTR.
ReplyDeleteAnnette- Early June, I think. It's for a missions trip through a group called Youthworks. I don't know what exactly we'll be doing though.
ReplyDeleteOH MY GOODNESS I AM SOOOO EXCITED!!!
ReplyDeleteAnnette,
ReplyDeleteWe will videotape practice, and the surprise, so you can all see it!! :)
Steve- U only said the ppl at mega practice. oh well. lol this is gonna be SO much fun!
ReplyDeleteI cant wait to show the supprise to everyone and meet my friends from out of state. I cant wait i think about it all the time now that im done with basketball just got back from state tourny 7th incase anyone cares
ReplyDeleteWhere is everyone staying for MTR? Where's the "cool" place to hang out gonna be? LOL! We haven't made arrangements yet and I'm trying to decide where to stay!
ReplyDelete2007 MTR, we stayed in Rapid City at a hotel with an inside swimming pool and slide. It also had a restaurant attached. Convenient for the two "always hungry" drummers (Jon & Jay) who was with us. Firehouse restaurant was fun too and there was Rushmore Mall. Indoor Putt-Putt golfing and the theater. It was very cold that year so inside things were fun. Then sightseeing on Monday & home on Tuesday - 14 hour drive.
ReplyDeleteWell, I hope you all are also planning for Mega Weekend in August. It seems like the SR magic is working out a plan, God's plan for us to do missions, mega practice and concert. How awesome is that! We are busy in St Louis/Illinois to make this work and we have a few "excited" SR groupies helping us along the way. Mark it down on your calendars, start making plans and we'll keep you all in the loop.
Sonja, make sure you look us up, Youthworks is a fun group to work with and we have hosted several "urban mission" groups the last 2 years with my church. I hope I get to meet you in June when you come to town - St. Louis.
we leave in 8 DAYS!!!!! woot woot!! i am so siked! then theres the mega weekend in august i cant wait for that either :)
ReplyDeleteDee- I kept thinking double stroke, which is bad because it has three syllables. But yeah, I still have to count to myself.
ReplyDeleteSo I looked at Drum Stick on Facebook, and there are all these new beats! I guess I know what I'm doing over spring break now while I wait for MTR.
Annette- I should! Hopefully I'll get info on my trip Sunday, because usually everything's due by Easter, and that's MTR!
Sonja- i would practice all of my spring break...but it is only 2 days long an i am going to be in a car all day both of those days :)
ReplyDeleteColleen- You could practice in the car... ;) Or not, depending on how annoyed everyone in the car would get. I'm totally going to be drumming in the backseat. Until my dad threatens to make me walk to SD...
ReplyDeleteSonja- oh yea ill be jamming in the back seat...but i am going in a 15 passenger van and will have 11 other people with me so...i think all of us drummers are gonna be making lots of noise :)
ReplyDeleteColleen- I bet whomever is driving you all there is going to be thrilled...
ReplyDeleteSonja- yea i think all the adults are switching off.
ReplyDeleteColleen- Good idea. Are you driving straight through or stopping for the night?
ReplyDeleteSonja- i thin hat we are stopping over night then driving all day again. thats what we have done for the past two years but you know...things can change at any time :) but yea we will most likely drive until 1 or 2 in the morning and start out bright and early again the next day. fun fun fun :)
ReplyDeleteWE LEAVE IN 3 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOT WOOT IM SO EXCITED :)
Colleen- WOOT!
ReplyDelete