Goodness comes to those who vibrate
Why is it so difficult to start up an unique band? I would say 95% of the musicians I know, and know of are very vanilla in their thinking. The only driving force seems to be making a few bucks and making sure people can dance to it. I want to start up a very … Read more
Healing with Cymatics Sound Medicine – a deep dive Life vibrates. An exploration of cymatics and vibrational healing through three distinct lenses — ancient history and mysticism (e.g., Saqqara and the Voice of God), modern fringe research (e.g., military projects, Emoto, Eileen McKusick), and biophysical mechanisms (e.g., protein formation, vibrational synthesis of life). Each will … Read more
Baltimore, The Black Pivot, and Coltrane’s 30+ Albums I was floored by the ‘Coltrane released over 30 albums…’ comment (it was actually more than 45 albums) and so I started looking around. Yes — John Coltrane released over 30 albums as a bandleader in his lifetime, with even more posthumously compiled from unreleased sessions and … Read more
Strange paucity of peal bells A deeply fascinating and underexplored mystery — the decline of peal bells and the silencing of traditional bell-ringing, particularly in churches and cathedrals. When viewed through both historical and arcane lenses, this subject offers several layers of inquiry — technological, cultural, spiritual, and perhaps even conspiratorial. 1. What Are Peal … Read more
Mark Devlin interviews MK’d Cathy O’Brien RE Satanica Musica Mark Devlin interviews MK’d Cathy O’Brien RE Satanica Musica “Trance-Formation of America” book “I am a survivor of CIA MK-ULTRA mind control. I was used on a White House / Pentagon level. I was deep in the Washington, DC swamp among perpetrators who steal elections and … Read more
Jarring Bizarrity of David Bowie Tortured, disjointed soul. Chaos. Confusion. An elemental of the NWO. Screams. Fits. Rages. Perplectica Ginormous. It would appear Bowie has some otherworldly grip on your right forearm… my feeling is at some point Ozzy Osborn pissed in the pool and it was never the same Allot of those guys were … Read more
Michael’s Drums 19 Sep 2024 Update I have A Lot of different drumsticks, weights, cuts, woods…been playing over the years with sanding/roughing body, shoulder, tip…same, differing, etc. Same for the tips. I recently came across Claus Hessler via his technique of ‘crushed rudiments’ which mimicks a similar idea I’ve been exploring. Then I found he … Read more
Michael’s Drums 18 18 Jul 2024 Update Below is (still) my #1 snare, “steam-bent single-ply maple”. It’s so unusual because it is so unlike all my other drums. 1-ply steam-bent maple. Hardware unspecial except for its vintageness (which isn’t that much more ‘vintage’ compared my main kit’s hardware!). The rims are die-cast, not triple-flange. Heads … Read more
Michael’s Drums 17 Oct 2023 Update So I long ago gave up on finding, in one shot, ‘the other half’ of my main kit, a 6-ply maple Ludwig Rockers II kit covered in black cortex. My original half is 12 and 13 mounted on 22 with 16 floor. The absent half is 14 and 15 … Read more
Michael’s Drums 16 June 2023 Update On a fluke of boredom one night I switched in the 1-ply maple Slingerland. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better than the phosphor-bronze…OMG. This old-school character has pop, crack and just as much if not more sensual and infinitely-coaxable timbre as any drum I’ve ever played. … Read more
Michael’s Drums 15 2023 Update Above – Steel floating shell Pearl piccolo FTSS1435 – die-cast hoops, Ambassador batter Above – TreeHouse Custom 4″ x 14″ Solid 1ply Steambent Maple Snare Drum – THICC 1-plt maple shell, PHATT maple reinforcement rings, black die-cast hoops – this thing has attitude. Above – 2002 DW Blue sparkle maple … Read more
Michael’s Drums 14 2022 Update Been watching years for a piccolo snare with free-floating hammered red brass shell; just bought one from a drummer thinning his collection via ebay…what one drummer may be ‘tired of’ may delight another… This will be my first snare (and maybe any drum) with die-cast rims. I’m hoping it’s bright, … Read more
Michael’s Drums 13 2021 Update Acquired a bunch of fun new toys over the past few months — “cymbal stack” extender/risers for mounting cymbals coaxially…several new Meinl cymbals. Somehowhere acquired a Sabian cymbal — I keep hearing the same general conclusion: The Meinl (even Byzance) and especially Sabian are somehow missing that upper-end shimmering sparkle, … Read more
Michael’s Drums 12 2020 Update Picked up a 14×6 DW / PDC multi-ply maple snare with wood rims on both heads. It’s ridiculously tonal, ridiculously responsive at all playing volumes, ridiculously loud when pushed, always ridiculously crisp and flavorful. It’s even more more than my main Ludwig maple kit. I’ve been hesitant about DW drums because, of … Read more
Michael’s Drums 11 2019 Update Based on this I got a Mapex Armory kit. Bass drum is instant killer deep and thuddish and still responsive — love it. (I usually cock the beater off-kilter, so that it impinges with a triangular strike at low kicks, such that the triangle digs deeper into the batter head with … Read more
Michael’s Drums 10 2017 – 2018 Update Been experimenting with various cymbals. The ones with the big LASER-cut holes — 18″ crash, 10″ splash. Nice and trashy at low- to mid- volume; they don’t respond with greater volume, however, when they’re beaten: Greater loudness beyond mid-volume does not exist with and can not be gotten … Read more
Michael’s Drums 9 2016 Update Because of this I picked up a Ludwig acrolite (acrolyte?) snare. Pristine and broadly tunable, but still lacking the tang of a chrome shell. Maybe it’s the Evans “emperor” batter head on the acrolite vs. the Remo diplomat on the chrome. Acrolite is dry – closer to wood shell sound than chrome; … Read more
Michael’s Drums 8 2012 – 2015 Update Still playing every day. Drumming has outlasted almost everything and everyone else in my life. Good thing for family! I feel sorry for those who have lost, given up, or never had such an unmatched, strong base. Picked up a popcorn snare, and another snare drum – el-cheapo, … Read more
Michael’s Drums 7 2010 – 2011 Update Played out in DC (Black Fox Lounge, Dupont) several times this winter with Maureen Mullaney, Jason Robling, Tom Kirk, and others. Maureen Mullaney Fun! Same for Dan’s Place in Boonsboro, Md. Latest little “gig” kit is the Taye Drums GOKIT which sounds fantastic. Got a 20″ ping ride from Jason, … Read more
Michael’s Drums 6 2009-10 — Jason Greenwalt recordings from 2000 / 2001 In the winter of 2000 Potomac Dawn was in production. Vance, who wanted to feature local musicians in the film’s soundtrack, invited Jason Greenwalt to record a song for use in the Conner/Summer music store dance scene of Potomac Dawn. Jason, his girlfriend and several others met … Read more