Constraint and Innovation

Do to a complicated vacuuming accident my fellow blogger and drummer Sheldon can't use his right arm for awhile. 

Obviously there is the one armed drummer from Def Leppard .. but deeper than his personal victory is the principle that made Twitter virtually explode on to the scene.

When restrictive parameters are laid out with absolute clarity the conditions are ripe for wild experimental creativity and growth.

Limits are opportunities to test drive and/or implement new perspectives.

Take the book STICK CONTROL: do 8th notes with the hi-hat using only the foot. R=Kick. L=Snare. 

Open and expand through times of constraint rather than contracting into victimhood. 

Accidental Rhythm, Avant-Gardener Tony Oxley, and a Day as Beautiful as the Chance Encounter of a Sewing Machine and an Umbrella on an Operating Table

There is the intentional and then there is serendipity, joyful accidents, chance, bald eagle mating rituals, and Tony Oxley's toaster-oven-in-the-bathtub drumming style....my favorite.

The rapture of ubiquity, god-as-child anything goes snowball fight in the howling void; automatic avant-gardner turning on the sprinkler at midnight, and that glorious alpha cowbell of the underworld stolen out of Picasso's backyard! (check the video below)

Today was an exalted day for me. Not only did I walk to Wal-Mart to buy nothing but I had a magical chance encounter with Mr. Sheldon Kreger, a truly fantastic human being/drummer/physicist. We talked about particle accelerators, John Hagelin, snowboarding, black holes, open source software and DRUMS!!

In the Christmas spirit, in the sanctity of a full on drum geek-out session he gave me some incredible recordings of Peter Erskine, Antonio Sanchez, Paul Motian, and Steve Smith to name a few of the many I am excited about!

Thank you Sheldon and let the 365 days of Christmas begin!