Name: Susan Hall Grade: 1st year Age: n/a
Parent/Guardian: n/a School: Westbrook Drum Corps
Primary Language: Student: English Home: English
Disability Classification: left-handed
Goals and Objectives:
Present Level of Educational Performance: Susan can read music, key signatures, and times. She knows how many beats are in a measure and which notes get how many beats, but cannot correctly hold the drumsticks. She has a sense of rhythm, but is unable to keep a steady beat over more than two or three measures. Susan can bounce the drumsticks, but she is not familiar with any of the rudiments of ancient snare drumming. Rudiments are the small pieces of music, the individual beats, that make up the drum part of the tunes. The rudiments give the tunes their structure, allowing people to march in time and all together, which is extremely important to a marching corps.
Goal 1: Susan will be able to hold the drumsticks correctly and play a steady beat without dropping the sticks.
Objective: Susan will be able to hold one stick in her left hand, placing it between the middle and ring fingers, with the thumb lightly holding the stick in position. The thumb should come around the stick, overlapping onto the first finger.
Objective: Susan will be able to hold the other stick in her right hand, lightly gripping it in a fist, with the fingers pointing down.
Objective: Susan will be able to use alternating hands to beat a 3/4 rhythm.
Goal 2: Susan will be able to play 5 of the 26 rudiments of ancient snare drumming. These are: 1) long roll, 2) five stroke roll, 3) flam, 4) ruff, and 5) flam paradiddle. Copies of the music are attached.
Objective: Susan will be able to properly execute a long roll.
Objective: Susan will be able to properly execute a five stroke roll.
Objective: Susan will be able to properly execute a flam.
Objective: Susan will be able to properly execute a ruff.
Objective: Susan will be able to execute a flam paradiddle.
Special Education and Related Services
1:1 Tutoring with Drum Teacher
Susan will spend the period of the day when drumming is taught with a special drum teacher, working on the rudiments. This will be a half-hour lesson once a week.
Statement of Non-Participation in the General Curriculum
Susan is able to participate fully in all activities of the Corps except for drumming.
Transition Planning
Transition Planning is not needed.
Participation in Statewide or District Assessments
Susan will not participate in standard assessments.
Scheduled Reports to Parents/Guardians
n/a
Dates of Program
Susan's special program will begin on September 6, 1999 and will end on October 30, 1999.
HOLDING DRUM STICKS
5 Holds drumsticks correctly with both hands
3 Holds drumstick correctly with left hand but not with right
2 Holds drumstick correctly with right hand but not with left
0 Does not hold either drumstick correctly
3/4 TIME
10 Uses alternating hands for 3/4 rhythm 9 out of 10 times
7 Uses alternating hands for 3/4 rhythm 7 out of 10 times
5 Uses alternating hands for 3/4 rhythm 5 out of 10 times
0 Uses alternating hands for 3/4 rhythm fewer than 5 out of 10 times
LONG ROLL
17 Properly executes a long roll 9 out of 10 times
10 Properly executes a long roll 7 out of 10 times
5 Long roll is technically correct at least 6 out of 10 times, but is not up to speed
0 Long roll is not technically correct
FIVE STOKE ROLL
17 Properly executes a five stroke roll 9 out of 10 times
10 Properly executes a five stroke roll 7 out of 10 times
5 Five stroke roll is technically correct at least 6 out of 10 times but is not up to speed
0 Five stroke roll is not technically correct
FLAM
17 Properly executes a flam 9 out of 10 times
10 Properly executes a flam 7 out of 10 times
0 Flam is not technically correct
RUFF
17 Properly executes a ruff 9 out of 10 times
10 Properly executes a ruff 7 out of 10 times
5 Ruff is technically correct at least 6 out of 10 times, but is not up to speed
0 Ruff is not technically correct
FLAM PARADIDDLE
17 Properly executes a flam paradiddle 9 out of 10 times
10 Properly executes a flam paradiddle 7 out of 10 times
5 Flam paradiddle is technically correct at least 6 out of 10 times, but is not up to speed
0 Flam paradiddle is not technically correct.
Total Points: 100
SCORING FOR ANCIENT SNARE DRUMMING
Beginning of lessons 10/10 10/30
Holding drum sticks 0 5 5
3/4 time 5 5 7
Long roll 0 5 5
Five stroke roll n/a n/a 5
Flam 0 0 5
Ruff 5 5 5
Flam Paradiddle n/a n/a 5
Notes on the scoring:
I realize that I was unrealistic in even thinking I could do any drumming up to speed. It take months of practice to become even remotely good at this. However, I did not alter my rubric, which was done after the first lesson, because I thought it was a good learning experience for me, and will, I hope, keep me from making the same mistakes with my students.
Susan Hall
SED 481 (03)
Fall 1999
Week 1 - Getting Started at snare drumming - Sept. 6, 1999
Content
My son, Mason, is teaching me the snare drum, as played in ancient music. In this case, ancient music refers primarily to music of the Revolutionary period of the United States. There are 26 rudiments of ancient drumming; I will be learning probably 8 or 10. My son has been taking lessons for about a year and a half and seems to have some natural ability, according to his teacher. Today he showed me how to hold the drumsticks. This is not as simple as it sounds, as the left and right hands have different grips. The right hand holds it in a fist, but loosely, and the left hand balances it in a cradle between the thumb and fingers, with the first two fingers slightly over the stick and the last two under the stick. Again, the grip is loose, but not too loose. After I learned to hold the sticks more or less correctly, he showed be a roll.
Helpful
He used an analogy - "this is the doorknob", but I didn't understand it, so he abandoned that effort and went to modeling the correct hold. He had me hold my hands the right way without sticks first, then laid the sticks into my hands once they were in the correct position. He was mostly very patient with me, repeating directions without getting irritated, watching what I was doing and waiting before correcting me. He allowed me to self-correct before jumping in to tell me what I was doing wrong. At the end, he summed it up by saying, "You did a good job."
Slowed Progress
Once he said, somewhat sharply, "Relax, relax!" and another time he said, after showing me how to hold the sticks many times, "No, don't hold your fingers like that!" These were both helpful and a hindrance, because I wanted to know the correct grip before I got too used to an incorrect one, and he was right - I wasn't relaxed and it is easier to play if you are relaxed. When he demonstrated the correct sound I was looking for, he did it so fast, it intimidated me. I had to ask him to slow down so I could see what he was doing.
Feelings
I understood that just holding the sticks and playing a very simple thing like a roll was so easy for him that I felt embarrassed when I couldn't even hold the sticks right for the first 10 minutes. I felt very clumsy that I couldn't bounce the sticks so they made that nice rat-a-tat-tat on the drum. It is much more difficult than I'd thought! I also felt very proud of my son both for his skill and for his patience.
Entry 2 - September 12, 1999
Content: Reviewed hold, began flam
Today we reviewed the correct hold of the drumsticks and how to bounce them. This went better, though I had had very little time to practice during the previous week. Then Mason showed me how to position the practice pad so it was like a marching snare drum, which hangs off a shoulder strap, slightly below the waist and rides along (untethered) with the left knee. He started to teach me a ruff, but when I had absolutely no skill at that, decided we should begin with a flam. I learned that a flam is about one and a half notes - a grace note is played a nano-second before the other stick hits. This is not easy to do. I finally managed to do a right-hand flam (in which the left hand plays first), but had a much more difficult time with the left-hand flam.
Helpful
Mason was patient, teaching me both by telling me how to do it and by modeling. He tried another analogy, that of a king's drawbridge letting down to let the king in. This one I understood: the drawbridge was made up of the bottom two fingers on my left hand and the king was the drumstick. My fingers were to open to let the drumstick through so it could bounce and make the correct movement for a flam. When I finally has some success, he said, "Yes! Now you've got it!"
Slowed Progress
Again, when Mason would play too fast (as it should sound) it was intimidating to me. I thought, "I'll never get these unruly hands and sticks to do that!" But when I asked him to slow down and show me, he did.
Feelings
I was really irked with myself for not being able to get the ruff at all. Then I was irked at having so much trouble with the flam. Since Mason never had any trouble with either one, I felt silly not being able to do them. However, he was patient with me and I appreciated it.
It is difficult being the mother and the student, because I keep wanting to tell him how to teach me. I wonder if this is a common feeling of adult students, no matter what their relationship with the teacher, although largely I haven't found it to be so in my current courses. I do remember recognizing how my fife teacher was feeling one day when I was laboriously doing scales and having a difficult time reaching some notes. He plays with such fluidity and ease that I had a flash of understanding of how painful it must have been for him to listen to and watch someone making such a hash of the instrument. He was patient enough, but I could tell he wasn't happy. Mason is much more patient with me, and he teases me, which lightens the mood and makes me laugh. This, in turn, loosens me up, and, interestingly, I can play better! It's really difficult though, and I'm sure I won't even get to "Yankee Doodle" in eight weeks!
Entry 3 - September 20, 1999
Content: Reviewed hold and flam, began long roll
Today we reviewed the correct hold for the sticks and worked on an even beat for the long roll. We reviewed flams and recorded our first segment to document improvement. Hopefully, there will be some!
Helpful
Mason watches for some time before commenting, allowing me to adjust my grip and settle into a repetitive motion, before he comments. He had me take his fingers as sticks and adjusted the firmness or looseness of my grip; when I had it just right, he withdrew his finger and put the drumstick in its place. He models and demonstrates, which is helpful. When I had difficulty keeping a steady beat, he clapped to help me. It worked!
Slowed Progress
It was a short lesson, but a successful one and there was really nothing that slowed my progress today - except my own ineptitude!
Feelings
I had decided to learn five of the 26 rudiments, but it occurs to me that even that may be a little ambitious for 8 weeks. I don't seem to be going very quickly. We'll see. I am constantly struck by what a good teacher Mason is - he's patient, he demonstrates, he's kind and understanding, and uses humor where it's appropriate. It is a little odd being on the receiving end of lessons from one's child, but he handles it very well. That's an interesting lesson for a teacher - I believe that anyone can teach if he or she goes about it in the right way.
Entry 5 - October 10, 1999
Content: Review
Today we reviewed my progress so far. I showed Mason how I could do a long roll, a ruff, and a flam. The long roll and ruff were pretty good, but my flam needs work. I can do a long roll without looking at the music (LL,RR,LL,RR, etc.), but I still need to look at a ruff in notation before I can do it. I keep getting it mixed up with the flam, which is easy enough to remember, but more difficult to do. I recognize that this is because on our second lesson we started with a ruff and then went to a flam, and also because they are similar. This tells me that it is very important to have a logical plan in the beginning and to stick to it so as not to confuse the student!
Helpful
Mason was encouraging about my progress on the long roll and the ruff. I still need to practice a lot more on my flam, but he was encouraging about that too, saying things like, :It's coming along." and "That's right." when I had momentary success. I had trouble returning the sticks to the proper position, so he held his hands up at the point to which I should be going back to before starting a flam again. That was useful because it was self-correcting in that I could feel where the proper place was. He wasn't actually doing it for me, but setting physical limits for my sticks. When my hands could feel what they were supposed to do, it was easier to play on my own.
Slowed Progress
At first when I wasn't returning my sticks to the correct position, Mason tried to show me by putting his hands over mine and trying to drum with me. That didn't help me at all and just made me feel more inept. He quickly caught on to the idea that this wasn't working, before I could say anything, and started to put his hands in the space where I should be instead.
Feelings
I'm feeling a little frustrated because I wish I had the time to practice more. I might actually become good at this! I really like getting the long roll to sound like a roll instead of thump-thump-thump-thump. It's a very pleasing sound and a very satisfying feeling to get it right.
This is an interesting experience, having my son as my teacher. I really try to give up the control to him during lessons and he seems to like it. He falls right into the teacher role, saying things like "Now you've got it!" and "That's really good." So it makes me feel good that he can be so positive about what I see as very slow progress. Occasionally, I have to structure the lesson, but it was his idea to have a review lesson this time, and it turned out to be a good one.
Entry 6 - October 20, 1999
Content: Five-stroke roll
Today I learned the five-stroke roll. It goes LL,RR,L, with the accent on the last beat, rest for two beats, then RR,LL,R, with the accent on the last beat. Another rest for two beats follows, then it starts over. It's not hard, but counting the rests becomes trickier as the beat gets faster. I could do it slowly; I'm working on gradually speeding up. We also reviewed what we had done to this point - the ruff (or drag), the flam, and the long roll. It is still tedious; I am showing very few signs of real progress.
Helpful
Mason pointed out the sticking (L and R) in the measure and showed me that the accent came on the last beat. It was helpful to have this information before I started playing so that I could organize myself to do it correctly the first time and not start off incorrectly. Mason was, as usual, encouraging and positive. He made a point to tell me things that I was doing well. He also encouraged me to do the flam correctly by not lifting the sticks too high, as I have been prone to do.
Slowed Progress
There was nothing in this lesson which slowed my progress except my own ineptitude.
Feelings
I am beginning to feel more competent, at least at drumming very slowly. I have a real appreciation for how long it might take someone to become really good at this. What constantly amazes me is how good Mason is at it, with little effort. He can play by ear better than he reads music, and he obviously has a natural ability because when he plays it sounds like "real" drumming instead of the tedious thumps I make. Although I am becoming more proud of my "thumps", they are still a long way from real music.
I am starting to recognize when I am making mistakes - when I am not holding the sticks correctly or when my rhythm is off. I suppose this is progress, but I want more progress!
Entry 7 - October 30, 1999
Content: Flam paradiddle; review; "final exam"
Today's time frame contained lessons 7 and 8. I learned the flam paradiddle and reviewed all of the 5 rudiments I have learned to date. Ideally these should have been done in two lessons, but because of time constraints, we didn't fit all the lesson into separate weeks. The only place this really made a difference was in my ability to practice the flam paradiddle before my "final" of playing all five rudiments.
So today Mason taught me the flam paradiddle (for which I had to review the flam first). It is in cut time (2/4) and goes like this: R flam, L R R, L flam, R L L, with no rests. It has an almost rollicking beat which isn't particularly difficult, but it was hard for me to remember to alternate hands.
Helpful
Again, Mason used his hands as a barrier above which I could not raise my sticks. He gave me a Halloween analogy of a cat and a ghoul: the drum pad was fire, the lower stick was the cat who liked heat, while the stick to be kept higher was the ghoul, who liked only touches of fire, but would be hurt if he stayed close to it. Amazingly, it worked! He could remove his hands very soon and I managed to remember which stick stayed low when. I have the most trouble remembering to raise the other stick - it's not particularly essential to playing, I don't think, though when one gets to playing very fast it may help with timing, but I think it's more form. People have been playing the snare drum this way for hundreds of years, and this is the way it's done.
Mason is very encouraging. He'll say things like, "That's good, Mom!" or "You're getting much better." Even his corrections are pleasant: "Watch where those sticks are."
Slowed Progress
Mason is turning into a very good teacher, with almost no negative habits. He is demonstrating at the appropriate times, then giving the sticks right back to me. Perhaps the only hindrance we have is having only one pair of drumsticks. If I were going to stick with this, I'd buy another pair, but I didn't for this lesson since only one of us can play at a time!
Feelings
I was really quite proud of myself today. I can easily hold the sticks correctly now. I can bounce the sticks correctly most of the time. Learning a new rudiment is MUCH easier - it seems to come to me a lot more quickly than the earlier ones did. It's almost just a matter of practice, once I learn the correct technique and timing. In drumming, the technique is called sticking - which stick to use when. It's not as easy as it looks (or sounds.)
I get frustrated when I can't make it sound like real drumming. A real long roll is just blur of very regular, staccato beats that are so fast you can't really hear the different beats, but it's clear they're being played precisely. In fact, it takes most people a really long time to sound like that (apparently Mason has a natural ability because he's very good without a lot of work.) Thinking I could do that in eight weeks is unrealistic, and I knew that, but when it sounds like plop-plop-plop on the drum pad, it frustrates me.
Sept. 12, 1999:
I am teaching my mom snare drum. She hardly knows how to hold the drumstick! But I taught her a ruff, (which we haven't accomplished yet!) I am teaching her a flam now. By the end of the 2nd lesson she was holding the sticks correctly (finally!)
October 20, 1999:
My mom has improved alot! She still needs help on flams and drags (ruffs). But she's doing pretty well. Her hands have improved in holding the sticks.
Progress Report October 30, 1999 A++ "Final" lesson
My mom is doing very, very well! She still needs help on flams and drags (ruffs). She does a good job on long rolls and five stroke rolls. She just started learning a flam paradiddle and she is really good at it! Good job Mom!!!!