Steel Drums and Steelbands: A History is a vivid account of the events that led to the "accidental" invention of the steel drum: the only acoustic musical instrument invented in the 20th century. Angela Smith walks readers through the evolution of the steel drum from an object of scorn and tool of violence to one of the most studied, performed, and appreciated musical instruments today. Smith explores the development of the modern steelband, from its roots in African slavery in early Trinidad to the vast array of experiments in technological innovation and to the current explosion of steelbands in American schools. The book offers insights directly from major contributors of the steelband movement with sections devoted exclusively to pioneers and innovators. Drawing on seven years of research, repeated trips to the birthplace of the steel drum, Trinidad, and interviews with steelband pioneers, Smith takes readers far beyond the sunny associations of the steel drum with island vacations, cruise ships, and multiple encores of "Yellow Bird." Digging deep into Trinidad's history-a tale of indigenous extermination and African slavery, of French settlement and Spanish and British colonialism before mid-century independence-Smith weaves an unforgettable narrative of talking drums, kalinda stick fights, tamboo bamboo bands, iron bands, calypso, Carnival, and the U. S. military. Together, all played major roles in the evolution of today's steelband and in the panman's journey from renegade to hero in the steelband's move from the panyards of Trinidad's poorest neighborhoods to the world's most prestigious concert halls. The reader will discover how an instrument created by teenage boys, descendants of African slaves, became a world musical phenomena. Steel Drums and Steelbands is the ideal introduction to the steel drum, steelbands, and their history.

Modeled on the brilliant approach first formulated by distinguished professor of music and master clarinetist Michele Gingras in Clarinet Secrets and More Clarinet Secrets (both available from Scarecrow Press), the Music Secrets for the Advanced Musician series is designed for instrumentalists, singers, conductors, composers, and other instructors and professionals seeking quick pointers to improve their work as performers and producers of music. Easy to use and intended for the advanced musician, contributions to Music Secrets fill a niche for those who have moved beyond what beginners and intermediate practitioners need. Drum Kit Secrets: 52 Performance Strategies for the Advanced Drummer is an indispensable guide for any drum kit player. Drummer and historian Matt Dean covers a broad range of drum kit-related subjects to assist drummers already well versed in the instrument to advance and polish their skills for both live and studio performance. Drum Kit Secrets includes topics and tips on how and what to practice; how to develop one's timing and master the metronome; how to prepare for auditions and overcome stage fright; how to stay healthy as a drummer through proper eating, tried-and-true warm-up routines, and correct drum kit set up; how to select and maintain drum equipment; and how to create drum solos and improvise with ease. He also includes tips and tricks for mastering the studio setting, getting the most from one's drum kit, writing quick and easy drum charts, preparing for gigs, marketing oneself as a drummer, and much more. Drum Kit Secrets is the perfect resource for intermediate-level amateurs to working professionals. Dean draws on his many years as teacher and drum professional in this unique compilation of tips and performance strategies for advanced and expert players.

The age-old craft of bellfounding involves specialised techniques and equipment that have been passed down through generations and are still used today. For centuries, the large bells in churches, clocks and public buildings throughout Britain have been cast, hung, and tuned by bellfounders and this book surveys the history of bell production and the development of moulding and casting techniques. To achieve the correct pitch each bell would be hand corrected with a hammer and chisel, an extremely noisy process which continued until the nineteenth century when the mechanised lathe was introduced. This book describes the intricate tuning process and the role of the bellfounder and specially prepared photographs illustrate the production process of some of the most famous foundries in Britain, such as those at Whitechapel and Loughborough.

Sympathy for the Drummer: Why Charlie Watts Matters is both a gonzo rush capturing the bristling energy of the Rolling Stones and the times in which they lived and a wide-eyed reflection on why the Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World needed the world's greatest rock 'n' roll drummer. Across five decades, Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has had the best seat in the house. Charlie Watts, the anti-rock star an urbane jazz fan with a dry wit and little taste for the limelight was witness to the most savage years in rock history, and emerged a hero, a warrior poet. With his easy swing and often loping, uneven fills, he found nuance in a music that often had little room for it, and along with his greatest ally, Keith Richards, he gave the Stones their swaggering beat. While others battled their drums, Charlie played his modest kit with finesse and humility, and yet his relentless grooves on the nastiest hard-rock numbers of the era (Gimme Shelter, Street Fighting Man, Brown Sugar, Jumpin' Jack Flash, etc.) delivered a dangerous authenticity to a band that on their best nights should have been put in jail. Author Mike Edison, himself a notorious raconteur and accomplished drummer, tells a tale of respect and satisfaction that goes far beyond drums, drumming, and the Rolling Stones, ripping apart the history of rock'n'roll, and celebrating sixty years of cultural upheaval. He tears the sheets off of the myths of music making, shredding the phonies and the frauds, and unifies the frayed edges of disco, punk, blues, country, soul, jazz, and R and B the soundtrack of our lives. Highly opinionated, fearless, and often hilarious, Sympathy is as an unexpected treat for music fans and pop culture mavens, as edgy and ribald as the Rolling Stones at their finest, never losing sight of the sex and magic that puts the roll in the rock the beat, that crazy beat! and the man who drove the band, their true engine, the utterly irreplaceable Charlie Watts.