Welcome to "See You On The Bandstand", the monthly newsletter devoted to the news and events surrounding the students of Marvin Bugalu Smith's School Of Time. This is the first edition of the newsletter and we look forward to the future. Check back monthly as we talk about the world of jazz drums. the local scene, news, student progress reports and other exciting drum and jazz related topics.

We will highlight the students experience on teaching and playing jazz drums, sharing their views on playing on the bandstand and much more. This important information will make you play better drums.

"A news letter for today’s people, written by the people, because the music belongs to the people."

Your teacher,

Marvin Bugalu Smith

Back In The Day by Marvin "Bugalu" Smith

Hello everyone, this is Marvin Bugalu Smith - Master Drummer, and I would like to share a story with everyone. When I was 2yrs old I started playing the drums this is because of my older brother Earl C. Smith, who played with the great alto sax master Eric Dolphy. He was one of the great master drummers of all time and he took me to the drums at 2yrs old, then everyday for the next 7 years, I played the drums before I went to school in the morning and when I came home from school in the afternoon. To make a long story short, when I was 17 yrs old, that was the time and age to go to New York city and to get in the clubs where the music was. I found many great drummers who played much better then me. So for the next 4 years I got sent home every time I went to New York to play the drums. This is something I did not like, because to me I was playing good but in realty they were playing better then me. So I got an idea and that was to study everything that they played at these sessions and so I started on this work, this was my great journey to learn the great secret of the drums and it took me years. I would always say, "I will do this one day at a time" so the greatest part of this story is that getting sent home was the best thing that happen to me because I kept going back to the practice pad learning my 26 six rudiments of drums, learning how to swing on the ride cymbal, learning how to play four, eight, sixteen bar and 32 bar solo's and what I learned was how to work hard and that's what it takes, hard work. Now today, I don't get sent home anymore from the sessions and if anyone has the will to work hard, I can help you learn to play better. This is my promise to you...

Learning The Tunes by Andrew Greeney

           It is important for all drummers to learn the tunes. By tunes, I mean the songs from the jazz standard repertoire that are played at the jazz jam session. This includes songs from the great Broadway musicals or motion pictures, tunes written by players/composers, traditionals and more. There are many tunes written over 'rhythm changes' (the chord progression from George Gershwin's ''I Got Rhythm") or Blues.
          The journey of learning the tunes begins with the jam session and your own music collection. It was my experience that when I first started going to the jam sessions there were many tunes I did not know. I did not know how to count the time off, how to play a ballad, how to play 3/4, how to play latin, where to play the shuffle, or where to make the breaks. Every time I played at the session I felt like the music had just kicked my ass because I didn't know what I was doing. My teacher, Marvin 'Bugalu' Smith encouraged me to keep going to the jam session and to keep building up my music collection and to use it as study material. He told me, "If you are playing and you don't know the song, just play the time and listen to the song. This way you know it the second time through and you don't get in the way of the music."
          I then decided I would not give up and I would keep studying the music. I started listening to songs or whole albums over and over until I knew the melodies by heart. This a great practice that I do every day. I started to pay more attention to the tunes that were being played at the jam sessions. When I hear songs that I don't know or know well enough, I seek out classic recordings by jazz masters. Many of the tunes have lyrics which tell a story. By learning the lyrics, you can add more character and depth to the music. Also, different chords and chord progressions can change our moods. All of this adds to the emotional content of the bandstand.
          I want to encourage the drummers to take notes at the jam session and write down the names of the songs. Marvin also taught me to 'pow wow' with the older more experienced cats. Don't be afraid to approach your elders and learn from them.
          We live in the age of the information revolution and we should use the internet as a tool to further our knowledge of the tunes. I can do a video search on Google or YouTube with almost any song title and get results. Often you can find a video recording of some great jazz masters or another video set to the music. Also, check out Marvin's video homework of the jam sessions and you will find many excellent renditions.
           I wish everyone a happy Holiday season and....until next time....SEE YA' ON THE BANDSTAND!!! - Andrew Greeney

Feeling The Motion Of Time by Kesai Riddick

            In my last article I talked about feeling the whirlpool motion of Swing One and not being able to “. . . accurately explain what I felt . . . ” but now having practiced it for a while I’ve come to have a deeper understanding of this feeling. I am not only able to describe this feeling but I’m also able to communicate how I got there. This feeling opened up to me in a way that I would have never expected.
            Normally I practice fast to get up my speed and endurance but I felt something completely new when I practiced Swing One slow, VERY SLOW. I became conscious of the movement of Swing One and focused my intent on feeling the motion of it FULLY. The motion of it was similar to how Tai-chi practitioners flow through their forms; deliberate and in the moment. By playing this way I was able to feel a buoyancy in my body that felt light and relaxed.
           The more I played the deeper this feeling got until it grew into a palpable energy force. I felt as if I was immersed in water and totally weightless. I felt like I was back in my mother’s womb, warm and secure. I could feel my internal energy uniting with a greater energy called TIME. Discovering this energy in time has changed my way of practicing, studying and playing the drums.
I’ve realized that the time that drummers and musicians play is different than a clock’s time. Clock time is static and stiff, a minute is sixty seconds and a day is composed of twenty-four hours, no ifs, ands or buts. A drummer’s time is elastic and can be manipulated to reflect what the drummer is feeling. That’s why it’s called playing because we play with the time.
In order to feel this elasticity you need to play time slow and be patient. Playing slow allows you to feel the full value of each beat as it goes by. Patience focuses the mind and body so it can be receptive to this feeling. Without either of these you can’t appreciate this aspect of time.
          I’ve been playing Swing One for six years and it wasn’t until very recently that I discovered this energy. I would have never discovered if I hadn’t studied with Marvin BuGaLu Smith. He always conveys these ideas about the time to his students. But it’s my responsibility as the student to actualize these ideas in my own playing. If I don’t then they just remain as ideas and nothing more.

Ego & Playing Music - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly by Jan Jurgielewicz IV

It is always good to have confidence, confidence along with comfort usually aid a human being in excelling with whatever endeavor they are choosing to engage in. But there are certain situations where an over confidence (ego) can not only hurt you, but block your progress in the situation you are trying to excel in. When I first started studying with Marvin, I immediately thought that I would never see the bandstand, due to the talent level, the newness of being there and not knowing the crew, I went into shutdown mode. My fear of playing in front of everyone, was immense, and this was only at Marvin's house !!. I would think to myself "how could I ever be good, and show these guys I can play, if I'm scared to death to even play in front of them privately", well I took awhile to learn, I can't show them, because I am not good and I know absolutely nothing about jazz drums and then it took even more time to realize, that's not even what this whole thing is about. It was probably until about 2 months ago that drum life made a little more sense and that I could visualize myself playing on the bandstand someday, still not knowing all I needed to know, but at least the fear of playing in front of Marvin was dissipating and my comfort level was increasing. Just think, it took 7 months of studying to trust in someone to teach me and for me to just let go with whatever pre-conceived notions I may have and also to re-enforce the concept of removing ego out of the mix. This does not go away overnight and I will have to work to overcome this as long as I study, but it will be overcome to the point where I will be able to consistently learn and improve my playing.

Well, it was not until last month that Marvin realized (mostly due to my complaining and my poor overall attitude), that he needed to make a decision about how to get through to me, to push and motivate. He figured it was time to tell me to play the bandstand. This totally came unexpected to me and once it happened, that was the last straw on any major ego problems I had. I was now the deer in the headlights, what I had wanted for months, became serious nervous meltdown material. Now, I was able to experience first hand the moment to moment situation of playing with gifted musicians and after playing with them, I fully realized the technical AND mental aspects of what I really need to work on to improve playing the drums. A constant reminder of the amount of time and work that is ahead of me is now being re-enforced every Tuesday. Yes, Marvin and the crew could guide and teach me, but it is the stuff that goes on inside my head that directs where and how the teaching signals are processed. I need to listen and practice what Marvin (Andrew & Kesai) are showing me and NOT analyze one fuckxxx thing. This is probably due to my degree in psychology from the University of Connecticut and my analytical career I have during the day, sure, I have minor degrees in electronic music and sociology but that main degree, trained me wrong when it came to learning after I graduated. No, I'm not 100% fixed yet, but I can now see the light through the trees and with Marvin (and the crew) constantly working with me to re-program that incorrect way of thinking, it will get done.

It is all the result of the strength of Marvin as a teacher, that I will be able to address and correct my issues with learning. Hopefully, it will span across more areas of my life besides the drums. I can't say I'm all OK with the ego issues but at least I now realize I have them and besides playing the rudiments, playing to records, etc., I now have a mental aspect to work on as well as a technical aspect. I can't say how many weeks or years it will take until I'm 100% right, but I do know every week, the relaxation level is increasing. The whole concept of getting over my ego problems, would NEVER be addressed by any other drum teacher or self study method available, I'm 100% sure of this. They would just take the lesson money and teach me until I got bored and never challenge me in a learning or advanced way. True Master teachers know how to criticize and it is a known fact that humans do not like to be criticized. The truly strong students not only appreciate the criticism, but put aside their ego to further their learning. This is what I hope and want to do. My only musical regret is not meeting Marvin when I was in high school, during the early development years and really getting into the hardcore philosophical end of learning to play a musical instrument. But I'm lucky, I did eventually find Marvin, and am blessed to be his student.

Until next month ....................... S Y O T B !!!

Thoughts On The Drum
Knowing where you’re going, developing some idea of how to get there, staying afloat in the ocean of harsh realities, not stressing the stuff small or large. Sometimes letting it all slip away… Open to possibilities, hearing about the terrace lounge jam with legend Bugalu. Arriving on a misty October evening, having over done it the nights before, too little sleep, too much vocal smoke. Groove still pumping in the almost fleshly heart. Upon seeing Bugalu, a kind of royalty. I saw that night fury without fear, the unique obliterate the conventional. Realizing a new frontier, the heart completely open, unhesitant. My thought to myself ,”you have a lot to learn from this man.”
Two questions posed that night. “Would you like to learn?” Would you like to play?” Yes and OK. Challenge posed: hang with the tune or get the hook. I’m present, loving the moment, the dance of tones splashes, shots and booms, I’m three again, and the allure of spirit unleashed by sticks of smooth hardwood a belly laughing passion. 4 weeks later, Bugalu, true to his word, pointing to a partially blazed path aimed directly at the core of earthly existence, and the hook of the unexplained. Yisroel Arye