Jojo Mayer is one of my favourite drummers and he's undoubtably one of the greatest drummers alive today.

This solo has a bit of everything. It's musical, technical, dynamic, surprising and built on a cohesive set of ideas. A great example of what makes an engaging drum solo.

What really stands out to me is his use of volume. He utilises a very broad range of dynamics. It's so easy to just play loud all the time, but that's pretty boring to listen to. And once you've reached full volume, that's it, you can't go any louder. Contrasting loud with quiet keeps things interesting, and holding off playing your loudest will mean you always have somewhere left to go.

One of the easiest ways to improve your drumming and soloing is to pay more attention to your dynamics. Jojo keeps you waiting, he teases, he explores the extremes. And that's what keeps you listening.

18 Days

Every Wednesday I share five things I liked and think you might like too. Here are this week’s Five Things…

1. There are a ton of benefits that come with learning a foreign language. Unfortunately though, it's just not very easy. Here are 7 tips from TED translators to help you on your way. If you fancy learning a language and don't know where to start, I recommend checking out Duolingo — It's free and pretty fun too.
    
2. And on the topic of learning. Here's an interesting conversation on How to Learn New Things as an Adult. — "You want to learn the systems, or the analogies, of the relationships between things in a certain field, and how they interact with each other. Then ultimately you gain that knowledge so that you can shift your own thinking, so when you see a new problem you’re better able to solve it."
    
3. A super-short video on speed reading. It's pretty incredible how quickly our brains can process information.
    
4. A fascinating article from Tim Harford on The Problem with Facts. — "When people are seeking the truth, facts help. But when people are selectively reasoning about their political identity, the facts can backfire."
    
5. This week's musical recommendation is Dave Pepper's Utrecht Suite. The album was recorded during a soundcheck, two days after the Paris attacks in November 2015. It's beautiful and reflective, consisting of just a solo guitar and a loop pedal.

That's all for this week. If you enjoyed it, subscribe and you'll get the next Five Things delivered straight to your inbox. You can check out previous Five Things posts here.

The Man

Every Wednesday I share five things I liked and think you might like too. Here are this week’s Five Things…

1. I was going to do this anyway... Ignore the Snobs, Drink the Cheap, Delicious Wine
    
2. A fascinating long read on the events that'll be triggered when the Queen dies. I'd never considered the complexity and how incredibly strange it'll be when she does. — 'London Bridge is down': the secret plan for the days after the Queen’s death [here's the audio version]
    
3. Here's some timeless (and timely) wisdom from the philosopher Bertrand Russell on how to avoid having foolish opinions.
    
4. ... And from one great philosopher to another. A fun animated video from The School Of Life on Plato and his thoughts on how to live a more fulfilled life.
    
5. This week's musical recommendation is Go! by Public Service Broadcasting. I was lucky enough to see them play at a tiny venue in Amsterdam last year. If you get the chance to see them, I'd take it!

That's all for this week. If you enjoyed it, subscribe and you'll get the next Five Things delivered straight to your inbox. You can check out previous Five Things posts here.

Walking in Woodbridge

Every Wednesday I share five things I liked and think you might like too. Here are this week’s Five Things…

1. A great collection of ideas for music students (and musicians in general) from former University of North Texas professor and musician Dan Haerle.
    
2. Ever had the urge to compare the size of two countries but not had the tool to do it? Well, today's your lucky day. MapFight will satisfy all of your country-size-comparing needs.
    
3. As PR stunts go, this is a pretty clever one. Heinz are running an advertising campaign that was originally proposed by the character Don Draper in the TV series Mad Men.
    
4. I'm not usually one to share cat videos, but this is wonderful. There aren't many videos that make me want to buy a cat and also practice piano. 
    
5. This week's musical recommendation is from the wonderfully named experimental jazz piano trio GoGo Penguin. I can really get lost in this song. — Murmuration by GoGo Penguin.

That's all for this week. If you enjoyed it, please subscribe and you'll get the next Five Things delivered straight to your inbox. You can check out previous Five Things posts here.

Room with a view

Every Wednesday I share five things I liked and think you might like too. Here are this week’s Five Things…

1. I love this... "Kids draw monsters, then artists from all over the world recreate them in their own styles!" — The Monster Project
    
2. A thought for the day from wise man Seth Godin — The smoking lounge
    
3. A fascinating read on Why Facts Don't Change Our Minds. It's easy to have strong opinions on complicated issues that are based on very little information. There's nothing wrong with strong opinions, but we have to be willing to change them when presented with new information. 
    
4. Whenever I hear someone say "I could care less" in place of "I couldn't care less" a shiver runs down my spine. I don't have many pet peeves, but that's definitely one! Here's Merriam-Webster's attempt to clear up the confusion — Is it 'I Could Care Less' or 'I Couldn't Care Less'?
    
5. This week's musical recommendation: St Vincent performing Your Lips Are Red at Austin City Limits in 2014. They know how to put on a show...

That's all for this week. If you enjoyed it, sign up to receive future posts or check out my previous Five Things posts.