I first met percussionist Karen Ervin when she came to Boston in the early 80s with the National tour of "Pirates of Penzance". She astonished me with her non-stop virtuosic mallet playing throughout the show (it was a revamped Broadway production). We became instant friends, sharing a strong passion for all things percussion. Karen and her husband, Tom, also started one of the first dedicated percussion music distributors, Tre Music.
How ironic that a few years later I would replace Karen on the "Pirates" tour! I have to admit, learning that massive mallet part was not easy. I had to lock myself away in a practice room for a full week!
Speaking of practicing, here is a terrific piece that Karen wrote and that is as relevant today as it was when she penned it, over 30 years ago!
The Fine Art Of Practice
I first met percussionist Karen Ervin when she came to Boston in the early 80s with the National tour of "Pirates of Penzance". She astonished me with her non-stop virtuosic mallet playing throughout the show (it was a revamped Broadway production). We became instant friends, sharing a strong passion for all things percussion. Karen and her husband, Tom, also started one of the first dedicated percussion music distributors, Tre Music.
How ironic that a few years later I would replace Karen on the "Pirates" tour! I have to admit, learning that massive mallet part was not easy. I had to lock myself away in a practice room for a full week!
Speaking of practicing, here is a terrific piece that Karen wrote and that is as relevant today as it was when she penned it, over 30 years ago!