Difference between revisions of "Siwe, Thomas"
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| − | + | The contents of this book start out with a large section about snare drum. It discusses the history of the snare drum and includes etudes and exercises that work on different rolls, flams, drags, ruffs, and rim shots. There are also sections on bass drum, cymbals, timpani, triangle, tambourine, castanets, small wood instruments, metal instruments, keyboard instruments (which breaks down into marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, chimes, and vibraphone), and drum set. It teaches one how to hold the stick, where the playing area is, how to hold the instrument, how to tune, and the different strokes that are used. There are also pictures to show how to hold or where to play instruments, which sticks to use, and performance techniques. Then, it discusses world percussion and marching percussion displaying the different instruments and techniques. Afterward, there is a section for instrument care and repair, a helpful list of references, a list of resources, methods, and finally the PAS rudiment chart as the books conclusion. | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | Chapter 13 is about the drum set. It discusses the history and how people were wanting to play more instruments with less people, so they created foot mechanisms to achieve this. They break down the history of the snare, bass, hi-hats, cymbals, and tom-toms. There are simple exercises for rock, latin, swing, funk and other types of grooves too. | |
| + | |||
| + | Chapter 14 is the world music section which discusses shakers, scrapers, bongos, and congas. Pictures demonstrate how playing techniques. There are also exercises which use one to two instruments at a time. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Chapter 15 is about marching percussion. There is a historic section and then it states how the concept in drum line is uniformity and to keep the band together. It separates each section of the drum line and talks about the size of the drums and their role in the line. The exercises consist of warm-ups for each drum section and examples of simple cadences. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Care and repair is the title of chapter 16. It through multiple basic percussion instruments and explains how to maintain them and provides tips to repair them. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Chapter 17 is a reference page and chapter 18 provides percussion resources which include: PAS website, Steve Weiss for retail, and some percussion magazines one could be interested in. There is also a list of pedagogical material for snare, mallets, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, tambourine and other small instruments, and drum set. Suggestions of ensemble pieces to play are listed as well and are categorized by skill level. The last chapter of this book is filled with rudiments for rolls, diddles, flams, and drags. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Overall, I think this text is very helpful because it not only shows how to hold the triangle, but also shows where the playing spot is, how to suspend it and use two beater to play faster passages, and how to play in the corner for a tremolo sound. This is one example of a simple percussion instrument that most people (even percussionist if they weren’t properly taught) don’t know how to play correctly. This book also has pictures which expand the words into a visual element. This is helpful because trying to explain how to hold a triangle could be difficult if there wasn’t a picture right beside it. I think this book is a great and simple way to begin learning and teaching percussion. A weakness of this method book is that the exercises are fairly easy, so if one is looking to teach further than the beginner’s level I would suggest finding more books on the subject. | ||
There are two versions of this book: a student work book and an instructor’s manual. They are both filled with mostly the same material, but the student workbook is what students would purchase for class and the instructor’s manual has suggestions for lesson plans, a class schedule, a syllabus, and even a final exam. In a way, you could teach a class from this book because it spells every single detail out for you to follow. | There are two versions of this book: a student work book and an instructor’s manual. They are both filled with mostly the same material, but the student workbook is what students would purchase for class and the instructor’s manual has suggestions for lesson plans, a class schedule, a syllabus, and even a final exam. In a way, you could teach a class from this book because it spells every single detail out for you to follow. | ||
Revision as of 13:56, 6 February 2015
Biography
Born: February 14, 1935
Country: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
Studies: University of Illinois (B.M.1963. M.M.1966)
Teachers: Hunter Johnson, Robert Kelly, Jack McKenzie
Mentions: Elected to the Percussive Arts Society "Hall of Fame" (2011)[1]
Professor Emeritus Thomas Siwe earned both his B.M. and M.M. degrees at the University of Illinois. Upon graduation, he performed extensively as a soloist and recorded both solo and ensemble music, playing with such diverse groups as the Chicago Symphony, Boston Pops Orchestra, University of Chicago Contemporary Chamber Players and the Harry Partch Ensemble. He is a former member of the Chicago Lyric Opera, Sinfonia da Camera, and the U.S. Marine Band at Camp Pendleton. Professor Siwe began his teaching career at Northwestern University. He later taught at the University of Wisconsin and Northern Illinois University before returning to his alma mater, the University of Illinois, to direct its percussion program from 1969 to 1998. His students may be found teaching in many well-known collegiate music schools and departments and are members of some of the most prestigious performing organizations throughout the United States. As a past president of the Percussive Arts Society, Professor Siwe served on the Society's Board of Directors and contributed articles to both Percussive Notes and the Research Edition. His catalogs of percussion ensemble and solo music are found in libraries throughout the world. They are currently available on-line at the PAS web-site, www.pas.org. His most recent publication, Percussion: A Course of Study for the Future Band and Orchestra Director, is available from Media Press. [2]
Books on Percussion
Siwe, Thomas. Percussion: A Course of Study for the Future Band and Orchestra Director Second Edition. Chicago, IL.: Media Press Inc., 2007. - Method Book
Siwe, Thomas. Percussion Ensemble Literature. Champaign, IL.: Media Press, Inc., 1998.
Siwe, Thomas. Percussion Solo Literature. Champaign, IL.: Media Press, Inc., 1995.
The contents of this book start out with a large section about snare drum. It discusses the history of the snare drum and includes etudes and exercises that work on different rolls, flams, drags, ruffs, and rim shots. There are also sections on bass drum, cymbals, timpani, triangle, tambourine, castanets, small wood instruments, metal instruments, keyboard instruments (which breaks down into marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, chimes, and vibraphone), and drum set. It teaches one how to hold the stick, where the playing area is, how to hold the instrument, how to tune, and the different strokes that are used. There are also pictures to show how to hold or where to play instruments, which sticks to use, and performance techniques. Then, it discusses world percussion and marching percussion displaying the different instruments and techniques. Afterward, there is a section for instrument care and repair, a helpful list of references, a list of resources, methods, and finally the PAS rudiment chart as the books conclusion.
Chapter 13 is about the drum set. It discusses the history and how people were wanting to play more instruments with less people, so they created foot mechanisms to achieve this. They break down the history of the snare, bass, hi-hats, cymbals, and tom-toms. There are simple exercises for rock, latin, swing, funk and other types of grooves too.
Chapter 14 is the world music section which discusses shakers, scrapers, bongos, and congas. Pictures demonstrate how playing techniques. There are also exercises which use one to two instruments at a time.
Chapter 15 is about marching percussion. There is a historic section and then it states how the concept in drum line is uniformity and to keep the band together. It separates each section of the drum line and talks about the size of the drums and their role in the line. The exercises consist of warm-ups for each drum section and examples of simple cadences.
Care and repair is the title of chapter 16. It through multiple basic percussion instruments and explains how to maintain them and provides tips to repair them.
Chapter 17 is a reference page and chapter 18 provides percussion resources which include: PAS website, Steve Weiss for retail, and some percussion magazines one could be interested in. There is also a list of pedagogical material for snare, mallets, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, tambourine and other small instruments, and drum set. Suggestions of ensemble pieces to play are listed as well and are categorized by skill level. The last chapter of this book is filled with rudiments for rolls, diddles, flams, and drags.
Overall, I think this text is very helpful because it not only shows how to hold the triangle, but also shows where the playing spot is, how to suspend it and use two beater to play faster passages, and how to play in the corner for a tremolo sound. This is one example of a simple percussion instrument that most people (even percussionist if they weren’t properly taught) don’t know how to play correctly. This book also has pictures which expand the words into a visual element. This is helpful because trying to explain how to hold a triangle could be difficult if there wasn’t a picture right beside it. I think this book is a great and simple way to begin learning and teaching percussion. A weakness of this method book is that the exercises are fairly easy, so if one is looking to teach further than the beginner’s level I would suggest finding more books on the subject. There are two versions of this book: a student work book and an instructor’s manual. They are both filled with mostly the same material, but the student workbook is what students would purchase for class and the instructor’s manual has suggestions for lesson plans, a class schedule, a syllabus, and even a final exam. In a way, you could teach a class from this book because it spells every single detail out for you to follow.
Works for Percussion
10 Hall of Fame Snare Drum Solos - Snare Drum
Duet for Snare Drum and Timpani – Percussion Duo; Snare Drum; Timpani
Latin Sextet - Percussion Sextet
References
- ↑ Thomas Siwe Hall of Fame Bio Retrieved 11/07/2012
- ↑ http://www.mediapressinc.com/pages.php?pageid=2&composer=71 Retrieved 11/07/2012