Turn Any Song Into a Drum Practice Party
November 24, 2025
Does your child’s drum practice feel like a chore? What if I told you there’s a way to make drumming practice so fun that your kids will actually ask to do it?
If you want a quick answer visit: https://tvcmusiclessons.gumroad.com/l/fpmlf
The Magic of the 5-Minute Drum Match Game
As drum instructors, we know that the secret to progress isn’t just logging hours—it’s making those practice minutes engaging and enjoyable. That’s why we created the 5-Minute Drum Match Game, a simple activity that transforms any favorite song into an interactive drumming challenge.
Why This Works
It’s Their Music, Their Way Kids get to choose the song. Whether it’s the latest pop hit, a video game soundtrack, or their favorite movie theme, this game meets them where their musical interests already live.
Built-in Motivation When your child is drumming along to a song they love, they’re not “practicing”—they’re playing. The music itself becomes the coach, keeping them engaged and on tempo without any nagging required.
Sneaky Skill Building While they’re having fun, they’re actually developing crucial drumming fundamentals: tempo matching, hand coordination, pattern switching, and rhythmic consistency. All in just five minutes.
How It Works at Home
You don’t need a full drum kit—a practice pad and sticks work perfectly. Here’s the simple flow:
- Your child picks a song they love
- They listen for 30-60 seconds to catch the tempo
- Starting with their right hand, they match the beat
- Then they cycle through four basic sequences (alternating hands, then doubles)
- They keep going until the song ends
That’s it. No metronomes, no boring exercises—just music and movement.
Music & Vibe Coding
July 29, 2025
There’s been quite a bit of noise lately about music, AI, and this thing called vibe coding. I think it’s worth paying attention. At their intersection is a toolkit that’s powerful, playful, and increasingly accessible to creators who don’t come from a traditional tech background.
Do I think AI-composed music is the most artistic thing in the world? Probably not. But that’s not really the point. What AI has done is open a door! It helps folks like me with little or no experience in HTML, CSS, or Java Script, to bring ideas to life. My high school computer literacy class didn’t cover any of those languages. Maybe it does now. But even if it did, the game has changed again.
This week, AI helped me prototype something I’ve been thinking about for years: a metronome that listens like a human. Sure, it clicks on the beat like a standard metronome, but flip it into human mode and now we’re talking. It allows subtle tempo fluctuation from beat to beat, simulating the feel of playing with real people. Slide the fader left and it’s like jamming with someone who has impeccable time. Slide it right and you’ll feel the difference.
Enjoy it. Play with it. Let it mess with your groove a little. Just don’t tell your teacher you practiced with a robot.
Check out my new metronome creation here
A list of some of my favorite vibraphone books and resources
February 15, 2014
I’ve recently worked out a few thoughts regarding my views as a vibraphonist. The vibraphone can play several roles in a jazz ensemble. Listed below are several of my favorite books about jazz music and the vibraphone. Please have a look and enjoy.
The single biggest online community of vibraphonists can be found at www.vibesworkshop.com. It is a great resource for lessons, exercises, and some of the best videos and audio. It’s is to become a member and for a few bucks a month you can become a subscriber which unlocks a buffet of vibraphone knowledge that you could chew on for centuries.
Jazz Resources
Berliner, Paul F. 1994. Thinking In Jazz: The Infinite Art of Improvisation. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press.
Coker, Jerry. 1990. How To Practice Jazz. New Albany, Indiana: Jamey Aebersold Jazz, Inc.
Coker, Jerry. 1964. Improvising Jazz. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Coker, Jerry, Casale Jimmy, Campbell, Gary, Greene, Jerry. Patterns For Jazz. Miami, Florida: Studio PR.
Haerle, Dan. 1975. Scales For Jazz Improvisation. Hialeah, Florida: Studio 224.
Progis, Jim. 1982. Jazz Chord Voicings for Right Hand. Danvers, Massachuttes: Shattinger International Music Corp.
Weiskopf, Walt. 1995. Intervallic Improvisation The Modern Sound: A Step Beyond Linear Improvisation. New Albany, Indiana: Jamey Aebersold Jazz, Inc.
Resources for Jazz Vibraphone
Burton, Gary. 1995. Introduction to Jazz Vibes. Glenview, Illinois: Creative Music.
Burton, Gary. 1995. Four Mallet Studies. Glenview, Illinois: Creative Music.
Davis, Thomas L. 1999.Voicing and Comping for Jazz Vibraphone: Four Mallet Studies for the Modern Vibist. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Hal Leonard Corporation.
Metzger, Jon. 1996. The Art and Language of Jazz Vibes. McLean, Virginia: EPM Publications, Inc.
Sisto, Dick. 2005. The Jazz Vibraphone Book Etudes in the Style of the Masters. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Hal Leonard Corporation.
Updates for December!!!!
December 4, 2013
Hi!
I am excited to be a part of several interesting projects during the month of December. I’m also excited to get a chance to travel to visit family for Christmas. Keep the following dates in mind if you are interested in getting out and seeing what a collaborative musicians does. Often during my school years people asked what I expected to do with a degree in music. Well here’s how December is going down:
December 6-7th at 8pm and December 8th at 2pm & 8pm – Ascension 2013 // Contemporary Music + Dance at SFU Woodward’s
December 9th at 8pm – Tubes and Grooves at the Kino
December 11th at 8pm – Anita Eccelston’s Like Smoke at the Kozmik Zoo
December 13th Doors at 7:30 Show at 8pm – An Evening of Spoken Word, Cello, and Percussion at Our Town Cafe
December 14th between 8-ish?? – The Sidewalk Cellist and Plastic Acid at Falconetti’s Eastside Grill
December 15th Doors at 7:30 – The Sidewalk Cellist and Friends at The Backstage Lounge
There are also a couple of top secret projects that are in the planning and composition stages. Stay tuned!! I hope to see some of you soon!
Ethos Collective will be at Chamber-Con
November 13, 2013
The Georgia Straight has a cool write up about Chamber-Con a co-presentation by Vancouver New Music and Redshift Music Society. For the detail click the link:
http://www.straight.com/blogra/527576/georgia-straight-proudly-sponsors-chambercon
WCAMS
July 16, 2012
I am really excited about next week! I’ve been invited to teach percussion at the West Coast Amateur Musicians Society’s annual summer camp. Check out the link: www.wcams.com
I look forward to meeting new friends and making great music!
Timothy Van Cleave 