Following The Drum

Friday, December 19, 1777, dawned cold and windy. Fourteen thousand Continental Army soldiers tramped from dawn to dusk along the rutted Pennsylvania roads from Gulph Mills to Valley Forge, the site of their winter encampment. The soldiers' arrival was followed by the army's wagons and hundreds of camp women. Following the Drum tells the story of the forgotten women who spent the winter of 1777-78 with the Continental Army at Valley Forge--from those on society's lowest rungs to ladies on the upper echelons. Impoverished and clinging to the edge of survival, many camp women were soldiers' wives who worked as the army's washers, nurses, cooks, and seamstresses. Other women at the encampment were of higher status: they traveled with George Washington's entourage when the army headquarters shifted locations and served the general as valued cooks, laundresses, or housekeepers. There were also the ladies at Valley Forge who were not subject to the harsh conditions of camp life and came and went as they and their husbands, Washington's generals and military advisers, saw fit. Nancy K. Loane uses sources such as issued military orders, pension depositions after the war, soldiers' descriptions, and some of the women's own diary entries and letters to bring these women to life.

For centuries army wives and daughters have gone to some of the most treacherous places in the world, following their men to the cholera-ridden valleys of the Crimea, the sweltering plains of India and the inhospitable Burmese jungles. Drawing on letters, journals and interviews, Following the Drum vividly brings to life their amazing stories and tells of the daily tribulations of barrack life, the romances and scandals, the hostile natives and devoted servants as well as the personal tragedies, hopes and ambitions of these brave and resourceful women.

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2019 A Today Show Best Book of the Year A Booklist Book for Youth Editors’ Choice 2019 A Boston Globe–Horn Picture Book Honor Book 2020 An NPR Favorite Book of 2019 A Quill & Quire 2019 Book for Young People of the Year “Extraordinary.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Inspirational.” —Booklist (starred review) “Laugh-out-loud funny.” —Shelf Awareness (starred review) “Will tickle kids and adults alike.” —Kirkus Reviews “An instant classic.” —Quill & Quire (starred review) From E.B. White Read Aloud honor artist Matthew Forsythe comes a picture book about a magical drum, an emerald forest, and the little frog who dares to make her own music. The biggest mistake Pokko’s parents ever made was giving her the drum. When Pokko takes the drum deep into the forest it is so quiet, so very quiet that Pokko decides to play. And before she knows it she is joined by a band of animals —first the raccoon, then the rabbit, then the wolf—and soon the entire forest is following her. Will Pokko hear her father’s voice when he calls her home? Pokko and the Drum is a story about art, persistence, and a family of frogs living in a mushroom.

If you want to have more fun on the drums, improve your skills faster, and play along to real music, then you need to build a solid foundation. The Best Beginner Drum Book gives you a clear path for getting started on the drums and skipping the frustrating obstacles that most new drummers face: setting up your kit, holding the drumsticks, learning notation, creating catchy beats and fills, learning musical styles, and playing your favorite songs.

The Fun Drum Book for Kids will have you smiling, grooving and playing music in no time! This easy-to-follow drum method will help you unleash your creativity with or without a drum set! Perfect for beginners of all ages, it’s also a great tool for parents to teach their kids. Learn to play essential rudiments, classic rock grooves, familiar children’s songs, exciting drum fills and even creative solos in this colorful children's drumming book! Overflowing with pictures and diagrams, this step-by-step method is designed to keep the student's attention and produce results. Based on my nearly 20 years of teaching experience, this unique approach is guaranteed to provide hours of focused practice and play for anyone interested in the wide world of drumming.

Following the Drums: African American Fife and Drum Music in Tennessee is an epic history of a little-known African American instrumental music form. John M. Shaw follows the music from its roots in West Africa and early American militia drumming to its prominence in African American communities during the time of Reconstruction, both as a rallying tool for political militancy and a community music for funerals, picnics, parades, and dances. Carefully documenting the music's early uses for commercial advertising and sports promotion, Shaw follows the strands of the music through the nadir of African American history during post-Reconstruction up to the form's rediscovery by musicologists and music researchers during the blues and folk revival of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Although these researchers documented the music, and there were a handful of public performances of the music at festivals, the story has a sad conclusion. Fife and drum music ultimately died out in Tennessee during the early 1980s. Newspaper articles from the period and interviews with music researchers and participants reawaken this lost expression, and specific band leaders receive the spotlight they so long deserved. Following the Drums is a journey through African American history and Tennessee history, with a fascinating form of music powering the story.

Alfred's Drum Method, Books 1 and 2 are the ideal teaching tools to help prepare beginning players for all styles of snare drum and percussion performance. Book 1 contains 80 pages of sequential instruction covering rudimental studies, roll studies, contest solos, and bass drum and cymbal technique. Book 1 also includes 23 solos suitable for recitals and contests. Book 2 is much more than just a snare drum method! It continues the learning process by covering additional rudimental studies, tonal properties of the snare drum, theme and variations, musical forms, solos and duets. Book 2 also covers traditional rudimental style, corps style (by Jay Wanamaker), orchestral style, accessory instruments, and multiple-percussion techniques. The DVD includes demonstrations of all the rudiments and accessory instruments, plus solo performances by the authors. This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

instruments/drums