rooted music coaching

Hey friends -

I have a question for you… What instrument would you say is the “backbone” of the band?

Maybe one of the guitar players? Keys or bass player?

In my opinion, it’s the drummer. The drummer has the potential to control the pocket better than anyone else and can really “lead” the band dynamically.

Because the drums are such a key element in any band setting, we had one of the best drummers I know, Paul Whittinghill, let us know his 3 keys to being a better drummer.

Key #1: Be a student of music

Key #2: Play a simple groove to a fixed tempo

Key #3: Exercise your fingers and wrists with a practice pad

Paul is a fantastic drummer for many reasons, but the one thing that I really think sets him apart from many others, is that he LEADS the band when he plays.

Going back to what I mentioned earlier the drummer can keep the pocket where it needs to be and lead the band from section to section within any song. Paul does both of those things very well - and I would say as w...

Hey guys!

I’m excited to share another video with you guys today from Zach Norman, one of our incredible coaches here at RMC!

The post today is going to be for singers primarily, but also will be good for any musician in general. As a singer, being perfectly accurate in terms of your pitch as you sing, is hugely important. It’s sometimes what separates the average singers from the truly great.

Now, many singers or even musicians think, “hey, you’re either born with it (a good ear) or you’re not.”

But, that’s simply not true!

Your ears are an ever changing and developing part of of your body, able to be trained. Whether it’s a musician wanting to grow in their ability to accurately hear and diagnose chord changes in a song, or a singer wanting to make sure every single note is pitch perfect, ear training is important.

Today, Zach is going to let us in on the single best way to improve pitch accuracy and I’m excited for you to check out what he has to say!

Take a couple minutes ...

If there’s one thing I love to do, it’s connect people who are like-minded, have similar interests, etc.

Subsequently, if there’s one thing I love as a musician, it’s having an opportunity to play, write, jam or just talk music with others musicians.

There is something so life-giving about doing these things in community with others.

Maybe you learn something about music that you never knew before…

Maybe you decide to listen to some new music based on another’s recommendation…

Or maybe, for the first time, you experience the joy that it is to play music with other people!

I remember when that was for me…

I was about 12 years old and my dad was the pastor at a small church in our hometown.

We needed another musician to assist on the worship team and I had been playing and continually growing in my ability.

So, he decided to have me begin playing on Sunday mornings with the worship team.

Needless to say, I was terrified! Being 12 years old, but surrounded by older musicians ...

Hey guys!

I’m excited to share a video with you guys today from one of our great coaches at RMC, Zach Norman.

If you’re a singer, chances are you know that one of the best things you can do each time you sing is warm up before and cool down after.

I’ve seen singers take their singing to new levels simply by adding in warm ups and cool downs to their event and daily routines. It truly can be a transformative practice if you stay diligent with it!

But, if you’re like many singers, maybe you’ve never taken the time to get familiar with some practical ways to do this. That’s exactly why we wanted to have one of our coaches, Zach Norman, talk for a few minutes simply about vocal warm ups and some practical ways of practicing them.

Take a couple minutes and check out the video below and let us know what you think!

Best,

Chris