|
|
|
|
Artist Spotlight
MURRAY GUSSECK
|
|
 Tapspace co-founder Murray Gusseck is this month's featured artist. Mostly known for his creative compositions for marching battery percussion and tenure at the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps, Gusseck has long been associated with a unique approach to marching percussion, both in technique development and teaching style.
Murray took some time off from his normal Tapspace workload to answer a few random questions…
Where do you most want to travel, but have never been?
I'd have to say Brazil. Nothing to do with the World Cup, mind you, but just to experience (and hopefully take part in) the music. Having grown up around bossa nova jazz standards (my dad was a piano player), I really grew to love the Brazilian take on jazz harmonies and, of course, the rhythmic elements. Definitely a bucket list destination!
What is your favorite food?
Pad Kee Mao. I could probably eat my own body weight in this stuff if I gave it the ol' college try.
What are your top five favorite films?
In no certain order (and omitting the other 77 films that belong in my answer), I'd have to say Glengarry Glen Ross, Heat, Baraka, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and pretty much anything by Paul Thomas Anderson, the Coen brothers, and Quentin Tarantino.
If money was no object, what would you do all day?
I would practice my drums. I really would. I might break up the day with a little exercise and some lunch, but I would play all day long if I could.
Do you play with traditional or matched grip. Why?
I enjoy both. I like this question because this debate has raged in the drum corps community for years. Some people think that snare players shouldn't use matched grip because it looks odd to them. I feel like there should be a punchline after that! What also amuses me about this is that I haven't noticed this debate pop up in other areas of drumming or music. My hunch is that this is because drum corps happens to be competitive, and competition begets the "armchair quarterback." My experience has been that the folks out there on the front lines teaching and/or playing at the highest levels understand intuitively that it's not what grip you use that's important…it's the music you make!
|
|
Video Submission of the Month
|
|
|
In the spirit of "Throwback Thursday" here's a video of the 2009 Santa Clara Vanguard drumline performing Murray Gusseck's Flash Gordon Henderson in Allentown, PA.
To share videos of your latest performances of Tapspace music, click here. We'll look forward to hearing what you're doing with our music, and maybe we'll feature you here!
|
|
 Played any Tapspace pieces lately?
Like our music? Want to help make sure more music like it is created in the future?
By letting ASCAP know that you performed our pieces in concert, you’ll be supporting composers and Tapspace, and it doesn’t cost you a thing! Every year ASCAP collects monies from orchestras, bars, radio stations, karaoke clubs, even sports stadiums—nearly every place and space where music is played. These funds are distributed based on reported performances. If you don’t report this performance, that’s one or two more pennies that will go to Katy Perry.
|
|
The Friend Zone
Are you following us on Facebook or Twitter? If you are, you already know that the latest and greatest is posted there first. And we often run flash promotions to save you some quick cash exclusively via our social channels. But mainly we like to know what you're up to so we can all engage and keep up with everything that is creativity in percussion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We’re excited to welcome John Weisiger as the newest member of Team Tapspace! Originally from Richmond, Virginia, John recently moved to Portland, Oregon by way of Bloomington, Indiana, where he earned his degree in Jazz Studies at Indiana University. We've worked with John for some time, and he now joins us full time in Bridgetown as a production assistant and office manager. 
