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dyde21 · 5 years ago

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Marching On 3: The Announcement

It’s been a while since my last chapter, sorry for the delay! I have so much planned for this AU now, hopefully I’ll be able to put these out more regularly now when I need a break from painting. WIthout further ado..

AVAILABLE ON AO3 HERE

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With a yawn, Percy pulled open the annoyingly heavy band door. The whole room, as he had learned, was rather soundproofed because the band got pretty loud. Once he got past the nerves of being in a new place that felt like he wasn’t welcome in at first, it was actually a pretty cool rom. The rooms were lined with wooden lockers that people got assigned in the beginning of the year, so he now just kept his stuff in this room. The back of the room was occupied by the percussion section, various mallet instruments he couldn’t quite tell apart yet, an expensive piano he tried to avoid touching out of fear, a big set of drums he had heard called “timpanis” and a sink and counter with a microwave. There was a small room off to the side that held a bunch of big string instruments and archives of old music, and a hallway that lead to the teachers office and connected to the choir room. In the front of the room there was a small room dedicated to drumline gear, and three practice rooms, one of which held a smaller, cheaper piano for practicing. The room was feeling more comfortable to him than he expected it would, and the various pictures and awards of previous bands was actually kinda cool to see hanging up. It really did give the feeling of being a part of something bigger than himself.

Moving over to his locker, he pulled out a set of drum sticks and moved back to the back of the room. Today they would find out the results of the auditions, and it was making him nervous.

Despite how nonchalant he wanted to be about the whole situation, he was actually really hoping he made the line.

Thalia’s performance had been something else. She wasn’t like the stuffy music teachers she had expected, but rather she seemed pretty cool. She had made the drumming seem as cool as a drum kit. She turned it into a challenge.

“What’s wrong?” Piper’s voice chimed in, leaning over the chair next to him and tilting her head.

He glanced over at her, before shrugging. “Nothing.” He said, scooting down a little lower in his chair. He wasn’t sure why, but admitting to Piper that he was nervous about the results felt like losing. He could already hear her gloating about being right about band.

She rolled her eyes, before plopping into the seat next to him. “You do realize we’ve been friends for ages right? I know everything about you. Like how when you’re anxious you bounce your leg a lot. That nervous about the auditions?”

He flinched, annoyed that his best friend could read him like a book. Then again, he couldn’t be surprised, it wasn’t like he couldn’t read her well either. He knew all of her habits without even trying.

“Maybe a little.” He confessed.

She grinned at him, but decided against teasing him apparently. “I heard about the auditions from Annabeth. I’m sure you did fine. You’re way more musical than you think you are, and you remind me of Thalia a lot. I’m sure you’ll get picked. Clarisse and Jason are obvious picks, but my money is on you and Bianca.” She offered, thinking for a moment. Percy knew his friend wouldn’t lie to him to get his hopes up, Piper honestly thought he had a shot.

Not long after Annabeth wandered over, giving him a small smile and a wave. “Nervous?”

“A little.” He confessed, trying to play it off. Her eyes gave him the impression she could see through it, but she apparently wasn’t going to call him on it.

“I get that. I had my auditions at the end of last year for drum major. I was a wreck the whole month leading up to it, and until I heard my name I don’t think I relaxed once.”

Piper laughed and nudged Percy’s side. “You really want to stay away from Annabeth when she’s stressed over something. She gets scary. Also avoid her in the mornings before coffee. I found out the hard way if you make her grumpy she’ll snap.”

Percy snickered, turning to a laugh when he saw Annabeth’s cheeks blush red slightly. “The morning isn’t the only time I’m dangerous McLean, watch it.” She warned, crossing her arms.

“Mhmm, sure.” Piper said dismissively.

Leaning over slightly, Percy could see Thalia in the front of the room now, chatting with Chiron about something. Probably the results if Percy had a guest.

His eyes shifted to Annabeth. “Do you know the results already?” He watched her carefully, looking for any signs.

She shrugged. “Nope. Just because I’m kinda a teacher’s assistant doesn’t mean I get to know secrets ahead of time.”

“That’s a flat out lie.” Piper chimed in, raising an eyebrow.

“True. But I’m telling the truth this time. I don’t know, I didn’t ask. It’s hard to talk to people if you know something about them they don’t know.” Annabeth answered, and Percy could only nod. She made a good point. He also realized she had a good poker face, he really couldn’t get a read on what she was thinking.

She plopped down in the seat on the other side of him. “Like I told Piper, I think you’ll make it. I think Thalia likes you, and you play well, so I see no reason why not. We lost two seniors last year on snare, and with our small percussion section we had spots to fill.”

Percy tried not to get his hopes up still. He had had them dashed too many times before to be comfortable with that.

Glancing over, he saw Tyler sitting alone in the corner of the room. He was on the piano bench, texting someone on his phone, looking way more nervous than Percy felt. Poor kid was probably even more anxious than he was.

Jason approached him a minute late and he looked up startled, before starting to stand up. Jason just said something he couldn’t quite hear, and Percy saw Tyler relax slightly. They chatted for a moment, and soon they were both laughing.

“Jason’s good with people.” Percy remarked idly, impressed. He was never that good at dealing with people, it honestly made him a little jealous.

“I know, right?” Piper remarked a little too quickly, before she looked away like she hadn’t said anything.

Annabeth had an amused smirk on her face as she looked at Piper, but turned to Percy. “He wasn’t always though. After luke left…” There was a pause where Percy saw Annabeth’s expression darken slightly. “Our band was kinda shaken up. He was a junior who volunteered with Thalia when she was a senior at my middle school to teach music. He left… a gap that had to be filled my freshman year.” Her face grew darker, and Percy could tell there was a lot more to the story than she was sharing, but he wasn’t going to pry. “Jason and Reyna both stepped up. I fell into the role later thanks to Thalia. But Jason was just as nervous as Tyler was when he started. He practically stuck to the drumkit to avoid talking to people. Band has a way of changing people though, for better or worse.”

There was a heavy silence between them as Piper rested a hand on Annabeth’s knee reassuringly. Percy was wondering just what had happened their freshman year, but he was still practically an outsider and wasn’t going to drag up old pain. Maybe he’d ask Piper about it later.

Piper, seemingly done with the tension though snickered and nudged his shoulder. “On a lighter note, look.” She said, subtly pointing across the room towards where Ashe was standing, looking clearly a little frustrated at Jason chatting with Tyler. “Someone’s jealous.”

Annabeth laughed. “Who woulda thought Ashe would have grown so attached to someone that quickly. I’m sure she’s happy Tyler is being welcomed though.”

Percy watched Ashe let out a sigh, before smiling slightly at the boys and turning back to talking to some other students.

“Ten bucks if Tyler gets Quads Ashe is the first to congratulate him.” Piper offered.

Eventually Chiron called the class to attention and they all sat up at attention.

“Now, it’s clear there’s an elephant in the room and everyone is waiting to hear the drumline results. Now in the hopes that there will be a chance that our dancers and percussionists may actually listen to class for once, I’ll let Thalia clear the air now.” He offered, making the most of the rest of the band laugh while Annabeth huffed.

Thalia stepped up, her cocky grin being replaced but a more somber smile.

“Sadly there were more students than there were positions, some unfortunately I can’t give good news to everyone. However, I was proud to see how many people were willing to step up to take the risk to audition. Even if you didn’t get a spot on the line, this band will always have room for you. Be it in pit or another instrument. So don’t give up and just kick ass next year!”

“Thalia!” Chiron warned.

She flinched and snickered. “Just kick butt next time and you’ll get a spot.”

The group laughed as Thalia pulled out her list. A hush fell over the group as everyone was suddenly on edge. Even the people who hadn’t auditions were suddenly nervous for their friends.

“We’ll start with the snares. Jason, Clarisse.” Thalia glanced over at Chiron. “Leo Valdez. Bianca Di Angelo. Percy Jackson.”

Percy’s eyes widened as he heard his name called. He looked over at Piper only to see a flurry of brown hair as she tackled him into a hug, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

“You did it!” She said, her voice dripping with pride.

Percy hugged her back, filled with pride he wasn’t expecting. Realizing he would actually be on the drumline and learning to do the cool things he saw Thalia doing was pretty cool.

Glancing over, he saw Annabeth beaming at him too. She mouthed congrats.

Jason and Clarisse both looked excited, but it had been pretty obvious they would make it. Leo seemed stoked to, and once Piper had let Percy go, she had given him a high five. Bianca was celebrating with Silena quietly.

Thalia gave a moment for the cheers and applause to die down. “As for the Quads. Frank Zheng and Tyler Glacias.”

Frank was congratulated by Hazel and some others, while Tyler just looked shocked. He broke out into a smile, before looking down at his lap, still grinning. He was celebrating on his own until an arm was thrown over his shoulder. He looked up to see Ashe grinning at him. “Good job! Making quads on your first try is impressive.” She said, making him blush slightly at the praise and her proximity.

“Uh.. thanks.” He said, grinning at her.

She spread her arms slightly, and he hesitated for only a moment before he hugged her as she returned the hug.

Piper just leaned over. “Told you.”

Thalia was glancing over at Tyler and Ashe as the brief round of applause died down. She smirked for a moment before clearing her throat. “Finally, we have our bass line. The Stoll Twins, Charles Beckendorf, Will Solace, and Chris Rodriguez.”

The twins high fived loudly, Beckendorf was congratulated by a lot of students again. Percy was impressed, he seemed to be someone else the band looked up to a lot. Annabeth had moved over to thank Will, and to Percy’s surprise Clarisse was congratulating Chris in a surprisingly sweet exchange. While Percy hadn’t had much of a chance to talk to clarisse yet, she had seemed… rough to say the least. Yet, she was showing a soft side to Chris that Percy doubted he’d ever get to see himself.

Now that the line was announced, there were murmurs throughout the band. There wasn’t really an upset, based off experience the line pretty much fell as people figured. They were surprised that two new transfers had made it, Percy and Tyler judging by the whispers he heard.

Ashe was still happily chatting with Tyler, and Percy was still grinning. He wasn’t sure if it was just because it was something new still, but he was in for a heck of a year.

Thalia stepped off the platform as Chiron took it again.

“Congratulations to those of you who passed the auditions! I’m proud of all of you. And to the rest, never give up! You are all young, and you future is ripe with possibilities. Learn what you can now, and rise to the challenge next time.”

The classes offered some confirmations as there was still clearly an energy in the air.

“Monday will be the start of our serious practices, so I suggest you take this weekend as a chance to prepare. Our schedule will be very rushed due to the unfortunate circumstances of the delayed start of this year. However I have confidence you will all be able to rise to the moment.”

There was a delay and Percy saw multiple students lean forward, like they were expecting something. He had no idea what else could be announced, but they were all expecting something.

“Now, I believe you all are waiting to hear what our show will be this year-” There was a cut off as a round of cheers erupted from the group, Piper included. Annabeth had a knowing smirk, but still seemed excited.

Piper leaned over. “We voted last year but he waited until he saw what our line up would be to announce what the music would be. Only Annabeth and Reyna knew.”

Annabeth just stuck a tongue out at her.

“This year, our music will be the soundtrack to ‘Six Wings’”

There was a clamouring of sounds as people let out their opinions. Half the group was excited for their first pick was chosen, while others complain. Some had wanted a variety of other options it seemed. But Piper seemed pretty happy, and Percy recognized the soundtrack at least.

It had been a blockbuster hit the past year, with two sequels apparently in the works.

“Why didn’t you tell me!” Piper said, shaking Annabeth. “You know I love that movie.”

Annabeth was all grins as she shrugged. “Because I wanted to see your reaction here, and I doubted you’d be able to keep it secret.”

“Ugh, you’re the worst.” Piper said with a smile as she turned to Percy.

“I wonder what songs are in it. They usually break down the show into an intro, a soft break in the middle, and a finale. I wonder who composed it too.”

Percy tried to nod encouragingly, but he was in over his head. He had no idea how a movie could be a score for a show. Stil, he figured he’d learn soon enough so he’d just celebrate with Piper.

“For now, for the rest of the class, we'll go over the basics of marching. So, everyone follow me to the football field.”

Percy glanced around but everyone was still talking about the music standing up and heading towards the doors like it was normal. Percy was a bit caught off guard but just followed Piper and Annabeth as they headed out towards the back of the room.

A minute later and they were all huddled up as Chiron, Thalia, Hylla, Annabeth and Reyna were standing in front of them.

“Annabeth, if you don’t mind.”

Annabeth nodded. “Returning students will know the drill, but for the first timers… Marching is a lot stricter than you probably think. Posture, direction, expressions those will all be judged, musical playing aside. You need to be in perfect control of your body as you move.

Thalia nodded. “Drumline and Colorguard also both have some different things unique to them. Hylla will explain how color guard works to her students later, but for now I’ll have drumline learn the basics with the rest of you. Maybe an example would be best. Attention!”

Annabeth and Reyna both snapped to attention, standing straight up, arms resting at their hips in tight fists.

“Up!” Their hands shot up as if they were holding a trumpet in front of their face.

Thalia continued to bark a few different orders, having them face different directions, marching at ease or attention, pausing, reversing their direction. Once again, Percy was impressed. It was like when Thalia and Jason had played. They moved in sync with each other, it almost looked mechanical. As he watched Annabeth, he could tell just how carefully she was moving. Every part of her body was under control, even her expression was serious but smiling.

Eventually Thalia let them stop and they just stood there for a moment, grinning. There was a small round of applause from returning students who apparently knew how difficult was it was respond instantly to orders like that.

Glancing over at Piper, he was suddenly worried about how well he could take orders being barked at him all day. Apparently Piper could read his mind because she offered him a sympathetic smile and patted his leg reassuringly. Marching band was turning out to be a lot more than he expected, in every way.

“Now, while Reyna and Annabeth are both prime examples of marchers, don’t worry if you are slower on the uptake. It was very much a skill learned by practice, and I will be sure to give you plenty of practice.” He said with a playful lilt in his voice.

“For now, everyone stand up and get into rows. We’re going to practice.”

They all got up, and Percy was standing around nervously.

Piper nudged him. “Stand behind me, keep your eyes on me if you get confused. Just copy what you see, but try not to move your head too much.”

Percy nodded and listened to her as everyone group up.

Apparently Ashe had said the same thing to Tyler because the boy was standing behind her, looking as nervous as Percy felt.

They ran them through a few different ways of standing, walking around and correcting people as needed gently. Then the basics of turning.

“Remember, when you march you always face the stands and the judges. When you march sides, raise your chest and turn at your hips.” Annabeth explained, walking to the side as she twisted her torso to face the same way she had been.

“Drumline is a little different. We crab walk versus turning because of the harnesses, and Bass Drums will always face their right side to the stands instead. But we’ll go over that later so follow along with Annabeth.” Thalia interjected for a moment.

Nervously Percy tried to get used to the idea of turning his hips but not his chest a bit.

“Let’s try it slowly.”

Annabeth said as they all took positions. Thalia, Hylla, Annabeth, and Reyna all stood outside the block of students on one side to give them someone they can see.

They continued to drill marching a bit, and before long Chrion was checking his clock before clapping his hands loudly.

“That’s enough for a first day. Wonderful job to all of you who are just starting out. While we will be giving you plenty of time to practice this, I highly recommend spending at least a little time outside of class practicing. You will have a lot to learn at the same time, and anything you can make second nature will spare you stress. Now then, let’s get back to the classroom for the final notes.”

Everyone let out a groan as they began to file their way back into the classroom. Percy’s body was aching all over, and he was tired. It was still pretty hot out, and it was more physically intense than he expected.

They all piled back into the bandroom and Percy collapsed back into a seat.

Piper was sitting next to him, smirking at him. “Good job today. It’s weird seeing you follow orders for once.”

Rolling his eyes, Percy crossed his arms. “Yeah well, it wasn’t exactly easy. I don’t know how you put up with it for so long.”

Piper nudged his leg. “Because once you get it down, it changes how you think. You don’t listen because someone is trying to boss around. You listen because you are working with others. One person in a large group, all working together, all helping each other out.”

He stayed quiet, thinking about it. He still didn’t understand but moving as a group was… weird. Seeing dozens of students move in a group, turn on a dime, marching together to a single beat. It felt almost a little… surreal.

He stayed quiet, but Piper seemed content with the fact he was thinking.

Chiron stood up at the front again.

“Now as you all get ready for the weekend, I suggest you rest up. Starting next week we will be splitting our time between learning our music and our drill. We have a lot of catching up to do, and this will not be easy. We will also be starting to collect initial fees next week so please have them prepared or have the deferral signed and returned.”

This time Thalia stepped up. “Drumline, meet with me for a moment after class please.”

Hylla repeated the request to her color guard as everyone was dismissed.

Percy huddled over with the rest of the drumline while Thalia glanced around.

“Like Chiron said, we have a lot of work we need to do if we’re going to keep up with the band. We will need at least one day a week after school in the beginning to keep up.”

They all chatted a bit, until they decided Wednesday at night would be the best time for all of them.

Colorguard seemed to be having a similar meeting about extra practice.

“I know we keep saying how much work this will be, but I promise you we’ll have plenty of fun too. For those of you who are new, I will personally turn you into total badasses by the time I’m done with you. Just don’t be stupid and work hard, and we will put all the other drumlines to shame.”

She put her hand out into the center, and Jason and a few other senior members did so to. Percy stared at it, then back up at Thalia. Was she serious? That was so cheesy.

She returned his gaze with a challenge of her own. “We’re drumline. We’re loud, we’re proud, and honestly we’re all kind of idiots. If we don’t work as a team, we’ll fail a team. The band relies on our beat to keep together, and we rely on each other. So we’re a team, get used to it.”

Percy glanced around, but even Tyler had put his hand in. Slowly he reached his hand in, before Thalia slapped her other one down on his harshly, making him flinch as she grinned at him.

“On 3, drumline!”

“ONE. TWO. THREE. DRUMLINE!” The seniors shouted while Percy mumbled it.

They were grinning while the rest of the band looked over at them, rolling their eyes and laughing.

Piper wandered over while Hylla started scolding Thalia for making so much noise.

“It smells like team spirit.”

Percy hit her shoulder. “That was actually the worst pun you’ve made. Don’t drag a good band down to your level.”

Laughing, his best friend got her stuff from her locker. “You’re so cute when you’re a part of a team. Did you tell your mom you got it yet?”

Pausing, he realized he hadn’t actually let his mom know yet. Pulling out his phone, he sent a quick text to her. A moment later she replied.

Congrats! We’re going out for Pizza to celebrate. Bring Piper.

Percy just turned his phone to show Piper, who grinned. “Your mom is the best.”

He rolled his eyes and sent her a thumbs up. “Yeah, I know.” As he finished getting his stuff together and started to walk to his car with Piper.

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Later that night, Percy walked into Blackjack Pizza with Piper and his mom. They had studied at his place a little before they had decided to get dinner when his mom got back from work. He didn’t even have a chance to say hi to her before she had pulled him into a tight hug, saying she was proud of him and thanking him over and over again.

He had told her she was overreacting, but he had to admit that it felt very… nice to see his mom so happy for once. He wouldn’t screw this up, his mom deserved that at least. Plus even his stubborn ass had to admit that so far band was cooler than he expected. He was pretty sure he lucked out with his drumline instructor. He doubted he would have been so into it if it hadn’t been someone as cool as Thalia. She seemed like she got it, that if someone like her could enjoy it so much then maybe he could too.

They stood in line, looking up at the make-your-own-pizza menu. The restaurant wasn’t too close, so they didn’t get the chance to go too often. His mom usually saved it for a celebration or a day they were spending together.

Piper was idly chatting with him about what she was going to get, listing of various vegetarian pizzas that Percy would never try. He respected her choice, but he couldn’t imagine giving up burgers.

Percy ordered what he always got, with Sally having done the same. Piper made some vegetable abomination, which Percy tried to hide his opinion on it, but judging by Piper’s laugh he didn’t do that good of a job.

His mom paid, and they all took their seats at one of the tables. He was chatting with his mom about the practices they were going to have every week, when Piper nudged his side.

“Guess who walked in.”

Percy followed her gaze and saw none other than Annabeth standing there. She was alone, looking up at the menu as she fixed her ponytail.

“Who’s that?” Sally asked, quietly leaning over the table.

“Annabeth. A drum major.” Percy offered.

“Chase!” Piper called out suddenly, making Percy flinch. He looked at Piper with wide eyes. Why was she calling her over?

Annabeth perked up at her name, glancing around until she finally recognized them. Offering a smile, she headed over to them.

“Hello.”

Percy offered her a small wave. “Fancy seeing you here. Getting dinner?”

She nodded. “I finished up some studying in the library nearby. Never been here before but I kept hearing about it. I don’t know what’s good here though.”

Piper suddenly roughly shoved Percy in the back so he stumbled off the bench, forcing him to stand up and find himself inches from Annabeth. His eyes widened as he leaned back a bit. Her eyes were surprised, but a playful smirk crept on her face. “Hi?”

“Pip-”

“Tell her what to avoid here. Then she should join us. We were just letting Sally know about how marching band works.” Piper offered, far too amused with herself.

Percy glared back over his shoulder at his friend but nodded when he looked back to Annabeth. “If you don’t have any other ideas, you can join us.”

She brushed some of her stray bangs behind her ear, smiling softly before nodding. “Sure.” Her eyes shifted to Sally.

“You must be Mrs. Jackson then.”

His mom stood up, offering her hand to Annabeth.

“Sally is fine, dear. I’ve heard a bit about you.” She said, with a tone in her voice that made Percy know exactly what expression she was wearing even if he couldn’t see it. He internally groaned, know what his mom was thinking as he started walking towards the line. “Let’s get you some food.” He offered Ananbeth, desperately trying to move her along.

Mercifully Annabeth followed him.

“So what’s good here?” She asked, looking up at the menu.

Percy looked over it again. “Avoid the ham, and red peppers. I’ve never had good experiences with them. The garlic knots are amazing too. Also get extra cheese, they tend to go on the lighter side of it for some reason.” He offered.

Annabeth nodded along, with a surprisingly genuine focus which Percy found pretty cute. She was pretty straight forward.

She ordered her pizza as their were called to be picked up. Percy sat down with his, kicking Piper’s leg under the table as he glared at her for putting him on the spot like that. Just because he thought Annabeth was pretty didn’t mean he needed his best friend trying to set him up with her. He had enough on his plate trying to figure out all this marching crap. She flinched at the kick, but was still grinning at him, apparently having anticipated it and already decided it was worth it.

When Annabeth moved towards them, he moved next to his mom while Piper scooted down, leaving Annabeth across from him.

“So you’re a drum major? You help conduct the band, right?” Sally said, putting down her slice to engage Annabeth.

Annabeth nodded, looking impressed as she took a bite. “Yeah we- wow this is good- yeah, we mark out the tempo for the band to keep the group, theoretically, playing at the same tempo. We also get to give cues and help out how we can from our podium.

Sally nodded. “That’s what I read.”

Percy glanced over at his mom. “You read about it?”

His mom shrugged as she took another sip of her drink. “If my son is going to be spending so much of his year in a program, I should at least understand it. Especially since I made you do it. Plus, I like research. You know that.” She teased.

Percy smiled at his mom, she really was a good mom. He turned back to Annabeth who was looking between them with a soft smile. Ignoring how hot his face felt, he spoke up.

“My mom is a writer. She likes doing research on things too.”

“Just a self published writer on the side.” She countered, making Percy roll his eyes.

“You seem like a good mother, Mrs. Jackson.”

“Sally, dear. I told you. And thank you. It’s only because I have a wonderful kid, even if he doesn’t like to show it.” She said, reaching over and messing up Percy’s hair who just laughed and swatted at her arm.

Piper leaned over and said something to Annabeth that Percy couldn’t hear, which made the blonde nod. He shot his friend a glare, but she just winked and took another bite of her pizza.

“Well hopefully you’ll be able to see one of our shows. We have four competitions planned this year, with some performances at football games once we get the show settled.”

Sally nodded. “I don’t plan on missing any of them. Make sure to let Percy know if you guys need volunteers. I would be more than happy to help out whenever I can.”

Annabeth shot a glance at Percy then nodded. “Of course. We always need either drivers, people to help at the competition with preparing lunch, or general set up. I’ll be sure Percy passes along any messages from Chiron.”

Sally nodded. “Good.”

The rest of their pizza dinner was quiet, but nice. Annabeth answered some more questions about the season for Percy and Sally, Piper chiming in occasionally to offer her input. Percy also had the chance to glean a few more bits of info about Annabeth. She lived alone with her dad. She wanted to study architecture, and she had been in music since middle school.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make Percy want to know more.

Eventually they had been there a while, the food was long gone, and he saw his mom let out a yawn. She had been working all day after all. They had cleaned up their table, and were standing outside the restaurant saying their goodbyes. Annabeth had offered to give Piper a ride home, since her house was closer to hers than Percy’s so they were saying their goodbyes.

“Thanks… uh… for letting me sit with you guys. It was nice eating with you guys. Your mom also seems pretty cool.”

Percy nodded and scratched the back of his head. “Thanks for answering our questions. I’m sure you dealt with that all day. But when my mom said she wants to volunteer she means it. I’m sure she’ll be a huge help, whether I want her to or not.”

Annabeth laughed, pulling her jacket a little closer around her in the chill of the night air.

“Well, I’ll see you next week. Make sure you practice a little, okay? I have high hopes for you.” She said with a teasing wink, before turning and catching up to Piper who had given her some space.

Piper gave him a peace sign as she left, with a smirk that meant he was going to be expecting some annoying texts later that night.

As he piled in the car with his mom, she started to drive back to their house.

“She seems nice.”

“Ugh, mom.” He said, dropping his head back against the headrest. Just those three words were dripping with that mom tone. “She’s just a friend. Yeah, she’s pretty cool.”

Sally laughed, raising a hand in a peace making gesture. “I’m just saying, I’m glad you found a friend like her there. I hope I get to see more of her.”

Percy rolled his eyes, looking out the window.

He hoped he got to see more of her too.

XxXxXxXxX

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! I’m still working out some minor details, so if there were any details about Thalia’s backstory that changed forgive me, I’ll go back and edit the previous chapters eventually. Still trying to nail down all the little details here and there! As always, let me know if you like this AU! :D

#Percabeth #PJO #Percy Jackson #Annabeth Chase #Sally Jackson #HoO #Jason Grace #Thalia Grace

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crossroadsdimension · 5 years ago

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Thanks for the tag, @namesarehardforme! It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these.

Tag Game

Rules: Answer seventeen questions and tag twenty-one blogs

Nickname: I’ve got one based off my real name. Got called “Bush” a couple times in high school (I was used in Driver’s Ed as an example of an obstacle at a stop sign. My brother’s friends picked it up). Got called FWB and Fourth on FF.net, and I go by Cross here.

Starsign: Pisces

Height: 5′ 6′’

Last film I watched: Uhh....

Favourite musician: I appreciate a lot of musicians. Don’t make me choose one!

Song stuck in my head: It varies. Right now it’s Blood Blockade Battlefront’s OP because I’m starting to binge it.

Other blogs: 2 side blogs! They’re both role-play blogs, though, so I don’t expect very many people who follow me here to be following me there. One’s for my Puppet AU Ford Pines (sixfingersixtails), and the other is for an OC, Maria (multiversal-excursions)

Do I get ask? Once in a blue moon when it’s red. Seriously, my ask box is a bare cupboard with cobwebs.

Blogs following: 862. Should probably wittle down that number a bit; it feels like too much....

What am I wearing: Traverse City Cherry Festival T-shirt and jean-capris.

Dream job: Something to do with writing.

Realistically, I’ve been thinking editing.

However, my family seems to think I’d do well working on scripts for animated shows. I’m...not sure how I’d break into that, though.

Dream trip: Aaah...I’d love to go to Germany or Norway someday. Maybe a road trip cross-country to see all the friends I made in college. Most of them live off on the west coast...

Play any instruments? I’m a percussionist. Usually that means I’m at the back of the band with a pair of mallets ready to hit a large set of drums and blow your eardrums out. Seriously, Timpani and Mallet Percussion (Marimba/Xylophone/etc) are my jam.

Languages: Born English speaker, but I know some German and a tiny bit of Norwegian. Wanna brush up on those though.

Favorite food: I love cheese. Which is ironic because I’m lactose intolerant. Also, my mom’s meatloaf. It’s basically a cheeseburger in loaf form.

Favorite song: We Built This City by Jefferson Starship has always been near to my heart.

Random facts: My roommates in college used to call me a literary vampire. Every time they needed to sit down and write a paper, I was probably writing my own projects in the apartment. Suddenly, they would lose all of their writing inspiration, and I’d suddenly have another chapter written that night. It happened extremely often.

I’m tagging @apathetic-revenant, @white-fire-the-dragon, @novantinuum...bleh, I can’t think of anyone else at the moment. Ya’ll can steal this off me if you want.

#memes

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huntertrust · 2 years ago

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Percussion instruments quiz

Try writing your own music or learning a new technique. Have you ever played the piano? How about another instrument? Do you have a favorite instrument family? Whether you play the organ or the kazoo, the most important part of playing music is to enjoy it. Keyboard instruments have a broad range of sound, making them some of the most versatile musical instruments. That includes the piano, harpsichord, organ, and many others. Today, many people even see them as part of a completely different family of instruments-the keyboards.Īny instrument that produces notes when keys are hit falls into the keyboard family. That’s right! It can be put into either family. The piano is both a percussion and a string instrument. Would that make it a percussion instrument? Where does the piano fit? But those strings vibrate because they’re struck by a hammer. is the piano a string instrument? Or is it percussion? The sound comes from vibrating strings. It is a percussion instrument that does not sound like a human voice. It is a kind of brass instrument that does not sound like a human voice. When keys are pressed, small hammers hit strings inside the piano. Musical instruments quiz See all quizzes Go to topic Question 10 Which of these instruments can make a sound like a human voice This is a trumpet. How does a piano player make music? By pressing the piano’s keys. One of the most popular instruments of all- the piano-is hard to classify. But sometimes, it’s not so straightforward. You play the tambourine by hitting it with your hand, so it’s part of the percussion family. It’s played by blowing wind to vibrate a wooden reed. The saxophone is clearly a woodwind instrument. Often, it’s pretty obvious what family an instrument falls into. Percussion instruments make a sound when hit, whether with a stick or hand. They also have valves that help change the sound that comes out. Brass instruments are also played using wind, but they’re made of brass. Most members of the woodwind family can be made from wood and are played with wind. Cowbell, wood block, tambourine, guiro, hand drum, triangle Classroom Percussion Listening Quiz. They make music when their strings vibrate. Music Classroom percussion instruments listening quiz. They are string, woodwind, brass, and percussion. Traditionally, there are four families of instruments. Many even believe that making music improves brain function.Īnd there are so many instruments to choose from! They fall into groups that people call “families.” Instruments in a family are alike in certain ways, such as how they’re played or what they’re made from. Music helps people express emotions, connect with others, and just have fun. c) A Marinba is smaller than a Xylophone.Have you ever strummed the strings of a guitar? Do you often hum a tune or beat a rhythm? If so, you know what a joy it can be to make music. 10) Which is correct about "Marinba " ? a) Marinba is a percussion instrument of "Indefinite Pitch b) Marimbas should be played with 2~6 mallets. c) Stomp uses many traditional percussion instruments. 1) Which is Tubular Bell ? a) b) c) d) 2) What is it ? a) Steel tongue drum b) Steelpan c) Handpan d) Bongo 3) Which is percussion instrument of "Indefinite Pitch"? a) Vibraphone b) Timpani c) Handpan d) Guiro 4) Which is percussion instrument of "Definite Pitch"? a) Castanets b) Tambourine c) Timpani d) Cajon 5) What is it ? a) symbals b) Triangle c) Gong d) Maracas 6) What is it ? a) Vibraphone b) Xylophone c) Glockenspiel d) Marimba 7) What is it ? a) Temple block b) Triangle c) Tambourine d) Maracas 8) What is it ? a) Steel tongue drum b) Handpan c) Steelpan d) Vibraphone 9) Which is correct about "Stomp "group? a) Stomp is originating in American.

#Percussion instruments quiz

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lucas5675 · 5 years ago

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Design Journel 3

This is a marimba. The bars are made from a wood called rosewood, that has much more resonance than other woods. The bars get bigger as they get lower, and thinner as well, so they vibrate at lower frequencies. The resonators also get bigger as they get lower. They curve down at the top, and that serves an aesthetic purpose, it just looks nice. But at the bottom they are more functional, the longer pipes allow the full wavelength of the sound waves within the resonator. The frame is also adjustable with a crank, as opposed to some other models where you have to lift it up.

These are marimba mallets. They are most of the time a rubber or wooden core wrapped with yarn. The core give the sound a bit of an attack which they are struck, and gives weight to the mallet and the sound. The yarn on the outside provides warmth, and give a bit of softness to the sound. So different variations of yarn tightness, amount, and density, along with core size, shape and material. These specific mallets can get two kinds of sounds. When played on the side, the core speaks through clearly, giving it a strong bite. but when tilted up, there is more yarn and it doesn’t come through as much, giving it a softer attack.

A house definitely has aspects in it’s design that are important. The slanted roof prevents water from collecting on top of it. The entrance is at the front, and there is a way to lock it. It does seem kind of obvious, but if you think about it, it’s really pretty important and would be less useful without it. The windows also serve a functional purpose of allowing natural light inside the house, and some houses are specifically designed with windows in certain directions so light comes in from certain angles at a certain time of day.

Stairs are another common thing that has some critical design elements. Each stair is a comfortable height so it is easy to step up each one, and there is a hand rail so you don’t fall off.

This is a vibraphone. The bars are made out of metal, so it has a much brighter sound than the marimba. They also ring a lot more. One aspect of design of the vibraphone is the dampening pedal. There is a spring inside the vibes that pushes a felt covered bar against the metal bars. This dampens them so they don’t ring. But when the pedal is pressed down, the bar lowers allowing the bars to ring freely.

A pencil also has a very specific design. On this one, there is a lead center, that works best when it i sharp. There is wood around it to protect it and give it a bit of a grip. The eraser at the top is designed to wipe the lead off of a suface.

There is a surprising amount of thought that goes into making a pair of drumsticks. First of all, these are intended to be played on drum set. As opposed to concert style playing where tone is important, hence bigger sticks, in drum set playing the sticks move around a lot more. Lighter sticks make that easier. These sticks have a teardrop shaped head. Similar to the mallets, the angle that they’re played at has an effect on the sound. Played flat, they get a full sound, and tilted a thinner sound. This is because of the shape, when played flat there is more surface area making contact, creating more sound.

A fan has certain design aspects to it, most of which make it safer. There are blades that rotate around a center, propelling air forward, which helps cool an area down. There is also a cage surrounding the blades, which serve two purposes that I know of. One is to protect yourself from hurting yourself from the spinning blades. The other is to prevent something from stopping the blades from spinning.

A snare drum has several design aspects that make it sound the way it does. There are two drum heads on each snare drum. One is meant to be hit, the other resonated from the sound waves created from the other head. What makes a snare drum sound the way it does are wires running along the bottom of the resonant head. When that head vibrates, the wires bounce against it, creating it’s distinctive sound.

These are timpani. What makes them unique is they heads can easily change pitch. This design has changed dramatically over time, but in the modern timpani, There is a hoop running around the top of the timpani. There are pedals on each of the timpani, that either pull or push the hoops up or down. Pulling it down raises the pitch of the drum by tightening the tension of the head, and loosening it lowers the pitch.

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lavalampelfchild · 7 years ago

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30 Things Meme

Thanks to @sarcasmfish, who tagged me for this!

Nickname: lavalampelfchild (I honestly have no clue because I have never seen that name shortened to anything)

Name: lavalampelfchild

Gender: Female

Star Sign: Liiibra? Is that what “star sign” refers to? I have no idea what the kids are calling it these days.

Height: I haven't checked in so long! 5-foot-something? I'm relatively average, but maybe on the slightly taller side?

Time: 12:08

Birthday: October 2nd

Favorite Band: Unfair question, I have seriously too many, I love music, don’t make me choose. Volbeat, Hedley, Panic! at the Disco, The Script, Faun, Clamavi de Profundis, Gregorian, Empty Hats, and can I count musical productions as bands because there are a lot of people performing certain songs along with instrumentalists? That counts, right?

Favorite Solo Artist: Unfair question, I seriously have too many, I love music, don’t make me choose. Bette Midler, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Beyoncé, Pink, Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Phil Collins, Indila, Shakira, Erutan, there are too many, I can't pick favorites!

Song Stuck in My Head: “On a Slow Boat to China” by Bette Midler

Last Movie I Watched: Silence of the Lambs

Last Show I Watched: Law and Order: Special Victims Unit

When Did I Create My Blog: Ummmm…. I think a little over a year ago? I started this particular one in college because I wanted to impress a fellow DA aficionado, but then it just evolved beyond my control, like Timmy Turner’s hair in that episode where his hair became a living sentient thing that carried him around. I think the episode was called "Hairicane." Ahem. So, yeah, I think during early 2015?

What Do I Post: whatever Dragon Age stuff appeals to me, plus a lot of writing and art to do with my OCs and several favorite DA characters of mine. Also some meta and discussions of lore/plot elements of the series. Maybe a silly post or ten...

Last Thing I Googled: Malcolm Hawke’s face.

Do You Have Other Blogs: Yep! I have a main, @terrencetheycallme, a fashion blog, @snootiepants, and an Elder Scrolls blog, @bigburlybeardednords.

Do You Get Asks: Not a lot.

Why Did You Choose This Blog Name: Story Time! When I first saw the name “Lavellan” (but before I’d heard it pronounced) my instinct was to put the stress on the first syllable: i.e. LAH-vel-lan, which was what I did until I heard the name pronounced, but that particular pronunciation sounded a little too close to “lava lamp,” which made me giggle, so I decided that I would incorporate that into my new blog name, as something of an inside joke between me and that aforementioned college buddy. And it stuck.

Blogs You are Following: 1,073… I think a lot of those have been deactivated though. I really have to clean that up.

Followers: 86

Favorite Colors: I'm more into color combos than any individual colors (especially for costume design), but I really do like green.

Average Hours of Sleep: Between 6-8 on weekdays, and anywhere from 8-10 over the weekend.

Lucky Number: 5

Instruments: Membranophone and auxiliary percussion (I’m terrible with mallet instruments unless I spend a good amount of time practicing; that being said, I just prefer the membranophones to begin with), especially snare drum, bass drum, timpani (I love timpani so much), all sorts of knick-knacks that are especially popular in pit orchestras at musicals and plays (think “Make ‘Em Laugh” from Singin’ in the Rain), and a lot of really fun ethnic drums like bodhran, timbales, bongos, doumbek, timbrel/tambourine, riq, and frame drum. All those drums I’m still trying to learn, so I’m fairly terrible at them, but they are still so much fun to play! Also the spoons, I love playing the spoons. I also sing a little bit. (my mother, sister, and aunt are all singers and though I’ve never taken lessons, I’ve always enjoyed singing along with things, or singing along with them in random situations.)

What Am I Wearing: Dress casual for work.

How Many Blankets I Sleep With: Anywhere from one to four; I am bony as heck and get very cold very easily.

Dream Job: Writing my own stuff and illustrating everything that goes with it.

Dream Trip: I’d love to go visit England, Ireland, and also Scotland, and learn everything I can about their respective cultures and histories and maybe a little something about the languages used in Ireland and Scotland.

Favorite Food: Pasta. No question, no competition, it’s what I eat pretty much every day (I can’t really stand to eat much else because of weird taste buds and a super diligent gag reflex) and I am still not tired of it.

Nationality: American.

Favorite Song Now: Hmm… Good question. I would have to say “One Last Drink” by Empty Hats; it’s a Renaissance Fair song, and I love it! It’s absolutely WONDERFUL for percussion! But again, I must protest this vile demand for favoritism. I am terrible at picking favs.

For the tagging, I'm going to what I always do, since I'm fairly sure everyone I know has already done this, so... if you haven't done this and want to, go forth and complete the meme; I tag you!

#sarcasmfish #memes #probing personal questions #really trying to get inside your mind on this one

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yumikoflare · 7 years ago

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wowie this is a loooong meme - thanks for the tag @wildricebear more like wild loser bear...........

Rules: Answer all questions and tag 20 people. (putting it under the cut bc it’s 100+ questions!)

1. What is your nickname? i go by yumi! my rl nickname has the same amount of letters 🤔

2. What is your zodiac sign? aqua sun / scorp moon

3. What is your favorite book series? not gonna lie i havent read any book series in a looong time but my fav manga series is fukigen na mononokean!

4. Do you believe in aliens or ghosts? ofc, i believe in both!

5. Who is your favorite author? errr i honestly don’t have one ahaha but sunrisesongs has some reaaaally nice poetry if that counts

6. What is your current favorite song? rn i’m a huuuge fan of kenshi yonezu’s suna no wakusei, namely the soramafu cover!

7. What is your favorite word? uhh don’t have one.. but the word ‘warmth’ has always struck a chord in me?

8. What was the last song you listened to? i think it was ra ra rasputin b/c someone at band was playing it on his phone LOL

9. What TV show would you recommend for everybody to watch? i don’t watch tv oops ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ can’t think of anime recs either smhhh

10. What is your favorite movie to watch when you’re feeling down? i don’t watch movies if i’m feeling down but i remember enjoying the intern?

11. Do you play video games? mmm a little bit.. i play overwatch and sometimes osu and ive played a couple of mmorpgs here and there

12. What is your biggest fear? losing my purpose and passion

13. What is your best quality, in your opinion? i’m a good friend! i think that counts

14. What is your worst quality, in your opinion? my lack of patience and intolerance to trials

15. What is your favorite season? winter!!!!!!

16. Are you in a relationship? nah

17. What is something you miss from your childhood? honestly? i don’t miss much in particular from my childhood other than that Sweet Naive Bliss™ because things have been getting better in my life since then so

18. Who is your best friend? nizh, swirl, mari, gil, noah, sam, laura, kayla come to mind

19. What is your eye color? dark brown

20. What is your hair color? dark brown

21. Who is someone you love? all my friends...........

22. Who is someone you trust? the friends i listed earlier!!!

23. Who is someone you think about often? honestly as of recently myself bc im working on bettering myself LOL but other than that, i think of noah kinda often?

24. Are you currently excited about/for something? uuuuhhhh not particularly

25. What is your biggest obsession? currently overwatch

26. What was your favorite TV show as a child? probably spongebob aldsakdsla

27. Do you have any unusual phobias? mmmmmm not sure but my anxiety makes a lot of small things scary so

28. Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it? both!!!!

29. What is your favorite hobby? honestly not sure... i like writing but recently i’ve been very into photo and video editing so!!!

30. What was the last book you read? probably the hiding place

31. What was the last movie you watched? goosebumps i think? watched it at home w/ my mom bc she hadnt seen it before

32. What musical instruments do you play, if any? [[[the sound of me, panicked, aggressively slamming my mallets into a timpani can be heard in the distance]]]

33. What is your favorite animal? dogs.... i love dogs

34. What are your top 5 favorite Tumblr blogs that you follow? hm i rly like yamiiino, kaiami, tofuvi, star-plasma, and zandraart!

35. What superpower do you wish you had? healing factor!!!

36. When and where do you feel most at peace? idk, whenever really, surrounded in my closest friends; either that or doing something i love alone

37. What makes you smile? my friends...... also getting praised......

38. What sports do you play, if any? FUNNY JOKE i cant sports

39. What is your favorite drink? hell....... i love lots of different types of teas (black, green, jasmine, honey, etc) and im also a sucker for matcha... and i also like ice blended drinks... and (virgin bc im underage) mojitos.... and smoothies.......... fdgkjkdf i love drinks a lot ok

40. Are you afraid of heights? yes 10000%

41. What is your biggest pet peeve? close-mindedness and intolerance to other ppl/ideas/etc + having to waste resources

42. Have you ever been to a concert? only one! was a mayday parade concert earlier this year

43. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? like everything LOL a singer and an author were prob my biggest ones tho

44. What fictional world would you like to live in? HONESTLY the fukigen na mononokean world would be cool to live in...

45. What is something you worry about? i simultaneously really like and dread band asdlsakdas

46. Are you scared of the dark? yup orz

47. Do you like to sing? heck yea!!!! singing is so good.....

48. Have you ever skipped school? no bc im a goody two-shoes™

49. What is your favorite place on the planet? i dunno! i don’t have one! the world’s so big there’s so many places i still have yet to go!!!

50. Where would you like to live? honestly idk i’m happy with where i am now LOL

51. Do you have any pets? i wish......... i want a doggo so bad but my sister and i are allergic

52. Are you more of an early bird or a night owl? i don’t feel like either but i’m closer to a night owl

53. Do you like sunrises or sunsets better? both..... the sky is a goddess and im in love with her.....

54. Do you know how to drive? i’m an anxious minor who is too afraid to get near the wheel LOL

55. Do you prefer earbuds or headphones? headphones bc earbuds always fall outta my ears and its a Pain

56. Have you ever had braces? nope B)

57. What is your favorite genre of music? ummmmm i don’t have a fav bc i’m kinda flexible but i like alt rock? and j-rock/j-pop?

58. Who is your hero? to be completely honest idk if i have one LOL im my own hero™ B))))

59. Do you read comic books? nah

60. What makes you the most angry? probably the same as #41 as well as like myself?? bc i get frustrated with myself v often and that concept makes me angry asdsa;ldas

61. Do you prefer to read on an electronic device or with a real book? nizh wrote “i like real books but i’m so lazy that i’m more likely to read digital” and i am in agreement

62. What is your favorite subject in school? errrrrrrrr i suppose la? but i’m abt to enter some new classes and learn under totally new teachers so idk it’s bound to change!

63. Do you have any siblings? ye, one older sister

64. What was the last thing you bought? a flowy cardigan from yesterday!!!! im lov it.... i might post a pic of it

65. How tall are you? 5′1′’ and 3/8 sdfkjsdijeiwjeje

66. Can you cook? yo i wish..................

67. What are three things that you love? my friends, music, food/drinks LOL

68. What are three things that you hate? same as #41 and a third thing would prob be conflict?? idk

69. What is your sexual orientation? as far as i know i experience no sexual attraction (asexual) and i experience romantic attraction to anyone and everyone (panromantic) so!

70. Where do you currently live? socal

71. Who was the last person you texted? probably nizh

72. When was the last time you cried? mmmm maybe a week or two ago... i cant recall exactly when so thats good

73. Who is your favorite YouTuber? oooohhh.. im super mainstream but i love arikadou LOL also zylbrad, seagull, and etika

74. Do you like to take selfies? i do! i usually only take selfies like every once in awhile when im feeling cute and when i do i take A Lot

75. What is your favorite app? i lov line camera?? also google photos makes things mucho convenient

76. What is your relationship with your parent(s) like? tbh i find my relationship with my parents to be closer than a lot of my friends’ so :0

77. What is your favorite foreign accent? i dunno! french accents are pretty cool

78. What is a place that you’ve never been to, but you want to visit? japan! also the philippines

79. What is your favorite number? idk but i like 5 and 8

80. Do you find outer space of the deep ocean to be more interesting? both freak me out but the ocean is pretty interesting

81. Do you consider yourself to be a daredevil? not in the slightest LOLOL

82. Are you allergic to anything? intolerant to eggs, pretty allergic to any type of nuts so that sucks, n i got those Seasonal Allergies

83. Can you wiggle your ears? NO I HAVENT READ HARRY POTTER

84. How often do you admit that you were wrong about something? umm idk how often LOL whenever i think im wrong..?? which is somewhat frequently?

85. Do you prefer the forest or the beach? forests are lovely

86. What is your favorite piece of advice that anyone has ever given you? honestly idk......... i remember my dad said smth about how you don’t always have to forgive everyone and by saying ‘it’s okay’ permits the other person to repeat the same action, so i choose my words rly carefully now bc of that :o

87. Are you a good liar? kinda half n half... depends on what i’m lying abt

88. What is your Hogwarts House? iiiiii forgot but it was either ravenclaw or hufflepuff... mightve been the former

89. Do you talk to yourself? YEAH especially when i’m practicing music or video editing

90. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? introvert

91. Do you keep a journal/diary? as of very recently yes bc my therapist recommended me to do so :0

92. Do you believe in second chances? usually in most circumstances

93. Do you believe that people are capable of change? oh yeah definitely, anyone is capable of change, it just depends on their attitude towards it

94. Are you ticklish? yes i hate it

95. Have you ever been on a plane? yep, to san francisco and sacramento and i guess once to texas but that was before i could remember so

96. Do you have any piercings? nope and i don’t rly want any tbh

97. What fictional character do you wish was real? i have nooo idea there’s a lot of thought i’d have to put into this question LOL

98. Do you have any tattoos? nah but if i did they’d be veeeery simplistic

99. What is the best decision that you’ve made in your life so far? probably when i decided 1-2 years ago that i wanted to get my life back on track so i could become a person i could love and ive been making progress little by little ever since then

100. Do you believe in karma? mmmmm not reaaallyyyy..... like maybe a little bit but

101. Do you wear glasses or contacts? its ya girl almost legally blind and wearing contacts

102. Do you want children? not sure yet but probably

103. Who is the smartest person you know? no clue omg there are lots of smart ppl in this world

104. What is your most embarrassing memory? sometime in grade school i was sitting at the edge of a playground slide pleading for my friend not to push me down bc i rly had to pee but she did and i literally just pissed all over the slide and we just stared at each other for a long time and that was just........ Very Bad - I HAVE ANOTHER BAD MEMORY THOUGH it wasnt even long ago kill me??? i was at my friend’s house for dinner and her parents asked what my sister was studying and my sister just recently got into college and i had a veeeeeeeery vague grasp on what she was studying so i literally said ‘food and tectonics’ and i wanNA MCDIE BC I MEANT DIETETICS NOT T E C T O N I C S

105. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter? mmm not a real one.. most ive done is stayed up til 6amish with nizh before goin to sleep ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ like i’m definitely capable of doing it i just don’t want to

106. What color are most of your clothes? dunno? i have a fairly colorful wardrobe but i almost always wear something w/ black if i’m not going for an all light outfit

107. Do you like adventures? depends on where to bc im very cautious LOL

108. Have you ever been on TV? nope

109. How old are you? how old is ur moM!! dab dab haha xd

110. What is your favorite quote? one of my favs is “there are no happy endings, endings are the saddest part, so just give me a happy middle and a very happy start” by shel silverstein; i have a few others but thats the first that comes to mind

111. Do you prefer sweet or savory foods? savory tbhhhh

112. Have your friends ever badly disapponted you? umm not badly but ive been mildly disappointed by a few LOL

113. What is your favorite scent? that clean/fresh linen smell?? and also lavender and then light stuff like eucalyptus mint

114. Random fact you know? the duck-billed platypus can’t keep its eyes open underwater, so it finds its prey by using sensors in its bill that detect electrical impulses n then they strike! theyre pretty cool animals..

115. What is your opinion on long distance relationships? nizh said “hard. just, really hard. not sure if it’s worth it” and i also agree

IT IS OVER wow ok 20 ppl is kind of a lot and this is a loooot of questions so im only gonna tag a tiny bit of ppl (dont have to do it if u dont wanna!): @dunmerhealer | @aftertaste-of-memes | @inspiringnokias yeah that’s it LOL this is just Hella Long so idk how many ppl would be up for doin this so ye ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#personal

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daddarioeducation · 7 years ago

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The Percussion Survival Kit

by James Campbell

If you’re a high school music educator or private studio teacher, you are undoubtedly interested in sending your graduating high school seniors to college well prepared. Every university usually has a required list for incoming students for method and etude books as well as mallets. However, you may also suggest some “nuts and bolts” gear that will help prepare them for any situation in the practice room and beyond.

Here are some items I recommend when you compile your own percussion survival kit:

• Portable, high-quality audio or video recording device to record lessons, practice sessions, rehearsals, recitals, and clinics. You can use your smartphone, laptop, tablet, or standalone devices available for portable recording. You'll never get better if you don't know when you sound bad. You need feedback to improve. Not all percussionists know what they sound like on the other side of their instruments. Be aware of your sound and have a model for what you want to sound like. Create your own feedback loop: RECORD yourself often, LISTEN back with critical ears, and make notes that will help you IMPROVE your next session.

• Metronome, preferably a battery-operated one that can be used with a headphone works the best, as it projects through the noise level of most percussion environments. There are also many great apps for your smartphone that would work well.

• Several small or medium-sized stick bags or cases. Often, 1 large tour bag or sample case to hold all of your mallets is not practical. You end up lugging a heavy case to each practice session or rehearsal, including the mallets you’re not going to use for that session. Consider acquiring several small/medium bags and cases to hold sticks and mallets that you will need for specific situations and grab one on your way to practice or rehearsal where you know what instruments you will be playing.

o Timpani mallets and accessories

o Drum kit (sticks, brushes, bundle rods, etc.)

o Large Ensemble (Band and Orchestra ensemble mallets)

o Marimba/Vibe solo mallets

• Have a rubber stamp or adhesive labels made that can identify your music, books, and other gear (tambourines, triangles, wood blocks, snare drums stands, and more). A paint stick, permanent marker or colored tape will help identify your mallets. Put luggage tags on everything you own that has a handle. Remember, there will be plenty of students who you will be around all day long with the same gear as you.

• Two (2) black hand towels. You will use these to accommodate silent mallet changes when you set them on music stands.

Start a percussionist's tool box that includes: small pair of scissors, roll of Gaffer’s tape, multi-tool, moleskin, nylon fishing line, standard drum key, timpani drum key, bee's wax (for tambourine heads), extra cymbal felts & sleeves, etc.

Acquiring percussion equipment and musical materials is the responsibility of each individual student. A wide variety of mallets and instruments are necessary to properly study and perform solo and ensemble music. For a serious student, collecting percussion equipment begins early in one's career and will probably continue throughout the professional life. The old adage is certainly true of musicians: If you are going to buy something, make it the best. A good piece of equipment is an investment and will last a lifetime. Some students find it practical to give their family and relatives a percussion catalog/website links to use for gift ideas at birthdays and holidays.

#drums #drums and percussion #drummer #drumming #lessons #music education #resources #band #band director #percussion #tools #metronome

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mymusicsupply · 5 years ago

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What is a Timpani Percussion Instrument?

Timpani, also known as the kettledrum, is a musical instrument in the class of percussion instruments, belonging to the subcategory of membranophones. It is a semi-spherical drum that consists of a head, also known as a membrane that is stretched over a bowl made from metal, usually from copper or, on cheaper units, from aluminium or from fiberglass. Modern timpani drums come with a pedal that makes tuning easier and they are played with special sticks used for hitting the head of the timpani.

Timpani comes in various sizes, from as small as 30 cm in diameter to pieces that measure around 85 cm across. The materials used for making timpani heads include goatskin or calfskin or from plastic, most commonly from PET membrane, each material being used for delivering different sound (the heads made from natural leather create a sound considered to be warmer). The tools used for playing the instrument are also varied – timpani drums are either played with sticks or with mallets. The sticks are composed of a shaft traditionally made from hardwood or bamboo or, in modern sticks, from aluminium or carbon fiber, while the head is made from leather, wood, flannel or from felt wrapped around a piece of wood.

Article source here: What is a Timpani Percussion Instrument?

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drumpadvideo-blog · 7 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://www.drumpad.video/third-coast-percussion-japura-river-by-philip-glass/

Third Coast Percussion | "Japurá River" by Philip Glass

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“Japurá River” by Philip Glass

Performed & Arranged by Third Coast Percussion Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, David Skidmore

From Third Coast Percussion’s new album Paddle to the Sea, available February 9 from Cedille Records. http://www.cedillerecords.org/albums/paddle-to-the-sea

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ABOUT THE PIECE:

Japurá River from Aguas da Amazonia by Philip Glass

Philip Glass was born in 1937 and grew up in Baltimore. He studied at the University of Chicago and the Juilliard School. Finding himself dissatisfied with much of what then passed for modern music, he moved to Europe, where he studied with the legendary pedagogue Nadia Boulanger (who also taught Aaron Copland, Virgil Thomson and Quincy Jones) and worked closely with the sitar virtuoso and composer Ravi Shankar. He returned to New York in 1967 and formed the Philip Glass Ensemble.

The new musical style that Glass was evolving was eventually dubbed “minimalism.” Glass himself never liked the term and preferred to speak of himself as a composer of “music with repetitive structures.”

In the past 25 years, Glass has composed more than twenty-five operas, large and small; eleven symphonies; piano concertos and concertos for violin, piano, timpani, and saxophone quartet and orchestra; original scores to Oscar nominated films Kundun, The Hours, and Notes on A Scandal; string quartets; a growing body of work for solo piano and organ. He has collaborated with Paul Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Yo-Yo Ma, and Doris Lessing, among many others. He presents lectures, workshops, and solo keyboard performances around the world, and continues to appear regularly with the Philip Glass Ensemble.

Glass’s 12 Pieces for Ballet, originally composed for piano, was arranged by Brazilian musical group Uakti for their own gamut of instruments, many of which were custom-made and built by the performers. This new version of the piece was renamed Aguas da Amazonia, after the Amazon river and its tributaries. Drawing on both the Uakti arrangement and the original piano music, Third Coast Percussion arranged four of the twelve pieces, exploiting our vast instrument arsenal and experimenting with color blends across the spectrum from “non-pitched” to “pitched” percussion. Arranging Glass’s music pushed us to reimagine familiar material with a different sound palette and offered a chance to live inside the music of one of the most recognized voices in the contemporary classical music world.

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MALLETS USED:

#vfM153 – Ensemble Series http://vicfirth.com/products/keyboard-mallets/ensemble-series/m153/

#vfM241 – Contemporary Series http://vicfirth.com/products/keyboard-mallets/contemporary-series/m241/

#vfM132 – Orchestral Series http://vicfirth.com/products/keyboard-mallets/orchestral-series/m132/

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ABOUT THE ENSEMBLE:

Third Coast Percussion is a Grammy Award-winning, artist-run quartet of classically-trained percussionists hailing from the great city of Chicago. For over ten years, the ensemble has forged a unique path in the musical landscape with virtuosic, energetic performances that celebrate the extraordinary depth and breadth of musical possibilities in the world of percussion. The ensemble has been praised for “commandingly elegant” (New York Times) performances, the “rare power” (Washington Post) of their recordings, and “an inspirational sense of fun and curiosity” (Minnesota Star-Tribune). The four members of Third Coast are also accomplished teachers, and since 2013, have served as ensemble-in-residence at the University of Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

A direct connection with the audience is at the core of all of Third Coast Percussion’s work, whether the musicians are speaking from the stage about a new piece of music, inviting the audience to play along in a concert or educational performance, or inviting their fans around the world to create new music using one of their free mobile apps.

Third Coast Percussion maintains a busy touring schedule, with past performances in 32 of the 50 states plus Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland, and venues ranging from concert halls at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and De Doelen to clubs and alternative performance spaces such as New York’s Le Poisson Rouge and the National Gallery’s West Garden Court.

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FOLLOW US! ➤Website: http://www.vicfirth.com ➤YouTube: http://youtube.com/vicfirthdrumsticks ➤YouTube (Marching): http://youtube.com/vicfirthmarching ➤YouTube (Concert): http://youtube.com/vicfirthconcert ➤Twitter: https://twitter.com/vicfirth ➤Instagram: http://instagram.com/vicfirth

#coast #glass #japura #percussion #philip #river #third #Drum Gear #Vic Firth

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rbeatz · 8 years ago

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rBeatz Exclusive Interview with dwilly

We here at rBeatz have had the pleasure of interviewing dwilly, who released his first single in 2017, Birds and the Bees, last week featuring one of our favorite new artists, Kyle Thornton.

David Wilson, aka “dwilly,” gave us some insights into the charismatic young producers life and story.

INTERVIEW:

Where are you from and how has that shaped the musician you are today?

I’m originally from Greenville, South Carolina a southern town not too far from Atlanta and Charlotte. It’s pretty much the perfect place to live besides the fact that musical opportunities are sparse. People are huge into trap and hard rap down here so I believe that living close to ATL has definitely had a “harder 808ish” impact on my sound. People generally don’t listen to electronic music where I’m from so I really wasn’t exposed to it until I came up to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music.

Where does the name dwilly come from?

“dwilly” is the alias derived from my name David Wilson. I was formally known as “D-Will”, but changing it to “dwilly” recently was a decision my crazy dope manager Noah and I thought would be better for my branding. It has a sense of “silliness” to the sound of it and I’m a silly ass mofo.

What was the best studio moment when you recorded, ‘Birds and the Bees’ with Kyle Thornton?

Hitting the studio with Kyle was a blast. We’re both goofballs so in between moments of seriousness were pretty much joking around and laughing our asses off non-stop. My favorite moment was bringing Kyle out of the tracking room into the studio room and thinking of crazy moist harmonies for the chorus together. Most of the creation behind the track was very spontaneous. We definitely spent a good amount of time in the writing process to experiment and play around with ideas until we were satisfied.

Can you explain a bit how you made that bird synth sound on ‘Birds and the Bees?’

Honestly, I had no intention of replicating the sound of a “bird” when I was designing that patch. The character of the sound is a result of both pitch envelope and basic filtering. My whole manifesto as a producer is designing my sounds from scratch with intentions to make my music both powerful and unique. It wasn’t until after I had designed the “drop” that I titled it “Birds and the Bees”. I had my buddy Demitrio Albano, a brilliant sound designer that works in NYC, send me some samples of outdoor bird nature and you can hear those ambiences throughout the track, especially in the intro. After finishing the skeleton of the track, I sent it over to writer and a good friend Jake Torrey out in LA where he quickly became inspired with the theme of the track to write the hook. Jake also recently wrote on Lupe Fiasco’s recent single “Wild Child”.

What instruments did you play when you were younger?

My parents pushed me to learn as many instruments as possible. Fortunately, they realized my love for music at a young age and had me taking classical lessons when I was 5 with the amazing instructor Steve Griner. Later on when I was in middle school, I started taking drumset lessons as well. I was inspired by classic rock legend drummer Neil Peart (Rush) after my dad showed me his performance videos online. After being accepted into the Fine Arts Center high school in Greenville, I expanded my musical studies into orchestral percussion and jazz drums. There, I joined several student orchestras focusing on timpani and mallets. My percussion professor Gary Robinson helped me organize my audition for Berklee where I was accepted for my principal instrument as Orchestral Percussion. Now, I am graduating in May with a degree in Electronic Production and Design. I believe the best producers are performers as well. My piano and drum skills contribute to both my melodic and rhythmic process of producing records.

Are there an instruments that you currently wish you COULD play?

Saxophone. I’m always amazed at how much expression a monophonic (one voice) instrument is capable of achieving. Maybe one day I’ll have time to pick it up and figure it out.

What do you like to do when you’re simply hanging out – aside from music?

You’ll find me either kicking it with my friends around Boston or watching Netflix in my underwear. Every activity I do in my free time is pretty impulsive since it’s rare when I not working on music in some way or the other. In the summer time, I spend a lot of time outside exploring the city on my longboard with my best friend Zach. Usually when l let off some steam on the weekends we’ll hit our local favorite bars/restaurants around the area.

Who are your musical influences?

Growing up on legendary artists like Michael Jackson and Rush rooted me in a strong respect and understanding for music and theory. But sonically, my influences come from current artists and producers like Porter Robinson, Skrillex, Disclosure, and Graves. Like most kids, I went through a variety of musical phases including classic rock, metal, and rap. Even classical composers like Bach and Beethoven contribute to how I choose to dictate melodies and phrasing. I love where Pop music is headed and how artists/labe ls are integrating more contemporary styles like electronic and hip hop into the charts.

What DAW do you use and why?

Ableton is more than my go-to-DAW, it’s like a family member to me lol. I use Protools as well but explicitly for recording. I find that sequencing and composing in Ableton is much faster and efficient than alternative DAW’s like Logic and even Protools because of the way that the workflow is designed. Ableton has an amazing capability to synchronize external devices within the workspace. Also, the way it handles automation allows me to create extremely precise and flexible paths for instrument and plugin values.

What is your favorite MIDI Controller right now?

I really enjoy using Ableton Push. It’s great for drum sequencing and creating loops. Using a surface pad such as Push is a luxury that most producers don’t have. Honestly, I don’t even use controllers in my production except when I need to hop on my Akai 49-key midi keyboard to play a quick loop or idea. Most of my composition is done internally within the software on my mouse and keyboard.

What is one of your favorite or go-to VST Plugin?

SERUM!!! I hopped on the bandwagon a couple semesters back during the earlier version and it has been the best decision I’ve made as a producer. It has so many capabilities such as FM modulation and the ability to design your own wavetables. It has a very “sharp” sound so I mainly use it for heavier synthesis in my tracks. For more “bread and butter” patches like bass or super-saws I tend to use Massive. It’s a classic reliable VST that always yields incredible results.

Do you have a key production tip for our young producers out there?

I’d say the biggest thing is to trust your ears. There’s a lot of great software to utilize these days and it’s easy to get distracted by fancy visuals. Also, use reference tracks in the mix-down process. It’s taken me years to get to the point where I am as a mixer and I still use references to ensure that my tracks are sounding commercial. Another important thing– send your music around to your fellow producers and friends and ask for feedback. Sometimes a non-musician’s opinion is more important than a musician’s because their impression on a song is often based on “how it makes them feel”.

What is your biggest accomplishment to date?

Recently I got picked up by a student organization here at Berklee that sends artists to summer festivals. They are sending me to Outside Lands Festival where I will be performing my music to big crowds. That’s my biggest accomplishment so far.

What has been your top favorite venue to play and why?

I’ve played at several venues here in Boston, but my favorite place to play so far has been at this basement house party in Allston outside Boston. It’s a very intimate experience playing at house parties as opposed to playing in a club. All these kids were just crammed in this basement bouncing around and having a blast. It was an amazing experience just being able to party with people and see the crowd react to my music.

What is your favorite color?

Red.

What food do you eat the most?

I eat a lot of Kraft macaroni and cheese.

What is your favorite social media platform and why?

My personal favorite is Snapchat. Like I can post the most savage things and I don’t have to worry about it really affecting my image as an artist or professional. **Knock on wood**

What is next for Dwilly?

More releases throughout this summer, and appearances at several shows in Boston and LA!

from rBeatz.com http://ift.tt/2oQkJKP

#rBeatz.com #rBeatz Exclusive Interview with dwilly #Music #Fun #Dance #Love #Baila #rBeatz

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