DRUMMER CAFE

YOU are some kind of modern day freak!!, crazy! aint the word!, you are seriously sick!. April fools. I agree with everything you just said N.Y.

I almost always have the tv on.

I seldom watch TV alone (except sometimes very tired in a vegetative state) so banging something, even my thighs, when others are there is not exactly the best way make friends.  I think it's better to play/practice with something musical, if not the metronome than the radio, a loop or track, CD....  A music video would be good. 

I think it would be difficult to have a real productive practice time while watching TV ... unless it's Drummer Cafe TV. 

Your mind isn't really focused on what you are doing if you are playing on a pad while watching LOST. I think that you can spend time working the muscles and developing endurance, but if we are talking about a complete/thorough practice session where you are learning new things, listening to what you are doing, making corrections and noting how you are playing, watching TV at the same time just isn't the best way to go about it.

I've sat in front of the TV with a practice pad and just worked on my left hand. That was productive, but that was because of the goal that I had with the process ... which was simply to build strength and endurance by using the weaker limb.

I don't watch much TV to be honest. But when I practice, I'm very focused. I tend to make a lot better progress when I'm alone, doors closed, and not disturbed. This is the same when it comes to creativity time; I don't like to be disturbed or interrupted. What I can achieve in an hour of good practice would probably take me twice as long if I were distracted and not focused.

Personally I think people watch too much TV. So any time you can get away from it, the better off you'll be (in my opinion). Use your practice time to give 100% to the art of drumming. If you want to grab some extra time on the pad, building some endurance or strength, then maybe that would work while you are watching some TV. Perhaps just mute the commercials and get on the pad. We always mute the commercials in my home; always.

Agreed. I think you explained it better than I did. 

Super well put.

And, I Do think there is something to the notion of Reviewing things while doing something else.  [i.e. TV]  I really do think it can assist the mind in muscle memory.

When I was learning to pedal quickly and strongly on the bass, while moving among frets and strings, it was an Enormous help to sort of mindlessly log alot of that time while I was in front of the TV. 

When I practice drums it's in the basement, so I leave the dumb TV off. There's one there, but I could care less. When upstairs I'm using a pad and wife will have the tube on, so I just plain tune it out. Ignore it and the wife will put up with me. I trained her young, while I was in the Army band. There was a time when I had a set in the bedroom and a pad in the kitchen/livingroom. TV, no big deal....Just a part of life. When you play in a band you'll have to put up with loud patrons. May as well get used to it.  

I'm with Bart, whenever you practice, no matter what you practice, part of what you are practicing is paying attention to being musical. When you split your attention , even for "routine" things, what you are also practicing is NOT being in the moment. You are basically practicing "zoning out" and, for me, the last thing I want to deal with on the stand is somebody who isn't listening anymore cause they're out in the ozone on automatic pilot.

Even with endurance stuff, really being in there and paying attention to your body, paying attention to execution and attack, consistency of approach, maintaining a relaxed and stress free physical approach - all of that doesn't happen if you're checking out the game or American Idol. There was a great line in one of the Robert Anton Wilson books - Never whistle while you're pissing. What it means is - don't divide your consciousness. Pay attention with your whole mind to whatever endeavor you're involved in. If you want to watch TV, watch TV. If you want to practice making music (and all the myriad disciplines and skill sets you need in order to have no impediment between the music in you and getting it out on your instrument), then practice making music.

As to muscle memory; your muscles don't have a brain that's separate from the one in your head. It's not so much muscle "memory" that you're working on as it is streamlining the pathways between intent and execution. And if you're throwing something else in the way of that (like Dancing with the Stars), well ya see where I'm going.

Oh and has everybody seen the spitzerface emoticon? You use it when you HAVE to apologize for something, even though you know that apologizing will do you absolutely no good and you'll still be just as hosed....
}:-[

Personnaly i can't do anything when T.V is on. Other persons can read with t.v on.When I play drums , is like reading something and i have to be concetrated to that, otherwise I am not gonna learn anything.

I believe that some technics can't be shown on tv, you have to practice with someone more experienced.

When I practice in front of the TV with my pad and metronome, I've really begun to notice how many commercials have music in them.  It makes it hard to follow your metronome when there's another song playing!

lol!  Looks just like him!

...must...have...spitzerface...emoticon


Could not find it yesterday.  Somebody please post a link.

Definitely from an earlier life for me. I'll be by to pick up my stuffed bear with my zircon encrusted tweezers.

What is it about this culture that we can't stand to focus on one thing? Music on in the background everywhere you go, TV in the background (even in freaking cabs up here , fer crying out loud). It's like everybody is deathly afraid of what might happen if there's a single moment of silence.

Anyway, there was a pretty interesting article some time back in the Times about runners who train with music. And how that had a subconscious effect on their performance, that they were not paying attention to their bodies signals about what reserves were left, where there was stress etc. and instead pacing themselves based on the tempoes and phrasing of the music to which they were listening.

I think any musician can benefit from the practice of mindfulness.Instead of mindlessness.

Twiddling with drumsticks while watching TV?  That's just fine with me.
Doing a few exercises during commercials?  That's just good time management.
Having a TV on while I'm practing drums?  Forget it.

TV isn't something I try to focus on.  Drumming is.