Greetings everyone, and welcome to our Official NARD Blog! Please feel free to discuss & comment on all NARD related items here on this site.
Many exciting things have been happening with NARD, ever since the Lord had allowed me to restart the organization back in December 2008. Membership requests from both old & new members have been coming in from all over the world ... besides from the USA, I've sent out membership packages to Switzerland, UK, Italy, New Zealand & Russia, with many thanks going to Modern Drummer Magazine for granting me a spot in their classified ad section.
God willing, I will be updating the website very soon with some new stuff and plan on reviving the old NARD Belt Buckle (a much coveted item among former NARD members), along with other cool merchandise, speaking of which - the price for Official NARD T-Shirts will be dropping and look for some new designs, too. Also, for you members (old & new) who received your 2009 memberships and renew in 2010, you will be receiving a NARD patch (same original design) along with some other surprises.
BTW, we will also be releasing a brand new official NARD book ... a follow-up to the old "America's N.A.R.D. Drum Solos" book, which will be entitled something like, "150 Rudimental Drum Solos of N.A.R.D. - Part II," however, the contributing drum solo writers must be current members of NARD. I will also be releasing a new instructional DVD of the 26 Rudiments, which I will try to market to some of these primary school systems, that have no concept of the Rudiments or how they should be taught properly. Besides the 26 Rudiments, it will also be reintroducing the Tap/Up Stroke/Down Stroke System of Rudimental Drumming - a dying Art, but that is still prevalent in Connecticut, where many of the early Rudimental Drum Champions resided and taught their students, who also went on to become champions and teachers of many champion bands & drum corps.
Anyways ... please keep visiting the website and this blog for any new NARD news or updates.
Gotta go, but more blogging to come! Please enjoy.
Thank you all, once again for all your support and patience.
Blessings,
Mark Beecher
(Your humble NARD President #8406)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Mark, Thanks for all the work you have done resuscitating NARD. I was working in the archive at the Museum of Fife and Drum this week and found a very nice picture of Bill Reamer marching in the Deep River Muster parade, circa 1956. I'll send you a copy when I take possession of the digitized version (this should be within the week).
ReplyDeleteRemember, the Deep River Ancient Muster is coming (always the third Saturday in July. Lots of opportunities to do some drumming and meet with old drumming friends, and make new ones. I hope to see you there! Jim Clark
Hi Mark, many thanks for bringing NARD back. All too often our links with the past are lost and I see NARD as a crucial link to the drummers of the past who had a passion for this great art. But not only for now but for all generations of drummers to come, so we can all have a common foundation and language, uniting us no matter where we are from. I remember my drum teacher, Harry J Lebler saying, "It is an honor and a privilege to be able to pass this (rudimental drumming) on to the next generation of drummers and not only an honor but our duty".
ReplyDeleteSo come on gentlemen and women lets get behind Mark and give him all our support and assistance we can muster.
How I would love to be in the US helping out and attending the musters and being with people who actually understand this stuff, but I also have a job to do here in Australia.
Just remember most people are ignorant, not because they choose to be, but because no one has shown them. Don't be shy spread the word "Drumming is Rudimental not Accidental"
Thanks again Mark and God Bless
Don Ross