Ralph Humphrey’s Drum Clinic Tour in Germany

If you’ve never seen a drum clinic with LAMA’s honorable Drum Department Chair Ralph Humphrey, it’s a real treat for the mind and ears! Ask any of our drum students about the studio great and former Zappa drummer and you’ll see why. He’s currently touring Germany including Drumweek in Berlin for a variety of drum clinics through August 8th! Remaining dates and locations include:

• August 5th – Beathouse, Cologne, GERMANY

• August 6th – Kulturzentrum Schlachhof, Kassel, GERMANY 

• August 7th – Hamburg School of Music, Hamburg, GERMANY 

• August 8th – Music College Hannover, Hannover, GERMANY

Ralph, mid-drum clinic, at Musikhaus Schoenau – July 24th

Hope you’re having a good tour Ralph – can’t wait to have you back at LAMA!

-LAMA Staff

Hearing Your Instructor On YouTube!

Today we had an interesting experience. Like you and many other folks, we do a lot of our music listening on YouTube. We were in the mood for some Frank Zappa and a track in particular called  “Camarillo Brillo” off the 1973 LP Over-Nite Sensation. After listening to the studio version several times we moved on to a live one. We found one from May 8th 1974. After several times playing it we went back and read through the comments and discovered that the drummer on this tour and version was none other than LAMA’s own Ralph Humphrey! Ralph is the Drum Departmant chair and a wonderful instructor. Next time we see Ralph in the hall, we’re going to corner him and get some stories about his time playing with Frank!

-LAMA Staff

Get Your Summer Music Learning On!

Warm weather, trips to the beach, hiking outdoors… While summer is a the time for all those things, it’s a great opportunity to polish your musical chops. Prestigious music schools and colleges often offer summer music programs and camps that are open to musicians of all ages and skill levels. Music schools also have more advanced programs for experienced musicians. For the beginner it can be a great way to mingle with music royalty — while at the same time, you’ll get a taste of what day to day life is like at a music college. For the experienced student, a Summer music program can keep you fresh! Nothing would be worse than forgetting what you learned because of too much fun in the sun!

At LA Music Academy’s Summer Program, students write an original song, play in Ensemble Workshops, record, see their instructors performing daily, and much more. As with all programs at the Academy, the small, friendly environment and personal attention combined with daily playing/singing gives the student the most focused style-specific musical training possible in one week. LAMA is currently taking admission submissions now so what are you waiting for? Sign up here .

Guitarists and bassists must possess basic tablature reading skills. Placement evaluations will be held after orientation on the first day. Most students are teens and adults, but children as young as 9 are welcome.

Look for the info about summer music camps on music college websites, like LA Music Academy’s Third Annual Drummers Reality Camp. You may remember the DRC camp from the first two years, which featured some of the top drummers in the world. Taking place June 27th-30th, 2012 #DRC is brought to you by Drum Channel, Guitar Center, and LA Music Academy College of Music. Here you’ll have a chance to hang with and learn from the best drummers on the planet! The 2012 lineup includes Neil Peart, Doane Perry, Jim Keltner, Gil Sharone, Marco Minneman, Ralph Humphrey, Joe Porcaro, Tony Inzalaco, Gary Ferguson, and Uli Frost!

Just because admission requirements for the camp are open to more people doesn’t mean experienced musicians shouldn’t take part as well. In fact some of LAMA’s best students will be sitting front row – who wouldn’t want to hear awesome stories and insight from Rush’s Neil Peart?! For more info on DRC visit the official website. We’ll see you in June!

SO! Don’t fall prey to the summer slack off that some musicians do. You don’t have to ditch the beach and relaxation, but keep sharp and sign up for a summer music experience of some kind!

-LAMA Staff

#Drummers! All New Ralph Humphrey Video Quick Tip

Ralph Humphrey, the Drum Department Chair over at LA Music Academy has released his newest video in a series of video quick tips for drummers.  In this video, LA Music Academy Drum Department Chair Ralph Humphrey discusses playing different variations of paradiddlediddles around the drumset.

-LAMA Staff

Ralph Humphrey Video Quick Tip: Paradiddle Variations

LA Music Academy Drum Department Chair Ralph Humphrey discusses playing different variations of paradiddles around the drumset.

Ralph, you never fail to amaze us.

-LAMA Staff

Drummers! All New Ralph Humphrey Video Quick Tip

Ralph Humphrey, the Drum Department Chair over at LA Music Academy has released the first in a series of video quick tips for drummers. In this video, Ralph discusses hand patterns over foot ostinatos. The video was shot in the brand new recording studio on the LAMA campus!

-LAMA Staff

Drummers, Let Ralph Humphrey School You

Ralph Humphrey discusses his drum department at Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music:

-LAMA Staff