Stewart began playing drums and orchestral percussion professionally when still a teenager, most notably with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the orchestras of the National Ballet of Canada and the Canadian Opera Company. He has recorded for CBC radio and television, backed headliners at Royal York’s Imperial Room, performed musicals at the Stratford Festival, Petrolia’s Victoria Playhouse and Toronto’s O’Keefe – now the Sony – Centre, and was a member of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Maracaibo in Venezuela and the orchestra of the Festival de Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy.
Stewart began studying drums, jazz vibraphone and percussion in Toronto, and continued his musical education in New York City with vibraphonist David Friedman. After attending the Institute of Advanced Musical Studies in Montreux, Switzerland, he studied percussion with Elden C. “Buster” Bailey at the Juilliard School, where he received his Bachelor and Master Degrees in Percussion.
Along with performing, Stewart has had a lifelong involvement in percussion education. He has taught drums, percussion and jazz vibraphone privately throughout his career and in 1987 received his Ontario teaching certificate. He subsequently taught junior high school and high school band programs for several years. Today, Stewart teaches percussion and directs the percussion ensemble at Crescent School in Toronto and teaches privately from his studio.
An interest in writing led Stewart to journalism studies at Toronto’s Ryerson University. His numerous feature articles on music and the arts have appeared in many of Canada’s leading periodicals, including the National Post, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Toronto Life magazine, Homemaker’s magazine, Performance magazine, and the Performance magazines for Roy Thomson Hall/Massey Hall, the Toronto Symphony and the Hummingbird Centre. A number of his articles appear on this site.
Stewart’s decades of experience as a percussionist, teacher and writer came together in the development of his new book, The Band Teacher’s Percussion Guide: Insights into Playing and Teaching Percussion (Oxford University Press).
The online version of Stewart’s The Band Teacher’s Percussion Guide: Insights into Playing and Teaching Percussion first appeared in 2007. A series of articles designed specifically to address the needs and answer the questions of band directors, the Website’s success led to the greatly expanded and much more comprehensive publication of the same name, released in March 2017.
An illuminating discussion with Dave Goodman on the life of the legendary Tony Williams . . .
I can’t think of a better way I’d like to celebrate the life & legacy of Tony Williams - on this 24th anniversary of his untimely passing - than to share this recent interview I did about the great man on Drum History Podcast: https://www.drumhistorypodcast.com/post/ep-88-the-biography-of-tony-williams-with-dave-goodman #tonywilliams #drums
I can’t think of a better way I’d like to celebrate the life & legacy of Tony Williams - on this 24th anniversary of his untimely passing - than to share this recent interview I did about the great man on Drum History Podcast: https://www.drumhistorypodcast.com/post/ep-88-the-biography-of-tony-williams-with-dave-goodman #tonywilliams #drums
From The Band Teacher's Percussion Guide resource page at Oxford University Press https://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780190461690/resources/videos/2.3/, "Preparing the Relaxed Stroke", helps #banddirectors get #percussion students to play with greater control, fluidity, and a lighter touch.
#musiceducation, #snaredrumming
Get Organized Behind the #Drums with Larnell Lewis [L&M Learning Series C... https://youtu.be/Z3KLjaQBZrI via @YouTube #musiceducation
An excellent lesson on ride cymbal technique from the great Peter Erskine. #MusicEducators and students should take note of his relaxed playing, and how to practise slowly while focusing on time and sound . . . #drumset #jazzdrumming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYSFMeT4LxU
Here's just one video among many you'll find on The Band Teacher's Percussion Guide resource page at Oxford University Press [lnkd.in/g9XpUiV].![]()
In "Preparing the Relaxed Stroke", band and drum teachers will discover an effective teaching technique that will immediately get students playing with a lighter touch, and greater control and fluidity.
Listen to TSO Principal Percussion Charles Settle and his children celebrate MLB opening day
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For the opening day of the 2021 baseball season Settle hits a home run with this fun rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”
Larnell Lewis is a wonderful musician. This promises to be a very informative and inspiring clinic for both teachers and students . . .
Get Organized Behind the Drums with Larnell Lewis [L&M Learning Series Clinic]
youtube.com
Figuring out what to practice can be a challenge. Even understanding how to support a song, a moment, or even what kit piece to hit at any particular moment ...
The remarkable Warren Wolf playing vibes, drums AND piano!! Very exciting music. A bit of inspiration for your students (and for me too!!) . . .
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A terrific ride cymbal lesson by the great Peter Erskine. Students should note how relaxed his playing is, and the importance of practising slowly while focusing on time and sound. As a followup, students can check out his playing with Weather Report and many other wonderful bands . . . www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYSFMeT4LxU
Peter Erskine - Ride Cymbal Technique Part 1 - YouTube
www.youtube.com
Being able to smoothly swing a beat on the ride cymbal is an essential skill for any jazz drummer. From the dynamic quality, to the rhythmic placement of each h...