I tell you, band is just like football and just as American as apple pie.  I can remember a time when Drum Corps was not being shown at the movie theatre.  There was also a time when guard was just the flag girls behind the band.  Now there is a commercial using color guard to show the benefits of a product called Guardasil.  Images of our activity now reaches the Grammy's showcasing drumlines across the stage.  Why is this taking place now?  What is different about our social and cultural norm that is different today than it was yesterday?

Eight on a hand - This is exercise is eight strokes on each hand played from slow to fast tempos. This is also played with different stick levels and heights to warm up the wrists.  Tenors and Basses will play varying in order to go through the different pitches and space and distance the hand must travel to play them.  And different techniques around the drum.

Double Beats - This exercise is a serious of two  notes in a sequence to develops the performers double stroke ability.  The double stroke is performed on one hand. This is one bar of 4/4 on one hand then on the other.

Roll Exercise -   A roll is a serious of double strokes from hand to hand in a particular meter.  The stoke sounds are very close together producing a sound similar to that of a helicopter or machine gun.