New Blog!!!!!

Click here for my new blog.

Thanks,

Jeff

Custom Drumsticks for bands and organizations

Custom drumsticks have come a long way. Here are just a few of the sticks that we provide to our clients. As you can tell, the sky is the limit on details. You might wonder about the quality of the sticks. Well, don't let the amazing graphics fool you. The stick quality is awesome! As a drummer of over 25 years I can tell you that not only do I think they are great, I actually play with them on stage at all of my live shows.

You will have your fans wondering how you got such great lookings sticks at your merchandise table. We constantly hear from fans about how amazed they are at the amount of detail that is on the sticks. And did I mention that they are made in the U.S.?

We provide the very best custom graphic drumsticks in the world. Check out http://www.customstix.com/ for yourself and you will see.

Jeff

Personalized Drumsticks photos are up!

Finally! Here are some more photos of the personalized drumsticks that we have on http://www.Customstix.com. Check out the site if you haven't been there. There is nothing like our 3D image viewer on the web. You can get 2 pair of custom graphic personalized drumsticks for only $29.99 with FREE shipping.

These sticks rock and if you get them, you will too!

Jeff

Custom Drumstick photos are up!

Custom graphic drumsticks with attitude! Finally the new photos are up! After months of trying to figure out how to take great photos, I had a major breakthrough. It's all in the lighting. I wanted to show everyone the amazing quality of our drumsticks. We can print almost anyhing on a drumstick and wow your audience.

Our sticks are amazing quality and won't peel, chip or rub off. These sticks are made to take a beating! We can do minimum orders as low as 12 pair for an amazing price. Our in house graphic artists are amazing and are very creative.

Let us know if you want to take it to the next level.

Jeff

How's your grip?

How you hold your drumsticks will effect the way you play the drums more that almost anything else. I currently play the drums using the Matched grip. If you play matched grip, remember these three key elements:

1. Keep your wrist flat. This allows you to have the most power and allows you to have more control over the stick.

2. Choke up on the stick. Don't hold the stick too far back. You must find the pivot point that is right for you and your sticks.

3. Keep your thumbs on the side of the sticks. Don't let them fall under the stick or fall on top of the stick. This will also give you the most control possible.

Keep in mind that you will find this to be most effective when you also have your drums set up properly. That is another blog topic that I will address soon. Another very important thing is the type of drumsticks that you play with. I prefer a hickory 5B wood tip made by Customstix. They are well balanced, feel great, and last a long time. I also like having a custom drumstick that represents the image that I am trying to get across to the audience.

Never settle for the same old normal boring sticks that everybody else plays. Be different!

Check out the new designs at www.customstix.com

Jeff

Check out our website at www.Customstix.com

Custom Drumsticks! 2 pair minimum, free shipping for only $29.99. Personalized Drumsticks like the pros!

Check out our site for more details and to view your custom drumsticks with our 3D image viewer in real time. You won't find anything like it on the web. Why play what everybody else plays when you can have your very own personalized custom graphic drumsticks. www.Customstix.com The only choice!

Drummer Jokes

1. Q: How many drummers does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: None. They have a machine to do that now.

2. Q: How is a drum solo like a sneeze?

A: You can tell it's coming, but you can't do anything about it.

3. Q: What's the last thing a drummer says in a band?

A: "Hey, guys - why don't we try one of my songs?

4. Q: What did the professional drummer say when he got to his job?

A: "Would you like fries with that?"

5. Q: How can you find a drummer in Nashville?

A: Ask for a refill.

6. Q: What is the difference between a drummer and a savings bond?

A: One will mature and make money.

7. Q: How can you make a drummer's car more aerodynamic?

A: Take the Pizza sign off of it.

8. Q: How can you tell a drummer is walking behind you?

A: You can hear his knuckles dragging on the ground.

9. Q: What's the best way to confuse a drummer?

A: Put a sheet of music in front of him.

My personal favorite:

Q: What is the difference between a drummer and a large pizza?

A: A large pizza can feed a family of four!

Just having some fun with my fellow drummers and friends. I have played the drums for over 25 years now and think I have earned the right to pick on my choice of instrument. Share these with a drummer that you know or someone that knows a drummer.

Jeff

How to "Make it" in the music business

It seems that everywhere I travel with the band I meet aspiring musicians that are longing to "make it" in the music business. I hear them tell me about their desire to play music for a living. We usually get a few cds a week from people that want our opinion of their music. Some of the music is good and some of it is not so good. Regardless of the music quality, the dreams are all the same. Passion is interesting to say the least. For me to write a detailed list of all of the things to do in order to “make it” in the music business would be pointless. There is no formula! I don’t believe in luck so we can throw that out, but I do believe in divine intervention. There is a problem that could be debated for years, but for now I will only touch on it. That problem is this: Why are there so many “bad” musicians that have made it and why are there so many “good” musicians that haven’t made it? If I knew the answer to that, all of the “bad” musicians would have a warrant out for my arrest. So for now I will tell you what you can do in the interim on your way to the top.

Ask yourself the following question: Am I waiting on something to happen or am I making something happen? I believe that God gives all of us gifts and talents. Jesus talks about what we are to do with what we have been given in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. When I talk about how our band got our start I always talk about the fact that all five of us were active in our worship band at church. We were faithful in the “smaller” things. We weren’t doing it for fame or fortune but because we knew that God had called us to be a part of the local church body and use our gifts and talents in that way. While we were busy doing that the phone began to ring with other opportunities. The point that I want to make is that we were not sitting around waiting on things to happen; we were busy doing what we could to use the talents that had been given to us. It's ironic today that many of the conversations that I have with traveling musicians tell of how they long for the time when they were active on their worship teams at church. The "grass is greener" syndrome is alive and well in the music business.

Keep in mind that we all make up the body of Christ. If everyone is the same part of the body, then the body will be off balance. There is an appeal to being a "professional" musician that tours around the country and has music on the radio. Many people associate this as glamorous, or high profile in nature. There is some truth to that, but most people are not willing to make the sacrafices that it takes to live this type of life. Most people don't know what is involved in the daily life of a "professional" musician. Life on a bus can be interesting. Sometimes we are gone for exended periods of time from our families. Having small children and spending long periods of time on the road can be very difficult. You have to really count the cost that is involved in being a "professional" musician.

Does this fit into the life that you want? What about your spouse? Do they support you? Are your children going to remember you for the time that you were away and not the time that you were there? I have to be very careful with the time that I have at home. It has to count in every way. When you are on the road, there is a tendency to feel as though reality is on hold until you get back home. Your spouse and children are going to work, school, dance class, ball games, etc... while you are playing concerts all across the country. I might be gone for 10 days at a time. During that time I might travel through 12 states, sleeping through the night in my bunk on a 45 foot bus. We usually eat breakfast on the bus, lunch in the green room, a quick shower at the hotel, dinner in the green room, play the concert, and then back to the bus to go to the next location. Again, I ask the question, Is this the life that you want? If it is,then hold on. If it is not, then there are many other ways for you to fullfill the calling that you have on your life.

Jeff

Getting ready for the big KLOVE Radio cruise

Wow! It's that time again. We are getting ready to head out on the KLOVE radio friend and family cruise. FEB. 1st-5th. Every year or so we get invited as a band to play on a cruise ship. What a dream, right? Well, yes, it is fun but it certainly has been interesting over the years. This year, I am bring my brother. My wife couldn't get off of work for 5 days straight, so I am having to leave her with the kids back on dry land while I sail across the deep blue.

I am really looking forward to going on the ship this year because I get to experience getting to see my brother enjoy hanging with a lot of the Christian music artist that he really enjoys. I am also going to enjoy getting to go to the all night Pizza Buffet and Ice Cream parlor. Two of my favorite foods! Internet is always a challange on a ship. The price for connecting is highway robbery. This year, I think it is $100.00 for just a few hours. So I won't be surfing the web for "fun". Another challenge will be trying to communicate and run my site http://www.Customstix.com and handle all of the customer service phone calls that I have on a daily basis. However, I am up for the challenge. We will be in port for a few days and this will allow for some internet time.

Did I mention the Ice Cream? Anyway, I am looking forward to some serious down time and relaxation. If you haven't been to the new site, check it out when you can. I am really excited about the response and the excitement about custom drumsticks!

Jeff

New Years Eve in Myrtle Beach

(above)Getting ready for the show, approx. 11:15 pm. It's always strange playing that late. I usually end up going to bed on the bus around 2:30 am. However, for that night, that was a good thing. We had a 10 hour bus ride to Orlando for a show the next day. The show in Orlando was no ordinary show. We played for the Fellowship of Christian Cheerleaders. That is certainly not your average crowd. We have never heard a louder audience for sure. We had a great time with that group. Finished up around 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 1st, then hit the bus for another 10 hour ride home to Mobile, AL.



(Below) photo of the crowd in Myrtle Beach on New Years eve as the clock struck midnight! We always have fun at the Big God conference. -Jeff