04/02

Contents Of This Issue's Newsletter

1. Product Showcase: Blades Bring Home Award, Vic's New Sticks Program

2. Artist Features: Interview & Backstage Video with Terry Bozzio, Q & A with Vic Firth

3. Education Features: The Inner Game of Indoor Championships, Norm Weinberg's WebRhythms - Lessons 4, 5 & 6.

4. Exclusive VF Email Club Giveaway!

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1. New Product Showcase

* Vic's New Blades Bring Home Award!

At the recent Musikmesse, held in Frankfurt, Germany March 13-17, Vic Firth Blades were awarded the MIPA award for the most innovative drumstick product of 2001!

The MIPA is Musikmesse International Press Award - an organization made up of 51 magazines worldwide. The awards were presented to the winners at a special MIPA Party/Awards Ceremony held during the Musikmesse 2002. More than 300 international representatives of manufacturers and distributors of musical instruments and audio equipment attended the 3rd MIPA Awards Show including guests from the USA, Japan, Brazil, South Africa, Russia, Poland, England, Italy, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland and Germany.

For more information on Vic Firth's new Blades - go here:

http://www.vicfirth.com/product/NEWPRODUCT/BLADES.html

To learn more about MIPA, visit their site at: http://www.mipa-award.de/

* Coming to a music store near you!

Vic's New Sticks are colorful, self contained counter top displays that feature 6 models from 5 different new series with detailed information on each model. Each new series will be introduced every eight weeks at participating retail stores throughout the country.

The second series, already in music stores, is the Signature series. The 6 designs are a reflection of the artist's musical requirements in terms of balance, feel, sound projection and cymbal color. Featured in this display are signature sticks from Kenny Aronoff, Gregg Field, Matt Cameron, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Weckl and Ndugu Chancler.

Future releases will be the American Heritage®, American Jazz® and the International Signature Series. Keep looking for them at your favorite local retail store.

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2. Artist Features

* Interview & Video from Terry Bozzio!

Don't miss this rare opportunity to see one of the most prolific and musical drumset artists of our time, Terry Bozzio! In our RealAudio interview, Terry discusses his tenure with the legendary Frank Zappa, his tuning techniques and his thoughts on developing the ostinato on which he formulates his musical compositions.

In a Vic Firth Exclusive, we're featuring not one, but Ten video clips of Terry's soloist virtuosity, putting you on stage and up close to the action! This is a feature that you won't want to miss!

http://www.vicfirth.com/artists/bozzio.html

* Q & A with Vic Firth

Even though he's the last person to admit it, in the percussion world, Vic Firth is a national treasure. With 50 years of experience as the timpanist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, having played under the baton of the greatest conductors of all time, Vic has a wealth of knowledge that most of us would die to tap into!

Well, here's your chance! You now have the rare opportunity to ask questions, seek advice and learn from the master himself. Whether it's regarding his interpretation of a Brahms symphony, the role of the timpanist in the orchestra or how he learned to make a Perfect Pair® of sticks, we intend to unearth some pearls of wisdom that will last a lifetime!

We've started out with a few questions to get the ball rolling. Listen to Vic talk about his instructors, why he "improves" upon timpani parts in the classical repertoire, how his role in the BSO is likened to a drumset player driving a big band and his concept of sound.

Find out more! http://www.vicfirth.com/artists/vicQ&A.html

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3. Education In Action

* The Inner Game of Indoor Championships

Neil Larrivee, Vic Firth's Director of Education and Director for the 2000 WGI Scholastic World Champion King Philip Indoor Marching Percussion Ensemble, sat down with some of the top instructors in the WGI Indoor Percussion arena to give you helpful tips on how to best deal with the complexities of championships week. From what to do when you arrive in Dayton to what to expect in the arena's acoustical tendencies, this article is a must-read for ALL WGI instructors!

* Norm Weinberg's WebRhythms

In this new feature, Norm breaks down the complexities of rhythm reading in easy-to-follow lessons. Beginning with the fundamentals, each lesson is geared toward mastering a simple rhythmic concept. Audio play-along files make practicing fun!

Advanced players are invited to take the "Pro Challenge" - great for college or professional musicians who wish to brush up on reading simple rhythms at extremely fast tempos.

Don't miss the 3 new lessons that were recently added to the library! Lesson 4 deals with 16th rests. Lesson 5 explores dots and ties. Lesson 6 is a primer on changing meters in quarter time signatures.

http://www.vicfirth.com/education/features/webrhythms/04.html

http://www.vicfirth.com/education/features/webrhythms/05.html

http://www.vicfirth.com/education/features/webrhythms/06.html

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4. Each issue we're excited to present a prize giveaway contest, Exclusively to the subscribers of the Vic Firth Email Club!

This issue's winner will receive one pair of the award winning Blades and six pair of Terry Bozzio's Phase I signature sticks.

Blades are a sharp new addition to Vic Firth's line of brushes and special effects products. The tapered design of this unique plastic implement creates a typical stick sound and gives the player the added ability to create a variety of "slapping" effects as well. Drummers can use the entire surface for a full and "fat" sound on drums, or just the edge for a clean and crisp sound on drums or cymbals. Either way, the feel is light and fast with great balance, allowing the player to explore a full range of dynamic expression. Terry Bozzio's Phase I signature sticks are long and thin for speed and response. The helmet shaped tip provides boldness on toms, brilliance on cymbals.

Runners up will receive an embroidered VF denim hat or an American Classic® T-shirt. Click here to register for this issue's prize giveaway!

To register for the prize giveaway, point your browser to:

http://www.vicfirth.com/emailclub/prizegiveaway.html

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All of us here at Vic Firth are excited to bring this email newsletter to you twice monthly to better keep you informed of the hottest new products, the best in the web's percussion entertainment and educational content, and to give you the opportunity to register for our monthly prize giveaways. If you have friends or students who could benefit from joining the VF Email Club, please forward this letter to them, or tell them to sign up at: http://www.vicfirth.com/emailclub.html