Christian Hand-Drummers Kosher Cookbook : The Blog

Mateo Walking

2012-02-09T21:18:00.001-05:00

Liner Notes - Check it Out - March 1

2012-02-08T21:30:00.002-05:00

The ANGLE Showed "Alleys + Cans" @ Bus Boys + Poets

2012-02-06T22:37:00.001-05:00

Mateo Dancing To The Smooth Sounds of Velarde + Hooper

2012-02-05T22:20:00.001-05:00

If You Are In Hyattsville on Monday ... Come Check Out THE ANGLE

2012-02-04T21:22:00.002-05:00

The Accordion

2012-02-03T12:37:00.002-05:00

Mateo Practicing His Referee Skills (... maybe for the Barcelona game or for the Superbowl?)

2012-02-01T06:30:00.000-05:00

The Angle @ Busboys + Poets

2012-01-31T21:58:00.003-05:00

The Latest Angle Episode - ART ENABLES

2012-01-31T08:06:00.003-05:00

Episode #6: Outsider Art (feat. Art Enables) from Park Triangle Productions on Vimeo.

Roger Hooper Trio - In Studio

2012-01-25T22:38:00.001-05:00

Mateo @ Five Guys - Tuesday January 24

2012-01-24T20:42:00.001-05:00

Mateo's 5th Conga Lesson

2012-01-23T19:44:00.001-05:00

Great MLK Memorial Video

2012-01-13T12:20:00.001-05:00

Mateo + His Spanish Vowels

2012-01-07T22:14:00.001-05:00

The Angle - Spaces : Alleys + Cans (Featuring ... me)

2012-01-02T22:44:00.000-05:00

Mateo 2011 Highlights Video (Actually just the last 3 Months)

2011-12-31T20:51:00.000-05:00

Messi T-Shirt!

2011-12-30T17:54:00.000-05:00

The Angle - Eclectic Docuseries

2011-12-27T20:23:00.001-05:00

Today I had the amazing privilege to play my trash cans at Park Triangle Productions Studio. My good friend Paige Hernandez-Funn (She is married to an amazing bass player named Kris Funn) recommended me to Gemal, the producer. Paige is the host for this new webisode that features DC Musicians and people who have influenced the local culture (i.e. - Owner of Bus Boys and Poets, and an arts organization that focuses on helping disabled adults 25 + older). Gemal does all the producing and tech for The Angle. He is a one man show. I was grateful for the opportunity to meet and work with him today. Here are a few stills from our time together:

6 Years Ago ... We Had Our First Date

2011-12-18T21:57:00.001-05:00

Six years ago, Mari and I had our first date. Tonight we celebrated by returning to the same restaurant. On the way home (6 years ago) from our date she said to me, "Are you paying attention to me?" I was not ... she called me out. I thought to myself, "I could marry someone like this." Here we are four years later ... madly in love!!!!!

Shane + Shane : December 9, 2011

2011-12-10T13:43:00.000-05:00

Last night Mari and I went to go see one of my favorite groups with one of my favorite drummers. We saw Shane and Shane at our Church and it was INCREDIBLE!!! I first started listening to these guys when I bought their CD Psalms from our Church bookstore more than 10 years ago. I love the harmonies, fun grooves, and incredible guitar playing. This was our fourth time seeing them live.

I am glad that we were able to get our pictures with them because I am definitely a Joey Perish (the drummer) and Shane and Shane geek. I look forward to the next time we can hear them play their Jesus exalting grooves..

Lee Preston (A Personal Reflection)

2011-12-04T21:05:00.000-05:00

Today was full of varying emotions. I picked up my Mom from the airport. She had been traveling for three weeks. It was great to see her again!!! So ... emotionally speaking ... I was joyful.
But after we dropped off my Mom's bags at her house, Mari, Mateo, and my Mom (wow, that's a lot of words that begin w/ 'm') drove to College Park, MD. Now, I drive to College Park everyday, but today was very different.
We were attending the memorial service for Lee Preston. Enter the emotion of sadness ... I have known Lee my entire life. His children babysat me when my family lived in Buffalo. The Prestons moved to MD in 1980 ... the same year my family arrived. We stayed in touch through the years. The Prestons would host us up in Deep Creek Lake. Playing in the water and relaxing by the Lake are some of my fondest childhood memories.
One of the main memories I have of Lee is spending Thanksgiving with him. You see, after my parents were divorced the Prestons adopted us for many years. Each Thanksgiving we would go and spend time at the Preston house. The food was great and the conversation could not be beat.
I was struck today by how successful Lee had been professionally. We never talked much about his work. I knew Lee as the master griller, the crossword/scrabble champ, granddad extraordinaire, and as a great conversationalist. So it was interesting to hear about his teaching and research.
As I said goodbye to Lee today, I realize more than ever that the Prestons are more like family than friends. I have known Lee my entire life, and I will miss him a lot.

Here are two pictures when Pat and Lee met Mateo:

Here is a brief response written by Lee published in the New Yorker:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/letters/2010/11/22/101122mama_mail3

And here is a letter sent out from the business school:

Dear Smith School Community,

I am saddened to report that Professor Emeritus Lee Preston passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011. Lee had advanced prostate cancer. After graduating from High School in Denton Texas, Lee earned a competitive scholarship to Vanderbilt University, where he majored in economics. He was then admitted to the PhD program in economics at Harvard. Halfway through the program he entered the U.S. Army and served two years in Germany. This foreign posting started Lee's lifelong interest in international travel. Later, after completing his PhD, he became a business professor at University of California, Berkeley. There he developed his interest in corporate governance. His early writings were instrumental in creating the field of Corporate Social Responsibility for which he received several honors. His classic book “Private Management and Public Policy,” written in 1975, is soon to be republished by Stanford University Press. Lee later accepted a chaired position as director of a research Institute at the University of Buffalo. He moved to the University of Maryland in 1980 and served at the Smith School until his retirement in 1998. During his distinguished career he was the author or co-author of approximately 200 publications and edited ten volumes of “Research in Corporate Social Performance.” Lee was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Management in 1982, named a Distinguished Scholar Teacher at Maryland in 1994, and received the University’s Distinguished International Service Award in 1996.

Lee's many service contributions at Maryland include directing the PhD program and creating and directing the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER). While at Maryland he created a joint MBA program with the University of Lodz in Poland and helped manage it for many years. He received significant honors from the government of Poland for this work, including a degree of Doctor Honoris Causa. Externally, among his many appointments, Lee served the Kennedy Administration in the Office of The Council of Economic Advisors, and spent a semester advising the Ministry of Commerce of the Government of China on corporate governance issues. After retirement, Lee had several positions as visiting scholar at various European universities, and served three years as Ombudsman for faculty and staff on the Maryland campus.

Lee leaves his wife, Pat, one son, two daughters and several grandchildren. A memorial service for Lee will be held on Sunday, Dec. 4, at 2 p.m. at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 4512 College Ave., College Park. There will be a reception at the church following the service.

Dean Anand

Christmas Tree is Up / 3 Great Christmas CD's

2011-11-30T23:15:00.000-05:00

Mari and I decorated our Christmas Tree tonight. We did it while we watched IT'S A WONDERFUL life. That is an amazing movie. Speaking of great entertainment ...I wanted to recommend 3 Christmas CD's I have been enjoying this year:

Harry Connick Jr. - What A Night
Michael Buble - Christmas
Sovereign Grace - Savior

Here's our 2011 tree:

CovLife Drum Set-Up : November 27, 2011

2011-11-26T22:06:00.000-05:00

Mateo Remixed - November 2011

2011-11-20T20:28:00.000-05:00

Good Morning Mateo

2011-11-17T05:27:00.000-05:00

Dry Cleaning Percussion

2011-11-16T09:51:00.002-05:00

Diego Stocco - Music From A Dry Cleaner from Diego Stocco on Vimeo.

The Road We Know - Documentary

2011-11-13T15:06:00.000-05:00

Back in August, my good friend Roger Hooper asked me to play drums (with two other guys) for a song that he composed. He was the composer for this documentary. It seems like a great movie with a good message.

The Road We Know Trailer from Citygate Films on Vimeo.

The Gathering - Now Available

2011-11-12T19:51:00.000-05:00

Check this out ... great new Album (I guess I call it an album????) from Sovereign Grace Music. My friend Roger Hooper played keyboards and Erin Hill sang a few songs too.

<p>&amp;lt;a href="http://sovereigngracemusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-gathering-live-from-worshipgod11"&amp;gt;The Gathering: Live from WorshipGod11 by Sovereign Grace Music&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;</p>

The Vocabulary of our 1 Year Old

2011-11-09T19:43:00.000-05:00

Mateo + Mommy : Dishwasher Extravaganza

2011-11-02T21:09:00.000-04:00

Mateo was a Lobster

2011-10-31T19:52:00.002-04:00

Photo Credit: Dave Mackenzie

200th Post - Mateo Working on the Spitz-O-Matic Push Up Song

2011-10-16T17:38:00.001-04:00

Mateo + Dad Playing The Piano

2011-10-11T19:41:00.000-04:00

Mateo's On His Way ...

2011-10-06T20:28:00.000-04:00

He's working on the next STOMP routine called "Up The Stairs

The "Spitz-O-Matic Push Up Song" Rough Draft of Melody

2011-09-26T19:51:00.002-04:00

Mateo's Introduction to Hip-Hop

2011-09-23T17:11:00.000-04:00

A Few Minutes w/ Mom + Mateo

2011-09-20T21:34:00.000-04:00

Audio from Hooper Duo Gig: September 18, 2011

2011-09-19T19:57:00.000-04:00

Mateo Playing Conga's (His 3rd Lesson)

2011-09-07T19:25:00.000-04:00

Mateo + His Hand Drumming Beginnings

2011-08-29T21:34:00.000-04:00

Mateo Eating - August 2011

2011-08-28T12:21:00.000-04:00

July 2011 - 4 Weeks of Separation

2011-08-14T09:57:00.000-04:00

This is a post to communicate some very sad news. On Thursday July 21, 2011 my sister-in-law, Tere Losi, passed away after fighting breast cancer for 9 years. Mari has been in Argentina since July 15th and Tere was able to meet Mateo and sing him an Argentine lullaby. Here is a picture of Tere painting from one of our visits to Argentina:

This has been a very sad time for our family. We would solicit your prayers at this time. Below you will see some pictures from Mari's visit and my visit last week. One thing I learned while I was in Argentina was that I love it more and more every visit. I also love my family there as well and miss them mucho mucho mucho! I am looking forward to Mari's return on Friday!

Spitz-O-Matic Song Medly : Camp Arena Stage (Version 0.01)

2011-08-03T21:54:00.000-04:00

Camp Arena Stage - Percussion Fun Round 2 - Thursday July 28, 2011

2011-07-28T22:48:00.000-04:00

CAS - Arts Extravaganza 2011 (2 Pics)

2011-07-22T06:31:00.000-04:00

Johnny Rabb

2011-07-17T01:24:00.000-04:00

Today I had the opportunity to meet Johnny Rabb. He was doing a clinic at Washington Music Center. Before the clinic, my friend Eric and I had the opportunity to talk with him for about a half hour. It was great to hear about his latest gigs and what he will be working on next.

In The Studio w/ Roger Hooper, Dave Campbell, and Jared Hoffman

2011-07-07T05:59:00.002-04:00

Drum Jam Clip - The Road We Know from Suzanne Taylor on Vimeo.

Drum Fun - From 2011

2011-06-29T22:10:00.001-04:00

Here is the latest Drum Fun from Camp Arena Stage. This year my friend from UMDCP came to play congas. He is currently playing percussion for OKLAHOMA at Arena so it was great for the kids to see him perform up close. My good friend Jeff Neal came back for his 4th visit to Camp Arena.

My Grandmother Passed Away on Thursday June 16, 2011

2011-06-21T06:29:00.000-04:00

My Grandma passed away last week. Here are the comments my Dad made at her funeral which was on Sunday:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

“We are a people in whom the past endures,
In whom the present is inconceivable without moments gone by,
The Exodus lasted a moment, a moment enduring forever
What happened once upon a time happens all the time.

Mom’s life lasted a moment in the universe of time and space, but it is a moment that endures forever in the hearts and actions of everyone here assembled. As my wise wife Virginia told me yesterday, we all are in sacred space in this moment and we can today assure it endures.

My task is to remind us all Mom’s life is the testament to the power of someone who can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

My role now is threefold in summarizing her ordinary life with its extraordinary impact on us:
1.       Let me begin by thanking all of you for coming to celebrate Mom’s life and for your participation in her life.

QUESTIONS
a.       How many of you had a relationship with Mom where she was your surrogate mom or grandmom and therefore my honorary brother or sister? Please stand.
b.      How many of you were formally taught at some time in your life by Mom in Sunday school or in a computer or other classroom setting?
c.       How many more of you shared personally and directly in experiencing Mom’s wisdom and love?
Your membership in our extended Marie family contributed to the beauty of her life and ours. Thank you!
2.       To remind some and to introduce many to Mom’s earlier life with my father, Dr. Irving Spitzberg, two lovers whose love and life partnership was central to her life and ours until my Dad died in 1989.

a.       Dad was a professor of diseases of women and children at UAMS in its earliest guise and in many ways a unique private practitioner of pediatrics in Little Rock before the field formally existed. He was one of two white pediatricians in Arkansas who treated African American patients. He always had a desegregated waiting room and was deserted by many white patients because of that. Both Mom and Dad walked the walk of equality and justice.
b.      Their marriage was unique in that two people separated by about twenty years in age created a partnership of love and life. Their marriage set the bar high for Paul and me.
c.       Paul and I were (and are) Jewish-American Princes. We were the center of our parents’ lives, of course the best of the best to them (and to us, which explains our modesty). Our parents’ only social life – apart from an occasional Canasta game – was built around our school, scouting, sporting, and other extracurricular activities.
d.      My brother and I are very different people, as were our parents. We learned from Mom and Dad to respect and have affection for those differences. I know that my brother’s generous spirit and sensitivity were critical to the quality of my mother’s life and for that I love and respect him. As we together created The Marie in her honor seven years ago we wanted to celebrate her story by celebrating others who are exemplars of her values and her approach to life.

3.       Mom and Dad’s lives confirmed the nexus between commitment to family and building a community.

a.       In Mom’s role as a volunteer while we were growing up and then as a single senior after my Dad’s death, Mom showed how her commitment to children could be transferred to serving the larger community. She showed how being physically active until weeks before her death and mentally acute to the last moment could contribute not only to the quality of her life but as a model to others.
b.      In the last few months and days leading up to death, in Mom’s example of choosing quality of life and then taking the risks to live only with an active life, she displayed the exemplary way for an active human being to transition in her final days.
c.       Until her very last exit to the operating room, Mom created a community of friends and admirers by her actions, not just her words.
Today as we bid Mom’s body goodbye we can commit ourselves to celebrating her legacy by taking the lessons of her life seriously.
Her story helps all of us to aspire to be a person who turns an ordinary life into an extraordinary gift to all. May we all at the end of our days be able to say what Mom told us: I have had a loving husband and loving sons. My life is complete whether I die today or tomorrow. This example of grace and wisdom was her parting gift to everyone.
And the larger community gave her the parting gift of wisdom and love through the work of the palliative care team at the Reynolds Center and Baptist Health Hospice. They carried on the long- standing contribution of the Reynolds Center’s doctors and staff in supporting Mom through times bad and good. Mom’s daily caregivers shepherded her in her last days with love and support of daughters of mercy and good humor.
Thank you community – expecially Temple B’nai Israel which was the spiritual and emotional center of her life for decades. It takes a village and her village was a village of angels from the beginning to the end. Thank you Mom for attracting this village of angels into all of our lives.

On behalf of the family and before I close I want to recognize Rabbi Levy and Bobbye as our brother and sister forever. They were the resident guardian angels for Mom for two decades.
Also, I want to invite everyone to return to the Temple after the interment at Oaklawn for a reception which will include a showing of Virginia’s production of her video biography for her 75th birthday which tells her story in her own voice and also to hear further reflections from all of you. Then if you are a Bridge or Majong Player you can continue the celebration of Marie by imitating her in the monthly Temple games after the refreshments.
Now I close with a ceremony I presented as a young teenage member of Demolays. You must understand that this ceremony --- the Flower Talk – was unusual for young males but central to the program of this Masonic group. Mom loved the first experience of this ceremony, and I presented it many times to her in her later years. So I invite you to join me as I honor all Mothers. Please conclude this abbreviated version by taking a rose from the vessels on the Altar after the benediction by Rabbi Levy as you follow the casket out of the sanctuary. Now The Flower Talk.

Mateo Learning How To Say No

2011-06-01T20:06:00.000-04:00

Mateo's First Day @ The Pool

2011-05-29T16:50:00.000-04:00

Wedding and the Ticket Booth Man (Poems by UPES 6th Graders)

2011-05-22T23:04:00.000-04:00

Collaborative Planning - A Call To Action

2011-05-11T23:26:00.000-04:00

Happy Mothers Day (Carmen, Mari, and Mom) / Homemade Hot Chocalate / My Man Smiling

2011-05-10T22:45:00.000-04:00

Mateo Laughing (Again)

2011-05-09T06:18:00.000-04:00

Bath Time - May 2011

2011-05-04T22:18:00.000-04:00

1st Draft of Building A Learning Community Final Project

2011-04-28T23:11:00.000-04:00

My Man

2011-04-28T22:23:00.000-04:00

Carmen Singing

2011-04-25T12:13:00.000-04:00

A Short Easter Meditation : April 24, 2011

2011-04-25T10:49:00.000-04:00

Today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus

On good Friday He was nailed to a cross

He was punished and bore the wrath of God for our sin

But today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the Lord and Savior

Without the resurrection of Jesus, our faith is pointless

But God raised Him from the grave, to prove we are forgiven

Because of what Christ has done, we have purpose

We have newness of life and the hope of eternal life with God!

Drum Fun - From 2010

2011-04-14T22:23:00.000-04:00

I am working on this year's Camp Arena Stage Drum Fun, so I thought I'd put this video up from last years performance.

UPES Parent Engagement Committee International Dinner 2011

2011-04-14T22:16:00.000-04:00

Tonight I helped organize the 2011 UPES International Dinner. There was a lot of good food and music. I am looking forward to next years events!

"Adonde Esta Mateo?" Video

2011-04-07T05:48:00.000-04:00

Spitz-O-Matic Song Medley: Hyattsville E.S. 2011

2011-03-18T06:27:00.000-04:00

Early March 2011 Photos

2011-03-11T23:31:00.000-05:00

We went to go visit my grandma in Little Rock Arkansas ... we had a great time.

The rest of the pics will have to speak for themselves (cute Mateo pics, food, me at my school's MSA pep rally, and Mateo getting ready to browse youtube)

Three Steve's

2011-02-27T10:32:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday (2/26) was a very 'percussive' day. I had the privilege of seeing one of my friends, Donnie Johns perform his Masters Recital @ the University of Maryland in College Park. It was great to see Donnie, but a HUGE highlight was that my first drum teacher (who I studied with for 15 years) attended with his son and wife. Steve, Ernette, and Mathew are pretty much family at this point. We've celebrated my birthday together now for almost 18 years. Steve's son Mathew received a lesson from Donnie, and they came to support him. Steve has been the most influential drummer in my life. Here's a pic from when Steve and I went to see the Dave Mathews Band back in 2008.

The next Steve is Steve Fidyk. He is the drummer for the Army Blues Jazz Band. He taught @ UMD while I was there. Now he teaches at Temple and is working on a Big Band sight reading book.

The next Steve is Steve Houghton. He is one of the most well know drum educators around. But more importantly, he is the brother of Kathy Spiro. Kathy invited Mari, Mateo and I to see him perform with the Army Band + Army Blues. I know that my friend Johny, who passed away last month, would have loved the concert. It was great to see Johns family and friends last night.

Photo Update : February 2011

2011-02-21T15:01:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from the last month ... we will start with Mateo's first Wizards v. Spurs game. We go to this game almost every year to see Ginobili play. He is from Argentina:

To celebrate Valentines Dad ... Mari and I went the new Arena Stage, had some low carb cookies at home and went to Cheesecake factory. None of which actually took place on Valentines Day.

We took Mateo to see his first elementary school instrumental music concert:

And here is my boy who will be 4 months old soon:

Ella Fitzgerald + Stevie Wonder ... WOW!

2011-02-05T17:15:00.001-05:00

D.C. Youth Orchestra Bio

2011-01-11T17:35:00.000-05:00

In case you want to check out my bio ... here's the link.

Mateo Came To Church / Perc @ Covlife (Sunday 1/2/2011)

2011-01-03T20:37:00.000-05:00

These pictures were taken by my Mom. Thanks Mom!

Mateo Smiling: December 2010

2010-12-21T23:01:00.000-05:00

Grillin In The Snow ... Mmmmm

2010-12-21T22:47:00.000-05:00

Photo Update - December 14th 2010

2010-12-14T22:09:00.000-05:00

I won't be writing too much on the blog but I do hope to continue these picture updates. Have a great week!

My only caption for this post is that above I gave a presentation for my grad class about the new common core standards and below are the most amazing hamburgers in the world made by Carmen Coradini.

A Few Mateo Pics ...

2010-11-27T21:27:00.000-05:00

I would have done more but he started crying so I think I should go back upstairs. More later ...

Great Deal From Desiring God

2010-11-23T10:19:00.000-05:00

I recently ordered four books from Desiring God. All the books were fifteen dollars including shipping. If you are looking for some more reading material check out these deals from Desiring God.

Short Mateo Video (includes rough draft of "Que Paso Mateo")

2010-11-20T22:00:00.000-05:00

I forgot one picture

2010-11-17T18:38:00.000-05:00

This was a special visit from our friend Charlotte along w/ her Mom:

Photo Update : October + Early November 2010

2010-11-16T21:24:00.000-05:00

I will not be too focused on formatting here or with captions ... just want to post some pictures. After two weeks of not going to work you think I'd have time to blog ... well, making sure Mari is recovering and taking care of Mateo has been my main priority. Here are a few pics of people who have come to visit.

Mateo Jacob Spitzberg

2010-10-30T22:43:00.000-04:00

Mari is the Best

2010-10-02T19:41:00.000-04:00

There are some days when I feel discouraged ...
And she is right there with me.
There are other days when I'm encouraged in the gospel ...
And she is right there with me.
There are the days when her joy makes me laugh ....
And I am so glad, she is right there with me.
Mari ... you are the best!

A Normal Twist ... A Boring Metaphor

2010-09-25T20:10:00.000-04:00

I recently read this excellent blog entry on songwriting by Stephen Altrogee. After I read it I realized my songs are the complete opposite of what he is describing. Maybe I should try to improve on lyrics like this:

"Everyone's a spitz-o-matic
When we jam it is fantastic
Come on join our song
Hope it lasts all day long"

or

"I'm so funky
I'm so fresh and funky
I'm so funky
I don't know what to do."

Here is an example of one of Stephen's songs:

We were blind and lost and godless
Wandering a trackless waste
Then hope arose, a glorious beacon
Like the star the wise men chased

Well, time will tell if I can improve my song writing. For now I'd still like to release my self entitled CD, "Everyone's A Spitz-O-Matic." Maybe my second one will have "eye-popping" metaphors. Stay tuned ...

Myrtle Beach Vacation; New Patio; Joint Cooking Venture; Marriage Retreat w/ the Hills

2010-09-02T10:20:00.000-04:00

On August 8th Mari and I headed down to South Carolina's Myrtle Beach for our 'babymoon.' It was so relaxing and we had a great time. Below are some pics from our time:

While we were gone, we put in a new patio ... here are the before and after pictures.

It was nice grilling on concrete instead of soft soil ...

Smooth transition ... Mari has been busy getting the baby's room ready ...

Smooth transition #2 ... This is a dish Mari and I made together. I grilled, she did the rest ...

On August 20th - 22nd, Mari and I went to a marriage retreat up in Pennsylvania w/ our good friends the Hills.

Well, that's it for now. Life will be full until our Baby arrives around 10/23. Stay tuned for more photo updates of life and food.

Maternity Pics (2010)

2010-08-30T11:17:00.000-04:00

Here is a link to check out some pictures Mari and I took w/ Rachael Boer. Rachael is a great photographer and Mari and I always enjoying hanging out with her and her husband.

Link To Maternity Pictures

Bobbi Spitzberg: Supporter of Instrumental Music in PGCPS

2010-08-28T15:33:00.000-04:00

My Mom bought two instruments and donated them to my instrumental program. Because of her generosity two students will learn how to play an instrument that would otherwise not have had the opportunity. Thank you Mom. Also, I am hoping to use two of her pictures to have the students compose a song: "Wedding and the Ticket Booth Man." Stay tuned ...

I hope to publish a post soon about our vacation in Myrtle Beach and some other activites. Thanks for reading!

"Five Loaves, and Two Fish" is Now Over

2010-08-07T21:13:00.000-04:00

The past two weeks have been an incredible music education opportunity. I have never conducted a strings, percussion, and winds orchestra in a musical setting. But now I have. Not only was this a great musical experience, but this was my first time teaching in a Christian environment. That was the best part of all. What a joy to ask God to bless our rehearsals! It was also refreshing to read my favorite verse in the Bible that talks about joy, Nehemiah 12:27,43

27And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres.
43And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.

I'm hoping to take what I learned the last two weeks to my PG County job this year. I won't be able to pray out loud before I begin, but I can pray to myself. I won't be able to read Bible verses to the kids, but I can meditate on God's Word to help me be a more effective teacher.

My Mom came to the show on Friday night and took a picture of the flowers Mari got me. Not only did Mari get me flowers, but she also wrote a VERY encouraging note. She pointed out specific evidences of God's grace in my life that she noticed. That letter made my day!!!!

Have a great day!!

"Five Loaves, and Two Fish"

2010-08-03T14:41:00.000-04:00

If you're available, please come check this out.

New Furniture; Mari; Covlife Music Academy

2010-07-31T23:00:00.000-04:00

Hello Blog Reading Friends! I think the next post will be no pictures, but this one will be mostly letting the pictures speak for themselves with a little help from the captions ...

Thanks to the generosity of a close family friend, we have a new dining room table. We are enjoying this new piece in our house.

Mari has been cooking amazing meals each night ... I hope to do a post at some point comparing Mari's food to Carmen's.

Transition ...

This past week I taught at the Covenant Life Music Academy's Summer Camp. I am teaching primarily the band (sneaking in some Junk Percussion, using my Roland electronic hand drum, and recording the students everyday w/ the ZOOM H2), but as you can see, I've had the opportunity to conduct the strings (the academy has the privilege of having the amazing Rachael Boer work with the strings throughout the week).

I hope you have a great week!

DCYO, CAS Arts Extravaganza, WAMS Vacation, Tommy + the RKO Swing Orchestra

2010-07-26T15:37:00.000-04:00

Greetings and salutations from the world of the Christian Hand-drummers Kosher Cookbook. I hope this post finds you aware of God's grace. The following is a picture summary of last week.

I have been teaching with the DCYO on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings the past four weeks. It has been a lot of fun teaching classical percussion to students at varying levels.

CAS Arts Extravaganza

My friend Caleb drove down w/ Mari to check out the show.

The Junk Percussion Set-Up for 2010

My friend Jaime backstage getting ready to help w/ tech

Paige and I taught a class together and collaborated on a couple of different concepts. She ran sound for the show and choregraphed the Hip-Hop classes. Working w/ her was a highlight of the camp this year.

WAMS Vacation 2010

Dinner on Saturday night

Annie w/ Nate + Cara w/ Esme

The 'Leadership Committee' for the trip

Mari + Emma enjoying the post ice cream sun

The next morning Emma decided Mari should read her a book

Meg getting ready for the trip home

This is our minivan (we have no kids)

This is the Wilcox minivan (3 kids)

One aspect of the trip I thoroughly enjoyed was watching these three family's (Wilcox, Averill, + Marcantonio) care for and train their children. Parenting can seem like a daunting task (and it is), but having the opportunity to watch my friends raise their children to fear the Lord helps me have faith that God will also be with us.

(Jess, I'm not sure why I don't have a picture of you, but it's nothing personal.)

Tommy + The RKO Swing Orchestra

On Sunday evening we had the chance to see one of my favorite drummers perform. His name is Tom. We met while working together at Veneman music in 1997. He helped me become a professional percussionist by asking me to play w/ a band called Truth Groove which lead to several other gigs.

Tom is one of the few drummers I know that can play every single style w/ authenticity. He plays Big Band, Combo, Rock, Latin, and everything in between with passion and excitement. It was so much fun watching him play. The highlight of the night for me was, "Sing, Sing, Sing."

Per usual, if you have read this far, I thank you for your time and I hope you have a great day!

Happenings This Past Weekend And Coming Up

2010-07-20T22:25:00.000-04:00

It was a fun weekend. Mari and I bought a new (for us, it's actually a 2005) car and I had the opportunity to play drums @ our Church Covenant Life.

I am now in my last week of Camp Arena Stage. After six Summers I still enjoy teaching at this fun arts camp. We are having our annual "Arts Extravaganza" on Thursday evening. I'm looking forward to seeing 2 of the young campers sing, "Everyone Is A Spitz-O-Matic."

Here are two pics of the weekend. One is very blurry, but it shows my set-up. I sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this post!

Today @ Camp Arena - Monday July 12, 2010

2010-07-12T22:43:00.001-04:00

Two friends from the National Harbor junk percussion show came to jam today for the noontime show @ CAS. I still haven't figured out how to post audio by itself so I made this little video. You can ignore the pictures because they are old, but the audio is from today. Here is the instrumentation:

Jeff - Drumset
Zak - Congas
Me - Trumpet (yikes ... could have used more practice) + Electronic Drums

I hope you are having a great week.

Here is a pic of the 3 of us before we performed on Mon. 7/12.

My Summer Days Thus Far

2010-07-09T23:29:00.001-04:00

Every weekday for the past two weeks, I have had the opportunity to teach @ Camp Arena Stage. I teach 4 classes: Beginning Guitar; Rock Band; Junk Percussion; and Colabo-Rock. It has been a great summer so far. Here are 2 pictures from Friday's (7/9) Junk Percussion Class.

DC Hip Hop Theater Festival

2010-07-08T22:24:00.000-04:00

Last night I saw my friend and co-teacher @ Camp Arena Stage, Paige Hernandez, perform her one woman show: PAIGE IN FULL. Mari went with me and we both thoroughly enjoyed the production. If it happens again I hope you can check it out.

I am a Guest Blogger ...

2010-07-08T21:54:00.000-04:00

Check out my guest post over at the Stage Banter Blog. I wrote a post about returning to Camp Arena Stage for a sixth consecutive summer. I wrote it 3 weeks ago but they posted it today. Let me know if you have any thoughts.

May - July 2010 = Carmen living in Montgomery Village

2010-07-05T11:07:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we said goodbye to Carmen (Mari's Mom) after she stayed with us for three months. Her joy, servanthood, faith in God, work ethic, gardening skills, ability to make even a wall feel comfortable, and how we have grown as a family through the last three months makes me grateful for having her as my mother in law. I will miss her and am looking forward to having her (Lord willing) return in October to meet little baby Spitz-O-Matic.

Reminiscent Photo From Palpazione

2010-06-18T23:48:00.000-04:00

I look back at my time @ the Gaylord Hotel with Charlie, Zak, Jeff, Dominic, Brett, Deech, Steve, and Wes as the best job I've had so far in my brief life. Thanks for the memories guys!

Mariana's Graduation 2010 Celebration Video

2010-06-11T16:40:00.000-04:00

Well, I haven't been posting lately, and here is one of the reasons ... I've been working on putting together a short video to celebrate Mari graduating college.

Where To Watch The World Cup

2010-06-11T08:27:00.000-04:00

The World Cup starts today ... if you live in DC here is a list to see where you can watch the games in the DC metro area.

I'm rooting for Argentina and USA.

Mariana Alejandra Spitzberg, B.S.; Summa Cum Laude

2010-05-22T12:02:00.001-04:00

Hello my blog reading friends. It is with great pleasure that I announce to you that Mari has graduated college. Here is a brief photo recap of the day. Stay tuned for a more detailed account.

What's Next For Elementary School Instrumental Teachers ?

2010-05-18T11:43:00.000-04:00

HMS Pinafore, Carmen Singing + Empanadas

2010-05-16T22:22:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity this past week to play drum set for UPES's production of HMS Pinafore. It was a lot of fun. All the musicians were amazing. 2 play w/ the Presidents Own Marine Band, the Cellist is a professional freelancer, and the French Horn player just received his DMA in French Horn performance. We had a lot of fun. Below is a picture of my set-up and the entire orchestra minus the page turner who was one of my cello students at the elementary school.

The night Mauricio came over to rehearse, he played some of Carmen's favorite songs ... she sang along as he played ...

This is one reason why I love having Carmen stay with us:

As they say in India ... tata for now.