News and Press Releases from Tiger Bill's DrumBeat.

Released September, 2007:
TigerBill's Halloween DrumBeat Festival 2007 is Set to Scare the Pants Off Parkinson's

NJ, September, 2007 - New Jersey native drummer/producer TigerBill Meligari invites drummers of all ages and experience levels to join him and his drum friends for a full day of fun to benefit Parkinson's Research. And anyone in the Halloween spirit is welcome to come dressed up. Winners of the best costumes will take home some valuable prizes. It takes place from 1 PM until 6 PM (doors open at Noon) on October 20, 2007 at the Darress Theater 615 Main Street in Boonton, NJ 07005. Discount tickets can be purchased in advanced.

Featured are performances and educational clinics by some of the best drummers and percussionists on the planet including world-renowned session drummer and educator Billy Ward, the exciting "Hip Pickles" drum band, the incredible stick artistry of Chip Ritter, jazz mallet expert James Walker, 7 year old drum sensation Zach Boettcher, TigerBill's own groundbreaking Concepts of Tension Free Drumming, and much more. In addition, thousands of dollars worth of drum gear is being auctioned off at once-in-a-lifetime bargain basement prices to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, courtesy of more than two dozen generous sponsors. Auction bids are currently being accepted online with final bidding taking place on the day of the event. DrumFest attendance is not required to participate in the Auction.

According to Tiger Bill "The most popular feature of my first DrumFest was the accent on education, so I will be repeating that formula this year along with some new surprises including my performance with a Rock Legend friend of mine who was recently inducted into the Music Hall of Fame. Everyone involved in the show is as excited as I am and we're ready to give it all we've got. So please tell all of your DrumHead friends about it and purchase your tickets today. You'll not only have a great time learning valuable drum skills with chances to win some great prizes, but your participation in our Auction will help us rid the world of a truly dreadful disease."

TigerBill's Halloween DrumBeat Festival is in memory of William J. Meligari, TigerBill's dad, who was a victim of Parkinson's Disease, which affects more than six million people worldwide with 60,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States alone.

For Discount Tickets, Auction Info, and Further Details visit http://www.TigerBill.com or Call 908-638-5545.

Released April, 2006:
Notable Drum Teachers Unite to Provide Public Access Education TV Show

NJ, April 1, 2006 - Countless numbers of people enjoy the excitement of drumming. Some have acted on the energy and learned the art, while others have never taken the first step. Now, people from either group can learn drumming through the TV Show Fun with Drums: The Drum Education Variety Hour -- a high-quality production created by Tiger Bill Meligari, Art Verdi, Dan Britt and Jeff Indyke, designed to accommodate any level and any style.

Jeff Indyke has produced hundreds of audio educational courses and drum TV shows. Art Verdi, World's Fastest Drummer Champ, has performed with many jazz greats to include Jack Wilkins (Buddy Rich Band), Shirley Scott (John Coltrane, Bill Cosby), Sal Salvador (Stan Kenton), Phil Woods (Benny Goodman), Stanley Turrentine (Max Roach, Ray Charles). Tiger Bill Meligari, author of a best-selling drum text, has worked with numerous artists from jazz greats like Thad Jones to rock and rollers like Vince Martell, and regularly performs at the world's most prestigious drum events such as the
Cape Breton International Drum Festival. Dan Britt has been a regular on The Drum Radio Show for 2 years and has presented at The NJ Music Educator Association State Conferences.All four have published articles and conducted numerous drum clinics.

The show will be aired for Cablevision viewers from April 4th to September 30th in the Bergen region every Tuesday, 7:30 pm, Ch 77, and in the Morris region every Wednesday, 11:00 pm, Ch 21. For more information, please go to www.myspace.com/DrumTVShow, call (908) 638-5545, or email FunWithDrumsTV@Yahoo.com.

WWW.TIGERBILL.COM -- Drummers interested in the techniques of the masters, such as Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson, and Joe Morello, will have the chance to attend free clinics and demonstrations given by "Tiger" Bill Meligari during the three-day Summer NAMM show from July 18th through July 20th, 2003.

The "Tiger," who specializes in drum technique, received his nickname from drumming genius Joe Morello due to his voracious appetite for assimilating Monster Chops. Tiger Bill invites drummers of all styles and experience levels to: "Stop by the Pintech booth (#641, Level 1) at 12 Noon each day of the three-day show for a free Monster Chops clinic followed by a test of your own chops. Play my "Visually MAD Groove" and you'll have a chance to win a MadPlayer, worth $299.99, courtesy of Madwaves.com. My inspiration for the groove came from my work with Pintech's new Visual Series electronic drums and the MadPlayer, which is a unique musical Swiss Army Knife capable of automatically generating endless royalty-free grooves in the latest musical styles. I will also be providing Monster Chops demonstrations at the WFD along with Johnny Rabb, Art Verdi, Jotan Afanador, Mike Mangini, and others. The WFD area is located in the Gaylord Entertainment Center at Summer NAMM. It'll be a blast with lots to be learned, so stop by and join us!"

Tiger Bill Meligari is a drummer, performer, author, instructor, clinician, and resident Drum Expert on the About.com network. His Official Web site at www.tigerbill.com and newsletter offers drummers and percussionists a vast resource of free educational material designed to help them become the best they can be.

WWW.TIGERBILL.COM -- TigerBill's DrumBeat Web site has long been supplying drummers and percussionists free resources with support from educationally conscientious companies such as Warner Bros. Publications and Hudson Music. The Web site now expands its services to include the mallet percussion community in a one-of-a-kind forum.

According to Percussion educator and performer James Walker, who is the forum moderator, "My goal is to offer an online environment where all issues related to mallet percussion can be addressed, be it the junior high school student learning his first bell part in band, the college percussionist preparing solo marimba literature for his Senior recital, or the professional vibraphonist looking to expand his chord voicing skills. Bill Meligari has done a wonderful job of collecting educational information related to drumming, and I hope that this new Forum will be part of a similar resource for mallet players of all ages and skill levels.

"Tiger" Bill Meligari, founder of TigerBill's DrumBeat Web site, had this to add, "James Walker has been a longtime contributor to our existing drum and percussion forums and has proven himself extremely knowledgeable in all areas of percussion although his specialization lies in mallet percussion. Even though I knew James to be a capable educator it wasn't until I heard his solo CD, Rhyme and Reason, that I realized he was also an excellent composer and performer. I'm extremely pleased to have James onboard and I feel that his expertise will greatly enhance the usefulness of TigerBill's DrumBeat Web site as a free educational resource." Visit James Walker at the new Mallet Percussion Forum at http://www.tigerbill.com/ubbthreads/.

WWW.TIGERBILL.COM -- March has been designated National Monster Chops Month and according to Tiger Bill Meligari, "March is the month drummers should be concentrating on improving their chops." Monster chops, in the music world, refers to a musician with a high level of technical skill. Drummer Bill Meligari gained that distinction when he was nicknamed "Tiger" by drum great Joe Morello, because of his Monster Chops. And over the next three months, Bill intends to prove it by challenging drummers everywhere in a contest to "Beat the Tiger."

About the challenge, Bill says: "I wrote an 8-bar rhythmic phrase that is extremely difficult to play and any drummer who can beat my speed or comes closest to it, wins. I'm hoping that this challenge will be an incentive for drummers to improve their chops." To provide further incentive, Tiger Bill has partnered with four companies to offer prizes. According to Bill, the grand prize package retails for more than $400.00 and includes the Drumometer from WFD, a diverse collection of drum videos and DVD titles from Warner Bros. Publications, soon to be released X-Series drumsticks from Regal Tip, and a poplin drum jacket from DrumWear.com. Second and third place prizes will also be awarded. See TigerBill's DrumBeat Web site for more details.

Bill, who advocates a relaxed method of drumming, feels that many drummers have learned to play the "wrong way." He says: "Most drummers become too tense when they try to play at top speed for any length of time. Tensing the muscles not only slows you down, it causes injury. With proper technique, the faster you play the more relaxed you become. I can play all day long without getting tired or tense. This is one of the key concepts I'm trying to introduce to beginning and advanced drummers alike."

Tiger Bill, who has been the resident Drum Expert on the About.com network for the past two years, has recently decided to expand into his own Web space because "I've yet to find a really comprehensive Web site for drummers that brings the drum and percussion community together for a common learning experience. My site encourages an exchange of ideas while offering expert advice, free instruction, and links to the best the drum world has to offer."

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