While we often forget about it since it’s not as integral to our lives and our ability to travel, at one time trains were the lifeblood of travel, commerce, and industry in this country. Because of that they featured prominently into several mediums of fiction early (and even presently) in America’s history. Here are some films where trains and railroads are featured as more than just a background prop.

Harry Potter Series

True, there are plenty of magical means for the characters to get around in the series, but at least in the beginning, at least when they’re making their way to Hogwarts, they take a train. The magical properties of the train can be debated elsewhere, but between making the first trip the school of magic, being attacked by magical prison guards, and confronting Malfoy, Harry Potter had quite a few memories on a train that figured quite prominently into a world where broomsticks flying in the air wasn’t out of the question.

The Great Train Robbery

Yes it’s based on a true story, but I think the name pretty much explains why it’s on this list. While I certainly won’t go into the details of the movie (you have to watch it), I will say that it’s Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland, and a train robbery set in the mid 1800s. If that’s not enough reason to go and rent the film then I really don’t know what else to say.

Strangers on a Train

This classic from Alfred Hitchcock is familiar to just about everybody, but just in case you haven’t heard the rough plot, here it is. Two strangers meet on a train and begin talking, sharing the details of their lives. Both soon learn that there’s a person that the other wants to be not alive anymore, and it’s suggested that they agree to swap murders, removing motive from the equation to help get away with the crime. Unfortunately, only one of the men actually wants to go through with the crime, and this leads to a dramatic conclusion and a final scene on the train.

Unstoppable

A more recent addition to the film world starring Chris Pine and Denzel Washington, about a train carrying hazardous materials that becomes a runaway and the efforts of the Pine and Washington characters to stop the train without having to derail it, which would cause damage not just from the crash, but from the potential for the materials being carried by the train to be exposed as well.

North by Northwest

Another Hitchcock film, though this one doesn’t have the train as quite as integral a piece as Strangers on a Train, still it’s Cary Grant boarding a train for several pivotal scenes and anytime you put Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, and a train together, something good is bound to happen.

Back to the Future Part III

We’d had the Delorean as the time machine for several movies, but with the third installation of this film franchise taking us back the wild west, trains made their presence felt, with one of the final scenes of the film being Doc Brown arriving in the future with a train that he’s converted into a time machine, and has even given the ability to fly.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

Twice made into a movie and once into a TV movie, the plot of both the 1974 and 2009 films were similar, with changes taking into account the modern age and the fact that $1 million ransom would be laughed at. A subway train is taken hostage, with demands for money made and while the motives of the hostage takers changes with the times, in the end it’s up to the dispatcher that takes the original random demand to ensure that everybody gets out of the train alive.

For a magician, protecting your inventions is no easy task. In a small secret fellowship, magic tricks and inventions are created, improved upon, and similar thinking pops up too. In addition to those difficulties, the magician inventor faces some serious questions:

Will they even have the money to sue?

Is the magician really protected even if they patent their invention?

Is it worth patenting a creation only to share that with the patent office and others who may find it?

Most magicians choose not to patent their creative inventions. This would make sense since most of them are small time operators and not making riches off of these inventions. However, there are exceptions.

Some magicians, like Howard Thurston, decided to patent a good amount of his creative inventions. David Copperfield and Doug Henning, however, did not.

Mark Wilson (if you remember him from Magic Circus TV specials in the 1970′s or Magic Land of Allakazam from the 1960′s) did patent a few. Houdini has patents too, but not for magic – for toys!

Some states and situations make it more valuable and logical to seek a magic patent. For example, magic props that are technical in nature and require unique construction can be patented to avoid others from manufacturing and selling the exact same trick for less money or as a competitor when they didn’t originate the idea.

For magic that involves secret knowledge only, the magic patent becomes more difficult to protect and use when it comes time to be tested in court. For these reasons, for the most part, magic tricks are not patented unless they are a magic set or game.

What is interesting to me are the really old patents from the 1800′s. They take a lot of research to compile, but it is a fascinating look into the magic thinking back then. Of course, the other neat thing is the way they write and the fact that every person in every illustration has a mustache and some have hats. That still brings a chuckle as I explore these.

Probably my favorite magic patents include Howard Thurston’s classic magic illusions and his thoughtful contributions to theater special effects. He even contributed a patent on ship construction meant to avoid what happened to the Titanic. He was moved by the disaster to create a solution to that type of situation on the seas!

Modern magicians patent their magic too. This is especially prevalent for higher priced items or items manufactured by larger companies where they market tricks to a broader audience. Magic patents make fascinating reading for magicians – both the older ones from a historical perspective, as well as the newer ones, from a practical perspective. For me, it’s like opening a secret vault!

Magic has kept me fascinated for years and I have been doing magic since I was seven. Discovering magic patents is one more area of exploration that every magician should try. In fact, I offer you a FREE magic patent from the 1800′s as a reader of this article! It’s from 1890 and is a beheading illusion (magic reflects the times for sure in this case).

To get your free patent and read about my magic patent collection, please visit www.magicpatentbook.com. Enjoy!

An online casino is a web site where players can bet on games of chance with real money and take home their winnings. A few preliminary steps are essential before players can place bets at the online casino.

First, Players must register at the casino they wish to play at. Players can do this by accessing the web site of the online casino, clicking the Download button and then following the easy to understand instructions. When registering players will need to choose the currency they are wagering. Players should go for the currency of the country of residence if accepted at the online casino. The next step is to open a real money account at the casino. For this account players will have to choose a payment option that they will use to deposit and withdraw funds. It is important for players to understand the casino’s policies for payment. Credit cards are convenient because so many people have them but many credit cards do not make it possible for players to withdraw funds into the card account and they receive their winnings through bank checks that take time to clear. Prepaid vouchers can be purchased for cash at retail outlets without leaving a trail, but again do not allow withdrawals. Electronic wallets allow both deposits and withdrawals and hence are the preferred option. The player will most likely need to submit photocopies of identity proof and address documentation before being able to make a deposit to beginning playing

The casino will often offer attractive bonuses to new players. It is important that players fully understand the terms and conditions of these bonuses, whether or not they choose to take advantage of them. The decision occurs when making the first deposit on the site. The choice is unchangeable and should be made with care.

The player is then ready to wager at the casino. The online casino offers a large numbers of games that can be seen at the games lobby after logging in. The games are classified into categories for the convenience of the players. You will often see casinos offering online slots, video poker, roulette, card games, fixed odd games and scratch cards. Some categories like online slots may have sub categories. The individual games are listed within each category or sub category.

After selecting a game the player can click on it to open the game on his screen. Before placing a wager he must check out the rules. These can usually be found through a Help button on the screen. Another things to note is that when the player places a bet his account balance is accordingly decreased. If the player does not win then the online casino does not take any further action and the player can place a new wager if he wants to. If the player wins then his balance is credited with the amount won, which will include the amount wagered. When the player has finished betting her can withdraw his balance from the online casino or leave it there for his next session.

What’s one of the stupidest mistakes men make on first dates with single women? It’s spending too much money on trying to impress them.

Some guys go to the trouble and expense of renting a limo, giving her a dozen red roses, going to the most expensive restaurant in town, or taking her to a resort, etc.

Please guys, save your hard-earned money and don’t do these things to impress women on a first date. First dates are solely for the purpose of getting to know each other, share common interests, to see if you’re compatible, and to see if there’s any chemistry.

A lot of guys blow all this money on first dates that don’t even work out. A lot of times you just don’t hit it off and never see each other again.

Here’s the Best Way to Invest Your Money for a Good Time First Date

While we are on the subject of first dates, let’s talk about where to go on a first date. The most boring thing you can do is go out to eat and go see a movie. There at the restaurant you are trying to eat and think of something to talk about. Then you end up at a movie where you don’t talk at all. Plus, you risk seeing a movie that’s stupid and boring.

Let me suggest the best place to go for a first date. Go to a comedy club and I will tell you why:

This is the easiest way to entertain your date and make a good impression. Guess who’s going to be entertaining your date and showing her a good time? The comedians!

They are going to make her laugh and you will be laughing together. And the good part about it is that she will look back on the date and feel that she really had a good time. The spirit of laughter is so good for the soul too. As a matter of fact, I think that all couples should go to a comedy club at least once a month.

P.S. – I would advise you not to give expensive gifts on a first date. Wait until you get to know each other better and there’s a mutual attraction towards each other.

I want to thank Stephen W. Oachs for participating in this interview. I hope you will enjoy this insight behind the popular and successful Aperture Academy in Campbell, CA. This entrepreneur has found a winning formula for keeping his business growing during these difficult economic times. The “secret ingredient” seems to be giving customers what they want, and a bit more.

:: This month you’re celebrating the two year anniversary of Aperture Academy. For those not familiar with it, can you share a bit of its history?::

Oh sure, well, it all started on a little farm in the middle of Oregon…[laughter]…no no, I wont bore you with my childhood. Let’s see, let’s go back about 10 years ago when I first picked up a camera with any serious interest in being creative. I spent the first few years teaching myself digital photography by way of books and the Internet, but mostly through a heck of a lot of trial and error.

I spent the next two years traveling more and refining my craft further. I was learning the hard way about the great importance of capturing the best quality image first in the camera. I had spent those first few years shooting fairly recklessly with my settings, figuring I’d correct any problems in post processing. However, because people wanted larger and larger prints, I found that my earlier images that were more post-processed just didn’t have the quality that I needed, and wanted, for fine prints. So I refined my camera skills to get the best image possible in the camera, first and foremost, and my enlarged prints reflected that superior quality.

By 2007, I had about 20 images in my portfolio that I was most proud of, so I decided to begin setting up at local Art and Wine shows. To my surprise, people were interested in my work! I’ll never forget packing up that Sunday afternoon after my first show and thinking how this could be a new chapter in my life… little did I know where things would go from there.

In late 2008 someone asked me if I could help them with their camera. We spent a day out shooting and I had this epiphany that I really enjoyed teaching. A couple months later I had sold four spots in my first on-location workshop (a day in San Francisco). Ironically, we still conduct this same workshop today, and the route we take hasn’t changed!

Over the following eight months, I sold out one workshop a month. I capped the group size at six students, which was just the right size for me to give everyone individualized attention and ensure everyone came away having had a great experience. The problem was, the workshops were filling up every time and I was turning people away… and my business mind saw all the missed opportunity! (laugher) So, in mid 2009, I emailed Brian Rueb, a fellow photographer from Redding, California, and asked if he might be interested in helping me teach some classes.

We immediately found that Brian and I made a good team, and those first few workshops we did together were really great. We shared a very similar style of having fun first, and we were teaching from that approach, which the students were loving. Even today, this is the core of our philosophy.

Brian and I began brainstorming about what would be next. Do we grow this bigger, or just keep a cap on it…we decided to go big, or go home! I called upon another good friend and fellow photographer, Scott Davis, and then we were three [laughter]…bad movie line!

That is when I began the arduous task of writing a business plan and creating financial forecasts. The planning was insane, but we had to be sure our plan was solid. By end of summer 2009 I had secured a 4,000 square foot facility surrounded with 10-foot glass walls. It was the perfect location for what we had dubbed as “The Aperture Academy,” a fine art photography gallery and school. We opened the doors in the fall.

In October of 2010, our first full year of business, we had 864 students that had attended our classes and workshops. This year (2011), we’re on track to grow that by 478%.

Looking forward into 2012, we’re adding many new classes and workshops, but I’m most excited about our new “Sojourn Workshop Series,” which includes trips to Iceland, Africa and a couple other surprises!

:: That amount of growth is amazing, especially in one of the most difficult economic times we’ve seen in decades. When most businesses experienced a recession, why do you think Aperture Academy experienced so much growth?::

I believe it’s a combination of things, but primarily it’s because our customers tend to see our workshops as “stay-cations,” but with the added benefit that they can combine an outdoor getaway with the added stimulation of learning something exciting. I also believe that photographers, of any skill level, are passionate about honing their craft, and people are always looking for ways to learn and grow. Photography is a great stage for those who enjoy the outdoors and being creative. Not to mention we deliver a really good time…seriously, we really do pride ourselves on customer service and making sure each and every person who chooses to join us leaves having a stellar experience, as well as a camera full of new images they can be proud of!

:: If you could name one thing, what would you say has been the biggest key to the success of Aperture Academy?::

That’s easy, it’s the staff. We truly have an amazing group of talented individuals. Everyone shares the same passion and dedication for delivering a high quality learning experience. Plus it’s important that everyone works well together, which can be a hard thing to do. It’s one of our challenges today…finding new staff that can meet and exceed our standards. Most of all though, I love how everyone brings their own unique style, and that’s great for our students in that they get to learn in a variety of different ways, which helps ensure that they come away with the best opportunities to learn.

:: I understand that Aperture Academy has a high percentage of students that return for additional classes and workshops.::

We sure do! We are averaging about a 30% return rate. In fact, we often joke with those who are on their 4th and 5th workshops with us that “we may need to consider a restraining order” [laughter]. Seriously though, we really do have a loyal following, and it’s certainly something we never expected we’d see in such high numbers. I love to watch them grow and improve in their photography. Every time they come back they are anxious to refine certain skill sets as well as join us in the field of our latest journey.

We recently launched a page on our website called the “Hall of Fame”, which is a spotlight on some of our returning students. We’ve extended them a lifetime discount to thank them for their returning business. And our record holder? It’s a gentleman who has taken 16 workshops!

:: It sounds like you guys have a lot of fun on these workshops; can you tell me about a couple of your favorite moments?::

Where do I start?! Granted, with the amount of classes we do, I can’t teach all of them, but of the one’s that I’ve helped instruct, I can think of some pretty funny times. I think my favorite all time funniest moment was on our San Francisco/Marin Headlands class just this past spring.

We had stopped in Sausalito for a short break and once everyone was ready, we loaded back up in the van to head to our next shooting location. Not 30 seconds from the restaurant, the back of the van erupted with shouts of, “we’re missing somebody!!” When I looked in the side mirror, I could see Sunny, our “missing” student, sprinting down the road after the van. Boy that guy could RUN! We, of course, pulled over and he jumped in, a bit winded, but again with us! We all laughed pretty hard…it was the first time we’d ever left someone at a stop! Sunny was a great sport and we still joke to this day about it…he’s been on two more workshops since then and he always says he’s going to “stick close to me.” [laughter]

The other times I can recall aren’t so much funny as they are entertaining and those would be the times we get together as a group for dinner on our two-day workshops. It’s always a lot of fun to get to know everyone more on a personal level and I’m always amazed at the dichotomy of the group. The camaraderie never ceases to amaze me and I learn so much.

:: The Aperture Academy is a 4,000 ft. fine art gallery featuring your photography, can you talk a bit more about the retail side of the business?::

Of course. The gallery is a key component of what we do. The gallery is located in the Campbell Pruneyard Center, a well known landmark in the South San Francisco Bay area. We are open from 10am to 8pm, 7 days a week.

Attention to detail in the gallery is huge. I’m very particular about presentation and the experience people have when they come in. The visual is most important, but we also work hard to tempt their other senses with great smelling candles, relaxing music and large, comfortable sitting areas where they can relax and enjoy the photography.

We also rent the gallery as a venue and have had some amazing events. And twice a year we hold our own Gallery Open House events, where we typically see 600-800 people come though. We invite vendors such as Bay Photo, Canon, F-Stop, Photozini and others to share their products and services with our guests. It’s always free to attend… and food and drinks are provided.

One of my favorite things we’ve done so far is when we had a wildlife show with wild cats, owls and other exotic animals brought in by a non-profit educational facility. They brought in rescue animals that would not have survived in the wild. The animals were beautiful, and the educational aspect of it was really great.

:: With 2012 just around the corner, can you talk about what plans you have for the upcoming year?::

Well, first it’s hard to believe that 2012 is here already. Everything we’ve done in the past two years has been building the foundation for the new things to come.

I’m most excited about our new Sojourn Series of workshops. These will be international trips to places such as Africa, Iceland and beyond. We are in the final stages of planning and the new year’s schedule will be fully posted soon.

We are also looking into the idea of expanding with a second gallery location to act as another sales outlet for fine art prints, as well as a base of operation for an expanded workshop itinerary.

On top of all of that, we also have some other pretty exciting news that I can’t quite go into detail on yet, but let me just leave you with saying that 2012 is going to be a BIG year for the Aperture Academy! 

[Please visit www.ApertureAcademy.com to learn more and see stunning examples of his work, read workshop stories and see student photos.]

Back in the day, a driving instructor gave this advice when asked for suggestions on how to improve fuel efficiency. His response drew laughs, but the theory behind his response was perfectly sound. His advice was to place an egg under the accelerator pedal. While accelerating, if the egg broke, the driver was not driving in an efficient manner. The point he made was “slow and easy” works best. By applying soft, easy pressure on the accelerator, jackrabbit starts are avoided. Obviously, fast take-offs from a standing stop burn excessive amounts of petrol and will have adverse effects on fuel economy.

When on the open road, you can save money by using the speed control device that have become fairly common on every motor car. A constant speed lowers consumption of fuel and will get you to your destination as quickly as or quicker than the jack ass who keeps passing, then falling behind you every kilometre or two.

Whether you set your speed control or not, driving at or below speed limits, will have a positive impact on your mileage. At 50 km, your efficiency increases by as much as 20% over a 70 km speed. Slow down, relax. You will get there in plenty of time and save a few dollars along the way.

Today’s cars are loaded with accessories. They have more computer power than earlier space capsules. Every option uses the power of the car’s engine to recharge the batteries. The more accessories you have in use, the less favourable your mileage figures will be. The most significant fuel guzzler is the air conditioner. Certainly a person wouldn’t want to give up on that luxury, but on those days when outside temperatures are pleasant, consider rolling down the windows and breathing in some of that fine Australian air. It’s free.

Devices that remotely start your vehicle seem like a great idea. In reality they are not. They are fuel wasters and do the environment harm. Engines emit most of their toxic fumes when at idle and waste precious litres of petrol. Toughen up. Don’t start the car until you are ready to depart. Let the engine warm for 30 seconds or so, and then take off. Remember the egg. The same advice applies during the hot seasonal temperatures. Consider applying window tint or film and or cardboard cut-outs for your windscreen to keep out as much sunlight as possible. Do not sit on your leather seats wearing shorts. That has nothing to do with fuel economy but it sure prevents burns.

Unfortunately, coasting downhill only works for half of the trip, but coasting when possible is a terrific plan. Get the big picture ahead of you and anticipate stops and try to avoid sudden ones. If your car’s transmission has an overdrive gear, use it on the highways and open roads. The gearing will provide more efficiency.

Check your tyres for proper inflation. Tyres under inflated cause drag on the car and influence mileage. Use only tires specified by the manufacturer. Improperly sized tyres, those too broad or two tall are not to be used.

Keep your car running well by changing oil on a regular basis, and keeping the engine tuned. Change air filters on a regular recommended basis. Some experts strongly believe that converting to synthetic oil will improve mileage.

Close off passenger vents when not needed, and drive with your windows rolled up when motoring at highway speeds to reduce drag and increase efficiency. Every adjustment to your driving habits has some effect on mileage. The more you adhere to these bits of advice, the better of an economy car you get.

In the beginning there were no dating services. The very first thing that even resembled a dating service was started by a Jewish woman.

Way back when, the Jewish people wandered through the desert with herds of sheep. There was always an older woman called a matchmaker who paired up young, single people who, for some reason, couldn’t pair up on their own. Stories were written about matchmakers, songs, and entire books. “Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match, find me a find, catch me a catch.”

These lyrics didn’t come out of thin air. They came out of the existence of the little old Jewish ladies who performed that particular service since the days of the Old Testament.

Today there are thousands of dating services around the country, many of which have dedicated their services to matching up Jewish singles. Each and every one of them tries to be different in a business that is essentially the same everywhere. They do background checks, profiles of interests, habits, likes and dislikes and then try to match people up based on similarities in their answers. Some Jewish dating services simply offer people a presentation, some on video, some in printed folders, where a prospective single can, for a fee, sit down and browse through the prospective date files, write down phone numbers and then later make contact. One Jewish dating service even went so far as to arrange single prayer services at local temples during the High Holidays, matching up singles, who would have been attending the services anyway by putting them together in a special seating area.

Interestingly, the bulk of Jewish dating clients are not deeply religious people. They’re Jewish but some haven’t been to a temple in years. For some reason, they just feel more attracted to Jewish members of the opposite sex than to people outside their religion. It’s not the Jewish religion that brings them together, it’s being Jewish.

Biorhythms have been studied for many generations. As human beings, we are always trying to better understand ourselves and the study of biorhythms seeks to understand and plot our body’s natural cycles. This sounds simple until you are faced with your biorhythms presented as three mathematical lines on a graph. The reading and interpretation of both the current state of your biorhythms and the immediate future of your biorhythms can at first appear to be tricky.

Biorhythm readings are usually presented covering the three major biorhythm cycles of Physical, Emotional and Intellectual states. The readings are most commonly provided as a graphical curve with the horizontal line representing time (usually days) and the vertical line representing the reading for that time. The readings will be presented as being either a positive percentage, zero or a negative percentage – the maximum reading being 100% and the minimum reading being -100%. A reading of zero is actually a ‘middle reading’. Ok, so far so good, so for my physical biorhythm reading for today, I locate the physical biorhythm curve (usually blue), I look along the biorhythms graph to find today’s date and read vertically to get a reading that will be between plus one hundred percent and minus one hundred percent. Repeat then for Emotional Biorhythm and for Intellectual Biorhythm.

Ok, this is all very easy and I am sure that most of you understand how to read numbers from a graph. However, what is most important is the need to be able to interpret the biorhythm reading to give it meaning to you and to your current state of being. As I have said to a number of queries I have received concerning biorhythms, it is really up to the individual how much they get from their biorhythm reading. Some people will tell you that if they have all three biorhythms showing -100% that they will not leave their house whilst others (me included) prefer to see such negative indicators as a warning that we should perhaps take a little more care in applying ourselves to our daily lives – a forewarned is forearmed approach.

Taking this philosophy a step further, it is straightforward to see that a 100% reading for the physical biorhythm for example may indicate that we have more bounce in our step whereas for a -100% reading we may feel a little out of tune, perhaps a little quicker to get tired.

What is important to recognise is that biorhythm cycles cannot predict significant life events – despite what many biorhythm gurus will tell you. You may well have a heart attack on a 100% physical day or feel sad on a 100% emotional day – it is just that those events will not be quite as bad as if they had occurred on more negative days.

More noteworthy may be those days upon which a transition occurs between positive and negative – the day when a biorhythm reading crosses the zero line. We all interpret these days as transitions and observe that life in that area of biorhythm may be somewhat more chaotic than usual.

Whatever your views on biorhythms and however you choose to use and interpret them, remember that the very fact that you took the time out to study something for you that is about you is in itself a beneficial and life enhancing act.

In a night’s dream, Saeed finds himself in the desert, his home, the same desert in which he is sleeping, he is surrounded by mostly familiar people, family, friends, along with some new faces. He finds himself free, free to do whatever wish comes to his mind, free to talk to whomever… he looks around, sees a woman standing close to him, he approaches and says hello. She is looking around her, then in his direction, looks at him, sees him, fear in her eyes, tears, for him. He asks her, “Is something the matter?” She does not hear him, does not respond, and looks away some seconds later. Perplexed, he walks backwards then turns to another person, a man. The man smiles but does not say anything, looks at Saeed, the smile slowly fades and is replaced by a blank face. Fear gently brushes Saeed’s mind, making him question his existence. Unwilling to give in, he lifts his head and looks for another person, there is a woman, she is close, within a few steps. His strength and will return, straightening his posture, unintentionally smiling, she is beautiful, she smiles back at him, he is beyond himself, thinking it is not a bad place after all. He takes a small step towards her, reluctant but clear in the direction he needs to go.

She continues to smile, as if encouraging him, but something about her as a whole changes. He takes another step, then another. She continues to change, becoming a little more transparent with every inch he moves closer to her. With another step, he finds himself looking at her beautiful but cloudy face, light wrinkles surrounding her eyes. The smile is still there, waiting for him to reach out. Saeed finds himself lost, tears roll down his face. He does not want to lose her. Looks around for help, his eyes desperately searching between the multitudes of shadows surrounding him. Biting his lower lip, raising his hands and covering his face, he lowers himself to the desert floor, crouching, attempting to fight back his tears to no avail. He begins to beg for mercy, for a way from this place, for a way to understand where he is, what to do, where to go. Eventually he raises head, he has decided to break away from this place. He stands and walks eastward in the direction of the rising sun. He passes numerous friends but does not look at any one of them. Finally he feels that no one is close to him any longer, he is alone. He continues to walk in the same direction, a few moments later he finds himself looking at a white wall. It is too high to jump, too smooth to climb. He looks around him for help but finds no one, looks back in the direction he came from and sees nothing but sand. He starts shaking and punching the wall.

“Saeed! Saeed!”

Waking to his new friend’s touch, Saeed forces his eyes open. Looks around and sees only one person. It is Yusef, the person he met the day before. He reaches to touch Yusef’s hand. Yusef smiles, “You were having a rough dream, but you will manage, for this too shall pass. That is one promise the universe makes.”

Saeed was awake the remainder of the night, thinking about his recent choices that brought him to the desert. After some consideration, he comes to some conclusions in regards to the dream. Dawn came and the sun rose, a new day, and with it second chances. Saeed mentioned the dream to Yusef.

“What do you think the message is?” Asked Saeed.

“In short, I think the most important one is for you to find a way to be happy wherever you happen to be.”

“Practice, practice, practice,” that’s what many kids are told, “Practice makes perfect after all.”

It’s a fair point. Steve Gadd may be naturally talented, but he still had to work hard to become the musician he is today. What many drummers fail to realise is that hours and hours of practising bad habits can do more harm than good. It’s easy to ignore such practical and boring advice in the early stages. It’s easy to nurture the single minded goal of playing 16th notes between the feet faster than Joey Jordison, but if correct posture and techniques are ignored you may be a cripple before you reach that goal. Let’s just forget about the limitations that bad technique and posture can put on your playing, and focus purely on physical health.

Eighty percent of adults suffer from back pain at some point in their life. This can have a severe detrimental effect on their lives and even force them to give up hobbies or work, with one in eight unemployed people blaming back pain for the jobless state.

These are depressing statistics but a large majority of these cases are purely muscular problems as a result of bad habits over a long period of time. Very few people actually have spinal damage. How many people do you know who slouch in front of a computer screen for 8 hours each day before rushing home to slump on the couch for a few hours only to move to an old, sagging mattress for a further 8 hours? The spine is not designed to support the body in such a way and if we habitually live like this, after several years, the strain will make its presence known.

This is no different for a drummer who may practice or gig for several hours, not to mention lugging the gear to and from the van. Concerning the constant lifting of heavy drum gear, you have two options;

1) become a superstar and get the roadies to break their backs, or

2) lift carefully with a straight back, bending from the knees.

The playing aspects, however, need to be looked at in slightly more depth, but as it is only muscular strain, it can often be easily cured by changing the fundamentals of your playing.

Doctor of Chiropractors Timothy Jameson and Founder/Director of the Chiropractic Performing Arts Network (http://www.musicianshealth.com) says, “The spine is a dynamic organ that responds to physical, chemical, and emotional stress throughout your lifetime.

Physical stresses are problems like postural distortions, previous auto injuries, previous sports related injuries, falls, forward head posture and cumulative traumas, such as repetitive drumming for hour upon hour.

Chemical stress is what you are putting (or not putting) in your body. Put lousy foods in your body and you have poor health, as your spine is directly related to your health.

Finally, a very important aspect of spinal health is your current and past emotional health. Your current emotional health directly impacts the way you hold your body. If you’re suffering from depression or poor self-esteem, you will carry your body with a forward head posture and drooped shoulders. If you have severe emotional stress in your past, it can be stored within the neuro-muscular network and create chronic spinal stress.”

So your diet and emotional state play a big role in keeping your spine in good working order.

WHEN IS A CHAIR NOT A CHAIR?

“When it is an instrument of torture,” says Richard Norris in The Musician’s Survival Manual. The very chair that seemingly supports you through all your greatest playing moments may actually be the most health threatening element of your set-up, engaged in a mission to sabotage your career. We’ve all seen the ergonomic office chairs that promote correct posture by positioning the feet behind us, but this isn’t practical for a drummer when the bass drum is in front so what can we do?

Stool Height

The importance of correct seat height is endorsed by Vinnie Colaiuta who used to sit incredibly low until he suffered from chronic back pain as a result.

As drummers come in many different shapes and sizes, each player’s set-up should be very individual, enabling them to play the instrument with ease whilst avoiding unnecessary stretching. The optimal height for a drum throne is when it allows you to sit with your knees level or several inches below your hips and both feet sit on the pedals several inches in front of your knees.

Dr Timothy adds, “The position of the seat in relation to the drum kit is also important. A movement of an inch or two in either direction can be essential in keeping spinal and muscular balance.”

Posture

Why do some people manage to play for several decades without any problems when others can’t avoid the agony in a practice session? Clinical Associate Professor at Ithaca College, Nick Quarrier, says, “The answer to this million dollar question may be that repetitious activity is not injurious by itself unless it is performed in an abnormal stressful posture. More importantly, the abnormal stressed posture may be the cause of a large percentage of music-related injuries.”

The great, late Elvin Jones Spoke of the importance of his posture saying that he had to be comfortable and relaxed when playing. That meant sitting at the right height and being centrally balanced.

To sit correctly whilst drumming is no different from any other activity. You should be upright with a straight back with your shoulders above your hips. To find the correct posture, sit on the stool and completely slouch. Now straighten your back as much as possible with an over exaggerated lower back curve. You can then release the position very slightly to find the perfect position. This may feel very strange if you are used to slouching but by doing this process, it may highlight the extreme difference between correct posture and slouching. This way your core muscles are supporting your body rather than your spine. Instead of scrunching forward, your arms and shoulders should hang naturally and relaxed with your weight distributed evenly across both hips.

An upright spine is helped by raising the back of the seat by about 15 or 20 degrees. This is easily achieved with a block of wood under the back legs. This position encourages correct lumbar curve and sitting up so tall prevents the flattening of your diaphragm and collapsing of your chest, which limits full breathing.

As well as posture, the way you incorporate muscular movement in your playing can also prevent injury. A useful exercise from Dr Timothy is to, “Check the muscular tension in your neck whilst playing slower beats. Now play at 150bpm and check how much tension you are carrying throughout your body as the speed increases?”

BACK TO BASICS – PREVENTION

If you are lucky enough to have avoided back pain thus far, here are some tips to keep you on the right path.

Warm up An athlete would never burst into a sprint without a thorough warm-up and neither should a musician. Most players have their own preferred warm up to avoid injury and ensure optimum performance. It may simply entail a sequence of rudiments, gradually increasing with speed.

Analyze your lifestyle Your drumming technique may be perfect but that’s no good if you’re causing the damage elsewhere. Ensure good habits through every activity, i.e. sport, computer usage, lifting, carrying bay, etc.

Kit set-up Make sure your kit is set up for maximum efficiency to avoid over stretching.

Stretch Every human should stretch their muscles, especially if you’re involved in physical activity. Well stretched gluteal muscles and hamstrings are important to maintain looseness, and lower back mobility exercises are crucial to avoid seizing up later in life.

Core muscle stability Our core muscles are often the key to great posture. With bad habits, these muscles wither and so our back takes the strain which in turn allows the muscles to wither even more. A vicious circle occurs. By developing these abdominal muscles, the back is relieved from this extra strain. Core muscles are not your six-pack but do sit behind them forming a corset-esque band around the tummy. You strengthen these by tensing in the same way you would upon entering a cold sea. You should aim to hold that tension for 10 seconds whilst allowing maintained, natural breathing.

Meditation Drummers such as Steve Smith frequently talk about practising as a meditation in a relaxed way with focused breathing. Increasingly, physiotherapists are suggesting meditation as a method of correcting physical problems such as back pain. A mass of books and CDs such as ‘Meditation for Optimum Health: How to Use Mindfulness and Breathing to Heal Your Body and Refresh Your Mind’ (Andrew Weil & Jon Kabat-Zinn) are available to talk about the benefits of this and how to put it into action.

The Alexander technique is very popular with many musicians. Lessons are undertaken and your specific needs are addressed through a method that releases harmful tension by coordinating the mind and body. This also vastly improves posture and general health.

The Feldenkrais Method, as taught at Berklee College of Music, is a system that allows the body to move and function more efficiently and comfortably. It can re-educate the nervous system and improve motor ability whilst relieving pressure on joints, allowing the body to heal repetitive strain injuries. Continued use of the method can relieve pain and lead to higher standards of achievement in music.

NO TURNING BACK? –CURE

If you’re one of the many who suffers from back pain, here are some tips to get on the road to recovery.

Acupuncture A Chinese method with a 2000 year history, involving thin needles pushed into specific points in the body thought to correspond to certain organs and anatomic areas deep inside.

Chiropractor The chiropractic philosophy is that realigning the spine relieves pressure on the spinal nerves, which can help restore natural nerve function throughout the body. They believe a well-aligned body is more naturally balanced and therefore less pain is experienced.

Osteopaths believe the body is an integrated, biological system. As a result, problems in one area of the body can adversely affect other areas. The function and structure are closely related so by correcting the structure, the body will function properly.

Massage therapy Studies have shown massage to improve range of motion, blood circulation and levels of endorphins.

Yoga develops muscular endurance and flexibility through stretches that allow the muscles to be strengthened.

Spinal Surgery Usually considered a last option as 95% of patients with low back pain can benefit from non-operative methods.

WHICH PROFESSIONAL?

Back pain is still not fully understood and different professionals from different practices will offer contradicting opinions and cures.

As a result, finding the right cure for your backache can be a real headache but it is well worth the effort, trying different methods to see what works for you. Find out which treatments are covered by health insurance and start with those to avoid the expense. Before embarking on any type of treatment, seek professional advice first and use this article only as a guide.

Whatever your situation, it is important to play with correct posture so you can enjoy a long and painless life of drumming. It may even help you play faster and more naturally so get back in the practice room and sit up straight!

RELEVANT BOOKS

The Athletic Musician: A Guide to Playing Without Pain

by Harrison Christine

Playing (less) Hurt: An Injury Prevention Guide For Musicians

by Janet Horvath

Body Learning: An Introduction to the Alexander Technique

by Michael J. Gelb

The Alexander Technique (2000)

by Jane Kosminsky and Deborah Caplan

Musician’s Injuries: A Guide to their Understanding and Prevention

by Nicola Culf

The Musician’s Survival Manual

by R. Norris

Matt Dean is a professional drummer, tutor and author. He publishes a FREE drum blog full or articles, video lessons and other drumming resources.