He was one of the all time great personalities of the world of drumming. His book is one of the first I used as reference in my studies while in the military and beyond those days. He will be sorely missed around the drum shops and percussion conferences and conventions through out the world............"Mr. Moeller Method", I would privately call him as that was the direction he promoted and, although I did not take that route those were and are ideas that I respect today.
Jim Chapin: July 23, 1919 to July 4, 2009............... Another good one gone but not without a serious musical legacy for us to embrace.

Wow. Talk about impact on drums.

Sheesh.

I use a combination of French and
now, with left-hand trad-lead, the
Moeller Method.

Thanks for all that you have done
for the drums.

RIP, Jim.

Wow! I did not know Jim had passed... Unlike you, Billy, the Moeller technique is something that I do use. But I was actually using it before I realized what it was or before I had even heard of the method through Mr. Chapin. It was just a very natural thing for me to rock my wrist and use the upstroke in that fashion when I played 16ths on the hi hat or if I simply wanted to convey a pulse. Nothing's really changed except after seeing it taught as Mr. Moeller's developed technique, I studied it and adopted it even more closely with a bit more added knowledge about what I was doing...

Any way you slice it, Jim Chapin is a major contribution to the drumming community.

Rest in peace, Mr. Chapin.

D.

I remember going to a drum clinic back in the late 80's which featured Jim Chapin and Joe Morello. Jim was still fairly spry but Joe Morello was not in great health and walking with a cane.

At first I thought the clinic was going to be disappointing because of that, but once those two guys climbed behind their kits, it was another matter entirely. All kinds of ass-kicking ensued.

I will treasure the memory of that day, and those two great drummers giving us the benefit of their wisdom.

RIP Jim Chapin and thank you for all you've given to the world of drumming. Peace, TED

Another legend in the drum industry gone.

R.I.P. Jim Chapin

What a bummer. I lost a friend of sorts, as I studied briefly with Jim. He was one of the nicest people I ever met. He truly cared about his students, something I always tried to do in my own teaching studio.

I use both his books to this day, as they are the best for jazz independence.

He will truly be missed.

R.I.P. Jim, you were one of kind.

Russ

Advanced Techniques in Modern Drumming - Vol II/Indendence - was like a Bible to me when Boomer first recommended I get a hold of it back in the 70s. Since then, I honestly can say that there isn't one thing I do behind the kit (independence wise) that cannot in one way or another be attributed to what I learned when working through Mr. Chapin's voluminous material.

Volume II (Independence) is inexhaustible. It somehow (with it's laminated sheets overlayed onto lessons that at first glance were totally unrelated) speaks to how a drummer's performance is only limited by that person's attitude toward musical possiblities. Pure genious on Mr. Chapin's part. What a system of learning and appreciation!

Thank you Jim for your contribution and legacy - and thank you Boomer for recognizing what would best benefit my musical growth.

A great man and personality. It's a strange feeling to look around and not feel the presence of a Jim Chapin or Michael Jackson in my social environment............... I don't believe that I can fill the void but, I have to try. They made very lasting impressions on me........ They are already missed.
Boomer

Quincy's name popped up but I wonder, was he in attendance at the ceremonies? No Prince or did I miss his remarks? Can anyone fill me in on those questions?

And yes, Don I am in accord.

Boomer

I read this about your questions, Billy.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/MichaelJackson/story?id=8027008&page=1


Michael Jackson's Memorial: Who Bailed and Why.

More about Quincys excuse.

http://www.bvnewswire.com/2009/07/02/quincy-jones-not-attending--jackson-s-funeral/

Here are my thoughts on Ms. Ross, Ms. Taylor and Mr. Jones:

Like me, they also likely thought the event would turn into a kind of showbiz gala and party.... A celebration if you will. Like the two of them, I did not want to see this because in my heart it should have been and was for me a time of mourning. The bottom line is someone(s) lost a friend, son, brother, father, uncle, cousin, nephew and so on.

My personal belief is that this is how Quincy and Liz felt. They didn't want to send him off with a bang, they just want to grieve for a dear friend that they've just lost. Same goes for Diana Ross. They surely did not want to be a part of what they likely figured would be a circus. I'm happy to say that while watching the entire memorial service yesterday, none of these fears came to pass for me. It was done and handled with the respect and dignity that Michael deserved, a beautiful and emotionally moving send off indeed.

I can tell you that when they brought the casket out while the ensemble sang that old time spiritual: "Were going to see the King", I could no longer hold back the tears. The ceremony, I thought was surely befitting the circumstances. A very human element came out in all of this.

I wish people would realize these things and remember to lock the barn door BEFORE the horse bolts. All the wonderful and beautiful acknowledgments seem to come out about a person AFTER he or she has died... I struggle with this.

It's not often that the Lord blesses the world with an extraordinary gift.... And what do we do? Instead of embracing and accepting it with open arms of appreciation, we scrutinize and look for faults and cracks in the armor, of which we ALL have. And when we find them, we stick our dagger in deep and work it around until the integrity of that armor becomes so weak and fragile that it's only a matter of time before it falls apart. Yes, I do believe that Michael may have perpetuated this to at least some extent.... But since age 5 he's lived in a fishbowl... What else did he know to do? In any case, I hope we all learn to appreciate the gifts that God bestows on us....

"The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away."I now know that, that passage extends beyond just the one who's been given life and then had that life taken. Concerning Michael and Mr. Chapin, We've ALL had a little piece of life taken from us and we are all losers in this regard.

D.

OK, that all makes sense regarding "Q" and the rest......... I can definitely understand why he chose to avoid this memorial ceremony. Wow, MJ was such a magnate in attracting the masses............ In this case I do believe that there are few in this world who will ever fit that mould although there are some who come close.
Don: Your thoughts are very succinctly put forth.
Woody: thanks for steering me in the right direction.

Boomer

A very dangerous thing happened to Michael, Billy. Michael the man actually transcended the music, at least in the eyes of the world. Man is temporary, music is eternal. NO human being can carry such a load, nor sustain, such a position.