The Snare Drum Virtuoso

Season 2, Episode 1

In this episode, Jonathan Curtis takes a candid and honest look at the realities of being 'an artist.' This enigmatic phrase often causes a reaction at social gatherings, and it is often unclear how these 'artists' spend their days and make a living.

In this episode, Jonathan explores the realities of practising, how one spends their days, and making a living within the arts.

www.JonathanCurtis.co.uk

© Artificer Productions 2025

The Snare Drum Virtuoso

Advice for Mastering the Snare Drum

In this episode, Jonathan Curtis takes a candid approach to mastering the snare drum, sharing points of advice that can elevate one's ability and understanding on the instrument.

The snare drum can be a difficult instrument to understand, and knowing where to direct one's efforts can be very helpful in navigating this discipline.

www.JonathanCurtis.co.uk

The Snare Drum Virtuoso

Episode 9 - Rudimental Drumming

In this episode, Jonathan Curtis discusses the concept of rudimental drumming, what this means, and how it is used in the modern context.

Rudimental drumming can be something of a watchword for many drummers today, with differing opinions on whether it is useful, applicable, or relevant in today's artform. By considering what the term means and the connotations that come with it, we can re-evaluate our relationship with rudimental drumming.

Upcoming Q&A

If you woud like to submit a question for consideration in the upcoming Q&A episode, please do so below.

www.JonathanCurtis.co.uk

© Artificer Productions 2024

The Snare Drum Virtuoso

Episode 8 - Learning a Piece of Music

In this first episode of the new series, Jonathan Curtis discusses his process for engaging with a new piece of music. This process involves considering context in which the composer was working, their intentions and background, and trying to understand their approach to the piece in general.

www.JonathanCurtis.co.uk

© Artificer Productions 2024

The Snare Drum Virtuoso Podcast

Episode 7: On Self-Taught Musicians

In this episode, Jonathan Curtis tackles the difficult topic of whether one can succesfully learn as a self-taught musician, or whether teachers are truly necessary.

This leads to discussions on the role of teachers, some self reflection on a learning journey, and the definition of "proper" tuition or the "correct" way to do something.

www.JonathanCurtis.co.uk

© Artificer Productions 2024

The Snare Drum Virtuoso

Episode 6 - Seminal Works on the Snare Drum

In this episode, Jonathan Curtis explores a selection of seminal works that have shaped the snare drum. These include instrucitonal books and pedagogical works, as well as compositions and repertoire collections.

Engaging with the repertoire, tradition, and history of an artform is vital to its understanding, and an important step for practitioners to improve. Jonathan discusses his engagement with these seminal works and how they have helped to shape his own playing within the field.

www.JonathanCurtis.co.uk

© Artificer Productions 2024

The Snare Drum Virtuoso

Episode 5 - Progress and the Path to Mastery

In this episode, Jonathan Curtis explores the stages of progress from beginner to master. This includes ideas of teacher dependency, depth of subject knowledge, technical facility, confidence, experience, and specialisation.

Mastery is a fascinating topic, and one that many musicians pursue. However, it can be difficult to understand or describe precisely what mastery entails. Jonathan explores this topic in a conversational manner, considering various ideas and concepts that pertain to the idea of mastering a craft.

www.JonathanCurtis.co.uk

© Artificer Productions 2024

The Snare Drum Virtuoso

Episode 4 - Practice

In this episode, Jonathan Curtis tackles the topic of practice. Despite its importance for learning virtually any skill, practising is often poorly understood and poorly executed.

When viewed as a skill in its own right, we can learn to practise in such a way that results are apparent and quick.

This episode explores the five pillars of deliberate practice which, when combined, form the basis for efficient and productive skill acquisition. It also covers the idea of engagement and subject knowledge, through which one can deepen their overall familiarity with their artform as a whole.

www.JonathanCurtis.co.uk

www.YouTube.com/JCurtisDrums

© Artificer Productions

The Snare Drum Virtuoso

Episode 3 - The Repertoire

In this episode, Jonathan Curtis explores "the repertoire" of the snare drum, including what this means, the historical development, and the body of work to which this term refers.

Understanding the history, the key figures, and the key pieces within the repertoire is an important step in deepening one's knowledge of the instrument as a whole.

www.JonathanCurtis.co.uk

www.YouTube.com/JCurtisDrums

© Artificer Productions 2024

Episode 2

The Rudiments

In this episode, Jonathan Curtis explores the conceptual idea of the rudiments, addressing their descriptive nature, their compositional function, and specific musical application of the patterns themselves.