The Special Timpanist (Paperback)

The 'Special' Timpanist. This book is not a manual on how to play the timpani or instructions about what you must do to become a successful timpanist (there are too many books like this). It is a combination of a short biography, some pointers in the basics and interpretation of timpani parts together with some true stories about the days in the life of just one professional timpanist.

ALAN CUMBERLAND was principal timpanist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra from 1968 to 1987. In 1987 he was appointed as Senior Lecturer in Percussion/Timpani at the Queensland Conservatorium and Principal of the Young Conservatorium, a position he held for eleven years before relocating to Hong Kong where from 1998 to 2015 he was Head of Woodwind, Brass and Percussion and Resident Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. In 2004 he published the trilogy of books 20 Graduated Studies for Timpani, Two Challenges for Timpani and 11 Graduated Studies for Snare Drum.