A Rhythmic Murder Mystery

A game for sharp listeners: you find clues in the music
to solve the mystery

P. Bodie's swanky solo and last words

"Hello, I'm Phineas Bodie. Most people call me P. Bodie. The envelope I'm holding contains the missing note from John Cage's piece, '4'33" of Almost Silence'. There are powers that will stop at nothing to keep me from delivering this envelope to the proper authorities. In fact, I'm being followed at this very moment. I must leave immediately!"

Alas, these are the last words of P. Bodie (played by Wes Crawford). Now it's up to you to solve the mystery and recover the "missing note!"

From the creator of the original Drumset Play-Along DVD, Wes Crawford presents still another innovative concept in active listening. The Rhythmic Murder Mystery DVD contains swinging, swanky, fun and funky electronic drum solos performed by Wes. The wacky narrator (Brian McNelis) presents the unfolding mystery, challenging you to piece together the solution by listening to the music-oriented clues woven into the performance.

Originally performed live, this DVD version is an adaptation of Wes's successful "Rhythmic Murder Mystery" one-man show, designed to build active listening skills. The DVD's menu options allow you to play the performance with the narrator, play the pieces without the narration, or jump in at any chapter.

Try it!

A strange narrator asks Question #1

Play this clip for the first question, and listen for your first clue.

Did you figure out the answer? If you did, good for you! Order the DVD and enjoy unraveling the rest of the mystery.

If you didn't get it, don't worry. The hints and tips give you just enough help to figure it out on your own. No, we're not giving the answers away! You'll enjoy developing your listening skills as you go through the creative musical puzzles in the rest of the game.

You won't find any other murder mystery that gets you laughing, thinking, and tapping your feet all in the same game....

Bonus -- Preview 3 excerpts (for a limited time)

Enjoy a sneak peek at three clips that show how to develop new music with creative ideas for drumset and electronics. (Videos may take a few moments to load.)

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Educators, Performers, and Parents give A Rhythmic Murder Mystery rave reviews...

"The 'Rhythmic Murder Mystery DVD' by Wes Crawford is a breakthrough instructional DVD experience where the watcher is taught how to listen carefully to rhythm by following a "who done it" game. By playing so expertly on a Roland electronic drum set, Wes Crawford also demonstrates just how far the state of the art of electronic drumming has come.... Highly recommended, especially for beginners and intermediate musicians as well as drummers."

Billy Ward, Award-winning drum video producer, Modern Drummer Magazine columnist, drumset performer and teacher

"I checked out the DVD and thought it was a creative and fun idea! You... keep students actively involved..."

Dom Famularo, Master Drumset Instructor, Clinician and Author

"It's like Akira Jimbo meets Sherlock Holmes. I highly recommend this entertaining DVD."

Bart Elliot, www.drummercafe.com

"Thanks so much for the copy of your latest DVD. I dig it. I played the game with both of my sons, who also play drums. and we all think it's a winner! ....my DrumBeat Fest audience would have some fun with this and it would be quite a bit different than the usual clinic/performance type stuff."

Bill Meligari, Reviews and resources on Drums, Drumming and Percussion www.tigerbill.com

"Wes Crawford's DVD 'A Rhythmic Murder Mystery' is a creative, compelling and fun way to explore rhythm and drumming."

Tom Teasley, Percussionist, Composer, Educator, www.tomteasley.com

"Wes Crawford has successfully performed his Rhythmic Murder Mystery at two VA/DC Percussive Society events. This is the drummers' equivalent of the "How to Host a Murder Mystery" dinner/parlor game. For players it is a bit of entertainment not found anywhere else. For students it helps make them aware of the elements of musical construction. While not overwhelmingly serious, it is educational and fun.... It has a campiness that has to appeal to any working musician with show experience."

Marshall Maley, President, VA/DC Percussive Arts Society

"Wes Crawford's DVD really opens your ears. You have to listen closely to the drums to get the clues, and it's not easy. You have to concentrate and stay with it. A very well thought out and fun instructional tool that develops listening ability. And after all, playing with other musicians is all about listening to them and zeroing in on what they're saying.

And he plays some powerful rhythms and solos on those electronic drums. The package is worth it for that alone. He's a wonderful player."

Jim Payne, Noted drummer, producer, author, teacher, and clinician, www.FunkyDrummer.com

How A Rhythmic Murder Mystery Improves Your Active Listening Skills

by Scott Tiemann
Founder, www.MyDrumLesson.com
Indie Rock drumming expert

"As a private lesson teacher and and music educator, I'm always looking around for new products, games, and books to inspire my students. Recently, I came across Wes Crawford's latest DVD Rhythmic Murder Mystery and was interested to read that a designing force behind the DVD was to help develop active listening and deeper understandings of basic musical concepts.

"I've discovered repeatedly, over the years, the benefits of helping students work on these skills. What should you listen for during a performance? Can you answer simple questions about what you heard? What instruments were heard during a piece? What meter was the piece in? What was its form?

"These are active listening skills that cannot be taken for granted, and must be worked on.

"In Wes's DVD, this developmental process is front and center, presented in a new and fun way. Your students will walk through a murder mystery in the roll of a detective. Along the way, clues to the mystery must be discovered by carefully listening to various Electronic Drumset Pieces and answering questions correctly about what they've heard.

"This DVD features very nice video production, with the highlight being the clear and well recorded audio tracks. Wes's playing is top notch throughout the video, and would alone be reason to pick up this DVD.

"While the DVD will work with many age groups, I believe that older students will mainly enjoy the adventurous drumset work and compositional elements of the product. Younger students will be more actively involved with the mystery component. A great feature of any DVD project is the ability to rewatch certain sections over and over if a first viewing doesn't answer the questions at the end of each chapter. And, this may be necessary for younger students (ages 10-15) as not all of the listening examples might be understood in one try. This isn't a drawback though, but rather a strength.

"If you're looking for new ways to develop active listening in your students, I recommend picking up Wes Crawford's Rhythmic Murder Mystery DVD."

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