The Tom Roll, the Brushstroke, and the Art of Tiny Things

Matt and his "mistress"

Many of you know that I am married to a drummer in a couple of bands. His "main" band is a rock band - Tretura. Home - Tretura - Oklahoma City Yes, we are a two-artist household - makes life VERY interesting sometimes.

Last weekend, Tretura played a benefit show in Norman. The weather was nice. Luckily there was no rain at the time they played. It was fun listening to the other bands and singers. I thought all of the musicians played really well, and it was a great show.

As we drove home, Matt started talking about a specific tom roll in one of the songs. He asked if I had noticed that he played a different beat to a specific tom roll. He then followed up with "you probably didn't notice the change." Apparently, in the last practice he decided to mix things up and added a complicated tom roll. The other band members were suitably impressed and thought it added to the song.

And while I did know the song, and I can identify a tom drum (thank you very much), I hadn’t caught the change. I was enjoying the "big picture" and didn't catch the changed-up tom roll. But the song sounded fantastic. The crowd loved it.

This sparked a thought.

Details Change Everything

In art, the smallest details can make a huge impact to the overall effect of piece of art. The artist knows exactly where they adjusted the shading, added a stitch, changed a shape, or yes—tweaked the cadence of a drum roll.

Sometimes, those tiny changes are what pull the whole piece together.  Sometimes, they shift the entire tone. Sometimes, they’re just for us. We obsess over them. We spend 40 minutes deciding between “light sienna” and “burnt sienna” only to hear:

“Oh, looks nice!”

As I have started working on human faces, it has been amazing how a few swipes of brown or tan or yellow can change the overall appearance of a painting. I have asked Matt before "can you tell a difference?" when I have changed slight details. Of course, his answer is invariably "no". Not unkindly, just honestly.

And I get it. He’s not “in the weeds” with the painting. He can tell if it looks good overall, or if something feels off, but he’s not going to say, “Oh yes, I see you added a touch of orange to the edge of that petal!”

He sees the whole painting. Just like I heard the music in full - not in tom rolls.

Why It Still Counts

Even when no one sees the tiniest details, they're important.

They’re the seasoning. The personality. The moment where the whole thing clicks. Sometimes it’s a breakthrough. Sometimes it’s a tiny joy. Sometimes it’s an “oops” that turns out better than the plan.

And even if no one else sees it, the artist does. The musician does. The creator always does.

So, here’s to the quiet brushstroke. The layered rhythm. The half-shade of color that no one can name but somehow feels right.

And here’s to asking someone, “Did you notice the difference?”

Even when we already know the answer.

🎨🎶 What about you?

Have you ever spent way too long tweaking something that no one else noticed—but you had to get it just right? Or had someone totally miss a detail you obsessed over? I’d love to hear your story. Drop it in the comments!