Penn State

Point taken, but I feel corps like SCV and Cadets are the minority as far as music for the brass line goes. When I was in Allentown for DCI East this summer overall I was disappointed in the arrangements, harder licks given to the keyboards, way to many quarter, half, and whole notes in the bass (tuba) line. I really feel in today's DCI, music is second to drill and not any where close to being an equal.

Not such a bad idea. I do have to say the concert feature still lives with Big Ten marching bands. Two reasons for that: The first applies to all B10 bands, easier to clean up harder music when no drill is involved. Usually the concert feature is the hardest tune out of the show. Second, all bands minus TBDBTIL and Wisconsin, the opportunity to feature the band front (silks and majorettes). I'm puzzled reading through some of these posts that there is nothing to 'watch' during a concert feature, you guys sound like a bunch of drunk college football fans and not musicians! IMO, one of the current problems with dc is the fact that shows and clearly some fans are written, being heard with their eyes. The concert feature would give the guard to the opportunity to really show off their skill level. Is watching the guard during a show really a far fetched idea? I certainly don't think so. For me, it seems way to much time and devotion has been put on the visual aspect of the show, so much that music has suffered. Excessively watered down music, pit and battery caring the majority of the notes played, and too little interesting and entertaining music for the horn line. In my brutally honest opinion: Movement should play second fiddle to music. It should always complement, never take away from the music being played on the field. In other words I want to hear great music that is complemented by good drill.

Sounds like your looking for a used horn, but Kanstul still makes new 3 valve G French Horns http://kanstul.net/pages/instruments/bugle/khb185m.html g'luck!

I know Selmer sells Bach stamped marching brass. I was referring to marching brass that would have actually been designed by Vincent Bach himself. Interesting fact though, For a period of time, Yamaha was producing marching brass for Selmer that was stamped with the Bach name.

Bb/F full set (current production) YAMAHA G 'Bugle' King G bugles on all voices except mellophone. I would want mellos to be in F, to take them out of the same octave as the sops. My ideal: Set of horns (Bb/F) designed by Vincent Bach. Does anyone else feel a Bach (marching) mellophone/mellophonium, baritone, and tuba designs would still be considered top notch quality in today's market?

A second question to ask, does the manufacture want to produce G 'bugles'? I'm guessing outside of DEG music and Kanstul the answer would be no. I would also assume DEG music wouldn't have a factory re-tool for one order of two valve bugles. I was told Kanstul shut down production for one week to retool for the Marine D&BC order.

This is how the Penn State Blue Band cymbal line holds their plates, when they are using plates and not the stations. Ill try, key word Try, (lol) to explain how to do this: 1. put your hand through the strap so its around your wrist 2. rotate your hand so the pinky finger is off the plate 3. roll your hand(thumb first) under the strap where the strap enters through the plate 4. your hand should be flat against the plate and look like the above picture. Hope that is some some what helpful, maybe some one can word this a bit better

Could you post a pic of the Conn bari? Would like to see what that horn looks like

I've personally wondered if the narration kept Cadets from placing first. It wouldn't be so much of a surprise to me if it did. Any thoughts on this?

and Hop will bring peace to the middle east....

All of Yamaha's marching brass and battery percussion is made in Japan. There will be no change in service provided with the move.

It's not hard for a brass line to march drill if they're NOT PLAYING! *cough*Cavies*cough*

BD's show is pretty darn good.....would be perfect if they only punch us in the face w/ 'One More Time Chuck Corea' as the closer

Just wondering if anyone knows why DCI is utilizing a new arrangement of America The Beautiful? Personally, I don't feel it holds water to the 'traditional' arrangement that I've always heard played. btw...i'm 24 yo and only remember hearing America/O' Canada Any thoughts on this?

IMO, the best cases available are ANVIL flight cases. Those cases really protect, and last a long time!

hmm...Blessing doesn't manufature,distribute, or endorse any type of electronic equipment. How about we talk Mr Johnson into adding a marching tuba and euphonium to his brass line and work a deal with a percussion manufaturer. That way we can forget all those other manufacters and buy from a real American family owned company. The best part, all of Blessing's instruments are manufactured in Elkhart Indiana. I do like YAMAHA poducts but I have been more interested in trying ou the Blessing instruments. I've recently been able to get 5 minutes of playing time on a Blessing ML-1G trumpet. Not bad at all. I will say it has a 'brighter' voice than a Bach trumpet. I've heard back in the two valve era that Blessing produced a G trumpet, intended for corps use (prob. a soprano like horn). I believe it was during the time when many thought 3 valves would have been legalized, but didn't happen as quickly as some would have liked or thought. I wonder if I did read about that on these boards?

Aw...Blessing, I can add one more. According to current Blessing President Randy Johnson the "...M100, marching mellophone is patterned after the original OLDS design, as is the Bach model also." A little more on Yamaha "Thank you for your inquiry. Yamaha's line of marching brass was basically created from the ground up. We did look at the competition and found a few good features that we brought over initially, but now with multiple generations of instruments under our belt, they are uniquely Yamaha. "- M Clemens, YAMAHA Corporation of America I still feel the Yamaha is a knock off of the OLDS design. The only thing the two have closest to being in common is the wrap of the horns

Great post Garry! Thanks for clearing that up. I can actually answer your question. Several years ago Steinway purchased Selmer, acquiring the Vincent Bach line as well as all Selmer brands. A few years ago Steinway bought out United Musical Instruments (UMI) and merged it with Selmer, creating Conn-Selmer. Brands acquired in the buy out included Conn, King, Benge, and Armstrong flutes. Those are what I can remember. As for Bach marching brass. Through some research I have found out that Vincent Bach never designed a marching brass instrument. Selmer added marching brass under the Bach name in the late 1970's. This is from an e-mail I recieved from a current Olds representative inquiring about the similarities between the old Bach and Olds marching mellophone: "All the information that I have indicates that F. E. Olds built their own mellophones in the 1970s. I do know that when the F. E. Olds factory located in Fullerton, CA was closed down in 1979, that Selmer (parent company of Bach) purchased some of the marching brass tooling. This may be where some of the similarities exist." - D. Benedetto, Olds USA Bach used to produce marching baritones and mellophone under the MERCEDES Vincent Bach brand name and later Bach. I have recently heard that the Bach mellos were a step up from the MERCEDES student level line. I do know a few years ago, YAMAHA was producing marching brass instruments for Selmer Bach. Now it appears the 'original' King marching brass is being stamped with the Bach name. This might be of some interest: Penn State Blue Band owns two sets of mellophones, practice set of King 1120 and performance set of Conn 132E. Both horns appear to be identitical and altough the Conn's are older they play much better than the King's. That's about all the information I can offer, hope it is helpful.

What brand of horns is Selmer pushing? The King brand name (was part of the UMI umbrella). Selmer (as well as Bach) are owned by Steinway. Now Steinway has Conn-Selmer. The Ludwig brand is included. I wonder why the deal isn't King and Ludwig?

Three points I would like to add: 1) Dave Gibbs, executive director of BD submitted the multi-key rule proposal. BD is utilizing all DEG music products 2)Although not a huge piece, Yamaha instruments have been used by corps for a awhile. BD used to march YAMAHA percussion. A few corps used YAMAHA convertable tubas with G conversion kits. I have also recently read that there was a G conversion kit for the YAMAHA marching baritone. 3) King has not produced G bugles in a least a decade.

You asked and you received:) 4th episode is available, it's a general interview with Cadet age out mello Paula Hyman! Music clip is Liquid from The Cadets 2005 show 'The Zone'.

Very true. Joe Paterno has this fallacy that marching bands destroy fields. Grant it, 300 people marching basics will put a nice grid on the field, marching a dozen shows won't. The OutBack Bowl, the field was pretty damp. According to Penn State thinking and Joe Paterno the marching band will destroy the field if they go on it. Guess what, over 600 college marching band members marched pregame and halftime and around 1000 high shool bands p;ayed on the field at halftime. Yeah the field was torn up at the end. Not from Blue Band's high step or Tennessee's cirlce drill, all the divits where from cleats.

Question, what band was playing the 'Nittany Lion', Penn State shool song, during pregame when Rudy's parents arrive at the stadium?

Never seen but always heard PCC is one fine band. Great story about Robert Preston. Reminded me, believe it was the '96 summer Olympics, The Cadets performed in the opening cermony to eventually be marched around the field by Phil Silvers. Very entertaining and what I recall, unrehearsed.

Blue Band was approached about an apperance in Spiderman III. Obviously it didn't work out. Really wanted to that too, but who wouldn't? We did however kick off Fashion Week in NYC in fall 2005 when we opened for Marc Jacobs spring 2006 fashion show. A college marching band first :) We were also involved that same year in a Vogue photo shoot.