brakedrum

no problems! always interesing to see where we came from

hey check out http://www.scenicruiser.com/spirit.htm. under the 1979 year at the bottom of the page, spirit's big break thru year (only 2 years after being founded) a very well known film in the dci community was made called "One Night In August", its about 30 minutes long and available for download, be prepared, its about 300 megs (on broadband around 30 to 40 minutes). The film is about spirit gearing up for finals, including interviews and clips of all sections and of their show...also shows a small clip of the top 5. in the film you will see a young Freddy Martin (dci hall of famer, founder of spirit, now is brass staff of Phantom) and a young Tom Float rehearsing the line, etc. Also look for a young Mike Back in the snare line and a certain Catherine Gibson (who later became Catherine Float) playing marching xylo/mari...you cant miss her, she is a hottie. You will also see a few shots of the famous Jim Ott (beard and fedora hat), who is recognized as one of the best corps brass arrangers ever. The film quality isnt the best, but something i saw a very long time ago and no fan should be without. they also have some media under the more current years, so check that out. its great stuff also, check out this link http://crash.smugmug.com/gallery/1143/1/32785 :it is a pic of Mike Back goofing off carrying their 36" bass drum in 1982, his first year taking over the line. other old pics: http://xkingsmen.com/photos/1972/72snares02.html...shows Al Murray, Tom Float(wearing glasses) and Ralph Hardimon all playing in Kingsmen. also: http://xkingsmen.com/photos/1972/72snares03.html color photo of young Hardimon: http://xkingsmen.com/photos/1972/Palmer125.html big pic of float in center: http://xkingsmen.com/photos/1974/74%20dci%...n%20snares.html

it is to assume that each keyboard will have superflerous additons, but no, 2 xylos work well, depending on the mallet selection if a bright and articulate sound is desired...i prefer hard rubber and two for split parts or octave differences (fuller sound and projection reasons) two marimbas have mounted orchestra bells two vibes have mounted piccolo xylos obvioulsy suspended cymbals, snare, toms, wood blocks, variety of cymbal and metallic structures (i.e., brakedrums, chime trees) all would be mounted throughout the keyboard ensemble making them "percussion stations". I do not see the reason to have a smaller guard, front or hornline to march plates (aka: cymbals) field cymbals really do not provide any musical additions that couldnt be handled by the front. where i think cymbal colours and timbres are extrememly important and give texture, I dont see wasting them on the field, except for visual and FX reasons. now in "old school" when much big band type of charts were played requiring ride cymbal, field hand cymbals doubled for ride (holding for snares-toms, etc.)...this is the exception, ride cymbal in the front just does not have that special ensemble sound you get from 8 to 10 snares playing behind the first hash on heavy plates....love that sound! Float, DeLucia and Thurston used to write some really great ride patterns!

if you have ever heard his original recording of "Malaguena", you will not accept anything else...yes, scouts in 88 came close as well as Blast!, but havent heard anything that remotely is as powerful than the original Powerful horns those things. Anyone remember the Downey inspired, think DEG or Dynasty developed them special for BD, the MFL horn....i assume you know what "MFL" means....

duh (hit myself in the head)...he was my college band director, how ´could have i forgotten? thanks

wasnt VK in the movie Schindler's List? [/saracsm] let's face it folks...big od A&M sytle showbands have more popularity in movies and media than the precision of D&B corps. As a matter of fact, there national competitions are attended by more than BOA and DCI combined (dci needs new blood in their marketing strategies if they want to stay alive) ...it is unfortunate that jow blow out on the street thinks a marching drumline is poorly tuned and mediocre played equipment ala "Drumline". Dont get me wrong, I really find showband style very entertaining and exciting...what universities should be doing, rather than playing Bartok and Bernstein. 'Drumline' is not a bad film for what it is, but a typical cliche plot that used a university marching band situation instead of the preverbial football team. Many drumliners out there really pick the movie apart and give it ####...i take it for what it is and actually enjoy it...old script, new twist. I think a band director that can play a rudimental open roll is kick butt! the sub-plot of romance and the other school's "dr. evil" who wants to undercut and steal this new talent away was all too anticipated.

this is an awesome piece, but im quite tired of seeing it done on a football field...it is, since the late 70's/early 80's a cliche....please do not do it anymore!

it is obvious that they both influence the other...the very nature of the marching percussion idiom, etc. Many shows have gone the way of a WGI style artsy fartsy type show...and done well! Now, with that said....what was Star 93? that could have been WGI, but that show was unlike anything ever before it or ever after it....glad to have seen it on tour all summer...man, i knew it was something special the first time i saw it.

on that note, then Downey's "summer train blues" was an exceptional piece of art...probably would have prefered a jazz band (arent they though?) playing rather than drum corps. I like how he blended "summertime" and "take the a train" motifs....he probably could have worked in "chattanooga choo choo" in there as well. but exceptional job on the interpretation. The lame percussion book really took away from the entire show...for such amazing writing talent of david glyde and scott johnson, they are beginning to dissapoint me. I would like to see devs step into the past with a few cool charts reworked, like "liferaft earth" (that is a very complex, difficult jazz band chart), Steve Spiegl's "Bacchanalia"...works well as a concert/production number interwoven with Spiegl's "latin implosion", etc. BTW, "when a man loves a woman" was taken from the Barbara Streisand version...not too much added. Brass/music Arrangers (in no certain order): Jim Prime, Jr (bridgemen, crossmen, garfield, star) Robert W. Smith (suncoast, spirit, magic, cadets) Key Poulan (scv, Magic of Orlando, Spartans, Teal Sound, Allegiance Elite, Pride of the Lions, and Hawthorne Caballeros) Larry Kirschner (spirit, madison, brigdemen) Michael Klesch (crossmen, garfield/cadets, crown, troopers, etc., etc., ) Wayne Downey (BD, need more be said?) the late Colonel Truman Crawford (commandant's own, Royal Airs, Yankee Rebels, Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights)...he really had some creative, jazzy charts. the late Jim Ott (one who inspired everyone with what you could really do with one and two valved instruments) Jay Bocook (the man behind Cadets throughout the mid 90's to present day...not just a good arranger for Cadets interpretation, but a very awarded marching band arranger since the 70's) Great Percussion Arrangers (in no certain order): Don Silva (Freelancers) the late Fred Sanford (The godfather of marching percussion, the first to put it on the map with creative and innovative arrangements and use of stationary concert percussion equipment) Dennis DeLucia (brought showmanship and an alternative to straight rudimental drumming...more of a drumset approach to a pit orchestra, rather marching) Tom Float (& Cathryn, his wife)...need more be said? his work with spirit and blue devils alone is tremendously awesome...the first to double bass drum voicings with snare and the innovation of a truly fully developed winter program to move potentials very fast. Mike Back (protogé of Float, did some really great innovative stuff with spirit) Ralph Hardimon (took over where Sanford left off with SCV...always pushed the envelope, even when it wasnt popular) Charley Poole, Jr. (one of the most underrated...he was writing tasty grooves and inter-locking parts, before it was made popular by Hannum - good judge too!) Mark Thurston (he really came into his own with crossmen and his special brand of groovy licks and ethnic percussion) Allen Murray (put suncoast's line ont he map in the mid 80's with his awesome bass drums and great contrapunctal accents, ensenuated by cymbal punches...he also gave us "spider" stree beat that still influences street beats of today) Scott Johnson (protogé of Float who did a tremendous job with SCV in the early 90's and took the tenors to the next level...he continues to wow us at BD) Tom Hannum (need more be said? he is the fred sandford of the 80's...innovative and pushed the envelope, combining special textures, tasty colours and timbres and never writing a note that isnt essential....his 93 Star Drumline will be remembered as one of the all time greatest.) Tom Aungst (protogé of Hannum, has done an interesting job of taking over cadets, combining the concert percussion idiom with the rudimental marching...writes fast, thinks fast...whew....its exhausting writing about it.) Paul Rennick (sort of an unknown with these others, but really writes tasty books that ensenuate the brass. His Float instructed style, really shows off what he can do) Jim Campbell (he borrowed a few ideas here in the there in the 80's, especially from spirit, and by the late 80's had the Cavies in their own special identity that remained thru Bret Kuhn's tenure. I like how he re-invented the front ensemble with Pod stations...every keyboard was a self contained percussion ensemble...and man, could that pit perform!)

Mellophoniums were used by Stan Kenton Big Band...great horn, but quite different from a Mellophone (which is used as a replacement for french horns, mid voicing in the marching idiom, due to more technical parts). b flat horns, I think would be the easiest to implement, due to its close association/intonation to bflat trumpets. typical set up: 22 trumpets 14 mellophones 14 baritones 8 euphoniums 10 or 12 tubas this 68 or 70 horns should provide you with a full well balanced ensemble. 8 to 10 snares 5 tenors 5 basses 12 Front ensemble: 4 marimbas 3 vibes 2 xylos 1 timp 2 aux 34 guard 2 DM that's 133 corps

one of the absolute best charts in dci history. not only is this chart very, very rare to find in its original Victor Schoen Big Band form anywhere...its a hard chart to find arranged. I want to make a mp3 demo with additional percussion parts. My absolute fav arrangement is the Scout's 85 version with the Intro "Four Score and Seven" right into the new tempo change with Ballet off the line. kILLER! Anyone know where i can get my hands on it? otherwise, transcription takes a good ear and a lot of patience.

hey steve, i didnt say watered down heading into finals....i said By finals....meaning...anytime in the season. F Martin said that stuff came out in May....is that true? that is a bit early to be thinning, without giving the performers/staff the chance to clean it. anyways, a really interesting show and yes, i do think it a departure from Spirit's style. The drum solo was very clever, who were those super fast keyboard players?

I can only respond with a few holes Crossmen 91 Perc book: Mark Thurston Cadets 89 Horn: the infamous Robert W Smith, perc: Tom Aungst (his first year) SCV 88 & 89: perc book: Ralph Hardimon

No, i dont think the arrangement was good...it was flat as well as the following year with "Intersteller Suite"-which had loads of potential. I think SCV/Phantom would have had similar fates with it, not including their interpretation on visual/percussion. Sal Salas' drill was a bit cliche and not very exciting, perhaps this had an effect. Spirit did venture off with other things in the past like "Concerto in F", which I thought was a very good show and neat arrangement, although the stacatto 16th notes in the closer had to be eventually watered down by finals.( :( ) Sure, many audience member may have been a little disapointed with the new look and new direction, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt, none-the-less. Yeh JB really fielded an incredible band at TRHS in the late to early 80's. Another famous South Carolina arranger, Bob Cotter, also has time and time again done a tremendous job within DCI and BOA. Every band he touches seems to increase in number every year and goes on to score high. he also recently, under his philosophy of "everything is possible with hard work, ambition and direction" started a girl's soccer team that went on to win state its first year, although he has no experience in coaching a soccer team or prior knowledge of the sport. Interesting!

there is a bit of irony to lawn maintenence while listening to drum corps, dont you think (football field, turf, summer, if you're lucky a diesel mower)? if you have a walk-behind (push mower for old schoolers) you may even be tempted to adjust your pace to tempo....lol! Im such a geek!

ive never heard of that, but perhaps its a possibility.

1987 is a perfect drum corps show...and is a great audio clip to listen to..it doesnt even need drill to support. plus, Hardimon and his brilliant writing style really lend itself well to their concept. I have a finals night percussion execution judge tape (on field) and it is awesome. if you are interested http://quadinc.stevensdrum.com/ has many percussion judge tapes and lot performances (early 80's to present day) converted to digital and available for download. In my opinion, the very few that voted for 05, probably never heard/saw/experienced 87's show.

no one ever said bitn was 85...we all know it was 83 and 84....and yes, i mispelled his name, i only had it from memory and wasnt really sure...he also did some fabulous arrangements for madison. I wasnt aware Kershner did blues...nice to know, that is a killer tune...i prefer the 83 version over the 84, especially with the baroque ensemble...so many different styles and variations on a theme. the hi hat work with the snares and quads dialogue was really cool (Mike Back, a Float protogé, really knew how to write for that style well). the straight ahead jazz walk beat after baroque segment was really killer...who was that soloist? I would have to disagree...although the show had potential, it was rather stale...bocook's first drum corp arranging job was less than status quo...nothing really that innovative in voicings, etc. Mike Back's percussion book was also somewhat not entirely spectacular...too many of the old school things in there that really didnt take advantage of the voicings and multiple timbre/color changes that were possible. Although, I applaud spirit for venturing into new territory, it didnt really work well for them. it wasnt until he started arranging for cadets that he really started knowing the medium and was able to manipulate music to lend itself well to the activity. However, his marching band arrangements, and his knowledge of woodwind vs brass, have always been stellar! He was my band director in college and I have had the chance to work with him, arranging percussion for his charts, many times. He really is quite gifted and has done an excellent job with cadets and crown in the past.

in the last 3 decades, BD org has really marketed itself out to many venues, including playing with some high end musicians and groups. Email David Glyde(napo855@aol.com) or Scott Johnson (scottj0630@aol.com) about the recent performance, they will tell you the details. why they have aol addresses is beyond me...isnt aol like the worst, old school internet provider?

iPod, as product, is generally considered mediocre as an mp3 player, regardless of Apple's brilliant marketing strategy that lead many to believe otherwise. Europe and Asia is the biggest iPod market, but many are very unsatisfied with the last two releases.

now there is a debatable statement!

the original DCI recordings from that year features the performance from semi-finals, due to the strong political influence of BD org. but on their "through the years" cd, its on there...

I hear ya man! been there and felt the pain...but the quality of sound is incredible, especially the tenors and basses.

anyone remember the intro to Butch Nordell's "Life Raft Earth" from 85 Blue Devils?...when the sopranos come in with the resolve is just fantastic...ringing in the ears...great chord progression!

Arrangements: All of Wayne Downey's compositions have been stellar. In the true spirit of jazz, he has taken many non medien pieces and have scored them for contemporary jazz. "Happy Days are here again" in 88 was just brilliant...great variation on a theme. His treatment of the Dan Ellis stuff in 93 was pretty innovative...nothing like the original, but definitely recognizable. His recent work is just super...would like to hear studio ensemble play some of his stuff...he really is talented! Spirit of Atlanta has a blessed history with arrangements: Robert Smith's/Mike Back's arrangement of "Sweet Georgia Brown" for 1986 Spirit was really cool, but it starts beating a dead horse in the ground. Ray Baumgardner (sp?)'s arrangement of "Blues in the Night" was simply spectacular...i hear they will have bits and pieces of it in this year's closer. Of course Jim Ott's "Georgia"...nothing like the original, except for the simple concept...no wonder this is the most played marching band chart of all time. Compositions: A Florida Suite version 1 (1985 Suncoast) by Robert W. Smith...man, that was better than broadway...guy is very talented. his concert band stuff is incredible. 1986's Stan Kenton charts were also neatly arranged...who could forget 88 suncoast and that wonderful array of motifs spread out over the opener. 1988/89 SCV-Phantom...if you have heard the original, you will prefer SCV's symphonic version...they add greatly to the charts. 91 crossmen, although they really werent "arrangements" persée, they were performed with the same intensity and drive as PMG. One would almost think they were specifically composed for corps. A lot of shows werent arranged, but more or less transcribed (like many Cadet shows, Cavies(with exception to the original stuff) and Phantom)...they still performed brilliantly, but not quite fair to give them credit as being "great arrangements"...that would have to fall back to the original composer.