kerickson

As one who marched both Phantom of the Opera shows and Fiddler I think the answer for SCV lies in pushing forward, not looking back. Phantom was VERY current when we performed it but, as much as I enjoyed performing it then, the music from Phantom simply is not timeless. This was our downfall with Fiddler. To answer a question from earlier in this thread, the 1992 Fiddler production went through more overhauls than I can possibly begin to mention. There were entire pieces of music that the drumline learned (including drill), but ended up on the editing room floor before we ever put it together with the hornline. We had a retro drumline section during the Wedding Ceremony that was cut before we left California. The second ballad, "Sunrise, Sunset," was cut and replaced with "Chavala" only about 1 week before finals. Plans to have the corps exit the field to "Anatevka" after the Bottle Dance were scrapped. The colorguard stripped down every aspect of their costume and equipment package to a solid black spandex dress and one flag for the entire show. The ending coda following the Bottle Dance was added during finals week after Gail yielded to pressure from the staff. The show really was doomed from the start, and it all began with a dated musical package. Don't get me wrong - I very much enjoyed performing that show!!! No matter how much the corps loved performing the show, however, or how well we performed it, it was not going to be competitive by the standards of that time. This was further complicated by the fact that every judge on the planet had their own preconceived notion of what SCV's 25th Anniversary Fiddler show SHOULD have been - and they were ALL different! I think this permeated into the staff as well, leading to all of the constant, significant changes. We couldn't seem to please anybody (ourselves included). Nonetheless, the 1992 corps was a very mature group that went out and performed the hell out the show that we had each and every night!

Saw a parade clip of Boston 1999...looks like they were on Ludwigs. Prior to that would have been Carolina Crown 1996...

Unless I missed something, Dean should be returning to the Troopers as Brass Arranger and Consultant.

I can attest firsthand that Murray did not intentionally borrow from BD, per se. The original intro for Electric Wheelchair in 1990 (when it was simply known as "Cadence") was a 12/8 military-style roll-off. Murray got jazzed on "One-Eyed" when he saw it on a Steve Gadd video and subsequently changed up Wheelchair for 1991.

Legend has it that the other drumline members essentially ripped his uniform off his body after they came off the field and beat the bejeezus out of him. I cannot confirm the accuracy of this account, but I did hear it from one who marched in another finalist bass line that night. For anyone not familiar with the story, it's my understanding that a bass drummer was arrested for shoplifting the morning of finals (they had a free morning much like we did at SCV back in the day). After being released later in the day he somehow got himself to finals, snuck his uniform and drum off the truck, and ran onto the field just as they were starting their show and it was too late to do anything about it. This could be one of the most notorious acts in drums corps history and if anyone has a more accurate account I'm all ears (or eyes in this case)!!!

As a friend and colleague of Steve myself, I completely concur with what Clark states. Furthermore, in addition to the, perhaps, ONE or TWO degrees of separation regarding personal relationships that exists in our very small community, one would be hard pressed to find any DCI percussion judge that does not have a professional affiliation with at least one or more manufacturers of percussion wares. So...depending on who's judging finals this year, we can expect that the winning line will be using a precise combination of manufacturers of drums, cymbals, sticks, and heads. Or...perhaps they just play their ###3$ off and the judge calls it like they see it on finals night.

Up until about a decade ago, SCV had a "move-in" policy for the batterie. Typically the line was completely set by the January camp and everyone would pretty much be "in-town" by that time. We did have several members that either took a semester off from school or transferred to SJSU and ended up settling in the area during their marching years. From the January camp-on, The line rehearsed three times a week: Monday sectionals, Thursday full-batterie, and Sunday marching rehearsal plus most of the sections got together once a week at the hall or at someone's apartment. I attended high-school and college (UOP) in Stockton and commuted to Santa Clara 3-4 times a week (about 2 hours each way) during 3 of my 4 years with SCV. Take a young line, no winter program (i.e. camps only), and a book that is challenging both physically and mentally, and it WILL take some time to gel. My rookie year 1988 - 3 snare vets, 1 tenor vet, 0 bass vets, 1 cymbal vet. Result: High Drums (a lot can happen in a short amount of time). Gusseck was a rookie in that line, too...he knows what's up (for any of you that HAVEN'T figured that out yet). Best wishes Jonz 2010 members and staff!!!

To the best of my knowledge, the only time Scott was not with BD was his time at SCV (1990-93) and, if memory serves correct, 1988 when he went on the road with a country band (no joke). BD won no titles during those years.

I know that in '87 or '88 (maybe both years) one of the girls emerged on top bass when they dropped the screen to reveal the monster snare line (complete with hula skirts).

The term "battery" comes from the French term "batterie," which is used to describe the percussion section in an orchestra. Obviously the term stuck with percussion sections of military bands. At some point in time, this would have included the bell lyra which evolved into marching bells, etc. yada, yada, yada... When the keyboards, timpani, etc. evolved into the grounded pit as we now know it, the term "battery" or "batterie" (as many still use the French version) stuck with the "field" percussion.

Jeff, THAT was due to all the "nature hikes" to 7-11 during morning blocks, you bum!!!

Really... I thought the batterie was where all the non-musicians went!!! As a batterie member, I was always awed by the talent of the front ensemble at SCV and sought to achieve that level of performance in my own keyboard playing when I was an undergraduate. Heck, I even married an SCV pitster!!! Much love for the pit!!!

Brad's account is very accurate - good memory!!! We were definitely in Ohio when we were told. I recall Ralph coming to us and explaining what had happened. We all liked Mark and were sort of dumbfounded by the whole thing. The one thing that stands out vividly is that, while there was obvious disappointment, there were no blatantly hostile feelings expressed by the staff or my fellow drumline members. Like I said, everbody liked the guy! I remember hearing that it was a former girlfriend in the UK that tipped off DCI. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned..." The french horn player was indeed named Kevin. The corps and staff were definitely irate at this point, being that the honorable thing to do would have been to fess up when his buddy was discovered a week earlier. We also had 1 or 2 more hornline members, of age, from the UK that year. I seem to remember a sop or french horn player named Lee. So long ago, but also seems like yesterday

As a member of three of the OP's chosen lines ('88, '91, & '92), I feel honored to have been a part of Vanguard's tremendous percussion legacy. Aside from being ridiculously talented individuals, the percussionists of the Santa Clara Vanguard tend to be exceptional people as well. This was true with those I met who marched before me, those I marched with, and those who have marched since. While many other lines have enjoyed incredible success over the years, I can't think of a percussion program whose roots, tradition, and innovation run as deep as those of SCV. Now a few reflections: 1988 - A very different line than anyone had ever seen at that time. Ralph's beats were all about expression that year. They complemented the music book perfectly, and the one thing that sticks with me to this day about that line is a quality of sound and touch on the instruments that was a refreshing change from the norm (thank you, Glen Crosby). And no, this was NOT the first SCV line to play flam drags! :D 1991 - Great line from top to bottom-no weaknesses. That show was the perfect fit for Scott's and Lee's writing (not to mention Scotty Sells' pit book as well) and for that particular line. We were described by a friend in BD's line that year as being "stupid good". 1992 - Make no mistake about it, this line was a friggin' juggernaut. 1991 was every bit as talented, but 1992 SCV had a swagger that can't be explained. This was one of our greatest strengths and was also our Achilles' heel. This line could play tickless at will but attitudes, immaturity, and stupidity often got the better of us. Check out Walter Powell's interview on snarescience.com - he makes reference to this. However, when this line was focused it was ridiculous. I asked Scott Johnson in 1992 who he felt had the best snare line ever. His answer: "SCV 1975, hands down...until this year. We might be there." Great years...great times!

If memory serves correct, they placed discs of lexan/plexiglass directly onto the batter head to achieve this effect. I believe there is footage on the video of them either placing or removing them (been WAY too long since I last watched that show). BTW, that was ScoJo's first year back with BD after his SCV stint. I guarantee they were using Falam's or Tendura batter heads that were boned through the roof!!!

John Meehan would have aged out in 1992 if he had chosen to continue marching. He served on SCV's brass staff in 1992 (still eligible to march) when his dad was caption head. Tim marched at SCV in 1992 (1993 as well, I believe) before returning to BD. 1991 was definitely a rough year for BD percussion. First and foremost, they were missing Tom and Catherine Float's arranging skills to complement such a beastly horn book. The beginning of the year saw the line headed up by Paul Rennick and Lee Rudnicki (Lee returned to SCV to assist Scott Johnson fairly early in the season). The line was then headed up at different times by Fred Sanford and Curt Moore, and I'm pretty sure Dave Glyde got in there at some point. To answer a question in an earlier post, Glyde headed up the percussion in '92 & '93 before Scott's return in '94. Lastly, BD was next to SCV in the retreat block at DCI finals in both 1988 and 1991. As a member of the SCV drumline, I had the privilege of having my face ripped off by both of those epic horn lines (sops in my grill both times!) when they played off at retreat. While both lines tore it up beyond all reason, I have to give the edge to '88 because they were ###### (edit: quite upset) about Madison winning, and channeled it into that one run of Ol' Black Magic! In fact, I remember the sops facing us instead of Madison to play off then coming over and shaking OUR hands! I was definitely searching for body parts after that performance!

Actually, 1988 was when they went to a 30-point format (15-performance, 15-Perc. G.E.). We did win high drums based upon the combination of both scores, not a three night average (actually I think that was the last year that the previous years' finalists got a free ride to semi's)--Cadets got us by 0.1 in performance, we got them by 0.2 in GE if my memory serves correct. In 1989, the same system was used but only the performance score was used (likely from complaints in '88) to determine the high percussion award. We happened to get the better of The Cadets that night and won drums for a second consecutive year. That 1989 Cadets line was a beast, and we slugged it out at the end of the season. Some other lines that gave us a run that year were VK and Crossmen.

Indeed. I can attest firsthand about Beyer's efforts on the street. Having graduated from Lincoln in 1989, I was an 18-year-old first-year drumline instructor at Beyer that fall. One day, Gary Gilroy hands me the Long Ranger and says, "You're from Lincoln, take 'em out on the street for a couple of hours." That season, I ended up completely resetting the parade block, taught the band how to cover down, dress diagonal, dress right, dress diagonal, and cover down as they went through the parade zone, and even taught the DM how to spin mace. While it often seemed to be an exercise in futility, Beyer did have one of their most successful years on the street (although Merced, Fairfield, or Lincoln they were not) in 1989. Beyer did NCBA (NCBDA at that time) shows with Parade just to do the Field that night as there were very few "Field only" shows in the northern Central Valley. Ah, the memories...

I just watched the vid and I am going to have to disagree with you. For starters, the bulk of Beyer's show is material that never made it into the SCV production. In fact only two instances are similar: the very opening of the show (Overture) and the very beginning of the closer (The Fall of Saigon). As a member of Beyer's staff the previous year (1989), I can tell you that Gary Gilroy is a very clever arranger, and back then he wrote the entire book--winds and percussion. Gordon Henderson (SCV) is also a clever arranger. With the Overture, both were trying to remain true to the original in terms of sound and color, and with the arrangement itself, hence the similarity. The helicopter is from the original soundtrack: Beyer used a synth patch, SCV recreated it using the batterie and timpani heads. As for The Fall: same thing. Both arrangers chose to use trumpets (or soprano bugles) to carry the the melody. The arrangements sound similar, of course, because they are true to the original for X number of measures. When you are dealing with 9-11 minute shows, it really is no surprise that two 40-45 second chunks of the show sound similar, especially with a Broadway musical as the source material. Honestly, has anyone ever done Phantom of the Opera or Fiddler on the Roof without "borrowing" musically from Vanguard? It's Broadway, with recognizable tunes that can only be voiced so many ways and still maintain the intent of the original. That being said, the simulated war scene prior to The Fall could very easily be labeled as "borrowed". It really is the only "original" idea that made it from the Beyer show into the SCV show. Furthermore, it is entirely possible that the Beyer show helped to spark ideas that would eventually make it into the SCV show...I'll never know. I stand by my original statements about this. BTW, Merced was no slouch back in the day, either. This is coming from a Lincoln-Stockton grad. Cheers,

With regard to placement on-field, off-field, in the tunnel, on a levitating platform 15 ft. above the field, enough has probably been said on the issue. However, with regard to the 1992 SCV mobile pit, I can offer this suggestion if you are considering such an undertaking... Run away...as fast as you can...and don't look back. Forget that the thought ever crossed your mind. In fact, see a hypnotist and have that part of your memory subdued forever. Jeff Platt is lurking here somewhere, he was in that pit along with my wife. As a member of the batterie that year, I was there...they hated it, and I'm sure Jeff would agree (oh, the stories...) First, the customized carts were huge...and HEAVY. They destroyed the lift on our truck which translated into hundreds of hours of hand-cranking the lift after shows to get the front ens. equipment on board. Second, every single stand and trap table had to be bolted to the carts with U-bolts...at EVERY show and rehearsal site for the entire summer. Third, there was actually pit "drill" in the early season where the carts were wheeled onto the field and spun around while the pit was playing (Jeff...PLEASE share some of your wit on THAT issue). As Scotty Sells (SCV Pit Instructor/Arranger 91-93) would have said, "It's all a bunch of silly business." As for the size of a pit, those early 90's SCV pits had exactly 8 members (6 keys, 1 rack, 1 timp.) and they sounded like 12 in every positive aspect: huge sound with excellent touch and Scotty's clever scoring. In didn't hurt that they were all ridiculously skilled players, either. That being said, effective miking has changed the landscape of the front ensemble. There is less reliance on xylophone as an "anchor" instrument and the keyboard parts have really evolved into a "choir," which of course follows the trends of contemporary percussion ensemble writing (Ewazen, Maslanka, et al.). Also, the "concert bass drum of doom" that every corps has in its arsenal is indeed miked. You hear that crescendo roll through 18" sub-woofers and it rattles your teeth. Now that DCI has brought electronics into the mix, things will change yet again. Just like with miking, it will take some time for groups to figure out how to use it effectively and get past the novelty of it. Sorry for the manifesto, but it all sort of goes hand-in-hand. Happy listening and viewing...

With regard to percussion, we haven't seen two high profile coordinators depart (Mac & Tom) at the top of their game since the post-1990 season departures of Ralph and the Floats from SCV and BD, respectively. Given the quicker turnaround of today's drum corps staffers, exceptions such as Tom Aungst and Scott Johnson are indeed rare (not to mention cats like Wayne Downey and Jay Murphy in their respective captions).

As for the ever-shrinking bass drum diameters, 1986 was the first time I remember seeing an 18" bass used. Troopers had one because the kid that marched it looked like he was 12 or 13 years old (I think he was the son of one of the perc. staff). We (SCV) didn't start using an 18" drum until 1989. The 16" drum crept in in the mid-1990's. Cavies were among the first to use it. As for BD 1988, I'm pretty certain Glen Buecker marched a 36" on bottom and they did, indeed, wear their drums high. Mike Jackson also wore a 36" at VK in '88. Okay...here's one. I seem to remember back in the late 80's or early 90's that Boston used to march an "auxiliary" bass drum that was like a 40", had the coat of arms on the heads, and marched drill separate from the tonal bass drums. I also remember the guy that wore that beast just punishing it like it had done him wrong! Can anyone confirm this?

Spelling - 1 (grammar) PhantomCrown - 0 Oh, I get it now...oops!

I kid you not. We all had a chuckle during audition camps for the '88 line until we we learned that his name really WAS Bob Barker! He won two high drum titles and a DCI ring in those two years. Lee Rudnicki refers to him in another post somewhere on this forum.

Yeah, uh...Bob Barker actually DID march in the Vanguard!!! He played snare in 1988 and 89 and marched some years with the Geneseo (Quad City) Knights prior to SCV!