Cadetsnare

There's a Stan Kenton chart called "Alone" that I always thought Bones or Madison would sound great with...here's a link. The recording quality isn't great, but you'd get the idea. Listen to it all the way to the end. Lots of possibilities, especially with some clever arranging. The chart is available from Sierra Music. I've done it with a decent HS jazz band. Doable by the Bones, easily. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeQhtMsouTg

There should be an announcement made VERY shortly.

It's in the works. Should be announced in the next week. I do know that the person they are strongly considering is OUTSTANDING and will take the group to the next level. That's all I can say right now.

Yeah man, I remember the ending. We were hauling a** at the end of the closer, and you could feel the crowd go nuts from the reverse Z Pull all the way to the end. A moment in time I'll never forget. If you watch the ending after we finish and the commentators are making remarks, there's a shot of the snare line, and I'm the one laughing! It was surreal!

Redo 1985 with updated drill....FTW.

best. quote. EVER!!!!!

I was at UMass while in the Cadets, and it was easy...just flip the switch mentally. Umass=left, Cadets=right. I never had a problem. In fact, the band I direct is off the right foot. Kids find it easy, since they're almost all right handed. They never even flinched at doing it. Some even thanked me!

I spent a week helping out the percussion section. They are a really hard working group of kids with a dedicated young staff, and they improved tremendously in the time I was there. I wish them the best of luck going into Q-Finals, and into 2011.

I just had dinner last night with 2 guys that marched in 80 and 81 27th, who both went on to SCV in 83 and BD in 84! We were talking about those incredible 27th lines, and how their basics program sustained that percussion program for so long. Some GREAT teaching, and some great teachers! I agree about Niner-Two. Slurred rolls, diddles, and ram to the MAX!

I was Luke's band director and drum instructor in high school. He was 6 feet tall in 8th grade! That band/drumline produced him and Heidi, Cadets short female center snare. Not bad, eh? They both traveled from SoCal to NJ for camps every month. BTW, the band marched off the right foot, too! Scott Clark, Cadets snare drummer from 87-92 also taught that same group. One of the best snare drummers in DCI at the time, and a helluva teacher. He was the one one who brought out the best in Heidi, IMO. Another Canadian with chops! He marched next to Lee in 90, and I marched next to Scott in 89 and 91! This is a small world we live in, no? I remember when he pulled those muscles...he was so bummed! Luke is a great player, and one of the nicest cats you'd ever want to meet! Going to Portland State U in the fall for Music Ed. I'm really happy for him!

Actually, Star had 5 snares in 90...we won the title that year. Star won in 91 with 8 or 9...I don't remember which.

I gotta hop on tour and consult with a corps in San Antonio on the 24th, and travel through all that hot mess. I get off in Atlanta, Georgia on the 31st, then get to go spend a week in the White Mountains of NH. After the "Roach Tour", I'll need to pack a parka just to get around in 65 degree weather! Woo-hoo! I remember getting chased by a gator in 91 in Florida as we were tracking along some service road...freaky! The south...where houses are on wheels and cars are on blocks!

Cadets - 1992 -Surprise reverse Z-pull. Actually, that was 90. And a ****load of fun to perform!

I was at UMass yesterday for about 5 hours watching Crown rehearse. They added some length to the Mahler, and changed a big chunk going into the fast section of Danzon. They're still tweaking the show, so the ending will most likely be tweaked as well. The hornline is LOUD! My ears are still ringing! If anyone in the New England area wants to go watch them today, they are in the stadium at UMass Amherst all day.

Scores are up at dci.org Carolina Crown 80.500 2 Bluecoats 79.900 3 Phantom Regiment 77.500 4 Boston Crusaders 77.400 5 Spirit 69.700 6 Crossmen 68.100 7 Jersey Surf 63.700

Ask him if he's fixed his left hand yet!! Just kidding...Clark is a good friend of mine, and as smart as they come. Have fun with the interview!

I competed againt Star all year in '90. They were PHENOMENAL all season long, and a joy to watch (at least from the starting gate!). They kicked our *** fair and square, right up to DCS Birmingham (Burningman). HOT day! 132 on the turf! Try doing that show in ole' skool wool unis! We found our stride after that show and were undefeated after that. BUT, if Star had won, I could live with that. Their horn line was unbelievable...I would love a time machine to go back to see that live again! The drum line was small because they had a couple of cats walk out one day early season. They were LOUD with 5 snares! They beat the living pi** out of those heads that year!

I'm really glad that the kids have great facilities, great food, and nice buses with a/c. It's a FAR departure from the days of yore. Star had it right the first time!! SO glad conditions have improved! Hope all of the corps have a great run tonight!

For those of you who have seen the Cavaliers: How do the new snares using mylar sound in the mix?? I absolutely love the balance and blend of mylar, and wonder how it's being utilized, and is it effective? I've been waiting for a battery to use that color since Glassmen did in the early 2000s. Are they using the Powerstroke 77s? (That's the only real option since Premier stopped making the Marathon batter, which, BTW, is the coolest snare head ever devised!)

What I'm wondering is......... How many Yamaha lines are actually using "stock" (ie birch) shells? I taught the Colts the past 3 years, and our drums have been made of maple the past 2 years...the sound difference, IMO, is night and day, with the maple sounding so much warmer, fatter...the birch, to my ears, sounds thin. The only difference between the 2007/08 drums and the 09/10 drums is the shell material. When we got the new drums last year, I was astounded at how much better the maple sounds. I wonder why it isn't an option for Yamaha to produce a maple line of drums for the band market. Cost? The maple drums that the corps are using all come from the Yamaha Drum Foundry. Basically, a drum custom shop. I know the Cadets drums are also all maple, as are the Cavaliers, and Madison, IIRC. Anyone know if any corps are using the standard birch Yamaha drums?

85 Garfield 85 SCV 86 BD 87 Garfield 87 SCV 89 Cadets.....even though I marched that show, I would LOVE to have seen it from the stands 90 Star 91 Star 93 Star 99 SCV

Thom Hannum The 1986 Blue Devils drumline The 1985 SCV and Garfield drumlines Tom Aungst

Actually, I don't think Thom was the caption head, he was a consultant. I was at UMass Amherst during those years, and I remember he was a consultant in 90. He wrote a little in 91 and 92 before he took over the writing duties in 93. If I'm wrong, please correct me....the ole' memory's gettin' foggy these days! I'm planning on getting together with Thom for drinks and din-din in a few weeks...I'll have to ask him.

I found this on my computer a few weeks ago. I put this clinic together back in...2005, I think? It was sponsored by Pearl, Remo, and Vic Firth, and we had over 120 kids in attendance in Lake Elsinore, California. Anyhoo, it's a video of Thom Hannum, Pete Sapadin and Dave Wray (Garfield snare from 85) soloing on snare drums over a groove that was played by me on electric bass, and Roger Carter on drum set. Basically, a bunch of rudiment-heads! It was over the changes of Jaco Pastorius' "The Chicken". The idea was for students to see how applying rudiments to a hip groove could be fun, as well as help them come up with new ideas on their own on the fly. Sorry the audio is so bass-heavy. It was recorded on my wife's camera, so mea culpa on the balance. I just thought it mught be fun to see about 112 years of combined drum corps experience playing together in a non-traditional setting! Have fun!

Ahhh...the cat's finally out of the bag! I have known about this for a bit now (I'm a Pearl artist), and I am SO happy for both Pearl and BD! Congrats to both for a long and healthy partnership!