Evan

I'm a huge fan of the Sabian Germanic 17" cymbals.

Welcome to DCP, Becky! :)

Closed per authors request. -EK

I would add a pair of Sabian Orchestral 18" crash cymbals, depending on the brand, 16" cymbals can seem too tiny of a sound, a thin pair of 18" cymbals wouldn't weight much more, and would give a fuller sound. Just my $4.37

You can get regular (non fitted) musicians earplugs at any Guitar Center. I use a pair I bought there once, they worked perfectly for playing marimba in a very live small room at my school (concrete walls, no sound absorbers).

It's a great topic, good luck on it!

I'm more worried if Ryan drove!

Dont get me started on Dynasty. It will bring back bad memories of missing parts and ice packs. *Shudders* :P

Heh, I swear by Adams and Yamaha keyboards. Musser keyboards in a high school setting do not last more than 3 years, the keys are pretty durable, but they splinter (I meant to say that the first time, the only time I have ever seen a key crack was when an idiot used a xylo mallet on a high C on a marimba.). Adams keyboards are a very respectable brand in the professional percussion world (their timpani are the best IMHO). Not only do you get a great sounding instrument, but the craftsmanship is far superior to Musser instruments. When you by a keyboard, you go for the total package. Musser frames fall apart, you don't want to have band parents rebuild a frame from scratch. It is all about crafstmanship. I believe the Glassmen are still using Adams keyboards, isn't Phantom too? Ok, Just my $12.72 Evan :P

May I suggest this: Adams 4.3 Octave Zelon Marimba This is probably your best bet for under $4000. It is a very sturdy instrument, and will last you a long time. I am very partial to Adams over Musser. Musser keys crack very easily, and the frames warp over a short amount of time. Adams instruments are built much better, with more attention to detail. This is one case where cheaper is NOT better. Just my $4.37 Evan

You do NOT want to get caught buying a bargain marimba (Ross are good marimba's, but after time, things only go from bad to worse) it will come back to haunt you. Yamaha Acoustalon is the way to go for the out doors. They are perfect for the summer due to an innovative key design (hollowed with several holes to vent warm air out). The keys will last you a very long time if maintained. The current field frames are great, but older model (2002 and back) will need re-enforcement. If the Yamaha is too expensive, I suggest the Adams 4.3's (Paduk, or Rosewood). For that I would suggest buying both sets of keys, one for indoors, one for outdoors. Just my $4.37

w/Stp:

I still have my teva tan from 2002-04.

It's a pretty commonly used effect, personally I did it in Raiders '02 at the beginning of the show. I wouldn't be suprised if several other corps did it. Just my $4.37

I highly reccomend the Innovative Percussion Field Series mallets. These mallets are durable, and Innovative does sell a head recovery kit for when the felt wears out. The price ranges from $18-$22 per pair. These mallets feel good in your hands, and are cost effective. The top 5 pairs on this page are what you want to buy. Regards, Evan

The one staple in every band I have taught is a Long Ranger. Long Ranger 4

I've always liked the Vic Firth Dreadlocks. Just my $4.37

I think we have seen MTV's stance towards the marching arts. Last year, a girl from the high school I graduated from was on Made, she brought up marching band several times, and they (the girl, and her coach) went well out of their way to poke fun at the high school marching band. I think it would be great to see this, but I dont see it happening any time soon. Just my $4.37

Here is my take on Acoustalon vs. Kelon. The black keylon Musser bars tend to heat up and lose all of their projection/sound qualtity after being in the sun for a while. Somthing we did to counter that was drop ice packs on the keys to cool them down before a performance, and take them off as we got onto the field (true story). The Acoustalon bars stay cooler because of the vents in the keys, thus allowing the bar to project more. Acoustalons will still lose their tone quality after a while, but not as suddenly as Kelon. Just my $46.87

The Musser Rosewoods are very nice, nowhere close to the Marimba One sound, but I dont think any drum corps in its right mind would buy a pit of Marimba One's. Whenever I can, I play on the set of Musser "One Niter" vibes that my school owns. That thing has such a good sound, not nearly as good as our Yamaha vibes, but hey, its nostalgia! :)

Hey all, I recently purchased the A. Stubbs Percussion Timpani Practice Pad since I dont always have access to timpani at school. The pad is about 12" x5.5" and has a wooden frame filled with a soft foamy material, more on that in a minute. The pad features a mount to fit on a 8mm practice pad, or cymbal stand. It also has 4 rubber pads so you can quietly play it while on a table top or similar surface. The foamy pad material is made not to damage fine german felt, so you can practice with any mallet without fear of excess wear and tear. The wood frame is notched so therefore you can rest your mallets on top of the pad, and they won't fall off. The response of the pad amazingly resembles that of a real drum. Overall, the Timpani Practice Pad is a great buy. It is priced around $62 everywhere it is sold. My rating: 5/5 Product link: http://www.percussionsource.com/ProductDet...0&prodid=255084 Product home page: http://www.stubbspercussion.com/products/paastpp.htm Regards, Evan

Musser makes excellent Mallet instruments. I have actually played on a Musser Marimba from 1989(synthetic keys), that has been played on every drum corps season up till 2003, and was still in decent shape, only dropping in tune a few cents. If you maintain a Musser instrument, it will last you forever. Just my $4.37

I would challenge the Regiment to play Peter Boyer's "Ellis Island: Dream of America" with the narraration. :)

:) Way to go Raiders.

Adam is a great guy, and good friend, so it pains me to see that someone in his family has become ill. Adam you have my thoughts and prayers. If there is one thing being a member of the Raiders for three summers had taught me was that no matter what, the Raiders have and always will endure any hardship they encounter. That is what makes the orginization as sucessful as they are, and the east coast powerhouse that we know them to be. Best of luck Raiders. Regards, Evan Kempey