Brass Caption Heads

[lowend]

Matthew Harloff Carolina Crown. Marched Star of Indiana 1989-1992 (lead soprano) 1993 Drum Major. Also did Brass Theatre

Currently the assistant director of bands and Avon HS in Avon, IN

Taught the Troopers, Cadets, and Crown. Brass CH at Crown since 2003.

His methods are the tried and true "Breath-dah" pedagogy perfected by Donnie Van Doren. In a Harloff line, every body contributes.

Lines are known for power and clarity. IMHO, one of the most pure brass sounds out there.

What is "breath-dah"?

[KingJoeVII]

1. When preparing to perform indoors (Indy, Atlanta, San Antonio) how did you compensate for pitch with the change in air temps from the heat outside to the cool inside?

Oh this reminds me to add a little something interesting about Gino and Dean tuning practices..

Dean, tuned everyone electronically first, then he would have us do "tuning trios" which I still use when I am teaching. The idea is three like instruments pass around the three notes of a B flat major chord. The idea is every time you switch notes, it should sound exactly the same. Not only does this help with listening and tuning, but also balance and chordal responsibilities.

Gino, hes one of the few people out there that tunes on the mark system. His philosophy is that if everyone is playing the same instrument with the same mouthpiece in the same manner, then all of the instruments should be in tune around the same area. When we get new baritones, the staff marks the tuning slides every couple of millimeters. The only people that get really tuned are a small group of about 4 (one of each instrument) and over the summer the staff collect data on what mark the group is in tune at in relation to the temperature. When it gets to show time, the staff has a thermometer and checks the temp against the data and tells everyone a mark to be at. If we are in a dome, the staff checks the temp in the dome and sets the hornline to be in tune inside. After everyone sets the mark, minor adjustments might be made if someone hears something wacky, but they dont go down the line or anything.

[GSNewell]

Re: Mark Waymire

He's been in drum corps much more than a dozen years. He marched in Phantom Regiment in the 1980s and then started teaching the corps in the late '80s and continued with PR until 1995.

Re: Patrick Sheridan and Sam Pilafian

The "Tuba Dudes" were on PR's staff a couple years ago when JD Shaw hired them to help teach the Breathing Gym method. It was their introduction to drum corps.

To add another person to the thread...

Kevin Rabon, Phantom Regiment brass caption head

Kevin is a middle school band director in Austin, Texas. He marched in Phantom Regiment in the mid-1990s (I don't recall the exact years, but I believe it was around 94-97). He's been on PR's staff since 1999. He's married and is the proud owner of a beautiful motorcycle as his ONLY means of transportation (it's become almost a requirement to be involved with PR --> Dan Farrell, Tim Farrell, John Baumgartner, Eric Sabach and I own Harleys. Andrea Brown owns a sport bike, JD Shaw is the adoptive owner of one of Tim's bikes, and now Kevin with his bike).

[The Tsar]

[quote name='GSNewell' date='Jul 28 2007, 12:50 PM' post='1950696'

Kevin is a middle school band director in Austin, Texas. He marched in Phantom Regiment in the mid-1990s (I don't recall the exact years, but I believe it was around 94-97). He's been on PR's staff since 1999.

Kevin started marching in 1992. I think his last year was 1995.

[jwillis35]

Re: Mark Waymire

He's been in drum corps much more than a dozen years. He marched in Phantom Regiment in the 1980s and then started teaching the corps in the late '80s and continued with PR until 1995.

Re: Patrick Sheridan and Sam Pilafian

The "Tuba Dudes" were on PR's staff a couple years ago when JD Shaw hired them to help teach the Breathing Gym method. It was their introduction to drum corps.

To add another person to the thread...

Kevin Rabon, Phantom Regiment brass caption head

Kevin is a middle school band director in Austin, Texas. He marched in Phantom Regiment in the mid-1990s (I don't recall the exact years, but I believe it was around 94-97). He's been on PR's staff since 1999. He's married and is the proud owner of a beautiful motorcycle as his ONLY means of transportation (it's become almost a requirement to be involved with PR --> Dan Farrell, Tim Farrell, John Baumgartner, Eric Sabach and I own Harleys. Andrea Brown owns a sport bike, JD Shaw is the adoptive owner of one of Tim's bikes, and now Kevin with his bike).

I knew there was a reason I always like the Regiment brass staff. :) It's all about the Harley! Pretty cool.

Two people I think we have to include in this discussion, although they were never drum corps instructors--but let's face it, their methods have helped brass musicians for years--are Emory Remington and Herbert L. Clark. So much of what we do in this business is designed around the amazing brass studies brought to all of us from these pioneering methods. From 1985 - 1987 I was fortunate to be in the college orchestra at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, NC, and during those summer I studied with Greg Cox, who is still there actually. He was a student of Emory B. Remington while he did his degree at the Eastman School and his warm-up system is all based on that, even the stuff he has designed himself, and boy is that a good time in all regards of playing.

Also, a warm-up routine that I have from a few lessons with David Vining at the College Conservatory of Music at Cincinnati is very much like the Remington, but with added buzzing, singing, and a fantastic way of looking at long-tone into articulation transitions.

JW

[PhanFan]

Kevin Rabon

Actually, Kevin teaches at Georgetown High School, Texas - my daughter's school. he's a great asset to the Texas music community and is dedicated and well respected.

Phantom Bio:

"Kevin Rabon received his undergraduate degree in music education from Louisiana State University in 1996. He has been a Texas band director at the middle and high school level as is currently at Georgetown High School in Georgetown, TX.

Kevin has been on the brass staff with the Phantom Regiment since 1999, serving as brass caption head for the last four years.

Kevin is an active clinician and adjudicator, working with marching bands from around the country."

Edited July 28, 2007 by PhanFan

[Presque Isle Brass]

Fantastic approach. I really want to sit in on a Cavies brass "drill" to experience this technique first hand.

I am curious about a few things that maybe you can answer.

1. When preparing to perform indoors (Indy, Atlanta, San Antonio) how did you compensate for pitch with the change in air temps from the heat outside to the cool inside?

Since the concept stresses using the listening skills to match every aspect of playing from player to player, the temperature of the air should not matter. Each member would, in this case, relate their sound to the ensemble and thus would create a matched pitch, regardless of temperature.

2. "Face stays completely still on releases of notes" Are tones stopped by just stopping the flow of air, a small breath or (yikes) cutting off with the tongue?

Tones are released by stopping the flow of air. The only exception would be for a special effect. The embouchure must be completely still when the tone is released

3. What vowel(s) are used and for what purposes? Dah? Tah? etc.

Various vowel sounds are used, generally determined by register.

4. How often is a Dr. Beat used during daily drill and how often is it used when the hornline is rehearsing music alone without percussion? I.E. is there a great deal of emphasis on watching the conductors hands, listening for tempo or equal amounts of both depending on the situation and where you are positioned on the field?

The metronome is used with little exception during daily drill and ensemble work. This is done to help each performer internalize the pulse. Often times, the metronome will be moved around the ensemble during daily drill, as to create different listening situations for the performer. When it comes to realization of the pulse in relation to the conductor, a triangle-reference is used: your position on the field in relation to the drum major and the percussion.

I hope my comments have been helpful - often times it is difficult to recollect every detail. If you are really interested in the concept, I STRONGLY encourage you to check out this book:

Essential Musicianship for Band by Eddie Green, David Bertman, John Benzer

Available from Sheet Music Plus

Another great resource is the Brass Instructional DVD from the Cavaliers' website. The DVD is entitled From Concert Hall to Football Field and it takes you through the philosophical side of the brass concept, as well as a detailed analysis of our Daily Drill. Available from cavaliers.org

Any other Cavaliers or those who know the concept well: did I miss anything? Any amendments?

[JayM]

Any other Cavaliers or those who know the concept well: did I miss anything? Any amendments?

I was hoping someone else would pick up those questions. Great response.

[kas87]

Ok. I had NO idea both Pat and Sam were with Arizona.

I wonder how much drum corps experience either of them have.

They believe they were on staff with Phantom Regiment in 2003 and maybe 2004.

Edited July 28, 2007 by kas87

[Elmo Blatch]

What is "breath-dah"?

Pixie dust man, pixie dust.

Nah, just kidding. It is the concept that a group that breathes together, will aslo attack, sustain, and release together.

Elmo Blatch