What makes Ralph Ralph?

[Gaddabout]

An interresting story.

Not so interesting if you don't tell it.

[Bighud]

Can someone please provide a list of which corps Ralph has worked with/arranged for? I know 70s(-80s?) SCV, then Blue Knights, and recently Troopers...but can someone be more specific?

Freelancers 1994

[Zeke]

I think if Hardimon and Float had a child, it would be Paul Rennick.

ABSOLUTLEY!!! :devil:

[Zeke]

Ralph did the Pit Arrangements at Marauders for 91-92 Seasons.

[ironlips]

Hardimon was all about the ensemble. Up until Hardimon I think most books were written with more tech in mind ... here's our snare feature moment ... here's our tenor feature moment ... here's our mallet feature moment ... etc. etc. Hardimon ignored all of that and seemed to really embrace the composer and refused to overwrite the battery just to score higher. Hardimon's love of classical was so extreme and unique to drum corps, SCV snares used matched grip.

For example, Hardimon LOVED press rolls. Now, press rolls are essential to concert percussion but they're sort of counter-intuitive to tech in DCI. There's not much you can do to make a buzz roll sound clean and they don't rate high at all on the difficulty scale. Hardimon found ways to make them more difficult ... splits for snares and tenors, for example. You can also hear Hardimon in the interpretation of the original score -- everything was done in reverence to the composer. He never had this ego where he felt he needed to write past the composer to impress a field judge.

He produced a more sophisticated way to write for outdoor percussion ensembles and EVERYONE has followed suit. You can hear his influenced across the board.

Hardimon was always a counter-point to Float, who was a snare drummer's dream. You went to Float because you wanted to be challenged. You went to Hardimon because you loved classical music. This isn't saying Float was less musical, but he was allowed quite a bit more freedom in his books because BD plays jazz.

They are both titans in my opinion.

I think if Hardimon and Float had a child, it would be Paul Rennick.

Indeed.

There's a classic Moe Knox photo of the '72 DCI Champion Anaheim Kingsmen drumline with 2 very tall gentlemen in the center of the snare section: Ralph and Float. It would make a great T-shirt.

[Paralda]

Can someone please provide a list of which corps Ralph has worked with/arranged for? I know 70s(-80s?) SCV, then Blue Knights, and recently Troopers...but can someone be more specific?

He consults for Academy.

[trwiggin]

The things I took from Ralph is the importance of how everything fits together in the percussion ensemble (like how cool a lick with the tenors and mallets doubling each other can be!). I also think some of Ralph's great moments are the way his books groove, even in hard core classical music. It also feels really good in the hands to play his parts. And as for the buzz roll thing, I remember spending an hour in a rehearsal with him working just on everyone in the lines buzz roll sound!

[Cathie Wiener]

Plus, Ralph cooks a mean rabbit.

[xbones7480]

My apologies, I thought this was a Ralph Pace thread.

[Gaddabout]

He consults for Academy.

I'm not certain that was ever an extensive relationship. To the best of my knowledge Glen Crosby had been the chief consultant to Academy since they were an idea in someone's head ... since 2000? He became the caption head in 2007. Crosby marched for Float but he worked extensively under Hardimon and ... shoot, someone help me here ... wasn't he caption head at SCV for a year or two when Hardimon left? Followed by ... Murray ... correct?

My knowledge of SCV history is really poor and it shouldn't be. I'm ashamed.

Edited August 15, 2009 by Gaddabout