Ever wonder why...

[rgortowski]

Ever wonder where the Cavalier's Bass drum cadence they use while exiting the field came from ? Here is a story off the Cavalier's web site under the Frequently Asked Questions. It is a pretty neat explaination. I have also heard the beat referred to as "Shoes in the dryer":

What is that drum cadence The Cavaliers always use when leaving the field?

It's called "Iowa".

Here is some of the history -- as remembered by FMMs Wayne Karge and Paul Milano.

Wayne Karge -- "The drum beat was not written by any of the instructors. A bunch of us were hangin around the hall one night and a couple of the bass drummers were noodling with bass drum beaters on either the floor or one of the tables. They just sort of came up with the beat that night.

The next weekend when we were leaving the field they used it. The crowd immediately started clapping along and it has stuck ever since.

I believe this happened around 1964, or 1965. I know 1964 was the first year we started using tuned bass drums, which was a first to drum corps. This might have been the year, or it might have happened the following year, but it was sometime around then.

I know for sure Tom Hartig was one of the drummers and possibly Dave Hoppe was there that night. I remember this fairly well since I was there and I also know Bob Ross was there (two of the Andrew sisters, even though we hadn't been given that name yet.) I specifically remember Bob really digging the beat."

Paul Milano -- "I was always under the impression that the name "Iowa" developed due to the cadence's sound that mimicked the word Iowa (Iowa, Iowa, pause, I-O-WA).

I don't know how long it has been so designated, but we were already calling it Iowa back when I joined the drum line in the fall of 1969.

I also recall that one of our bus songs was "Oklahoma" which was sung to the tune of Oklahoma (from the stage and movie musical) but using only the word Oklahoma repeated over and over in place of the regular verse (and bastardizing the syllables to fit the melody and rhythm. There are similarities between how the Oklahoma bus song is sung, and how Iowa is sung. That may have had something to do with it also.

I do know that one of my fellow drummers, Steve Schmid (FMM 70-74) was the gentleman who rewrote Iowa in its current form, after bass drum lines expanded beyond three drums (as it was originally written by Larry McCormick)."

[InHiFiStereo]

I really love that cadence. I always wanted to know the origins of it, but is there anyone who might have a recording of it? I know its not the most gorgeous cadence, but I think it rocks. thanks

[Fievel]

These days, I'm suprised there aren't remixes of it available. Cool story!

[Paul Milano]

I've learned that it was officially named "Iowa" by Cavalier soprano Larry Palowski in the late 60's. You'd have to know Larry's dry but brilliant sense of humor to understand why Larry would have been the perfect person to so name the cadence "Iowa."

[MikeN]

Moved to Percussion Forum, so that it might be better preserved for posterity! :)

Mike

[oldbandguy]

This has always been my favorite cadence...even in this

dayand age of 1,000,000 notes per minute, there's something

very special about hearing those basses kicking in when the

Cavs exit the field.

Would anyone know if a printed version of the cadence is

available anywhere?

[TerriDitt57]

I've learned that it was officially named "Iowa" by Cavalier soprano Larry Palowski in the late 60's. You'd have to know Larry's dry but brilliant sense of humor to understand why Larry would have been the perfect person to so name the cadence "Iowa."

I had no idea Larry Pawlowski named "Iowa".

That's hilarious.

:spit:

[Tristan]

I don't even know if there is a printed version. From what I've heard (feel free to correct me on this), it's taught by rote. The bottom four basses play different inversions of a 12/8 rhythm, and the top bass is kinda ad-lib. I could be wrong though, that's just how it seemed to me.

[JBlade00]

Well, actually it is the same beat played by all the basses.

Bass 5 comes in on beat 1, bass 4 on beat 10, bass 3 on beat 15, bass 2 on beat 20, and bass 1 on beat 25 (I believe)

It makes it funky, due to the rhythm is offset by a couple of notes, so there are about 3-4 accents that stick out. And then the top bass goes in and out of a solo.

its triplet based, and here is the rhthm:

R l r L r l r l R l r L ... and this rhthym repeats.... so it sort of lines up like this:

5: R l r L r l r l R l r L R l r L r l r l R l r L

4: - - - R l r L r l r l R l r L R l r L r l r l R l r L

3: - - - - - - R l r L r l r l R l r L R l r L r l r l R l r L

2: - - - - - - - - - R l r L r l r l R l r L R l r L r l r l R l r L

1: - - - - - - - - - - - - R l r L r l r l R l r L R l r L r l r l R l r L

Its pretty cool when you hear everything together. Simple... yes... sweet... yes...

Edited January 27, 2004 by JBlade00

[Paul Milano]

It is also sometimes referred to as the "Flinstones" cadence. If you are old enough to remember the old Flintstones cartoon show song, the cadence can also be "sung" to that song.

"FLINTstones, MEET the Flintstones, MEET the Flintstones, MEET the Flintstones . . ."