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Who is REALLY responsible for PR's mello book/runs


PRPhan4ever

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The mello lick was not there finals night. I've listened to that show several times. It was a really nasty lick, but it didn't really fit in with the rest of the Wren arrangment. I liked it, I'm sure the mello's liked it and I remember the brass caption head liked it too, but Mr. Wren did not, so it was out and I think JD was as well. I don't think it was ever even used in an actual show.

Edited by RegimentContra94
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Kevin Rabon played soprano - not mellophone. He aged out PR '95.

Whoops!!! I stand corrected, thanks for clarifying Hammond. I got that info. from another source.

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Kevin Rabon played soprano - not mellophone.  He aged out PR '95.

Whoops!!! I stand corrected, thanks for clarifying Hammond. I got that info. from another source.

You were right the first time, Dentist. Kevin played mellophone in 94, my rookie season. He also played soprano in other years with the corps.

Semi-related, check out the 94 video. At the end of the "Ritual Fire" intro the camera shot goes from high angle to field level, right at the stepoff a mellophone bends over to pick up something that fell to the field. Unless I'm really remembering things incorrectly, that's Kevin. :)

Michael Oldemeyer

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I marched Regiment from 1991-93. I was the soprano soloist in 1991 and had spoken to Kevin about coming to Regiment in 1992 when he was in high school in Shreveport Louisiana. Kevin Rabon came to the corps in 1992 playing soprano, he played mello in 93 and 94, when I came on staff in 1995, he moved back to lead soprano and I was his soprano tech. I know that some caption heads will adjust music over the course of the summer to add musical effects that will heighten something visually. Usually the original staff arranger (Jim wren or J.D.) will be on hand to adjust what is needed and the rest is worked on to make sure that the desired effect is obtained. I did this the two years I was caption head with the Blue Stars in 2002-03. If the arranger is not available, then it will need to be done by someone on staff. Now if your arranger is on tour with you like in Regiments (JD Shaw) or Blue Devils (Wayne Downey) case, then the adjustments are made as quickly as possible.

My two cents.

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  • 1 month later...
I believe it is either J.D. Shaw or Kevin Rabon that wrote those euphoric mello runs. Both were mellophone players in their marching years.

Kevin Rabon played soprano - not mellophone. He aged out PR '95.

Kevin played both. Two years on mello and two years on soprano and did age out in '95. From other members have told me, Kevin looked at the mello book, if it was hard then he would play mello. If it was easy, then he'd play sop. JD rammed all of the 16th and 32nd note runs in the book. There were large amounts of ink being used for those runs. The staff cleaned it.

Edited by txprsop
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Sounds like a simple case of the mello run getting 'hosed'. At Star we used to refer to that as a visit from 'Tony the Fireman' who usually came by in June or July. If you can't play it clean by then it probably isn't happening for August either.

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  • 1 month later...

JD Shaw definitely is responsible for the awesome euph/mello runs. I talked to him in August about the show and arranging etc. and he definitely is intimately aware of what individual sections like to play most! As well as being a phenomenal horn player he is definitely a great arranger.

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  • 2 months later...

Semi-related, check out the 94 video. At the end of the "Ritual Fire" intro the camera shot goes from high angle to field level, right at the stepoff a mellophone bends over to pick up something that fell to the field. Unless I'm really remembering things incorrectly, that's Kevin. :)

Did you really have to bring this up? The choice was to play the rest of the finals show sans main tuning slide or pick it up and play the show. What would you have done?

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Semi-related, check out the 94 video.  At the end of the "Ritual Fire" intro the camera shot goes from high angle to field level, right at the stepoff a mellophone bends over to pick up something that fell to the field.  Unless I'm really remembering things incorrectly, that's Kevin.  :)

Did you really have to bring this up?  The choice was to play the rest of the finals show sans main tuning slide or pick it up and play the show.  What would you have done?

Sorry about that. I would have picked up the slide, too.

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  • 3 weeks later...

J.D. is definitely the one responsible for those licks. If you listen to the early season recordings of the group you won't hear them. Then J.D. comes and visits the corps and says (at 9:15) "Mellophones, we're putting this in. Memorize it now" He is quite the visionary.

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