Meet RCC and Cadets Winter Percussion

As my last blog post, I decided to research about my two favorite percussion ensembles, RCC and Cadets Winter Percussion. RCC's show this past season was entitled, "Bound is the Heart" RCC ended up in second place in the independent world class with a score of 97.563. Cadets Winter Percussion's  show was entitled, "The Dream Electric." They finished in ninth place with a score of 91.638. I was completely blown away by their shows this year, and became curious of their origins.

RCC's mission is to be the home of forward-thinking designers, educators and performers.Their goal is to provide their members with the best educational experience possible, and at the same time, consistently pushing the boundaries of performance art. Founded in 2001, RCC Indoor Percussion's  have consistently been setting new standards and creating the cutting edge of creative and performance excellence. In their first appearance at the WGI World Championships, they won the gold medal with the unforgettable show, "The Sound of Silence". Since then RCC has never placed out of the top four, winning the World Championship title in 2002, 2005, 2007, 2012, and 2015.

The first RCC show that I watched was when I was in 7th grade. That was the first year I joined drumline and I was completely new to the program, and clueless between good and great. RCC showed me the definition of great that year, 2013. The show that year was called, "State of the Arts."  I remembered the feeling of awe and amazement after each time I watched that show. Ever since then, RCC has been one of my favorite percussion ensembles and I have always felt that strange feeling in my chest. I feel like its a mix of disbelief and astonishment that a group of performers can be so great and perfect at what they do.

Cadets Winter Percussion was founded in 2013. Competing in the World-Class level, the indoor percussion ensemble is sponsored by The Cadets Drum Corps. The ensemble is made up of young men and women ages 16 to 22. Cadets Winter Percussion is founded upon The Cadets' well-established tradition of excellence in percussion performance and instruction. During the inaugural season, the ensemble achieved a record high score in WGI Independent Open Class, winning the 2014 World Championship. In 2015, Cadets Winter Percussion moved to Independent World Class, and placed sixth overall, an incredible accomplishment for a two year group. 

This year was the first time I have ever saw a Cadet show. I was mind was blown during one moment of their show, "The Dream Electric."  The snare drums were all playing together, and each of them slowly went down to their knee, but that wasn't all. They started airing the notes they played, in other words they moved their hands but they didn't hit the drum. My amazement didn't stop there. While they were airing, they actually started hitting the drum on specific counts. The transition between airing and playing was so smooth, that I felt like eyes and ears were playing tricks on me. I was completely astonished by how creative and amazing that part was.

The sources I used were RCC's and Cadets Winter Percussion's official website. Each source contained copy right information. I also know that these sources were accurate because they were recently updated. I can't wait to go back to Dayton, Ohio see the Cadets and I can't wait for indoor season to begin so I can see RCC.

Today was the last day that I would be posting. I am very, very, very thankful for all of those who viewed my posts. To be honest, I didn't really expect anyone to read them. This started out as a simple English project but quickly became something more. Throughout each post I started to realize how fun and incredible I could make these posts. When I realized that I had started getting views, I was even more motivated to make my posts as interesting and appealing as possible. Once again, thank you to everyone, and maybe I'll continuing posting in the future.

RCC Indoor Percussion. "About RCC." About. RCC Indoor Percussion, n.d. Web. 20 May 2016.                      
YEA! "About Cadets Winter Percussion." Youth Education in the Arts. YEA!, n.d. Web. 20 May 2016.                          

RCC 2016

Cadets Winter Percussion 2016

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What is DCI?

As I mentioned in a earlier post entitled, "What is the Western Band Association?" drumlines combine with bands and colorguards to compete on the football field. Well DCI,  or Drum Corps International, is the professional organization for marching bands. Like WGI, which is the professional organization for indoor percussion ensembles, wind ensembles, and colorguards, DCI is the Marching Music's Major Leagues. Since marching band season is about to start, I decided to do this blog post about what DCI is, its relationships with other organizations, and the DCI Hall of Fame.

Starting from modest beginnings for more than three decades ago, Drum Corps International had transformed into a spectacular, nonprofit, world-wide youth activity with extensive artistic, educational, and organizational influence. The yearly DCI Tour and World Championships allows the Drum Corps International to entertain millions around the world through lives performances and nationally- broadcast events. Drum Corps International is Marching Music’s Major League™. Drum Corps International carries the message of excellence in performance and in life to more than 7.2 million young people, between the ages of 13- 22 involved in performing arts in the U.S. Active participants in drum and bugle corps come from more than 15 countries in the United States. The annual Tour is made up of more than 100 events throughout North America and each summer over 400,000 fans attend the live shows and events. Each season, more than 8000 students try out for the fewer than 3,500 positions open in top- tier DCI member corps. More than 5,000 members participate annually and 59.6 percent of the performers are current college students pursing music education degrees. Also, 65 percent of those indicated that high school students intend to major in music education. While and exclusive limited amount of students participate on the field with DCI drum corps, millions follow the DCI corps by attending competitions, DCI- sponsored programs, purchasing merchandise, and simply being fans and following their favorite corps through social media.  DCI has continued to grow consistently, with a combined attendance near 60,000 at the World Championships. A big organization like DCI has a lot of business partners. They include: National Association for Music Education, U.S. Army Bands, Band Shoppe, Vic Firth Company, Zildjian, Remo Inc, Pearl Corporation, NAMM, the International Music Products Association, Dynasty USA, PreSonus Audio Electronics, ON2 Percussion, AWCT Performance Wear, Delta Dental, Drum Corps Associates, Music For ALL, Inc (BOA), WGI Sport of the Arts, Athletes and the Arts, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, USBands, Jolesch Enterprises, Cavalcade of Bands, Markey's Rental and Staging, Percussive Arts Society, Tournament of Bands, Association of Music Parents  Arts Council of Indianapolis, The Registration System, Japan Marching Band Association, Winter Guard Tarps, Marching.com, Drum Corps World, and Halftime Magazine. The Drum Corps International Hall of Fame is where the legends of the drum corps activity are remembered for the impact and history they left on the activity. The Hall of Fame began in 1985, with six inductees inducted that inaugural year. Each year, new members are added to this prestigious institution. To this day, 114 people have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. New Hall of Fame members are elected by the DCI Board of Directors and Hall of Fame Members in the spring of each year. This source I used to research DCI was the organization's website. It provided a great detail of information especially about who they work with and the competing drum corps. They also provided a copy right section, thus I can conclude that this source is reliable because it is owned by a professional institution. Each summer, my band director, Mr. Stone sets up the live streaming of the World Championships. However, this year as I'm sitting down with my friends and watching our favorite drum corp group take the field, I will remember what I learned today, and carry it with me while watching the groups. Drum Corps International. "About Drum Corps International." Dci.org. Drum Corps International, n.d. Web. 17 May 2016.

What is Innovative Percussion?

In the activity drumline, there are many types of equipment needed in order to perform such as the drums, drumsticks, front ensemble equipment, mallets, and cymbals. All of these are very important in having a successful drumline. Thus I decided to talk about Ayala's drumstick sponsor Innovative Percussion.

During the mid 1980's an undergraduate student from Middle Tennessee State University, Erik T, Johnson started to make his own personal mallets in order to achieve the sound he wanted when playing and reduce expenses for his studies. As he progressed through the late 1980s, Johnson created the Fields Series FS150, FS250, and FS350 through extensive experiments with raw materials. In 1991. Johnson graduated from the University of North Texas and moved back to Tennessee with ideas to start a company, He recruited friends and students to help with the making. He became a faculty member at Middle Tennessee State University and taught  McGavock High School percussion, Riverdale High School percussion, Nite Express Drum & Bugle Corps, and private lessons to assist with finances. He recruited a college student Chris Long to help and influential performers to endorse his state of the art mallets to audiences, educators, and future educators across the country. Johnson would market the Concert Series FS150, FS250, FS350, and TD500 and create the first Innovative Percussion logo. In 1992, Chris Long joined Innovative Percussion as a mallet craftsman and the Drum Corps would start showing its interest in using the company's mallets. In 1993, Innovative Percussion, Inc. was established as a corporation and introduced its first signature product, the Soloist Series, which is a four model mallet series.

 In 1995, Erik Johnson would join the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps as the Front Ensemble Consultant and would create new mallet models such as the Rattan Series RS201 and RS301 along with Field Series additions RFS320 and RFS420. He would also add a 5th mallet to the Soloist Series, the IP240 which would be the most popular mallet in company history. In 1997, the new and current Innovative Percussion, Inc. logo would be created and James Ross joins the corporation to assists in developing the first orchestral mallets. He would help with the new product models ENS60(R), FS550(R), FS650(R), ENS760(R. In 1999, George Barrett would be hired as Chief Executive Officer to assist in increasing domestic and international sales, as well as  Ethan Chastain,  Robin Engelman.
From 2000 to 2005, Innovative Percussion would create many milestones such as establishing open relations with international customers in Asia and Europe followed by Australia and Canada. Also,  Bret Kuhn Signature Model FS-BK is IP’s first marching signature stick product along with other pioneering stick products included IP-1, FS-1, TS-1.  James Campbell, Lalo Davila, and Paul Rennick would all have their signature drum sticks launched by Innovative Percussion. In 2003, Ed Soph would join the family and help design the first Drumset sticks. Janis Potter and Innovative Percussion would develop a new five- mallet series and Jim Casella Signature Model Field Series Snare Drumstick FS-JC is launched. In 2012, Innovative Percussion registers "IP" logo and would enter partnership with WGI. IP would continue on to create new products and still are even to this day.
The source I used was Innovative Percussion's official website. I knew that this source was reliable because it gave professional help from the corporation and also provides a current news tab showing that the website is updated recently. Even though I am not a drummer, when I picked up a pair of my friend's drumsticks, I felt amazing and had great sound quality. Innovative Percussion will continue to break boundaries and support many drumline groups around the world.

Innovative Percussion, Inc. "About Us - Innovative Percussion." About Us - Innovative Percussion. Innovative Percussion, Inc., n.d. Web. 13 May 2016.

1991 logo

created in 1997, current logo

created in 2012, also a current logo

Zildjian's History

In my last post, my topic was about the company that makes drumheads for Ayala. Since I am a cymbal player I decided to do this post about the company that sponsors Ayala with cymbals. Zildjian supplies Ayala High School with cymbals and from personal experience, they are excellent cymbals. They feel great, sound great, and look great. I was really curious about the history of these amazing cymbals.

In the early seventeenth century, Avedis Zildjian I (the first) was an Armenian alchemist in the city Constantinople. While he was trying to create gold by combining standard metals, Zildjian discovered an alloy of copper, tin, and hints of silver with unique sound qualities. In 1618, Avedis Zildjian used his secret alloy to create cymbals of  astounding clarity and power. The sounds of the cymbals he created were so extraordinary that the Sultan invited Zildjian to live at his court, the Topkapi Palace. There Zildjian created cymbals for the Sultan's elite Janissary Bands. As Avedis continued to make cymbals, his reputation grew and the Sultan gave him the name "Zildjian" in Armenian (Zilciyan in Turkish), a word meaning "son of cymbal maker." In 1623, Zildjian was granted permission to leave the palace and start his own business in Psamatia, a suburb of Constantinople. That same business is now nearly four centuries old and has been passed down through fifteen generations of Zildjian heir. In 1929, Avedis III moved the Zildjian factory to Quincy, MA and then to its current location in Norwell, MA for the company's 350th Anniversary. The business was then passed to Avedis's son, Armand in 1977 and then to Armand's daughter, Craigie, in 1999. Craigie in her sister, Debbie, currently continue the family tradition in what is the oldest family- owned business in America. 

From 1851-1865, Avedis Zildjian II (the second) was the cymbal maker for the family company. Prior to 1851, the family's cymbals were simply known as "Turkish Cymbals." Zildjian II was the first to manufacture the cymbals using the family's name. During that year, he built a 25- foot schooner and sailed it from Constantinople to Marseilles and then to London where he showed off his cymbals at the World Trade Fair. In 1851 at the fairs and Paris and London, and again in 1862 and London, the cymbals with the name Avedis Zildjian won all prizes and awards for excellence. In 1865, the business was passed down to Kerope Zildjian who maintained the family's tradition.

Kerope Zildjian, the president of the business from 1865 to 1909 was recognized throughout Europe as one of the most successful craftsman of the Zildjian family. His "K Zildjian" cymbals exceeded all others in terms of resonance, thinness, and durability. He ran the business for 44 years and traveled to exhibitions all around Europe winning awards, certificates, and enhancing the family's reputation. 

Aram Zildjian, president from 1909 to 1929, was the newphew of Kerope. He found it difficult to continue manufacturing cymbals in Constantinople during a period of political conflicts. After joinign the Armenian National Movement, he was temporarily forced to flee to Bucharest. Aram opened up a second Zildjian factory in Bucharest, while Kerope's daughter, Victoria, stepped in to keep the factory at Constantinople running. Eventually, Aram would return to his native country and where exported his cymbals around the world, but most notably to America, which was the largest consumer of musical instruments in the world. In 1927, Aram wrote to his nephew, Avedis III, who was already living in America, that he would have to carry on the family business. Aram told Avedis that he would have to re-establish the cymbal business in America. With help from Aram, Avedis Zildjian III set up the company in Quincy, MA in 1929, the beginning of the Jazz Era. 

Avedis Zildjian III would go on to change the percussion industry. His countless innovations and trailblazing production techniques earned him an indisputable place as one of the most influential musical instrument manufacturers of the century. His indefatigable passion for his craft helped forever alter modern music and will continue to do so.

The source I used to research Zildjian's history was a very reliable source. It provided a long list of the family names that contributed to the family business. It also provided quotes from Avedis Zildjian III which was reprinted from Modern Drummer, Inc. on November 1995 with their permission. The website provided quotes from an interview, which is a primary source, making it reliable. After researching about their history, each time that I pick up my cymbals, I now feel that history in the cymbals. It now feels like I'm picking up two pieces of legendary material that contain a special force inside, not just pieces of metal.  I truly love Zildjian cymbals and learning about their history makes me treasure my cymbals even more.

Zildjian. "About Zildjian." Zildjian. Zildjian, 22 Oct. 2015. Web. 10 May 2016. 

What is Remo Incorporation?

Ayala High School's drum line is sponsored by many companies who provide us with drums, front ensemble instruments, sticks, and cymbals. However, there is one organization that truly stands out and it is Remo Inc. They provide Ayala with all the drum heads for the snare, tenor, and bass drum. As a cymbal player I do not know much about drumheads. So, I was curious and decided  to learn about the company that produces an equipment that is an essential part to Ayala's percussion ensemble.

Remo Incorporation was founded by Remo D Belli. In 1957 he invented the very first successful synthetic Mylar® drum heads. For over 55 years, Remo, Inc. has constantly and consistently set new grounds and achievements in their industry firsts. When it comes to Remo's expertise as a drumhead manufacturer, no one can reach the technical and musical advantages that Remo Drumheads provide.

The Remo story starts during WWII when experiments were being conducted with Mylar®, a polyester film made by DuPont®. During the war, Mylar® was used as a heat resistant film for night time observation flights. Mylar® was an unique, durable, inexpensive, weather resistant material that somehow provided a unattainable pitch, tone and consistency that interested D Belli. When he developed an interest in the material he was already a successful professional drummer. D Belli began his legacy with the Weatherking® drumheads, the first successful commercial drumhead design.

During the 60's, 70's, and the 80's Remo continued to progress and grow and became the world’s drumhead specialist in basically every category from percussionists and orchestral timpanists to drum corps, jazz, blues and rock. Remo achieved the level of innovation never before imagined in drumheads. Remo was able to set the standard higher thanks to new laminations and coatings found in other Remo's first creations such as Controlled Sound™, Pinstripe®, Smooth White™, Powerstroke®, Fiberskyn®, Suede®, Renaissance®, Nuskyn®, Skyneep® and Comfort Sound Technology™. The foundation for Remo came from understanding how drumheads should be designed and how they should sound for other applications such Drumset, Marching, Concert, Recreational, Health & Wellness and World Percussion. In 1983, Remo used Acousticon® Shells, a 100% recycled wood fiber to launch the World Percussion product line. The success that the Acousticon® Shells brought was more than a transformation in lightweight, strong, and great sounding drums. It marked a groundbreaking movement in the opportunity of a broad range of ethnic drums for the recreational and professional applications. This would help create the community of drummers today.

Remo has always been about ensuring that everyone has a chance to experience the feeling of a drum circle or street performance. All around the world, people are embracing the thrills of the different rhythms from street corners, parks, beaches, community centers, wellness centers, concerts and schools. At Remo, they see drums as tools that connect  on a deep rhythmic level. Drumming is an interactive community tool that promotes the well being and life enhancement. Remo's goal is to use their ongoing efforts to bring the joy of drumming to the professional, the enthusiast, the children, the elderly, the at risk, and those with disabilities. Remo has also been recognized for environmentally responsible manufacturing every year since 1998 by winning the WRAP Award. (California Waste Reduction Award Program). They want to sustain  jobs by continuing to manufacture in the USA and push the limits of drumhead and drum technology while reducing its impact on the environment.

The source I used to research my topic was Remo's official website. It provided information about their products, staff members, accomplishments, history, and an experience page. The experience page provides a bunch of informational links that Remo put together. Therefore that establishes their credibility because they are providing resources to answer the questions that people ask. As a cymbal player, I don't use drumheads at all. However, after learning about the how the company came to be, every time I see all the drumheads in our drumline room, I remember the legacy that Remo D Belli left behind. I was extremely interested by their webpage, but sad at the same time when I learned that Mr. Remo D Belli passed away. Remo will continue to grow and accomplish the impossible and sponsor many great percussion ensembles like Ayala High School and Pulse Percussion.

In respect for Remo, I dedicate this blog post to their founder, Remo D Belli, who passed away this year. He was 89 years old.

Remo Inc. "Remo Inc., Is the World's Largest Drumhead Company." Remo.com. Remo Inc., n.d. Web. 6 May 2016.                          

What is WGI?

As I said many times in my past blog post, Ayala High School went to Dayton, Ohio to compete in the WGI or the World Guard International for the world championships. I was very curious about the organization's history thus I decided to do some research.

All the way till 1978, the national color guard championship was held in the summer at the DCI Drum and Bugle Corps Championship or at the National contests of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. In the August of 1977, at the DCI Championships in Denver,  the color guard championship was held in a basement. The basement had structural column in which the guards had to maneuver around and the judges had to twist and turn their necks to see. It also didn't  have any air conditioning which didn't help the performers what so ever. However, despite these obstacles, it was an extremely close competition. The Holley Hawks, from Holly, NY, became the national champions. They defeated St. Anthony's Imperiales  who had received a penalty for "trailing" which is a flag code violation. However, little did people know that the color guard world was about to change in a big way.
During that time, all the judges' score sheets, training, show requirements, and even the length of the shows varied from one part of the country to the next. From a style standpoint, the Eastern guards favored using equipment, the Midwest drill, and the West dance. It was very apparent that the activity had outgrown its connection to the summer contest it had during their "season." It was time to create a place specifically for Winter Color Guard.
In the spring of 1977, a group of six people met in San Francisco to discuss the creation of an organization to oversee the color guard activity from coast to coast. The attendees at the meeting were Don Angelica, Shirlee Whitcomb, Stanley Knaub, Bryan Johnston, Marie Czapinski, and Linda Chambers. Together, they introduced the name Winter Guard International (WGI).
At the first meeting, their mission was made clear: All parts of the country, spreading from the west coast to the east coast would be equally represented in the development and maintenance of the activity, color guards would take charge of their own activity, and shows would take place within during the winter season. Also rules and regulations would be uniform, and there would be a championship contest. This contest would be held in a rotation around the country, taking place for two consecutive years in each of the three major regions. This would offer an equal opportunity to all guards. Also, travel for guards was very uncommon at that time was the site rotations would be important. The next step which was the organizational meeting was held in October 1977 at the site of the DCI Rules Congress in Chicago. Many of the leading guard instructors at the time were also teaching drum corps and would already be in attendance. The meeting was an open for anyone to attend. All of the established color guard circuits across the nation had invited representatives. Thirteen associations attended the meeting.
It was agreed that Lynn Lindstrom, the current Commander of the Midwest Color Guard Circuit, would head the newly formed organization for the first year.She would subsequently hold this position for twenty-four years. In order to provide the initial $1000 for the debut season, four existing guard circuits each donated $250.
In WGI's first year, it was run through the color guard circuits. Three individuals shared the responsibilities of the Chief Judge position, emphasizing the importance that there was an equal representation of East, West, and Midwest. The first WGI Regional featured an ambitious 14 contests which was to be held in venues from Los Angeles to Boston.

The first year there were two floor sizes because some regions used a 40 x 60 floor and others used a 50 x 70. Every guard carried the American Flag and many guards carried wooden dowels with bicycle grips as sabers. WGI also added many rules throughout this year. Three GE judges shared responsibility for the subjective scoring of the effect of the program.
Another requirement, which was common in the East, was the Manual of Arms. However this was not included in the structure at that time. The starting line was always from the court to the left of the audience and the finish line was to the right of the audience. It was mandatory for guards to start and finish their shows over those two lines. Equipment such as rifles and flags were clearly defined including the description of the rifle and that flags could not be larger than the National Flag.

Today, WGI has involved from a simple organization with the support of thirty color guards to an organization that serves hundreds of guards and percussion lines. Around 400 color guard and percussion groups compete on two separate weekends for their own World Championships and about 200 volunteers manage the Championship Contest and over 135 trained staff members serviced
the guards and percussion lines during the season.

The link I used was http://www.wgi.org/contents/History.html. It was a very reliable source because it gave copy write information proving that an organization holds authority to the website. Also, the domain of the website is a .org meaning it is a nonprofit organization. By these two test I can conclude that my source is reliable. The website provided a great amount of information talking about the performing world before WGI, the early years, and then the present. My first year performing at WGI was remarkable and I cannot wait to go back to Dayton, Ohio to compete again. Walking around inside the stadium, seeing all the signs, and just the atmosphere of what WGI brings, makes me look foward to indoor season again. WGI made my first experience amazing, memorable, and most importantly fun. 

WGI. "WGI Sport of the Arts." History. WGI, n.d. Web. 03 May 2016.
                        

Meet Rhythm X and Music City Mystique

As I mentioned on my posts a week ago, I recently traveled to Dayton, Ohio to the World Guard International Championships. There I was able to witness many extraordinary percussion ensembles such as Rhythm X and Music City Mystique. Rhythm X's show this year was entitled, The Alpha, which was about how a wolf pack decided its leader, or the alpha male. They ended up in fourth place with a score of  95.963. Music City Mystique's show this year was called In Bloom. They ended up in fifth place with a score of 94.863.
Rhythm X was founded in 2001 as a percussion ensemble that wanted to provide a source of music education and performance opportunity in the Greater Columbus Area, which is located in Ohio. They quickly escalated and grew to become a premier performance ensemble in the Winter Guard International World Class. Their spectacular design team consisted of  Tim Fairbanks, who is in charge of the visual design, Mike Scott, the ensemble director, Andrew Markworth, the music coordinator/ arranger, and Tim Jackson, the battery coordinator/ arranger. In Rhythm X's first year as an independent ensemble competing in the WGI Open Class, they won the Gold medal, setting the standard for their excellence. For the next 10 years, Rhythm X would prove to be a unique voice in the percussion world bringing an incredible design influence to the activity. Over their ten seasons in the WGI World Class, Rhythm X has won the World Championships twice, back-to-back in 2008 and 2009. They earned four other medals in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2010. Rhythm X is more than just a performance ensemble. All of their staff members teach extensively in other programs across the country. Not only do they teach in drum corps and independent ensembles, the staff members also instruct private lessons, high schools, and middle school percussions, winds, and even string programs. What's even more amazing is the fact that the majority of their members, in addition to school and work, teach music in programs all over Ohio. Rhythm X fosters a culture of advocacy for music programs and positive, competent instruction. They also open most of their rehearsals to the public.

 Music City Mystique was founded in 1994,  the early days of what is now WGI Indoor Percussion.  The "early days" was a far cry from today’s WGI Indoor Percussion ensembles, but the seeds of competition are being sown in places like California, Colorado, Illinois, Ohio, and middle Tennessee.
 While there were two high school groups, Father Ryan and John Overton, from Nashville, Tennessee, Alan Rice saw a void in one particular area of the competition:  the independent class.  While the independent class was created for the 1994 competitive season, three of the competing groups were associated with drum and bugle corps and the fourth group was connected with a university. There was no group representing the large talent pool in the South. Rice, who was well-connected in the marching percussion scene throughout the South, told his friends and former students, Don Click and Chris Finen, that Nashville is the perfect place to fill this gap in the independent class by starting an independent line representing Nashville.
At that time, Don Click already had a great front ensemble at Brentwood High School, but not enough students for a full-sized battery. Chris Finen has a great marching battery at Harpeth High School,but not enough students for a competitive front ensemble. As if it were meant to be, Don and Chris combine their schools and created Nashville’s first independent WGI Indoor Drumline: Music City Mystique. However, the performers were not just from Don and Chris’s high school groups. Players from all over middle Tennessee came out and  helped define Mystique’s goals and standards.Click, Finen, Alan, and countless others helped cobble together Mystique’s first show, “A New Beginning . . .,” and lay the foundation for what is now the second oldest, and most successful, Independent World Class percussion ensemble in WGI.
The link I used to research Music City Mystique was http://musiccitymystique.org/history-2/. The website was a very reliable source because it has been recently updated thus making it acceptable to use for my topic. It also provided a long list of information and details about their history and the shows from each year starting from 1995. I learned a lot about MCM and how they became so successful. My memory of watching them at Dayton, Ohio became a lot more meaningful and treasurable to me after learning their background and path to success. At the end of both ensembles' performances, I had that feeling of amazement deep inside of me, because I knew I just witnessed something beautiful, and something that I will never forget.

Music City Mystique. "Music City Mystique – History." Music City Mystique. Music City Mystique, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2016.  
Rhythm X Inc. "About." Rhythm X, Inc. Rhythm X Inc.., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2016.                  

Rhythm X "The Alpha"

Music City Mystique "In Bloom"

What is the Western Band Association?

Ayala's percussion ensemble is a year- round program starting from the summer and ending in the spring. From June to November, we compete with our school marching band and color guard in an organization called the Western Band Association or WBA. The Western Band Association's mission statement is "to ensure a high quality performing experience, educationally sound and in full support of the total band program." They also believe that "competition is a means to encourage and reward creativity, artistry and excellence in design and performance while providing a standard that will educate all students in such a way that they will grow to understand and evolve to the greatest level of their potential. It is our intent to encourage and reward the training that augments the development of quality musical and visual skills."
The Western Band Association's journey to existence is quite interesting. In January of 1979, a group of band directors met to transform the face of marching band in Northern and Central California. These band directors were Mike Rubino (Live Oak HS), Ramiro Barrera (Lincoln HS), Dan Smith (Independence HS), Gary Runsten (Modesto HS) & Mel Stratton (Clovis HS). They all shared a common goal which was to establish an organization that would provide a competitive performance opportunity. These founders designed score sheets and established standard scoring methods to assure the bands the maximum competitive experienced envisioned. The sponsors of the first show in the fall of 1979 were Modesto, Live Oak, and Independence. The first WSMBC Championship was held along with the 1984 Music Bowl Prelims at James Logan HS and the first WSMBC Champion was Independence High School. In 1995, WSMBA was able to spread its activities and influence into Southern California through the efforts of John Hannan (Mission Viejo). He helped dig a path to a consistent set of rules and scoring basis that would unify the goals and competitive experience for bands all throughout the state. Over the past few years, bands have come from Washington, Oregon Nevada, Arizona and Utah to share this experience. The scoring system also became more sophisticated. It was transformed into a two-tiered criteria designed for bands of various size memberships. This assured that the smaller bands would have the same opportunity as the larger bands in earning a high score and the credibility they deserved for their performances. In 2002, under the leadership of Ramiro Barrera (James Logan), WSMBC changed its name to Western Band Association (WBA). In 2006, the competition schedule grew to offer competitions between the three regions: Northern, Central and Southern California. WBA now hopes to elevate their competition venues by following their mission statement in years to come.

The source I used was http://www.westernbands.org/about.php. It was a very good source because it provided detailed information and a lot of details about the history of WBA. The source I used was also WBA's main website which also provided official contact information such as the mailing address, phone number, and the administration members. WBA is an amazing organization to perform in and it will continue to improve in the future.

Western Band Association - WBA. "Western Band Association - WBA." Western Band Association - WBA. Western Band Association - WBA, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2016

What does drumline mean to me?

As a veteran cymbal player in Ruben S. Ayala High School's world class drumline, I have developed many questions about the activity such as its history and background. After recently winning the world championships in Dayton, Ohio and witnessing other phenomenal performances, I realized that there was more to this activity than I currently know. Thus, I decided to do this blog post about the different drumlines around the world, talking about their programs, styles, and their history. I would also research on what companies manufacture drumline equipment and when the activity started and what organizations drumlines can compete in. Not only do drumlines compete by themselves, but they also combine with marching bands and color guards in high school and professional organizations. I plan on researching the programs that include the drumline with the band and color guard. This activity is all over the world, spreading from the west coast to the east coast and slowly to out of state regions. Drumlines from the west and east coast contain different styles on how they play, march, practice, teach, and compete. I intend on researching these topics and educate myself on the various styles and discover the many similarities and differences between the west coast and the east coast. I truly find it amazing that one activity can be interpreted and performed in many ways and on different skill levels, ranging from A class to World class. Drumline itself can be taken and turned into something spectacular just by a group of students, adults, and instructors. It is an activity where someone can express their physical, mental, and musical talents. I really hope to learn more about the background of this amazing activity and the diversity that the different groups provide within their drumline programs.

Meet Pulse and POW Percussion

As mentioned in my last post, I went to Dayton, Ohio with Ayala's drumline, or percussion ensemble, and won the world championships. Our victory was for the division, PSW or Percussion Scholastic World. There was another division above ours and that would be PIW, or Percussion Independent World. The winner of that division was Pulse Percussion with an unbelievable score of 98.0. Their show this year was entitled Brother. Watching their show gave me an indescribable feeling. That sensation made me want to research their organization.

As said on their website, "Pulse Percussion is a youth-arts organization dedicated to providing students the highest level of performance and development opportunities through multiple musical channels including competitive indoor percussion ensembles, educational clinics and other outreach activities nationwide." Pulse Percussion was founded in 2004, under the organization called Impulse Youth Arts Association, which was run by Caleb Rothe, Ike Jackson and Ken McGrath. In 2010, they became an independent ensemble known as Pulse Percussion, Inc. Since then, they have been under the direction of Mark Kveton, Chris Henderson, Justin Boordbalash, and Jessica DuBose. Pulse Percussion  also created a open class drumline called POW Percussion. They started out as “Pulse Open” in 2011, and earned the bronze medal in the independent Open class. In the second year of the ensemble, they were promoted to the highest level and were a World Class finalist in 2012, thus having the name “Pulse Open World,” POW. POW has remained in the world class division since then.

Pulse Percussion's website, http://pulsepercussion.org/org/, is an extremely reliable source. I know this because the domain of the website was a .org which means it is a nonprofit organization. I also know that is reliable because the website provides a contact info with the mailing address. With an organized website, with specific tabs labeled, I was able to easily navigate through the webpage and find information about the two ensembles. Even though the information about Pulse's and POW's history was limited, I was still able to learn a lot about the two drumlines. The website also provided a list of their medals or placements in each season. After researching about the organization, I know understand how they became world champions this year. The time, money, and dedication that the founders put it finally paid off. Since Pulse Percussion is part of the southern California region, just like Ayala High School, I was even more content about how much I learned and felt more connected to the Southern California region I learned that Pulse Percussion had a long history to reach where they are today and I feel that Pulse and POW will be successful for years to come.

Pulse Percussion. "The Organization." Pulse Percussion. Pulse Percussion, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.