Dynasty USA Marching Brass, Percussion and Accessories - News and Events

Dynasty May 2010 Newsletter - 05.18.2010

Tue, 18 May 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Check out the Dynasty newsletter for May 2010 !

Click here to check out the newsletter.

http://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=a63423a9ab72a42b920bc6a80&id=186a826607

Dynasty talks with Artist, Rob Ferguson - 05.13.2010

Thu, 13 May 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Dynasty recently sat down with Rob Ferguson, director of Matrix and the Percussion Caption Head for the Glassmen Drum & Bugle Corps to talk about education, Dynasty percussion, and where he is going to be in the future.

1. Please tell us a little about your background. Education, drum
corps, musical experience, etc.

My background for this activity is a bit unusual actually. I grew up in a
small town in Northeast Ohio where the band was a "show style" band, yet
had a corps style drumline. I have a bachelors degree and masters degree
from Kent State University both in Music Performance. While at Kent I was
incredibly fortunate to study with both Michael Burritt and Ted Rounds. I
also did not march drum corps, which is something I would definitely
change if I could go back and do it again. I spent a great deal of time
through my college years as a solo marimba player, and a chamber
percussionist, which I think have massively shaped how I look at things
musically as well as how I arrange and compose. Currently I live in
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio with my wife Kate.

2. What projects are you currently working on?

I currently have a number of projects going. I am in the process of
starting my own design, consulting, and arranging company....something I
have wanted to do for quite some time. In addition to my work with
Glassmen and Matrix I also work as an instructor, arranger, and consultant
for a number of high school band programs, all of which are in the fall
start up process as we speak. In the past few years I have written a few
concert pieces for college students of mine and want to do more of this. I
am currently working on a duo multiple for the section leader of the
Glassmen battery that is a concert multiple that incorporates moments of
unison rudimental style influence. Lastly, and most recently, I am working
on a concert/ clinic program for an ensemble made up of former Glassmen
and Matrix front ensemble members. It is something they have
encouraged me to do over the past year. It will be an ensemble set up in a
traditional front ensemble orchestration, but perform in a more concert
style. The material will be mostly my original music, much of which will be
adapted from music in the Matrix shows from the past few years. Our hope
is to do a concert/ clinic tour this coming winter focusing on bringing a
different style of music into the high school percussion ensemble and
encouraging high school "marching percussionists" to become more
involved in concert percussion ensembles.

3. Could you tell us a couple of things that every band director should
know to get their percussionist’s to play better?

The first thing I would encourage all band directors to do is "engage" the
percussion section as often as they engage the winds. Many of the
concepts that are being focused on with the winds apply in parallel to the
percussion section. As you are asking the winds to use a full breath and
support the tone, you can ask the percussion to make sure they are using
a consistent stroke and using a consistent velocity behind each stroke. As
you ask the trumpets to blend and balance, you can ask the snares the
exact same thing. I think often that a band director that is not a
percussionist may be hesitant to make a lot comments to the percussion
section especially if they have percussion instructors. Unless that
percussion instructor is there ever rehearsal and will be involved daily in
the concert program, it is a MUST that they engage the percussionist so
they feel accountable as a part of the full music ensemble. Secondly, I
would encourage band directors to find means to integrate chamber
percussion playing into the concert program weekly. For example, every
Wednesday the percussionist in wind ensemble work on a mallet quartet
and a multiple trio instead of being in the wind ensemble section. I think
from a concert percussion ( and total percussion) standpoint, chamber
playing and chamber ensemble skills are so crucial to the development of
strong percussionists.

4. What are some technique books or programs you would suggest for
band directors or percussion educators to check out?

This is a place where I am not overly creative. I love many of the
standards. George L. Stone, Stick Control in my mind is an absolute must,
and can be used at a very young age as a supplement to even a 5th grade
band method. I also love all of the Mitchell Peters snare drum methods. I
think they make a very smooth and logical progression through all of the
needed concepts while applying them to musical phrases. As students get
more advanced I tend to use Cirone, Portraits in Rhythm, and any of the
Delecluse, or Macarez snare books for more advanced etudes. I think it is
very important though, that students progress methodically through these
and do not just "jump" into the Cirone or Delecluse books without working
through a basic text first.
For keyboard I have a couple of "go to" books. The first is a vocal
articulation book by Pasquale Bona that I use to develop two mallet skills.
Because it is not a "keyboard" book, it does not work from a kinetic
standpoint. It works from a musical standpoint. It is a great book to get
players to make some basic musical decisions. To decide when and how to
roll notes in a musical line, how to move through various interval jumps
smoothly, and most importantly how to create a musical line within a piece
of music. Ultimately I love it because it engages the player musically as
well as technically. This is a book that Michael Burritt used at length and I
have continued to use ever since. Lastly for four mallet material I have
always wanted to students to own and become familiar with Method of
Movement, by Leigh Howard Stevens. However, with most of my students
now, I recommend Simply Four, by Gifford Howarth. I think both books
cover the same concepts in relatively the same order. Giff’s book just
tends to be a bit easier to digest for most students and the pictures
regarding correct and incorrect grip/ technique are very good. Lastly I
think is is imperative that students work through some developmental
books suck as these before they begin to tack solo literature. I think this is
a huge issue within four mallet development with many young players.

Dynasty Congratulates WGI 2010 Participants - 05.13.2010

Thu, 13 May 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Dynasty Percussion was in full force at the 2010 WGI World Championships. We had a great time watching all of the amazing performances and catching up with all of the groups that play Dynasty Percussion. We were excited to see all of the Dynasty shirts that were floating around the arena throughout the weekend. A big thank you goes out to Rhythm X , Redline Percussion, and Aimachi for all of their help and input on the NEW Dynasty T-Max carrier featuring the new SEM (Single Entry Mount) system. RhythmX took everyone’s breath away by standing and even running on top of the drums. We would like to say " Thank You" to all of the groups that play Dynasty and best of luck this summer.

Dynasty T-Max Carriers Set to Launch May 1st - 04.26.2010

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Dynasty is ready to launch the new T-Max SEM Mount carrier on May 1st . The new Dynasty carrier combines style,simplicity, and durability. Made in our factory , this carrier eliminates the need for J bars on the snare and multi-toms set up. The NEW T-Max carrier is simply the most durable carrier on the market and features a quick release system that makes taking the drum on and off effortless.

Dynasty in Jakarta - 03.25.2010

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Dynasty was excited to be well represented in Jakarta a few weeks back. Dynasty artist Rene Conway developed several clinics for a very famous drum battle over in Jakarta. Rene has spent a good amount of time over there developing skills and techniques for the drum movement there in Jakarta. Thanks Rene for being a great friend to Dynasty and the drum community over there. Dynasty was very proud of the 1st and 2nd place groups who played on Dynasty percussion equipment. Congratulations to "Bhina Caraka" taught by instructor Ahmad Arianto and " The Beaters."

Dynasty Press Release - 03.16.2010

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Lake Park High School at Bands of America - 12.21.2009

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Check out this action photo of Lake Park High School at Bands of America! Congratulations to Mike Chiodo and his students for their 16th place finish at Grand Nationals!

Dynasty Drums on Primetime! - 12.21.2009

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Check out this clip of hit TV series The Office featuring a full battery of Dynasty drums!

Check out the Dynasty Newsletter - 12.09.2009

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Check out the Dynasty newsletter and please send an email to info@dynastybi.net if you would like to be added to the list.

Choctawhatchee High School Performs in New York - 11.30.2009

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Choctawhatchee High School marching band performed at the 2009 Macy’s Day Parade in New York City on Thanksgiving day. The band travelled by bus from Florida and had an amazing time sight seeing and performing in front of a national audience. If you missed the bands performance you can check it out at here at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KXBodPYIUY

DCI 2008 Videos - 09.25.2008

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:00:00 GMT

Just click on the VIDEO tab below and enjoy the videos that are posted .Please stay tuned to Dynastyband.com for more videos of the 2008 DCI Championships. Watch for more videos to be posted in the coming weeks.

2008 DCI Bloomington, IN Championships! - 08.20.2008

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:00:00 GMT

This past week in Bloomington, Indiana the Phantom Regiment won their 2nd Drum Corps International title with a score of 98.125 besting the Blue Devils with a score of 98.100. In one of the closest finishes in DCI Championship history Phantom Regiment took the Fred Sanford High Percussion Award for the 2 time in 3 years and the Blue Devils received the Jim Ott High Brass Award for the 5th time in the last 8 years! In other placements the Glassmen were 11th in World with a score of 87.200 and the Pacific Crest placed 17th with a score of 79.650. In the Open Championships Blue Devils B was 2nd with a score of 96.775, Oregon Crusaders were 4th with a score of 93.025, Revolution was 8th with a score of 88.650, Dutch Boy was 10th with 84.975, Memphis Sound was 11th with 84.400, Yamato was 12th with 84.200, Spartans 14th with a score of 82.700, Racine Scouts 19th with 74.300, Stragnas from Sweden 20th with 71.050 and Spirit of Newark 21st with a score of 67.450.
Congratulations to all the members, staff, administration and volunteers for all these drum corps and to all the drum corps in general for making DCI Championships such a special week for all the fans. Check back here next week for all the pictures and videos from DCI Championship week.

New Dynasty USA Interviews with Scott Johnson, Paul Rennick and Sean Vega! - 07.30.2008

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:00:00 GMT

These are Dynasty USA artist interviews done by Boom Boom TV with Sean Vega, Paul Rennick and Scott Johnson. Check them out.........

Dynasty USA at the WGI Championships, Dayton, OH 2008! - 04.21.2008

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:00:00 GMT

Dynasty USA would like to congratulate Rx, Tyler Jr. College and Pioneer Indoor for their championships this last weekend in Dayton, OH at the WGI Indoor Percussion Championships. The performances of all the groups were exciting and it was evident that everyone had a fun time during a spectacular three days of competition. Competing in the championships were as follows.............

Independent World

Rhythm X 1st Place
Riverside Com. College 2nd Place
Aimachi, Japan 3rd Place
North Coast Academy 5th Place
Freelancers 7th Place
Matrix 9th Place
Redline 10th Place
Pariah 16th Place

Independent Open

Tyler Jr. College 1st Place
Stryke Percussion 3rd Place
Palmetto Percussion 5th Place
Valley Independent 6th Place
Elements Indoor 8th Place
MN Brass Indoor 9th Place

Independent A

Pioneer Indoor 1st Place

Scholastic World

Choctawhatchee High School 4th Place
Hilliard Darby High School 7th Place
Father Ryan High School 14th Place
Fred J. Page High School 17th Place

Scholastic Open

Stamford High School 8th Place
Franklin Central High School 12th Place
Kings High School 17th Place
Clovis East High School 19th Place
Plainfield High School
Destrehan High School
Powhatan High School
Houston High School

Scholastic A

Greenfield Central High School 2nd Place
Milton High School 3rd Place
Long Beach High School
Springstowne Middle School
Olentangy Liberty High School
Harrison Central High School
Centerville High School
Lebanon High School
Rochester Lourdes High School

Scholastic Concert World

Goshen High School 2nd Place
Tunstall High School 3rd Place

Again congratulations to all the groups and schools, the staff's and supporting casts and good luck for the rest of 2008.

Dynasty USA Europe 08 - 04.10.2008

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:00:00 GMT

Here are some pictures of Matrix and Father Ryan over in Europe

2008 WGI Nashville Regional Pictures and Video. - 04.01.2008

Tue, 1 Apr 2008 08:00:00 GMT

This past weekend in Nashville there were several Dynasty USA family members competing in the regional. At this time Dynasty USA would like to congratulate Rx for winning Independent World, Centerville High School for winning Scholastic World, ED White and Kings High Schools for placing first and second respectively in Scholastic Open! Others playing over the weekend were Greenfield Central Indiana High School, Destrehan LA High School, Long Beach MS High School, Harrison Central MS High School, Fort Walton Beach FL High School, Houston TN High School, Fred J. Page TN High School, Tyler Jr. College Percussion Ensemble, Palmetto Percussion, Elements Indoor Performing Ensemble and Pariah Percussion.

Despite the rainy weekend it was a fun time. it was nice to get to see all the groups and we spent time out at several rehearsal sites on Friday and Saturday including taking pictures and videos in the lot. Again congratulations to all the competing groups and we will see you all in Dayton in 3 weeks for the championships.

Videos from Last Weekends Rehearsals Indianapolis, IN - 03.05.2008

Wed, 5 Mar 2008 08:00:00 GMT

These are some videos of Fred J. Page, Matrix and Atlanta Quest from their rehearsal sites or warm up areas. Take a look and enjoy.

2008 WGI Indianapolis Regional Contest - 03.04.2008

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 08:00:00 GMT

Competing this past weekend in Indianapolis, IN at the WGI Regional were the following Dynasty USA family members........

Plainfield High School
Greenfield-Central High School
Centerville High School A
Centerville World
Pioneer Indoor
Franklin Central High School
Zionsville High School
Houston High School
Atlanta Quest
Fred J. Page High School
Hilliard Darby High School
Matrix
Rhythm X
Congratulations to all the competing groups. It was a fun show and all had a great time..........check out the pictures attached.

Pupuk Kaltim wins "Drum Battle" in Jakarta, Indonesia! - 03.04.2008

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 08:00:00 GMT

Last week Rene Conway and his drum line Pupuk Kaltim from Kalimantan did a clinic for Wijaya Music at the Darunnajah Marching Band Competition (DMC). There was a "Drum Battle" after the competition and we are happy to say that Rene and PK were victorious!

In these pictures, Pupuk Kaltim is warming up with "The Beaters", the 2nd place winner. Enjoy...................

Phantom Regiment and Dynasty USA! - 03.04.2008

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 08:00:00 GMT

This past Phantom Regiment camp I spent the weekend with the administration, staff and kids. It was a fun time and it is obvious from listening to what they are putting together and playing that this will be a special year for the Regiment! Thanks to Rick, Dan and Paul for making me and Dynasty USA feel welcome..................

Allan Murray
Vice President, Dynasty USA