IDK? but what I have seen he plays match grip like his buddy Rick and there are a bunch of matched grip, Rick B. lovers on the RUD.com site.

If he designs buildings like he plays, then I think I will stay out of any of his buildings,I'm just saying. He looks like he needs meds when he plays. Was he like that when he Marched?

I know that Rick Beckham plays matched grip and that he uses the names of Frank Arsenault and Mitch Markovich as authority figures on his site but they were traditional style snare soloists. Did anyone ever win DCI playing matched grip on snare? Buddy Rich and Steve Gadd use Traditional style and they are two of the best ever drum set players.

I did not know Ken when he was marching so your guess is as good as mine. I knew he taught Phantom Regiment as snare tech for a couple of years. And I think he did some judging in the Michigan area as well!

I just want to plug a very good thread that I highly recommend a second look.

THE HISTORY OF THE RUDIMENT


http://www.drumlines.org/threads/ubbthre...html#Post183970

This is a little involved but still can give a few answers. SCV was instructed by Fred Sanford and Bob Kalkofen in their early championship years in the 1970`s. Fred was the music arranger and Bob the Tech. Dennis Delucia studied with Bobby Thompson of Blessed Sacrament fame as a high school student. Both Tom Float and Ralph Hardimon had many influences with the Kingsmen including Don Porter, Edward Bostwick(Troopers), Jerry Kirby(Kilties) and then Float went to Freelancers and studied with Don Silva who was originally from the Capitalairs in Sacramento who evolved into the Freelancers. Ralph was a good friend of Fred Sanford and taught the Alberta All Girl corps in the mid 1970`s and then became SCV caption head with Jerry Kirby in 1976. Thomm Hannum was in Crossmen and was instructed by Erik Landis and Bill Kaufman during the 1970`s and later went on to teach the Cadets and Star in the 1980`s. I did the winter tech program with Crossmen in 1978-79 and had many name players in that line including Mark Thuston, Robbie Robinson, Steve Kieffer(Cadets Bass tech) and Chris Thompson was the tenor tech with Hannum the arranger for Crossmen. By 1980 Crossmen were beating SCV and BD`s in drums. Chris went on to teach/write for Madison Scouts in the late 1980`s.

I`m trying to add information in as I go since it is more complex in certain situations like Delucia taught Hawthorne Muchachos in 1970-1975 and then Bridgemen 1976-1984 before also working with Star, he also played in the Hell Cats at West Point. Float marched with the Lynwood Diplomats and Ralph was in Velvet Knights(Forest Clark, Bob Buck) before playing in the Kingsmen. The Troopers were a major influence on the California corps as Sanford worked with Kingsmen in 1966&1967 while going to college at Fullerton State University. Ed Bostwick a Trooper snare also went to college in that area and instructed Kingsmen. Ralph and Float joined Kingsmen in 1971 when they had 5 snares the year before they won DCI drums in 1972.

When I was in the Troopers(1973-74) Jim Jones hired Kalkofen to work the winter tech program and Jones was writing most of the drum book. Jones also brought in Joe Marrella from Blue Rock(1971) Fame to fine tune the line and is where I learned a few concepts for getting lines tight and playing well together as an ensemble. Joe gives much credit to his teacher John Dowlan while in the Vasella Musketters from Philadelphia. John Dowlan was a 3 time VFW snare champion with the Reilly Raiders.

I taught the Blue Devils the first two DCI drum titles in 1976&1977 and had Scott Johnson playing in that line. They were a very good drum line for two years and had already beaten SCV in drums during the 1975 season with Rick Odello instructing. The problem was getting over the top and winning at DCI finals which we did. Tom Float later taught the BD`s from 1982-1990 and and won 4 DCI drum titles.

Robbie Robinson went on to teach the Bushwackers DCA drum titles, Mark Thurston was drum instructor for Crossmen from the mid 1980`s-1996 and also was the originator of the WGI indoor lines and contests. Hannum went to Cadets and Star after Crossmen and Chris Thompson later went to Madison. Steve Kieffer was Bass tech for Hannum at Cadets and is still involved with them as a consultant.

From this evolved many of the drum instructors for todays DCI and DCA lines.

Ok now who done what and who is who??JK!

It's great to have a member who was there during the early evolution of our craft. Seem like people need to go back and investigate the influences of the instructors most hold on high. I marched from 79 to 84 and I can certainly remember some of those people mentioned in your post "75" and the scv line was a big favorite of mine ever since your days "The Clock". Thanks to guys like your self helping to mold the future instructors of today! Look at the Cadets Bass line 2011. That has got to be the best Bass line that I have ever heard in decades! And Scott Johnson, look at the devils now carrying on a tradition and a legacy that you yourself help establish! I've have copies of your early writing and I have a small grasp of your theory and method and can see your influence in his (Scott Johson) writing today.

We as drummers owe the past instructors a huge amount of gratitude and respect for the early developments of rudimental drumming!