Michigan State Band Spurs the Spartans with Yamaha Percussion

MICHIGAN STATE BAND SPURS THE SPARTANS WITH YAMAHA PERCUSSION

—MTS Snares, Field-Corps Tenors and Bass Drums Power a Wide-Ranging Program—

GRAND RAPIDS, MI (October 17, 2001)—At rallies, community performances and especially on game day, the Michigan State University Spartan Marching Band provides the soundtrack of victory for the Big Ten conference powerhouse. The Spartans' drum line keeps the beat with marching percussion instruments from Yamaha Corporation of America, Band & Orchestral Division, because of their top-quality sound and extraordinary durability during rough Michigan winters.

"The weather is certainly a factor," says band director John Madden. "It gets cold here. There are conditions that invite product wear that you don't see in the DCI [Drum Corps International] world."

MSU drum line and Yamaha Percussion

Percussion instructor Jon Weber agrees. "The sound of the drums, the durability, those were the main factors," he says. "In particular, the Yamaha snare drum projects very well, and the multi-timbre snare system allows for several creative possibilities."

MSU marches with snares featuring Yamaha's exclusive Multi-Timbre snare system during in-game performances, along with Field-Corps tenors and six sizes of Field-Corps bass drums, all in Black Forest finish with vest carriers and Stadium Hardware.

The Silky Silver drums the Spartans use for pre-game performances are all from Yamaha's Field-Corps line, including a different configuration of basses and eight traditional snares.
Weber explains that the band goes for a traditional college drum line sound during pre-game shows, then emulates a more modern competitive drum corps timbre for in-game use. "The tuning that we use reflects that dual approach. During the games, we tune the new drums—including the Multi-Timbre Snare—to be very 'modern,' much like a drum corps," he says. "We tune the pre-game drums more deeply, so they can be heard very well. All the players are excited about using them."

"We've been out in the rain the last three days," Weber notes during an early-season interview. "The other drums we had before Yamaha were caving in, but Yamaha has aluminum reinforced rims on the tenors so they're really holding up."

MSU's musical program ranges far and wide. "We do different things for every game," Madden notes. Their repertoire for the 2001 season includes music from the rock band Boston, a contemporary jazz show on the theme of "Birdland," the "Channel One Suite," and a performance featuring themes from sports television shows such as SportsCenter and Monday Night Football. Later in the year, former Boston Pops principal drummer Tim Morrison will join the band for a rendition of the Atlanta Olympic theme, "Summon the Heroes." At Notre Dame following the attacks on New York and Washington, they joined the Notre Dame band—which also features Yamaha percussion—in a quickly prepared program of patriotic tunes.

"Yamaha drums let us do whatever we can envision," Madden concludes.

For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Band & Orchestral Division, 3445 East Paris Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49518; telephone (616) 940-4900; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com; or visit the web site at http://www.yamaha.com/band.

Comments: