Corpsmaster Marching

Ralph Hardimon "Chop-Out" Practice Stick
The Hardimon "Hammer" with a rubber tip. The ultimate workout stick!
L = 16 7/8" | Dia. = .695"

Colin McNutt (SCM)
Oval tip with a medium-long taper provides great balance with quick response at all dynamic levels. In honey hickory.
L = 17" | Dia. =.690"

VIC FIRTH SIGNATURE ARTIST 

COLIN McNUTT

Colin McNutt is the Percussion Caption Supervisor and Arranger for the ten-time DCI World Champion Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps. Colin has a strong history in percussion instruction. He arranged music and instructed for the Star of Indiana of Bloomington, Ind., the Glassmen of Toledo, Ohio, and the Crossmen. He also took his talents to the stage, writing and teaching for the popular production "Blast!"

Colin has served on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he is an alumnus and received degrees in Classics and Music Education. When not instructing drum corps, McNutt conducts clinics for the percussion companies Avedis Zildjian Co., REMO, Inc., and Vic Firth. He also writes music for marching bands in the United States and Japan.

There's nothing more fulfilling to Colin than running into former students who have made great lives for themselves. Knowing he could have played a small part in their success and happiness keeps this world-class educator motivated, sharing his talents and skills with young performers across the country.

Jeff Queen Solo Stick (SJQ)
Full round tip for consistent sound quality regardless of the angle of approach. The long taper and reduced neck size produce excellent speed. A slight taper toward the rounded butt end improves back-sticking control and sound quality.
L = 17" | Dia. =.725" at butt | .675" at shaft.

VIC FIRTH SIGNATURE ARTIST 
JEFF QUEEN

Jeff Queen has marched in the snare lines of the Bluecoats, Velvet Knights, Santa Clara Vanguard, Blue Knights, and the University of North Texas. He was the D.C.I. Individual and Ensemble Snare Drum Champion in 1994 and 1995 as well as the P.A.S. Individual Snare Drum Champion in 1994 and 1995.

Jeff is an original cast member of the Tony and Emmy award winning Broadway Show BLAST!, where he was a solo performer and battery instructor from 1999–2003. Jeff has performed on stages across the country and in Europe, including Broadway and London. In addition, Jeff has appeared on numerous Television shows including: The Late Show with David Letterman, The Kennedy Center Honors, and The Making of Blast! on PBS DVD and Video.

Currently, Jeff lives in Indianapolis where he is the battery instructor for the Avon High School Band. Jeff is a sought after arranger, clinician, adjudicator and performer internationally.

Murray Gusseck (SMG)
With a thick shaft and a medium long taper‚ "M-Dawgs" offer great balance from front to back. The slightly elongated tip provides quick rebound with a bright sound that works well on both snares and tenors. In hickory.
L = 17" | Dia. = .715"

VIC FIRTH SIGNATURE ARTIST 
MURRAY GUSSECK

Murray Gusseck is considered an innovator in the world of marching percussion. He started his career as a marching member of the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps (SCV) in 1988, aging out in 1992. He played tenors all 5 of those years under Ralph Hardimon, Glen Crosby, and Scott Johnson.

As a member of those SCV drumlines Murray helped start a new trend of drumline parking lot “events” by composing entertaining battery compositions that attracted large audiences outside the normal competition arenas. All of these compositions are currently published in a collection entitled Parking Lot Etudes by Tapspace Publications LLC (Portland, OR), a publishing company Murray co-founded with his friend and partner Jim Casella (current arranger for the Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps). He is also co-author of Fresh Perspectives, a standard method book for today’s drumlines. Both of these books can be found at www.tapspace.com

As a player Murray received many accolades for his tenor playing and for the extreme ability levels of the tenor sections and drumlines he was a part of during his tenure with SCV. As a staff member of the Santa Clara Vanguard, Murray has served as caption head, arranger and currently fills the role of Battery Caption Manager. During his time with Vanguard, SCV has captured the Fred Sanford Percussion Trophy 5 times and the DCI Championship twice. He has taught and arranged percussion music for various high schools and winter percussion ensembles throughout the country, including Amador Valley (CA), Richland Hills (TX), Tunstall Concert Ensemble (VA), Fred C. Beyer High School (CA), James Logan High School (CA), and currently Evergreen High School (WA).

Murray attended San Jose State University where he studied world music systems and drumset with Royal Hartigan and Dan Sabanovich. In 1998 he joined up with schoolmates Nima Rezai and Dan Heflin, and friend Chip Webster, to form “Merge,” (www.mergemusic.com) an eclectic world fusion quartet consisting of Chapman Stick, saxophone, keyboards, and drums. The group has toured and performed in northern and southern California for several years, producing their self-titled CD “Merge.”

Murray proudly endorses Remo drumheads, Vic Firth drumsticks, Pearl drums, and Zildjian cymbals.

Ralph Hardimon (SRH)
With a unique barrel tip and long taper for quick rebound and added control. Available in wood or nylon tip.
L = 17" | Dia. = .710"

Ralph Hardimon Nylon (SRHN)
With a unique barrel tip and long taper for quick rebound and added control. Available in wood or nylon tip.
L = 17" / 43.18cm | Dia. = .710" / 1.80cm