Clemson percussion professor writes book on marching band excellence
MARCHING BANDS AND DRUMLINES:
SECRETS OF SUCCESS FROM THE BEST OF THE BEST……….$19.95
by Paul Buyer
ISBN 978-1-57463-151-7
CLEMSON — Paul Buyer, Clemson University’s professor of percussion, reveals the secrets of success for some of today’s top university marching band and drumline programs in “Marching Bands and Drumlines: Secrets of Success from the Best of the Best,” a new book published by Meredith Music Publications.
Paul BuyerThe book provides a behind-the-scenes look at seven top collegiate marching
band and drumline programs and provides insight to how each band attains and maintains performance excellence.
The book follows Louisiana State University’s Tiger Marching Band, the University of Alabama’s Million Dollar Band, Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band and Michigan State University’s Spartan Marching Band. It also looks at “The Best Damn Band in the Land” at Ohio State University, the Green Brigade Marching Band at the University of North Texas and “The Pride of Arizona Marching Band” at the University
of Arizona.
A lifelong fan of sports, Buyer got the idea for the book after reading “Every Week a Season” by Brian Curtis.
“That book provides access to nine NCAA Division 1 football programs by taking readers inside team meetings, on the sidelines and in the locker room,” Buyer said. “My book provides similar access to band programs.”
“It offers lessons on teamwork, commitment and accountability,” he said. “These are lessons that, hopefully, students will apply to their lives as they prepare for their careers. Marching percussion and marching band activities can serve as a vehicle for teaching our students some of life’s most valuable lessons.”
After traveling to seven campuses, becoming an honorary member of each band for a week, then interviewing the likes of Frank Wickes, LSU’s veteran director of bands, Ohio State band director Jon Woods, Bob Buckner at Western Carolina and nearly 20 other band leaders, Buyer’s research discovered common characteristics that he summarized into “Five Factors Influencing Excellence.” They are culture, staff and student leadership, rehearsal time, number of shows and competitive auditions.
“These factors are the main reason why, I believe, college band and drumlines achieve excellence or fall short,” he said.
“As director of percussion and arranger for the Tiger Band Drumline for 10 years, I wanted to find out how everybody else does it,” he said. “What unfolded was a leadership book that uses marching band as a vehicle.”
CONTACT: Paul Buyer, 864-656-3857
pbuyer@clemson.edu
WRITER: Glenn Hare, 864-656-1478
ghare@clemson.edu
“…takes you inside the director’s office, on to the practice field,
and right to the heart of the matter behind the great traditions of many of
the country’s great college marching bands.”
John Madden
Director, Spartan Marching Band
Michigan State University
“…So much of the success of the programs he visited had to do with
common denominators: leadership, goal setting, tradition, musicianship, and
creating a life time of appreciation and memories for the participants. Bravo!”
Bob Buckner
Director, Pride of the Mountains
Western Carolina University
“What we find in Paul’s travels is a connective tissue amongst all
successful programs that recognizes that wherever it takes place—effective
leadership is effective leadership.”
Neal Flum
Associate Director of Athletic Bands/Drumline Instructor
University of Alabama
Chair, PAS Marching Percussion Committee
“This is a wonderful book that shows us what makes a great band into
a GREAT BAND! We can all learn so much from each other in our field and this
is a fantastic place to start!!”
Jay C. Rees
Professor of Music
Director of The University of Arizona “Pride of Arizona” Marching
and Pep Bands
“By examining methods from a variety of successful programs, this
is a great resource for all marching percussion instructors at any level…This
should be required reading…”
Paul Rennick
Percussion Faculty
University of North Texas/Director of Percussion
Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps.
Short URL: https://trendmarching.or.id/read/?p=1141
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