#136 Tom Rarick- MSG with the Ceremonial Brass Air Force Band & Arranger for the Bluecoats Drum Corps!
Today’s guest is Master Sgt. Tom Rarick who is a percussionist with the Ceremonial Brass, The United States Air Force Band, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C. A native of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, his Air Force career began in 1997. A graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Rarick earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in percussion performance in 1996. His former teachers include Dr. Gary Olmstead, Dr. Jack Stamp and Mr. Ron Horner. Tom is also the percussion arranger for the Bluecoats Drum Corps.
Gig Alerts……
Save the date for the Loft Party hosted by the Jazz Foundation of America. Saturday, October 19th, at the Hudson Studios.
Product Reviews….
Damon gets the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless earbuds. Some other wireless earbuds you can check out are THESE. Also, for those who have their own home studio, You can now mix music in Abbey Road's Studio 3 thanks to Waves Audio plugin.
Listener Letters…..
Rich asked about filing a patent or other ways to protect yourself from getting an idea stolen when it comes to shopping it around as a new product.
Iconic Recordings for this week…..
“Me Da Lo Mismo” and “Como Se Lo Explico Al Corazon” performed by Victor Manuelle off of the ‘Instinto Y Deseo’ album, with (friend of the show) Marc Quniones on congas. Special shout-out to Marc (and friend of the show Bobby Allende) for their band 8 Y Mas’ new album ‘Otra Ruta’.
Music News for this week…..
Pickathon Music Festival Announces a Paid Streaming Access Pass — While Coachella and Lollapalooza Stay Free. No Bankruptcy, No Refunds, No Liability — PledgeMusic Files Wind Up Order, Absolving Executives of Any and All Wrongdoing. Hinting Musicians May Never Receive Their Payments, PledgeMusic Co-Founder Benji Rogers Pens an Apology. Ticketmaster’s Non-Refundable Service Fees are Becoming a Problem In the Netherlands. Sony/ATV Reveals Major Upgrades to Royalty Payment Systems.
The music leading into the interview is from the Bluecoats percussion ensemble and their 2019 show.
Damon and Tom start with a refresh of Tom’s first year in drum corps in the Cadets in 1995. And then his first year of teaching was the Cadets in 1997.
Tom got his start from his father who was a rudimental drummer and marched the legendary Reading Buccaneers. His father was taught by John Flowers who is a hall of fame drummer.
Tom ended up going to the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Seeing the Cadets drumline rehearse at Mechanicsburg High School in 1989 was the decision maker in Tom wanting to march the Cadets instead of the Blue Devils. If that wasn’t enough, seeing the Cadets in 1993 reignited the fire to want to be there.
Tom talks about how drum corps helped provide him with the skills to make it through basic training.
Some of the duties of the Air Force band that Tom is in is welcoming dignitaries with their national anthem. Some of the anthems Tom has enjoyed playing (aside from the USA) are Canada, and the United Kingdom for how majestic they are. Tom also talks about how grandiose the South American anthems are, like Brazil.
Tom got to play the National Anthem for the USA at the 2015 Superbowl.
Tom got back into drum corps through being a snare tech at the Bluecoats with Dan DeLong. He’s been writing for the ensemble for a while and chooses to use Sibelius for his music notation software.
Shout-out to Jon Randall and the North Hagerstown High School Drumline for helping Tom (indirectly) get some of his writing ideas flushed out. If you’re looking for financial planning, Jon is a great coach with Dynamic Directions (D2). Tom mentions Brad O’Connor and his relationship with (friend of the show), Thom Hannum, and his mobile percussion seminar.
Finding the right team that can support and challenge you as well as not being afraid to take chances has helped Tom continue to move the Bluecoats forward and continue to improve each season.
Tom and the rest of the design team also draw inspiration from all over for the show each year. One place mentioned is the British dance company called Motionhouse.
Tom mentions the importance of keeping a hobby or activity aside from music. Tom used to freshwater fish. Here is a short introductory video on how to start freshwater fishing.
Tom uses Innovative Percussion. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
In addition to signature sticks, Tom also has signature mallets with Innovative Percussion.
Tom and Damon talk about the Beatles and Damon brings up how the Beatles “stole the thunder” from Sam Cooke.
Evidently Periscope still exists and is used. However, you can also watch drum corps type events on FloMarching.
The music leading out of the interview is from this video…..
