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.
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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" [enlarge photo]
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Parking
Lot Etudes
Parking
Lot Etudes contains some of the most
unique drumline cadences and 60 second warm-ups ever
written
for the Santa Clara Vanguard. Gusseck also supplies
a foreword to each piece giving some insight to the
creation of the work. These are advanced pieces, which
are sure to test the boundaries of your rudimental
chops!
Included are such popular favorites
as: |
Martian Mambo | download
a sample page | listen
to the mp3 |
This groundbreaking composition by Murray Gusseck may very
well be the most widely known and envied piece in modern drum
corps history! This is a recording of the world-champion SCV
drumline in Spring of 1991. Join the hundreds of other drummers
who have challenged their hands to play Martian Mambo by purchasing
the entire score!
Poof! | download
a sample page | listen
to the mp3 |
A Classic! This was written by Murray Gusseck when he was a
member of the 1992 SCV tenor line. It was used as the 60-second,
onfield warmup of the renowned 1992 Santa Clara Vanguard drumline.
Electric Wheelchair | download
a sample page | listen
to the mp3 |
This popular cadence of the 1990-92 Santa Clara Vanguard is
chock full o' notes!
Fat Mama Dancin' | download
a sample page | listen
to the mp3 |
What the hell was that?? It's the onfield warmup of the 1997
Santa Clara Vanguard drumline. Check out this crazy mix of
rhythms, and you'll have to agree that Gusseck is without a
doubt, a rhythmic genius.
It's in 4 | download
a sample page | listen
to the mp3 |
Just when you figured out how to count in 13/8, It's in 4 will challenge
you in good old common time. Using a wide variety of stylistic approaches, It's
in 4 was the SCV cadence in 1994 and 1996. This puppy never gets old!
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Double
Beat 2004 | listen
to the mp3 |
Double Beat 2004 is Murray Gusseck's latest version of the
immensely popular pre-show piece played by the SCV drumline.
Murray and the guys take it up another notch or two with this
extended version that contains new grooves and the same backbeat
funkiness that has made this into one of the most popular drumline
stand-alone pieces of all time.
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Basic
Strokes | listen
to snippets from the mp3 |
Murray
Gusseck and Tap Space Publications bring you an entire
warm-up sequence in one exercise. Basic Strokes
2004 was
played all summer long by the 2004 championship Santa Clara
Vanguard drumline. Lasting nearly 6 minutes, the exercise
takes the line through a series of paces focusing on two
stroke-types, as well as providing the usual rhythmic interest
and variety that keep SCV's drumline at the top of their
game.
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Spanks | listen
to snippets from the mp3 |
Spanks presents a groove challenge for
any drumline. Written and designed by Murray Gusseck for
the championship 2004 Santa Clara Vanguard drumline, this
exercise is 3 minutes of groove-oriented single and double-stroke
patterns that are designed to challenge not only the players'
sense of time, but also the finer fulcrum muscles of their
hands.
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Electric
Wheelchair 2003 | listen
to the mp3 |
Electric
Wheelchair was written as a street cadence for the Santa
Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps in 1990 by Murray
Gusseck, who was a marching tenor player at the time. Since
then it has become a trademark piece for the SCV battery,
and one of the most popular cadences of all time. This
2003 version is the most current one used the corps. The
original version Electric Wheelchair is also available
as part of Tap Space Publications' collection of battery
ensemble pieces written by Murray Gusseck, known as Parking
Lot Etudes.
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