DCI Wrap-up

We had a great time at the DCI World Championships last week! Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth. We had a great time catching up with many of you, and hope you had a great time watching the incredible performances throughout the weekend.  Congratulations to The Blue Devils on their 18th world championship title, and to the amazing Santa Clara Vanguard percussion section for winning high percussion!

Thank you to Vic Firth and Zildjian for teaming with us on the display booth.  Make sure to visit their websites to keep up with the latest trends in sticks, mallets and cymbals for marching season!

Vic Firth.com

Zildjian.com

Congratulations to all performers, staff members and volunteers on a great drum corps season!

For official scores, be sure to visit the DCI score page.

August 2017 News At Chops

DCI 2017 Activities Guide

DCI 2017 Activities Guide

We’re busy gearing up for the Drum Corps International (DCI) World Championships, held right here this week in Indianapolis!  It takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium and surrounding areas.  The competition inside Lucas Oil stadium isn’t the only thing to see.  There are many events throughout the week, most of which are free and open to the public!

Here’s our basic guide to help you take in some of the action.

2017 DCI World Championships

Santa Clara Vanguard Drumline 2016

Welcome back to the Chops blog.  We’re busy gearing up for the Drum Corps International (DCI) World Championships, held right here next week in Indianapolis!  It takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium and surrounding areas.  The competition inside Lucas Oil stadium isn’t the only thing to see.  There are many events throughout the week, most of which are free and open to the public!

Here’s our basic guide to help you take in some of the action.

Stick and Mallet Packs for the Beginning Percussionist and Beyond

Welcome back to the Chops blog. Today we’re going to cover the different options available for stick and mallet packs.  There are great options for starting a young percussionist, as well as expanded packs for the intermediate student.  These sticks and mallets should last for many years and can be used at every level (beginner, intermediate, high school, college and beyond).  Our most popular packs requested by schools are from Vic Firth and Innovative Percussion.  Both make great quality products you can trust.  A young percussionist should start with one of these packs, then add to it as they progress through their percussion education.

I’ve broken the packs down into four categories: Basic packs, Core packs, Intermediate packs, and Expanded Core packs.  The quality is the same with each pack.  The difference is what is included in the different levels of packs.  The more you get now, the less you’ll need to add on later.

New Product Spotlight – Yamaha Tour Custom Maple

We just got back from Summer NAMM, where Yamaha reintroduced their Tour Custom Maple series, available in five satin finishes and two shell pack configurations.  This mid-level maple kit combines the projection and expressive capability of all-maple shells with the beautiful grain of US maple.

Features:

– 6-ply, 5.6mm thin all-maple shells for a warm, bright tone
– 45 degree bearing edges for tonal depth and quick response
– YESS mounts to minimize contact between the shell and mount
– Inverse (stick saver) Dyna Hoops to control the natural overtones of maple shells
– Absolute lugs