Larry Darch has participated in every aspect of the activity as a snare drummer, percussion instructor and arranger, business manager, contest chairman, board of director member and percussion judge. He entered the activity as a snare drummer with St. Joseph’s of Batavia in 1950. He became their percussion instructor and arranger in 1968. He also was a snare drummer with the Hamburg Kingsmen and the Rochester Crusaders. Three of his drum lines won national championships: Mighty St. Joe’s in 1968; Guelph Opti-Knights in 1970; and Rochester Crusaders in 1972. He has been closely involved as a drummer and instructor with Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni Corps, which began activities in 1991. He has served on the DCI championship judging panel four times. For 30 years beginning in 1962, he judged all percussion captions with six different associations, All American Association, New York State Federation of Contest Judges, Canadian Judging Association, DCA, DCI, and New York State Field Band Conference.
