Posted on October 14th, 2019
World Drum Corps Hall of Fame’s Ralph Hardimon adds induction to Percussive Arts Society to his lengthy list of awards
World Drum Corps Hall of Fame member Ralph Hardimon, inducted in 2017, will add to his extensive list of honors when he is inducted into the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) Hall of Fame on November 14, 2019. He is already a member of the Drum Corps International (DCI) Hall of Fame, has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Sabian, was inducted into the Santa Clara Vanguard Hall of Fame in 2014 and has been nominated for Grammy awards in jazz and rhythm and blues categories.
The Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame was established in 1972 to recognize contributions of the most highly regarded leaders in percussion performance, education, research, scholarship, administration, composition and the industry.
Ralph Hardimon is widely considered the innovator in marching percussion ensemble composition and arranging that pushed drum and bugle corps activity into a higher level of integration and musicality by highlighting the voice of the entire percussion ensemble. His scores made use of the full spectrum of percussion elements, including the battery and front ensemble.
While he was director of percussion for Santa Clara Vanguard from 1976 to 1990, his ensembles won five high percussion awards in driving the Vanguard to four DCI world championship titles. He was a key member of the Anaheim Kingsmen drum line during the first years of DCI in the early 1970s, helping set a new standard in rudimental performance and execution that attracted a new level of interest by youth around the world.
He is a world traveller himself, conducting clinics in the Japanese cities of Nagoya, Tokyo, Kagoshima, Osaka, Okayama and Yokohama. He has conducted drum clinic tours for both Pearl and Premier Drums.
His signature drumsticks are considered the industry standard, used by ensembles around the world.
He has served as percussion coordinator, arranger or consultant for other DCI corps, including Blue Knights, Bluecoats, Capitol Regiment, The Academy, Troopers, Kingsmen, Blue Devils, Crossmen and Freelancers.
His extensive judging history includes service with Winter Guard International (WGI) percussion, Southern California Percussion Alliance, Bands of America and Percussive Arts Society.
His percussion activities began in 1965 as a snare drummer with the Los Angeles Police Band.
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