mountain view perc judge tape

Introduction

  • Speaker: Alex Lozada

  • Location: Mountain View High School, Tucson

  • Date: October 4, 2025

  • Purpose: Evaluating the percussion performance of Tanque Verde High School marching band

Evaluation Criteria

  • Encouragement to follow judge criteria sheets available at the AZMBA website.

Pre-Performance Remarks

  • Wishing the performers good luck.

  • Notable setup with the drum major positioned on the 40-yard line and another in the center, indicating a unique formation.

Observations During Performance

Auxiliary Percussion

  • Suggestion to potentially use softer mallets to reduce the prominence of the mallet sound during crescendos.

Communication and Performance Quality

  • Positive Remarks:

    • Excellent communication between mallet instruments and electric guitar.

    • Good balance and blend, indicating thorough preparation.

    • Effective transition into the battery performance for the first time.

    • Praised rhythmic clarity within the battery, particularly on triplet sections.

  • Areas for Improvement:

    • Issues noted with synchronization of the battery performers, particularly in terms of front-to-back and side-to-side coordination.

    • Specific Comments:

    • The bass drum should be brought out more in the mix to enhance clarity.

    • Noted that the concert bass was slightly behind on eighth notes, necessitating greater precision and syncing.

    • Mention of needing to enhance deceleration clarity despite the difficulty level being acknowledged.

Tuning and Mixes

  • Observation regarding the tenor drums being tuned too low, suggesting a need to raise the pitch to avoid merging with bass drum frequencies.

  • Inclusion of a solo keyboard player with a recommendation for a more prominent role in the performance mix, asserting that players should ensure communication with each other.

Final Performance Analysis

Catching Timing and Synchronization

  • Importance of collective re-entry for members aimed at synchronizing attacks, particularly in slow sections where the keyboard's exposed attacks contribute to the overall execution.

  • Recommendations for increasing communication, especially through visual cues or stick movements for improved timing.

Big Picture Thoughts

  • General observation that the upper battery performed clearly despite fluctuations in difficulty levels, which were observed as either average or a bit more challenging.

  • Suggested the ensemble might be prepared for more complex pieces moving forward, especially given that it is the season's first performance.

Conclusion

  • Grateful for the performance and eagerness to provide additional feedback during the critique session to assist in their improvement.