Plymouth-Canton Marching Band
Encyclopedia
The Plymouth-Canton Marching Band (PCMB) is a nationally recognized marching band program located on the campus of the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park
in Canton
, Michigan
.
, the Detroit Civic Youth Orchestra, the Michigan Youth Band, the National Honor Band of America, and the MSBOA All State Honor Band and Orchestra. The concert program is taught by directors David Armbruster and Jon Thomann.
. Both Winter Guards (A & World) have been State Champions and the Open guard is a two time WGI Open Class Finalist. The Winter Drumline is also a state champion and a WGI World line, the line placed 10th at WGI In 2008. On May 29, 2007, Winter Guard International
announced that Plymouth-Canton's Open Guard would be promoted to the "World" Class.
and West Bloomfield High School
; Martin Montoya (2005–2008), current assistant director at Brazoswood High School
in Clute, Texas
; Clayton Wachholz (2001–2003), current music director for the International School in Brussels; David McGrath (1995–2001), current Director of Bands at Kennesaw Mountain High School
in Kennesaw, Georgia
; Jonathan Ovalle (1995–2006), current Assistant Professor of Percussion at the University of Michigan
; Steven McGuire (1998–2002) current assistant director at Mariner High School
in Cape Coral, FL; Jed Leach (2007–2008), Current Percussion director for Georgetown High School
in Georgetown, TX,; Rob Myers (1998–2000), current Director of Bands at Flower Mound High School
in Flower Mound, Texas
; Michael Brady Tarr (1993–2002), visual instructor/ clinician for various drum corps and marching bands. Currently serves as the Associate Director of Student Affairs at the Mercer University School of Medicine; Alan Spaeth (1993 and 1997–2003) Color Guard and show design; Mitch Rogers (1992–2003), drill designer for the Stephen F. Austin Marching Band, Carlton J. Kell High School, Glen Adsit (1989–1994), current Director of Bands at The Hartt School in Hartford, Connecticut
; Don Booher, Chris (Gale) Booher, Patrick Ruddy, Tom Fikes, Chad Jacobs, Jonathan Miller, Casey Swanson, George Hester, David Kline, Benjamin Clark, Mark Hart, John Shaw, Dan Arreola Ian Horste, and Sheldon Frazier.
Legendary drill write Steve Brubaker wrote the drill for Plymouth's first national championship which also featured uniforms designed by Steve Cesario.
Starting with the band's first appearance at the Bands of America finals in 1988, Glen Adsit took this rag-tag regional marching band and turned it into a national champion in three short years.
James Griffith served as Plymouth's Director of Bands until his retirement in 1994. Griffith is widely respected as one of the preeminent music educators in the state of Michigan.
Marching Band. Upon entering the Bands of America in 1986, Plymouth-Canton has been a National Finalist (Top 12) all but three years since 1988. This has honor has been exceeded only by the Marian Catholic High School Band. The band has also been to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Tournament of Bands in 1992 & 1996, winning the prestigious competition both years.
Outside of the competition, the band has had the distinction of playing for Presidents Ronald Reagan, in 1986, and George H. W. Bush, in 1992, marching in Orlando, FL, the 1974 King Orange (Bowl) Parade, the 1973 Rose Bowl Parade, the 1973 Battle of the Bands shown nationally immediately prior to the Rose Bowl Parade, the Hudson's Christmas parade Santa's band as well as representing the community in various parades throughout the summer. In 2011, the band marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Plymouth-Canton Educational Park
The Plymouth-Canton Educational Park encompasses three public secondary schools—Salem High School, Canton High School, and Plymouth High School—in Canton Township, Michigan, United States. PCEP is located on a campus in Wayne County...
in Canton
Canton Township, Michigan
The Charter Township of Canton, usually referred to as Canton, is an affluent charter township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The commuter town is located west of Detroit and east of Ann Arbor. As of the 2010 census, the township had a population of 90,173, making it Michigan's...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Music program
The PCMB is part of a broader fine arts program offered in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools. Its Wind Ensemble and Symphony bands have consistently rated among the best in the state of Michigan. PCEP band students and alumni have performed with the Detroit Symphony OrchestraDetroit Symphony Orchestra
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its main performance center is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood...
, the Detroit Civic Youth Orchestra, the Michigan Youth Band, the National Honor Band of America, and the MSBOA All State Honor Band and Orchestra. The concert program is taught by directors David Armbruster and Jon Thomann.
Winter programs
The PCMB also runs three very successful winter programs through the Michigan Color Guard Circuit and Winter Guard InternationalWinter Guard International
Spawning from the organization Drum Corps International , Winter Guard International was founded in 1977. WGI is a visual performing arts organization that hosts regional and national competitions for color guard and indoor percussion ensembles. Contests are held in the U.S...
. Both Winter Guards (A & World) have been State Champions and the Open guard is a two time WGI Open Class Finalist. The Winter Drumline is also a state champion and a WGI World line, the line placed 10th at WGI In 2008. On May 29, 2007, Winter Guard International
Winter Guard International
Spawning from the organization Drum Corps International , Winter Guard International was founded in 1977. WGI is a visual performing arts organization that hosts regional and national competitions for color guard and indoor percussion ensembles. Contests are held in the U.S...
announced that Plymouth-Canton's Open Guard would be promoted to the "World" Class.
Staff
Previous staff have included Marc Whitlock (2003–2007), current music director for Discovery Middle School; Andy Ebert (2004–2007), current Visual Caption Head at Carolina CrownCarolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps
Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps is a Drum Corps International World Class drum and bugle corps, based in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The corps organization was founded in 1988 as the Charlotte Drum Corps Association, but the corps did not enter competition as Carolina Crown until the 1990 season...
and West Bloomfield High School
West Bloomfield High School
West Bloomfield High School is a public secondary school in West Bloomfield, Michigan. The school is the only public high school in the West Bloomfield School District. The School Enrollment for the 2010-2011 school year is about 1900. West Bloomfield High School was previously located in the...
; Martin Montoya (2005–2008), current assistant director at Brazoswood High School
Brazoswood High School
Brazoswood High School is a secondary school located at 302 West Brazoswood in Clute, Texas. It educates grades nine through twelve and is part of the Brazosport Independent School District....
in Clute, Texas
Clute, Texas
Clute is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 10,424. The city gained some fame with the discovery of a fossilized mammoth named Asiel...
; Clayton Wachholz (2001–2003), current music director for the International School in Brussels; David McGrath (1995–2001), current Director of Bands at Kennesaw Mountain High School
Kennesaw Mountain High School
Kennesaw Mountain High School is a public high school located in Kennesaw, Cobb County, Georgia. It was founded in 2000 as a magnet school specializing in science and mathematics and is one of sixteen high schools in the Cobb County School District....
in Kennesaw, Georgia
Kennesaw, Georgia
Kennesaw is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. It had a population of 29,783 according to the 2010 census. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Founded in 1887, Kennesaw has a past surrounded with railroad history...
; Jonathan Ovalle (1995–2006), current Assistant Professor of Percussion at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
; Steven McGuire (1998–2002) current assistant director at Mariner High School
Mariner High School (Cape Coral, Florida)
Mariner High School is located in Cape Coral, Florida in the Lee County School District and is home to the Mariner Fightin' Tritons. The school is located at 701 Chiquita Blvd. N. in Northern Cape Coral, Florida. The school's students come mainly from Cape Coral, the neighboring villages on Pine...
in Cape Coral, FL; Jed Leach (2007–2008), Current Percussion director for Georgetown High School
Georgetown High School (Texas)
Georgetown High School is a public high school located in Georgetown, Texas serving grades 9–12. As of 2008–2009, the school has an enrollment of 2146...
in Georgetown, TX,; Rob Myers (1998–2000), current Director of Bands at Flower Mound High School
Flower Mound High School
Flower Mound High School is part of Lewisville Independent School District and located in Flower Mound, Texas. The school rests on of land that were purchased in 1993. FMHS was the second high school built in Flower Mound, after Edward S. Marcus High School...
in Flower Mound, Texas
Flower Mound, Texas
Flower Mound is a town in Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas, and a suburb of Fort Worth and Dallas. Its population was 50,702 at the U.S. Census Bureau's 2000 census, and 64,669 at the 2010 Census. The town derives its name from the prominent mound located in the southern...
; Michael Brady Tarr (1993–2002), visual instructor/ clinician for various drum corps and marching bands. Currently serves as the Associate Director of Student Affairs at the Mercer University School of Medicine; Alan Spaeth (1993 and 1997–2003) Color Guard and show design; Mitch Rogers (1992–2003), drill designer for the Stephen F. Austin Marching Band, Carlton J. Kell High School, Glen Adsit (1989–1994), current Director of Bands at The Hartt School in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
; Don Booher, Chris (Gale) Booher, Patrick Ruddy, Tom Fikes, Chad Jacobs, Jonathan Miller, Casey Swanson, George Hester, David Kline, Benjamin Clark, Mark Hart, John Shaw, Dan Arreola Ian Horste, and Sheldon Frazier.
Legendary drill write Steve Brubaker wrote the drill for Plymouth's first national championship which also featured uniforms designed by Steve Cesario.
Starting with the band's first appearance at the Bands of America finals in 1988, Glen Adsit took this rag-tag regional marching band and turned it into a national champion in three short years.
James Griffith served as Plymouth's Director of Bands until his retirement in 1994. Griffith is widely respected as one of the preeminent music educators in the state of Michigan.
Awards and honors
Since appearing on the competitive circuits in the mid 1970's, the Plymouth Canton Marching Band has become one of the most successful teams in Michigan history. Within the state of Michigan, the PCMB has been a state champion 21 times, an honor shared with no other groups in Michigan, (both Fine Arts and Athletics), and only with one other group in the country: the Marian Catholic High SchoolMarian Catholic High School
Marian Catholic High School is a co-educational, college preparatory secondary school in Chicago Heights, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.-History:...
Marching Band. Upon entering the Bands of America in 1986, Plymouth-Canton has been a National Finalist (Top 12) all but three years since 1988. This has honor has been exceeded only by the Marian Catholic High School Band. The band has also been to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
Tournament of Bands in 1992 & 1996, winning the prestigious competition both years.
Outside of the competition, the band has had the distinction of playing for Presidents Ronald Reagan, in 1986, and George H. W. Bush, in 1992, marching in Orlando, FL, the 1974 King Orange (Bowl) Parade, the 1973 Rose Bowl Parade, the 1973 Battle of the Bands shown nationally immediately prior to the Rose Bowl Parade, the Hudson's Christmas parade Santa's band as well as representing the community in various parades throughout the summer. In 2011, the band marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Competitive results and repertoire
- 2011 - Ancient Gardens of Babylon - Bands of America Pontiac Regional Runner-Up, MCBA State Runner-Up
- 2010 - The Source - Bands of America Grand National Semifinalist, Bands of America Pontiac Regional Runner-Up, Bands of America St. Louis 4th Place Super-Regionals, MCBA State Runner-Up
- 2009 - Beneath The Surface - Bands of America Grand National Semifinalist, Bands of America Ypsilanti Regional Runner-Up, MCBA State Champion
- 2008 - Kaleidoscope - 11th Place Bands of AmericaBands of AmericaBands of America , a division of Music for All, Inc., is an organization that promotes and organizes marching band competitions for high school students. Competitions include both Regional and Super Regional Championships as well as the Grand National Championships...
Grand National Finalist - 2007 - Out of the Shadows - 7th Place Bands of AmericaBands of AmericaBands of America , a division of Music for All, Inc., is an organization that promotes and organizes marching band competitions for high school students. Competitions include both Regional and Super Regional Championships as well as the Grand National Championships...
Grand National Finalist, Bands of America Ypsilanti Regional Champion, MCBA State Champion - 2006 - The Passion Within - 9th Place Bands of AmericaBands of AmericaBands of America , a division of Music for All, Inc., is an organization that promotes and organizes marching band competitions for high school students. Competitions include both Regional and Super Regional Championships as well as the Grand National Championships...
Grand National Finalist, Bands of America Ypsilanti Regional Champion, MCBA State Champion, - 2005 - Performing Inside Out - 9th Place Bands of America Grand National Finalist, MCBA State Champion, Bands of America Pontiac Regional Runner-Up
- 2004 - The Trainman Cometh - 10th Place Bands of America Grand National Finalist, MCBA State Champion
- 2003 - Souls of the Gypsy Caravan - Bands of America Grand National Semi-Finalist, MCBA State Champion
- 2002 - Elasticity - 9th Place Bands of America Grand National Finalist, MCBA State Champion
- 2001 - Programme One - 3rd Place Bands of America Grand National Finalist, Caption for Best Visual, MCBA State Champion
- 2000 - Reflections on Obsessions - 2nd Place Bands of America Grand National Finalist, Caption for Best Music, MCBA State Champion, Bands of America Toledo Regional Runner-up
- 1999 - Thoughtcrime, Music for an Orwellian Era - Bands of America Grand National Champion, Captions for Best Music and Best General Effect, MCBA State Champion, Bands of America Toledo Regional Runner-up
- 1998 - America, Land of the Free - 2nd Place Bands of America Grand National Finalist, Caption for Best Visual (Tie - Lassiter HS, GA), MCBA State Champion
- 1997 - Where the Wild Things Are - 5th Place Bands of America Grand National Finalist, MCBA State Champion
- 1996 - Road to Oz - 8th Place Bands of America Grand National Finalist, MCBA State Champion, Bands of America Toledo Regional Runner-up, Fiesta BowlFiesta BowlThe Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
Grand Champion - 1995 - Prophecy of the Earth - 5th Place Bands of America Grand National Finalist, MCBA State Champion, Bands of America Toledo Regional Runner-up
- 1994 - Kiss of the Spider Woman - 6th Place Bands of America Grand National Finalist, MCBA State Champion
- 1993 - Jesus Christ Superstar - 5th Place Bands of America Grand National Finalist
- 1992 - Sweeney Todd - 3rd Place Bands of America Grand National Finalist, MCBA State Champion, Bands of America Toledo Regional Champion, Fiesta Bowl Grand Champion
- 1991 - Sunday In The Park With George - Bands of America Grand National Champion, Bands of America Toledo Regional Runner-up
- 1990 - Music Of Stephen SondheimStephen SondheimStephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
- Bands of America Grand National Champion, MCBDA State Champion, Bands of America Toledo Regional Champion - 1989 - Sweet Charity - 7th Place Bands of America Grand National Finalist, MCBDA State Champion
- 1988 - Singing in the Rain / The Music Man - 5th Place Bands of America Grand National Finalist, MCBDA State Champion