An AeroBed® is the perfect portable solution to uncomfortable travel accommodations. Whether you need to improve the comfort of that lumpy hotel mattress, hard gym room floor or find a way to give children a good night's sleep while on the road, AeroBeds are top-of-the line air-filled mattresses that inflate and deflate in seconds. AeroBeds also make great gifts – easy to ship and perfect for that hard-to-shop for person on your list.
Visit AeroBed.com to check out a complete line of products.
Dynasty USA introduces the vibrant, resonant and durable 4.3 octave synthetic bar marimba that includes a strong, durable pneumatic wheeled grid iron cart. The package includes an accessory bar and two clamps for carrying accessories. Played by leading drum corps, marching bands and indoor drum lines throughout the world, this 4.3 octave, synthetic marimba will make your front pit ensemble the focus of the marching and concert percussion world.
Learn more at DynastyBand.com.
D'Addario, parent company of Evans Drumheads, will soon launch "The Lesson Room" an online service that compiles a vast array of educational materials in an easily searchable format – from music notation to interactive music games and drills, ear training, music theory, lesson planning aids, articles, online lessons, gear care, and professional development, among other resources.
"The Lesson Room will provide teachers and students with a place to call 'home' when searching for learning-based materials and resources for students," said Jim Bailey, D'Addario education relations manager. "The goal of the site is to provide a place where musicians can get a wide variety of information applicable to a huge variety of styles, genres, instruments and ability levels."
Lesson teachers can currently register to be part of a searchable database that will be available to students looking for private teachers in their area. Six randomly selected teachers who pre-register will be awarded D'Addario & Co. gift certificates.
Visit TheLessonRoom.com.
Innovative Percussion announces the addition of Carol Carpenter in a new part-time artist relations and marketing coordinator position. Carpenter is a 17-year veteran of the music industry previously working with Remo, Inc. and D'Addario. She holds a degree in percussion from Cal State University, Sacramento and is a former member of the Freelancers Drum and Bugle Corps. In her new position with Innovative Percussion, Carpenter will initially assist with artist relations and dealer relations in California, Arizona and Nevada while working to grow the company's brand presence in those states.
Visit InnovativePercussion.com.
The 2008 drum corps season was a big hit for Pro-Mark with seven of the top 10 Open Class corps playing with Pro-Mark sticks and mallets. Drum corps fans can visit ProMark.com to check out video clips from the week of the 2008 World Championships of the Blue Devils A, B, and C corps, Pioneer, Oregon Crusaders, Teal Sound, Citations, Spokane Thunder, Revolution, Dutch Boy and Impulse.
This was the very first year that the Blue Devils performed with "System Blue" sticks, mallets and accessories – a brand new line of products that Pro-Mark joined forces with the corps' percussion staff to create.
Visit ProMark.com/systemblue for more information about the entire product line.
Roland's new RMP-12 Rhythm Coach® is the world's first electronic marching percussion instrument. The product includes 128 drum, percussion and effects sounds. Four memory buttons allow instant access to favorite sounds, and it features Roland's multi-layer mesh heads that are quiet, tunable and durable even outside, while still having the feel of an acoustic marching snare. The battery-powered RMP-12 attaches to marching carriers or snare stands, and features a headphone jack for monitoring, as well as an audio output for connection to wireless systems and amplifiers using cables.
Learn more about this product at RolandUS.com.
Longtime drum corps instructor and manager Brent Turner has joined Stanbury as a regional manager for the upper Midwest states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. Over two decades in the drum corps activity, Turner has been associated with the Madison Scouts and has served as manager of the all-age corps Minnesota Brass. Turner is the founder and director of Youth In Music which sponsors the Upper Midwest Marching Band Championship held each fall at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn.
Turner joins a team at Stanbury with extensive drum corps performance and management experience including Pat Butler (Phantom Regiment, Star of Indiana), Patrick Seidling (Phantom Regiment, Southwind, Madison Scouts), and designer/artist Brent Becker (Cavaliers, Guardsmen, Phantom Regiment).
Learn more about Brent Turner and the Stanbury team at Stanbury.com.
Wenger's new OnBoard?„? Timpani Cart is a complete transport-performance-storage solution for either marching band or concert use. "This cart is extremely mobile," says Scott Palmer, band director at Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie, Minn. "It's easy for one person to move it anywhere – through doors, up and down ramps, in and out of trailers."
The product is designed to fit all five sizes of pedal-style timpani and quickly positions the drums in performance position with just one simple turn of the carts. OnBoard Timpani Carts can be pulled manually or by tractor, and feature pneumatic tires that roll smoothly across turf, gravel or pavement. "For performers, it's nice to have the drums already set up, right where you need them," adds Palmer. "The OnBoard Timpani Cart also helps protect the drums because you're not pushing and pulling on the tuning mechanisms and rims."
Learn more at WengerCorps.com/onboard.