From a Capital regiment press release: DCI Hall of Fame member Ralph Hardimon and drum corps legend Gordon Henderson, have joined the design team of the Capital Regiment. Hardimon will be the arranger for the front ensemble and battery, while Henderson will serve as the visual designer. Jay Bocook will be returning for his third season as Capital Regiment brass arranger. As one of the leading authorities in marching percussion up to date, Hardimon's experiences started in the late 1960s with the Los Angeles Police Band as a marching member. From there he marched with the Velvet Knights and the Anaheim Kingsmen. In the early '70s with Anaheim, he launched a career in composition and arranging that has been his focus up today. Hardimon became director of percussion for the Santa Clara Vanguard from 1976 through 1990. During that time his achievements were honored with five high percussion awards and four world champion titles. Ralph has scored music for many other corps as well as college percussion ensembles and marching bands, receiving prestigious awards and recognitions throughout his career. Hardimon has been successful in the record industry with Grammy nominations for jazz and rhythm and blues, as well as receiving a gold record for rhythm and blues. While working in the entertainment business, Hardimon has worked for Disney, and bowl games such as the Citrus Bowl, Orange Bowl and the Super Bowl. Hardimon also travels to Japan throughout the year to work percussion ensembles, marching bands, and drum corps for Drum Corp Japan/SGI. He is a world-renowned educator in percussion, and was percussion coordinator and arranger for the Blue Knights from 1990 -2001, and also a percussion consultant for Santa Clara Vanguard from 1997 through 2004. Hardimon is a current adjudicator for WGI indoor percussion and has recently signed a partnership with Mike Sherpa at "HeadTalk," a percussion school in Loveland, Colo. Hardimon is an endorser and clinician for Sabian cymbals, Vic Firth Inc., Evans drum heads, and the Pearl Drums/Adams Keyboards Corp. Hardimon also has five signature drum sticks with Vic Firth. He has taught and studied with the DCI hall of famer Fred Sanford and studied with Charles Dowd at the University of Oregon. Ralph was inducted into the DCI hall of fame in 2000, and received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from Sabian Cymbals in 2005. Gordon Henderson is the associate director of bands and department of music vice chair at UCLA. Henderson directs the 250-member Bruin Marching Band, and the varsity band. Under Henderson's direction, the Bruin Marching Band has appeared at five Rose Bowls, two Cotton Bowls, two Sun Bowls, the Las Vegas Bowl, the Aloha Bowl, the Freedom Bowl, the Silicon Valley Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl. In 1993, the UCLA Bruin Marching Band received the prestigious Sudler Trophy, presented each year by the John Philip Sousa Foundation, to recognize excellence and innovation. From 1989 to 1995, Henderson directed UCLA's jazz ensemble I, performing with numerous guest artists, including Roy Hargrove, Bob Mintzer, Kenny Burrell, Conte Candoli, Matt Catingub, Bill Watrous, Steve Houghton, Snooky Young, Gerald Wilson and Paquito D'Rivera. Under his direction, both the jazz ensemble I and the jazz combo won their respective divisions at the 1995 Reno International Jazz Festival. Henderson has served as head horn instructor or brass arranger for three Drum Corps International Champions: The Santa Clara Vanguard in
1989 and 1999, and the 1992 Cavaliers. He also served as visual coordinator for the Santa Clara Vanguard in 1987 and 1988. In 2003 and 2004, he was a member of the brass staff for the Cadets, and since 1990, he has been the Arranger for the Tenrikyo Aimachi Marching Band in Nagoya, Japan, the four-time All-Japan National Champions. Henderson was an assistant director and drill designer for the 736-member Olympic All-American College Marching Band that performed at the Opening Ceremonies of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. He has composed and/or arranged band music for several major motion pictures, including "In the Line of Fire," "Little Nikita," "Fatal Instinct," "Legends of the Fall," "Don't Say A Word," "First Daughter" and "Road Trip." Henderson is active as an arranger, guest conductor, adjudicator, drill designer and clinician throughout the U.S., Canada, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand.