A snare drummer marching alone on a field while drumming to “It’s a Small World” seems like a pretty ridiculous image, right?
Percussionist Mark Carman thought so, too, until inspiration struck. Carman arranged a version of “It’s a Small World” as his entry to the “Celebrate Your Music” contest by Disneyland and Yamaha. He won the grand prize, $750 toward a Yamaha purchase and a two-night stay at Disneyland Resort.
Contestants submitted their entries through Yamaha’s “The Hub” video website and were judged on originality, creativity and musicality. Carman strove to create an entry that would stand out from the crowd.
“I kind of warped the corps structure a bit,” he says. “It’s just different; it’s not what you’d expect.”
Carman’s three-movement piece chronicled the history of snare drumming. The first movement harkened back to post- WWII and the era of popular field marches; the second movement was a tribute to the rise of Kevlar heads and high drums near the end of the 20th century; and the third movement showcased the style of modern drum and bugle corps.
Carman began his drum corps career in 2006 with the Cadets of New York City. He has also marched with Jersey Surf and the Boston Crusaders. Currently, he is teaching with the Connecticut Hurricanes and studying at Stony Brook University in New York to become a math teacher.
The contest also gave a “Fan Favorite” award to Bobby Smith, who sang and played the piano.
See both winning entries as well as a “mashup” of contestants on Yamaha’s The Hub site at www.yamaha.com/thehub.
