Through his affiliations with some of the world's finest competitive performance groups, Jim Casella has had a creative influence on numerous popular products in the music industry. He is an endorsed artist with Pearl Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Remo Drumheads, and Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets, and his music is published by Tapspace. Read on to learn a bit more about Casella's drumsticks, mallets, musical scores, and other educational resources.
JIM CASELLA SIGNATURE SERIES DRUMSTICKS
Produced by Innovative Percussion, this field series drumstick is a popular choice worldwide. These sticks are constructed of white hickory, and feature an oval bead and long taper. As a result, these sticks produce a big sound with sufficient weight and balance for smooth action and zippy rebound. Purchase on Amazon.
Features:
White Hickory
Oval Bead
Long Taper
Length: 17"
Thickness: .710"
JIM CASELLA SIGNATURE SERIES KEYBOARD MALLETS
Also produced by Innovative Percussion, this was the first signature series of keyboard mallets for outdoor/indoor competitive percussion ensembles and they remain extremely popular across the globe today. Through an extensive design process mixing weight, materials, and a variety of hardnesses and wrapping methods, this mallet series offers the marching percussion ensemble the most extensive variety of timbres available today.
Features:
IP1001, IP1002, IP1003, IP1003X (Marimba)
Variety of rubber cores and latex combinations to create
a full, rich tone and warm fundamental
Increased weight for added projection
Highly polished birch handles
Specially designed, extra-durable synthetic yarn with a concert hall timbre
1003X features a smaller ball for efficiency, and added weight for enhanced sound quality.
IP1004, IP1005, IP1006 (Vibraphone)
Variety of rubber cores and latex combinations to create
a full, rich tone and warm fundamental
Increased weight for added projection
Extra-durable rattan handles
Tightly woven multi-ply cord for increased articulation and durability
Synthetic ball, with increased weight and size, for added projection with a very warm sound
Extra-durable rattan handles
IP1008 is similar to the 1007, but features a smaller ball for efficiency, and added weight for enhanced sound quality.
The world"s most powerful marching and concert percussion software instrument.
Virtual Drumline™ (programmed by Jim Casella and produced by Tapspace) has made its mark as the industry standard sample library for marching and concert percussion. Composers, percussionists, studio musicians, and educators alike will discover a sonic onslaught of variety in Virtual Drumline, featuring the world champion percussion section of the Santa Clara Vanguard. Using VDL along with your favorite music composition software will arm you with an enormous palette of percussive possibilities.
Jim Casella's concert music is available through Tapspace. View and purchase titles from his entire catalog on the Tapspace site.
BOOKS
Forward March! – volumes 1 & 2
Co-authored with Murray Gusseck
Forward March! is a collection of 6 easy-to-medium drumline cadences designed to make younger groups sound like pros and give seasoned groups unique grooves that can be thrown together in no time!
Each cadence includes a range of tempos, infinitely loopable grooves, and optional auxiliary percussion parts. Also included are suggested short vamps that allow you to use groove highlights when you need something quick and energetic in the stands for a timeout or at a pep rally.
Cadences are scored for standard marching percussion battery: Snares, tenors (quad and quint parts), basses (2, 3, 4, or 5-drum options), cymbals, and optional auxiliary percussion.
Up Front - A complete resource for today's pit ensemble
Co-authored with Jim Ancona
Over the past twenty years or so, the "pit" or (front ensemble) has grown to be an integral part of the modern drum corps and marching band activities. This evolution has brought us into a new realm in the world of percussion education and performance, merging outdoor playing styles with indoor playing styles.
UP FRONT explores the numerous details of a successful front ensemble. Topics include equipment, instrument ranges, transporting, instrument care, technique, exercises, teaching techniques, arranging, and much more. At a whopping 225 pages thick, this resource is sure to provide years of insight. It is meant to be an all-encompassing guide for pit members and educators of any experience level.
Fresh Perspectives for the Modern Drumline
Co-authored with Murray Gusseck
Take an inside look at one of the most innovative marching percussion programs in the world! Written by former head SCV percussion instructors Jim Casella and Murray Gusseck, this book will give you a complete collection of unique SCV warm-up exercises as well as several excerpts from Vanguard shows from the 1996, '97, and '98 seasons. With Fresh Perspectives you'll be able to upgrade your current warm-up program, study advanced and intricate rhythms, build chops, study different arranging techniques, and play actual SCV music.