I just completed the show music for Liberty University’s “Spirit of the Mountain” Marching Band for the Fall 2022 season. The show is called “More Than Conquerors” and will feature 250 college musicians with a 62-member percussion section. Please take a listen to the show. I hope you enjoy it!
Doctoral Thesis Has Been Published
My doctoral thesis has officially been published and can be found at the following link: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/3415/. The topic, “Equipping College Students for a Marching Percussion Career in the United States,” has been something that has interested me for over three decades. I hope to contribute to a young, fruitful, and rewarding career path!
Please read the following abstract for a short synopsis of the paper…
ABSTRACT: Despite the traditional American percussion curriculum being valuable to the college percussionist, there is an unclear path toward preparing students for a career in the field of marching percussion. Every year, students graduate with a desire to pursue the marching arts as a vocation without sufficient guidance. This study examined the perspectives of marching band professionals (N=107) who have carved their path in the industry. Guided by Creswell’s research design model, this qualitative inquiry identifies viewpoints from marching percussionists that can create a comprehensive percussion curriculum. Outlooks on performing, teaching, composing/arranging, and the industry have emerged as themes integral to the success of one’s marching percussion employment. Therefore, these motifs are essential learning elements throughout college. Illustrating the experiences of people who have made marching percussion an occupation, surveys will be conducted with many successful marching percussionists to create a list of surfacing motifs represented in their stories. Having a professional’s knowledge and experience is needed to develop a more efficient percussion curriculum that will improve the discipline of marching percussion. Pioneering the field of inquiry in marching percussion has only recently become explored as a valid research model. This project will serve as an example of the intersection of this young genre of percussion mixing with the traditional percussion curriculum. Additionally, this study and the ideas of new percussion curricula could encourage further investigation by other percussionists to apply this growing research method to all styles within the genre of percussion.
I hope you enjoy learning from all my research and experience. It is my desire that this paper will help you succeed, create some outstanding ensembles, and make a difference in young people!
Hope
It has been a while since my last post. The pandemic has affected all people in many similar and different ways. I am glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel as normal life is slowly returning. My friend and I were able to perform a marimba duet recently, so I thought I would share it with you. Please watch our version of Emmanuel Sejourne’s “Departures” below:
If you are interested in learning how to play drums, percussion, marimba (mallets), or would like help with music composition/arranging, please contact me today. I have a few spots available in my summer schedule and I would love to work with you soon! tommygoddardmusic@gmail.com
Happy New Year 2020!
Contact Goddard Music Studios at tommygoddardmusic@gmail.com!
Contact Goddard Music Studios at tommygoddardmusic@gmail.com!
New Addition To The Goddard Family!
I would like to welcome our little baby boy into the world! His name is Rhett Thomas Goddard. We have enjoyed the last 9 months with him, watching him grow, seeing his fine motor skills develop, and observe him taking an interest in everything. He loves crawling at top speed, pulling his sister’s hair, and tugging on Poppy’s ears (our dog)! I am so thankful that God blessed my wife and me with his little blessing. Praise God!
From Disney to Liberty!
A few weeks ago was rough as I resigned from my job at The Disneyland Resort. This has been my “dream job” since the young age of 4. I am forever grateful for these past 8 years working for The Walt Disney Company. I have been blessed with wonderful friends and guests who inspired me everyday.
As Walt Disney said, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
Recently, I accepted a position at Liberty University as Assistant Director of Athletic Bands and Drumline, working with the marching band, spirit band, indoor drumline, etc. This is also a “dream job” of mine and I am very excited for this new opportunity.
There are many reasons why I have made such a change in my career path, but the greatest reason is that I am following God’s calling. Back in college, I felt called to be an educator in higher ed. In order to embark on this journey, I needed “real world” experience, so I headed to the LA area. God has truly blessed my family and me with more experiences, opportunities, and memories than we ever thought were possible.
So, Micha, Lyric, Rhett, Poppy, and I headed back east to Virginia to begin the next chapter of our lives. I am excited, scared, joyful, and nervous, but I know this is the next step in my career. The “unknown” is always daunting, but I know that God will provide and take care of us.
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” – Proverbs 19:21
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. See his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
New Marching Band Show!
Vince Stewart and I composed and arranged this show for a high school in California, using the selections from “Be Thou My Vision,” “Three Celtic Dances,” “Carrickfergus,” “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” and “America The Beautiful.” It emphasizes the yearning to come to America, told from the Irish perspective. It follows a family relocating to America to start a better life for their future.
This show is called Coming To America. Please click the link to listen!
New Percussion Ensemble Warm-Up! “(The Symphony of) Blasé”
“(The Symphony of) Blasé” is a song written by Anberlin’s lead singer, Stephen Christian, and Anberlin’s lead guitarist, Joseph Milligan. Being released on Anberlin’s second album (“Never Take Friendship Personal”) on February 1st, 2005, this album was chosen as one of Amazon.com’s Top 100 Editor’s Picks of 2005.
Becoming one of my favorite alternative rock songs, I arranged this tune for percussion ensemble which includes the instrumentation of: Chimes, Glockenspiel, Vibraphone, Xylophone, Marimba, Timpani, Synthesizer, Keys, Electric Bass, Drumset, Snareline, Tenorline, and Bassline. This arrangement includes: 2 & 4 mallet technique, lateral rotations, double vertical strokes, paradiddles, various types of rolls, 16th timing rhythms, various listening points, over-the-barline playing, etc.
Please try this warm-up, (The Symphony of) Blasé with your ensemble today! I hope you enjoy!
New Marching Band Show about Noah’s Ark & the Great Flood!
Peter Connell and I composed and arranged this show for Sibley-Ocheyedan High School in Sibley, IA, using the selections from Harold Arnold’s Over the Rainbow and Paul Simon’s Bridge Over Troubled Waters. The show narrative is about “The Great Flood” and the “Noah’s Ark” story as told in the Bible. Epic rhythms and harmonic progressions make this show entertaining and memorable!
This show is called Flood. Please click the link to listen!
JFK HS Made Champs!
Congratulations to my awesome students at JFK HS for making it to the American DrumLine Association championships in our first year!
