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Dreamgirls - Alec Wilmart

Alec Wilmart’s percussion setup for Dreamgirls at the Village Theater in Seattle, Washington.

Read Alec's write-up about the show, below the photos.

Alec Wilmart’s percussion setup for Dreamgirls at the Village Theater in Seattle, Washington.Alec Wilmart’s percussion setup for Dreamgirls at the Village Theater in Seattle, Washington.Alec Wilmart’s percussion setup for Dreamgirls at the Village Theater in Seattle, Washington.Alec Wilmart’s percussion setup for Dreamgirls at the Village Theater in Seattle, Washington.Alec Wilmart’s percussion setup for Dreamgirls at the Village Theater in Seattle, Washington.Alec Wilmart’s percussion setup for Dreamgirls at the Village Theater in Seattle, Washington.Alec Wilmart’s percussion setup for Dreamgirls at the Village Theater in Seattle, Washington.Alec Wilmart’s percussion setup for Dreamgirls at the Village Theater in Seattle, Washington.Alec Wilmart’s percussion setup for Dreamgirls at the Village Theater in Seattle, Washington.Alec Wilmart’s percussion setup for Dreamgirls at the Village Theater in Seattle, Washington.Alec Wilmart’s percussion setup for Dreamgirls at the Village Theater in Seattle, Washington.Alec Wilmart’s percussion setup for Dreamgirls at the Village Theater in Seattle, Washington.Alec Wilmart’s percussion setup for Dreamgirls at the Village Theater in Seattle, Washington.Alec Wilmart’s percussion setup for Dreamgirls at the Village Theater in Seattle, Washington.

"The Dreamgirls percussion book is a lot of fun to play, with a variety of R&B conga/bongo grooves, dramatic timpani moments, and tambourine. So much tambourine. There aren’t a lot of quick switches, so I set up my hand drums as close to the drum kit as I could so I could lock in with the drummer, our Jim Reif. I then made the vibes and the lone music stand the center piece of the set-up.

There is nothing in this book that I would call technically challenging. The vibes part is very straight forward, and the timpani part doesn’t require too much pedaling, but there are several pitch changes. The groove is the most important aspect, and the notation leaves a lot of room for interpretation.

The arc of the show covers about 20 years of R&B history, from the 60’s to the early 80’s, so I listened to a lot of Jackie Wilson, James Brown, Temptations, Supremes, and Earth Wind and Fire to help prepare the different bongo and conga grooves."

Instrument List:

  • Timpani
  • Vibraphone
  • Bells
  • Congas
  • Bongos
  • Tambourine (Hand-Held and Mounted)
  • Bell Tree
  • Cabasa
  • Cow Bell (Foot pedal)
  • Shakers
  • Triangles (Medium and Small)
  • Temple Blocks
  • Wood Block
  • Suspended Cymbal
  • Vibraslap

Dreamgirls - Regional - Alec Wilmart
June 2017

Alec Wilmart’s percussion setup for Dreamgirls at the Village Theater in Seattle, Washington.

"Conducting a National Tour is incredibly challenging, but so rewarding. Stepping on to the podium with a new orchestra every few weeks really keeps you on your toes. Every player responds differently so you are constantly adjusting to get the desired result. I would compare it to playing a multi-percussion piece where the instruments are constantly moving."
"After a grueling four years at SUNY I still had one theory class left to finish. I was really depressed. A classmate of mine recommended me for a tour of a Broadway show. This completely changed the course of my life."
"When I first got the call to start working on Ain’t Too Proud - The Life And Times Of The Temptations, I was curious about which era the show was going to focus on. Their career began in the early 1960’s and they’re still releasing albums today."
"The timpani tunings are the real challenge of The Little Mermaid. Changing pitches must be done by feel, that was my biggest challenge. Memorizing the mallet parts was also very necessary."
"As you can see in the pictures, I prefer to have as much 'stuff' right in front of me, as close as possible. Because there are so many instruments close in, I have mounted a music stand off of the tom mount.
"Different from the tour, the original Broadway production had acoustic drums, an acoustic set of timbales, and an acoustic tambourine - the tambourine is now programmed in the SPD-SX."
  • 2 min read

Gene Krupa's drum solo from "Gene's Blues" from the album Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich released November 1955.

Steve Jordan's drum solo from the title track of the album Casa Loco.
Robbie Ameen's drum solo from the track "Spring Fling".

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