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Paragon Ragtime Orchestra - Taylor Goodson

A few of Taylor Goodson's setups from his performances with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra.

A few of Taylor Goodson's setups from his performances with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra.A few of Taylor Goodson's setups from his performances with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra.A few of Taylor Goodson's setups from his performances with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra.A few of Taylor Goodson's setups from his performances with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra.A few of Taylor Goodson's setups from his performances with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra.A few of Taylor Goodson's setups from his performances with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra.A few of Taylor Goodson's setups from his performances with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra.A few of Taylor Goodson's setups from his performances with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra.A few of Taylor Goodson's setups from his performances with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra.

“Playing percussion with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra is a really unique experience. The entire goal of the organization is to re-create the sounds of American music from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, allowing modern-day audiences to hear and experience the music exactly as it was intended all those years ago. The library at the orchestra's disposal consists of more than 20,000 scores (more information about that collection can be found on the orchestra's website link above) from a wide variety of composers and arrangers, so the required setup changes from work to work.

The instruments the orchestra uses are vintage pieces from that era as well. The single-tension bass and snare drums are Ludwigs manufactured just after the turn of the 20th century (1900-1910) while the other instruments (namely cymbals, temple blocks, and tom-tom (‘Indian drum’) are also fashioned from that same era. One of the more unique sounds of my setup with Paragon is the Ludwig ‘Low Boy’ from the 1930's, an early predecessor to the hi-hat. Though a bit unruly at times, the clang of the small thick cymbals really gives the whole setup a unique sound truly reminiscent of those early days for the drum set.

Another unique thing the orchestra does is provide live accompaniment to silent films from the ragtime era. This is some of the most fun for me as it is the percussionist's job to provide all the sound effects for all the events on-screen. So, while the orchestra is playing through the selections with the conductor, I get the fun experience of being turned toward the screen, playing a whole host of effects with the action. Slide whistle, acme siren, sandpaper blocks, woodblocks, duck calls, bird whistles, cans with metal screws, dog barks through a megaphone - everything is pretty much fair game!  It certainly makes for an interesting ride, and the audience always gets a kick out of it!"

Paragon Ragtime Orchestra - Regional - Taylor Goodson
September 2014

A few of Taylor Goodson's setups from his performances with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra.

"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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