Ralph Hardimon is currently one of the leading authorities in marching percussion. His experience in the activity started in the late ‘60s as a marching member of the Los Angeles Police Band and proceeded on to drum and bugle corps with the Velvet Knights and the Anaheim Kingsmen. In the early seventies he launched a career in composition and arranging with the Anaheim Kingsmen.

Ralph served as Director of Percussion with the famed Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps from 1976 through 1990, and during that time he was honored with five high percussion awards and four world championship titles. He has scored music for many other corps as well as college percussion ensembles and marching bands with prestigious awards and recognition throughout his career.

In addition to marching percussion achievements, Ralph has been successful in the record industry with Grammy nominations for jazz and rhythm and blues and won a gold record for the latter. In the entertainment industry Ralph has worked for Disney and football bowl games such as the Citrus Bowl, the Orange Bowl, and the Super Bowl.

Ralph was percussion coordinator and arranger for the Blue Knights Drum & Bugle Corps from 1990-2001, the Capital Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps in 2006, and a percussion consultant for Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps, Arizona Academy Drum & Bugle Corps, Ralph was the music director for the Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps 2009-2010. Ralph is now the percussion arranger for the Denver Blue Knights again after a 10-year hiatus.

As a world-renowned educator in percussion, Ralph has traveled all over the world to work with percussion ensembles, marching bands, and drum corps. Ralph is currently a music judge for Winter Guard International (WGI) and Bands of America (BOA).

Ralph was inducted into the Drum Corps International Hall of Fame in 2000. He received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Sabian in 2004.