Murray Gusseck

Murray Gusseck is considered an innovator in the world of marching percussion. He started his drum corps career as a marching member of the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps in 1988 and later went on to instruct the group in a variety of capacities. In the 18 years he was a part of the SCV organization, he received many accolades as a player, teacher, and composer.

Gusseck attended San Jose State University, studying with Dan Sabanovich, Hafez Modirzadeh, Royal Hartigan, and C.K. Ladzekpo. In the drum corps realm, he was mentored by some of the greats: Ralph Hardimon, Glen Crosby, Scott Johnson, Curt Moore, and Robert Chavira. Gusseck also shared the field as a marching member with Jim Casella, Jeff Queen, Colin McNutt, Nick Angelis, and many other now household names.

Gusseck is known for a unique compositional style, a signature sound, and a propensity for achieving a smooth, drumset-oriented approach to the marching percussion genre. He also helped start a trend of drum line "parking lot" shows by writing many challenging etudes for the battery ensemble to play during their pre-show warm-up routines. The music for these parking lot etudes became widely sought after and subsequently became part of the fuel for the next chapter in Gusseck's career.

In 1998, together with friend and SCV-partner-in-crime Jim Casella, Gusseck co-founded Tapspace Publications, a percussion sheet music publisher. With humble beginnings, the company went from being a marching percussion side project based on the marching compositions of its two founders to a real force in the world of percussion music.

Gusseck is a signature artist for Vic Firth, the maker of his signature marching sticks (nicknamed "M-Dawgs"). He also proudly endorses Remo drumheads and Brooks Drums. He has presented clinics across America as well as in Japan, Thailand, and Singapore. He currently lives in the Pacific Northwest where he manages Tapspace and drums locally in several different projects.


The infamous 1992 SCV tenor line carves out a spot in history with this priceless ensemble.
Duration: 3:50 | Level: Advanced | Personnel: 5 players
$20.00
The infamous 1992 SCV tenor line carves out a spot in history with this priceless ensemble.
Duration: 3:50 | Level: Advanced | Personnel: 5 players
$20.00
Lasting nearly six minutes, this exercise played by SCV over many years focuses on 2 different stroke types while grooving hard.
Duration: 6:00 | Level: Advanced
$35.00
Lasting nearly six minutes, this exercise played by SCV over many years focuses on 2 different stroke types while grooving hard.
Duration: 6:00 | Level: Advanced
$35.00
This "shopping spree" style exercise is anything but normal, yet still has its own seat in the pantheon of marching battery warmups.
Duration: 0:45 | Level: Med-Advanced
$20.00
This "shopping spree" style exercise is anything but normal, yet still has its own seat in the pantheon of marching battery warmups.
Duration: 0:45 | Level: Med-Advanced
$20.00
Doublebeat 2004, the pre-show piece played by the SCV drumline in 2004, is possibly the most popular drumline stand-alone piece of all time.
Duration: 2:05 | Level: Advanced
$30.00
Doublebeat 2004, the pre-show piece played by the SCV drumline in 2004, is possibly the most popular drumline stand-alone piece of all time.
Duration: 2:05 | Level: Advanced
$30.00
From the mind of Murray comes another vehicle of danceable battery music for the drumline consumer—…BUCKLE UP FOR SAFETY!
Duration: 1:30 | Level: Advanced
$30.00
From the mind of Murray comes another vehicle of danceable battery music for the drumline consumer—…BUCKLE UP FOR SAFETY!
Duration: 1:30 | Level: Advanced
$30.00
Originally written as a street cadence in 1990, it has become a trademark piece for the SCV battery and one of the most popular cadences of all time.
Duration: 1:30 | Level: Advanced
$30.00
Originally written as a street cadence in 1990, it has become a trademark piece for the SCV battery and one of the most popular cadences of all time.
Duration: 1:30 | Level: Advanced
$30.00
Bug out to this energetic, sometimes chaotic 60-second extravaganza for drumline battery.
Duration: 0:54 | Level: Advanced
$25.00
Bug out to this energetic, sometimes chaotic 60-second extravaganza for drumline battery.
Duration: 0:54 | Level: Advanced
$25.00
Murray Gusseck’s latest creative collection of not-so-stock drumline warmups aimed at reinvigorating and unlocking the technical potential of rudimental players. Great for individual or ensemble use.
Level: Med-Advanced
$32.00
Murray Gusseck’s latest creative collection of not-so-stock drumline warmups aimed at reinvigorating and unlocking the technical potential of rudimental players. Great for individual or ensemble use.
Level: Med-Advanced
$32.00
One of the standards! This flam-drag vehicle will put your chops to the test!
Duration: 0:45 | Level: Med-Advanced
$20.00
One of the standards! This flam-drag vehicle will put your chops to the test!
Duration: 0:45 | Level: Med-Advanced
$20.00
This timing/independence exercise for advanced battery will test the mind and the ears, as well as make some folks just downright uncomfortable.
Duration: Approx. 3:00 | Level: Advanced
$30.00
This timing/independence exercise for advanced battery will test the mind and the ears, as well as make some folks just downright uncomfortable.
Duration: Approx. 3:00 | Level: Advanced
$30.00
A groovy collection of 6 short cadences aimed at younger players (or those in a hurry!) - Volume 1.
Duration: 0:25-1:00 per loop | Level: Easy to Medium
$32.00
A groovy collection of 6 short cadences aimed at younger players (or those in a hurry!) - Volume 1.
Duration: 0:25-1:00 per loop | Level: Easy to Medium
$32.00
A groovy collection of 6 short cadences aimed at younger players (or those in a hurry!) - Volume 2.
Duration: 0:30-1:00 per loop | Level: Easy to Medium
$32.00
A groovy collection of 6 short cadences aimed at younger players (or those in a hurry!) - Volume 2.
Duration: 0:30-1:00 per loop | Level: Easy to Medium
$32.00
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