Tom Float
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Tom Float is an American percussionist, teacher, composer, and clinician. He is best known for his work in the areas of marching percussion, rudimental drumming, drum & bugle corps, and marching band.
Float's marching career included participation in the drumline of the 1972 Kingsmen Drum and Bugle Corps, the first DCI Champion. Float's teaching career began in 1975 as an assistant to Sacramento Freelancers' Don Silva. In 1976-77, he taught with Al Murray at the Etobicoke Oakland Crusaders and Spirit of Atlanta in 1978-81. He is probably most remembered for his 1982-90 drumlines at the Blue Devils, where he won 4 consecutive percussion titles from 1983-1986. He almost had 6 titles...his Spirit line in 1980 actually won percussion execution and tied in overall percussion score with the Bridgemen, but lost the drum title due to a tie-breaker in the general effect caption. (Drum Corps International, DCI, later acknowledged the tie and considers Spirit and Bridgemen co-champions of the 1980 DCI percussion caption.) His Crusaders line is even more famous for winning drums in Prelims, but because the corps itself did not make finals, they were not eligible for the drum title on finals night.
From 1992 to 1994, Float worked with the now defunct Anaheim Velvet Knights Drum and Bugle Corps. He has developed music programs at Disneyland and performed marching percussion clinics throughout the world. He was inducted into the DCI Hall of Fame in 2004.
He is currently working with the Santa Ana High School Saints' Marching Band's drumline.
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