Karen Leads the guard in some of the more traditional
work needed to be prepared for Tremendous Blast.
Guard Instructor - Karen Ready
Karen Ready is heading up the Tremendous Guard and is world renowned for her unique style and grace in the arts. She has been instrumental in creating and honing the Cymbal Guard that has become a trademark item for the Tremendous Blast.
Karen's teaching abilities were first utilized in her position as an English teacher for migrant farmers in her native land of Bulgaria. She quickly grew hungry for a larger challenge and was soon developing the concept that would become the Cymbal Guard.
After seeing her first drum and bugle corps performance, headlined by the always entertaining Varna Balkaniers, Karen was inspired to devote her time to the skills and techniques of modern guard. This path led her to be revolutionary in that she was the only woman in Drum Corps Europe (DCE) to every successfully work with three rifles at once, completing often imitated, never duplicate triple octouple toss while blindfolded (a show ending feat which led to two championships in a row). Her mastery of the craft led her to begin working with more simple forms, which eventually led to the cymbal.
When asked what has brought her back to the basics of cymbals, Karen replies, "I've always felt that the simple, elegant sound of one cymbal crashing could be the difference in a performance. The subtle nuances of rotation, revolution, and elevation of a big plate of brass can all dramatically change the feel of a performance for a crowd, and when it's right, oh yes, you'll know it."