Al, we welcome you as a life member of the United States Association of Rudimental Drummers!
Al Merritt is a long time resident of the Danbury, CT area where he performed with and taught various drum lines. He started his drumming career with the Grassy Plain junior drum corps of Bethel, CT. He competed in individual competitions in-state and across the country. He was a main-stay with the champion, Connecticut Yankees Drum & Bugle Corps of Stratford, CT. He was recently a member of the Connecticut Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps.
More biographical information for Al will be posted here when it is available.
July 29, 2013: a note from Dominick Cuccia:
"Hello USARD, I heard that you honored rudimental drumming great, Al Merritt, at the 2014 convention so I thought it might be appropriate to share this video. It is from the Greater Danbury Area Drum Corps Association competition this past spring. Al was honored for a lifetime of dedication to the art of drumming. The Al Merritt Trophy was introduced for the high snare drum score of the day and it was won by Gus Cuccia. In addition, I wrote a solo dedicated to Al titled, "The Judge, The Teacher, The Drummer", and had the honor of performing it for him."