It’s just before sunrise on a summer morning in 1861 in New York Harbor. A solitary bugler, having been roused by the corporal of the guard sounds the brief series of notes that will, in a matter of minutes, summon all the other buglers, drummers and fifes to assemble for the playing of the Reveille […]
So, does anyone get the amplification thing right? Well, sort of, but not really. It’s almost impossible, and here’s why: 1) Current logistics promote (virtually guarantee) frequent failure. Performers will routinely take an hour or so off stage to warm up, tune and stretch but are then allotted about 180 seconds to access power, place […]
To begin with, full disclosure: some of this is my fault. In 1977, Rich DeCola and I heard Joel Kaye’s New York Neophonic Orchestra (a kind of Kenton-meets-Maynard group) perform “I Don’t Know How to Love Him”, the signature ballad from Jesus Christ Superstar. It rocked, and seemed a natural for Garfield’s book as we […]
Twyla Tharp has written a fascinating book. You ought to know who she is, especially if you are interested in the great debate over the past and future of Drum Corps as we know (or knew) it. Actually, any thinking person should know lots of strange-named folks, like Ezra Pound for instance or Dweezil Zappa, […]
(The basic facts of this particular story are true. Variations have played out throughout the land for years. May it ever be so.) Once upon a time, in a more or less remote corner of the drum corps world, a group of good folks convinced the local law enforcement authorities of the benefits to the […]
One bright May morning in 1958, a cub scout stood on 221st Street in Queens, in front of Sacred Heart Church, awaiting with great anticipation the start of the annual Bazaar Parade. His uniform was meticulously pressed, and the gold piping matched the polished Rexcraft G Bugle he proudly carried. The scoutmaster had asked him […]
Once upon a time they were ubiquitous, those neighborhood corps: the Carter Cadets, Smithtown Freelancers, Blue Max, Seaford Golden Hawks, Page Park Cadets…. Any kid off the street could join, learn to march, to play, spin a flag, and get some valuable lessons about teamwork, commitment, loyalty, and life itself in the bargain. They practiced […]
In his recent bestseller, “The Tipping Point”, Malcolm Gladwell makes reference to the theory of “Six Degrees”, the idea that everyone on earth is connected by acquaintance in no more than six steps. This is a fascinating notion, and I wonder if it’s true. (I suppose it really depends on how one defines a connection.) […]
Randall’s Island lies just a few hundred yards from the epicenter of the Harlem Renaissance, in the shadow of the Tri-Boro Bridge. I used to imagine that Ellington’s music could have drifted over from 125th Street back in the day, or Basie’s, or perhaps even a few licks from Bird or Dizzy, practicing in the […]
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