hairbear Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Let's' see... Started with my local Jr. Corps. (1968) Didn't know a thing. A "beginning horn instructor" taught me how to get my first note from a single piston baritone. I don't recall the corps having a dues structure in place, but we were required to bring a small amount of money for travel, when we went to Legion or VFW state championships. With no hope whatsoever of making finals in such a contest, we always sat in the stands and watched the other corps, after coming in dead last in prelims. Paper drives, bake sales, etc, were the fundraisers of choice. DCI didn't exist when I began my time in Jr. Corps. Vietnam and the draft put me halfway around the world, when DCI came into being. Drum Corps was one thing when I left and quite another, by the time I returned. By the way, I was in the ranks of the Kilties, as you described when you were standing in retreat. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Let's' see... Started with my local Jr. Corps. (1968) Didn't know a thing. A "beginning horn instructor" taught me how to get my first note from a single piston baritone. Heh... in the fall of 1967, Tom Swan handed me a French horn and said, "this is your horn." Simple as that. LOL. Long story short... didn't march a field show until 1971. Still playing French horn. On the Frenchie for 11 of the 12 years I marched, in a local-circuit junior corps and then DCA's Long Island Sunrisers. One year on mellophone, in junior corps. I hated playing mellophone, probably because I sucked at it. But sometimes, back in the day when I got started, the makeup of the horn line, in particular with the small local-circuit corps, was determined by such things as "he's a big guy... put him on baritone or contra".... or "put the skinny guy on soprano." Quite scientific. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Sun Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 (edited) After reading you note here Fran ,how is it you didn't end up as a contra player ????LOL How tall are you now ? if I recall you got to be at least 5'11 Edited November 7, 2014 by Florida Sun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 After read you note here Fran ,how is it you didn't end up as a contra player ????LOL Chuck, back then I was something like 5 feet tall and was skinny enough to disappear if I stood sideways!!! LOL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 (edited) Yet Sunrisers had a contra in the late 70s who was thin to average build and probably shorter than my 5' 6". We never met but friends who saw him up close would come over to me and say "Dang Jim I think he "beats" you...." Dues started Westshoremen 1978 and think $35. Mine were written off as my bus bill from college to weekend camp was more by a couple of bucks. Thank goodness corps prepped me for bus rides as did a lot of reading and homework on the 8 hr ride with 12 local stops.. yuck.... And W I forgot about Royal Crusaders as they were top PA corps until Crossmen hit their stride. Ebensburg was closest Jr corps to the west and only knew of them as guy in my dorm played sop for them. Kind of a forgotten corps, just like Ebensburg. Edited November 7, 2014 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 John Bugosh played for the Cambria Cadets BITD. And yes indeedy, Dues (what everyone calls in a very flowery way today tuition, instructional fees, camp fees, uniform fees, fee fees...) were 35 USD in 1978 and 1979 at Westshore. Later increased by 1983 to 150 USD. My guess is the strong influence of DCA early on with the Rockets, Bucs, Thunderbirds, and Westshore might have enabled PA to be more of a DCA-oriented state. Kind of had every major population area covered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Heh... in the fall of 1967, Tom Swan handed me a French horn and said, "this is your horn." Simple as that. LOL. Long story short... didn't march a field show until 1971. Still playing French horn. On the Frenchie for 11 of the 12 years I marched, in a local-circuit junior corps and then DCA's Long Island Sunrisers. One year on mellophone, in junior corps. I hated playing mellophone, probably because I sucked at it. But sometimes, back in the day when I got started, the makeup of the horn line, in particular with the small local-circuit corps, was determined by such things as "he's a big guy... put him on baritone or contra".... or "put the skinny guy on soprano." Quite scientific. I know about the size thing...as the largest drummer in my GSC corps, when we added a double bass for 1969, I had the honor of switching from snare to double bass. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 (edited) Adding to Ws post, Hershey, Hanover and York Sr corps all started in the 1920s and around still in the 60s. Most well known (but hardly heard about) pre-WWII Jr corps was Wormleysburg VFW who became Westshoremen after the war. Always wonder how much that had to do with lack of Jrs in the area. Also Archie and Reilly Raiders in DCAs early years to cover Philly area. Edited November 7, 2014 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairbear Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 (edited) Bus trips? You got to ride on busses? LOL! Bus trips in DCA were a treat for me, because I drove almost everywhere! How's THIS example for you: Westshore, 1992. I drive 9 and a half hours to Hershey to catch the busses for Ontario. I arrive at precisely the time I told Dan Bowman I would. NO busses! They left without me. I refilled the gas tank and left Hershey for Ontario. I crossed the border with pocket change. I'm guessing 18 hours ONE way. It felt like 18 hours. After the show, I stayed in Hamilton at a friends house, got up the next morning and drove home. The corps footed the bill for my gas and years later, I got even with Dan Bowman. I gave his 15 year old son a Marshall half stack ( 100 watts) for his guitar. VERY noisy in Dan's house for a while*. LOLOL! *Dan still likes me. :) Edited November 7, 2014 by hairbear 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Ah yes, driving to shows is another difference between DCA and DCI. When I started most people were local so Tues and Thurs nights for drill practice and then Saturday for the bus or meet at the show site. Then as more out of towners joined (we got better and other corps folded) it was Friday night drill and catch the bus at 1 or 2 am (I forget) to ride to far away shows. Or crash somewhere for the night for the out of towners. LOL Lewistown and Lewisburg both had Sr shows for years. Every now and then someone would drive to the wrong place. They would be missing at practice and you just knew they were looking at an empty field thinking "Oh crap...". Just before the show they would show up and "Guess where we were". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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