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What drives DCI World Class?


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Hmm.

Heard it once said by someone who was with DCI from the start:

"Percussion is driven by aggression,

Brass is driven by need to perform

and Guard is driven by anxiety."

I think all sections are driven by the goal of excellence; I would perhaps use "pathos" rather than mere anxiety for the guard. However, an ounce of truth to the wisdom shared.

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1978Buslg.jpg

There has to be a wise-a** in every group, doesn't there???? :silly::silly::silly:

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Simple question imo.

Is it the students, staffs, money, fans, ect ect, is it all of it?

Have not done this in awhile so bear with me.

Peace

I think it has the be the combination of "all of the above."

* fans expect something new/never-before-seen; new standards of excellence in performing and programming

* directors have to hire the right designers and staff; the best staff in the world can only clean an insufficient design enough to get credit, to take the corps all-the-way competitively it takes the right design

* designers have to design to reach whatever the goal of the organization is. To win the show has to be difficult, effective, innovative, and it has to have that "thing" that grabs the audience (nothing is cooler than what a friend of mine calls "that championship 'roar,'" something heard when a great corps is setting up, immediately following a performance, etc. It's hard to explicitly define, but I think it's something most people can recognize

* staffers have to know how to clean & get the most out of the members. They have to be able to competently schedule priorities of cleaning segments of the show, when to implement changes, how to build a technique program, how to motivate members on the longest/darkest days of tour, etc. This is tricky, as a great design in the hands of insufficient staff will only lead to lots of frustration from EVERYONE (director, members, staff, designers, audience)

* members have to be good: they have to have a high level of skills coming into a season, and they have to be motivated and driven to be perfect. I know great instructors who have won captions and championships in World Class who taught lower-achieving members/corps and could only get so far. The members have to be good enough but also capable of pushing themselves on the days they don't want to work as hard; to make the 27th rep just as perfect as the 1st or 2nd in a rehearsal block.

* it ALL takes moneys: money to hire good staffers & designers, money to pay a good director to keep the organization running smooth, money for members to pay their fair share dues & transportation to camps, money for organizations to host and promote shows, money for fans to make a long-weekend vacation to go to Indy for Finals week.

So many organizations have a piece or a couple pieces of the puzzle. Some organizations have all the pieces one year, and very few other years.

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FWIW Bill Cook once said via his "Star of Indiana - Reflections" website:

I would like to digress a moment and talk about what
it takes to win a championship. First, a corps must have
experience, a work ethic that goes beyond saying "I worked
hard" because working hard on the wrong things will
eventually ruin a corps hope for success. I believe that
staffs win championships. A corps director must
instinctively know where to place the emphasis and the staff
must have a music and drill book that is sufficiently
difficult. A championship book must appear to be seamless--
it must flow and the members must be sufficiently
accomplished to make their actions appear easy. If the
spectators perceive the work as being easy but executed to
perfection, then the staff has done its job and the corps
has learned their lessons well. Physical conditioning also
is an integral part of the success formula--every member
must be able to finish.

Not really a ton of folks have as much experience putting together a Championship corps, so I'll take Mr. Cook's word as authority: if he says "staffs win Championships" I'll go with that as the OP's answer

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STAR OF INDIANA, RECOLLECTIONS

by Bill Cook and Jim Mason

Seeing drum corps for the first time

I first became aware of drum corps in 1979 when

Carl, my son, wanted to watch the DCI Championship for a

high school band project. I griped but he won out and so

the TV was turned on to Birmingham. The corps that I

remember most was the Bridgemen; to me they were humor,

professionalism, talent, entertainment, all wrapped up in a

yellow package. When the show ended at 1:00 a.m., I was

hooked and the following summer Carl and I went to several

shows--the most memorable was the championship at

Whitewater. Phantom was incredible and I couldn't believe

that 15 to 21 year olds were making such wonderful music.

Carl never considered drum corps while in high

school because he was a saxophone player, but during his

second year in college he decided that he wanted to try out

for the Colts. After a tryout, he didn't think that he

could make it but was given a flugel horn, told to go home

and learn how to play. By his own words, he couldn't play

much his first year but by the second year, he could. The

marching was a foreign language to him and he considered

that he might be cut at anytime. He aged out in 1984 and

stayed on as a staff instructor through 1986.

Star becomes a reality

After the DCI semi-finals in 1984, Bob Lendman and I

were crossing a street in Atlanta when I asked him, "Carl

just aged out of the Colts; what would you think about us

starting a drum corps?" His answer was: "you're nuts!"

I met Bob in the summer of 1981 when he appeared in

Bloomington with a huge white and blue semi equipment truck,

two sagging buses, and the "Blue Stars." Bob had parked

this monstrosity on a sidewalk next to a fire plug and was

having a conversation with a two off duty university

policemen. Earlier that morning, I had received a phone call

from the police chief telling me that some "drum" guy had

parked his semi in a no parking zone. It seems that Bob

had convinced the police that the truck belonged on the

sidewalk and next to the fireplug but only after

considerable talking. Suffice it to say, the truck remained

there until the Blue Stars and Bob left two days later. Bob

and Allison Lendman have deep roots in drum corps; their

kids marched in Phantom Regiment and Bob later became

Phantom's director. He had the fortune or misfortune of

getting two back-to-back 2nds in the World Championships.

To this day, he is sensitive to what happened. I still

greet Bob with: "hey Bob, have you got a second?" He goes

ballistic!

But back to the story in Atlanta. My next question

to him was "who would you pick as director?" He related the

backgrounds of several Midwest directors but in the end

said: "I would pick Jim Mason." So off we went to find him.

Jim was standing by a Colts bus at the back of Grant field.

After several minutes of pleasantries, I said to

Jim, "would you consider being director of a new drum corps

which would be based in Bloomington Indiana?" His answer

was, "let me think about it and talk with Theresa (his

wife.)" On the following Monday, I called and set up an

appointment for the two of them to visit Bloomington.

After seeing my commitment to the project, Jim said: "You

now have yourself a corps director; I'll take the job." He

didn't ask about salary or any details before he said yes.

There has been a speculation that it required $1

million to field Star; this is true. (At another time, I

will give the details on how four corporations were started

to meet Star's financial needs in the future; these

companies are: Star Bus Lines, Star Travel Services, Cook

Aviation, and Cook Air Services. With the exception of

Cook Air Services , they are profitable and contributing to

Star of Indiana today.)

Expenses each year run between $740,000 and

$950,000. For this reason, I suggest to anyone who asks me:

"what is the first thing to do when starting a drum corps?

"My answer is: "raise enough money to get started and to

field the corps." "Never go in debt and stay within budget."

"Find a continuing source of income outside of drum corps

such as bingo or sponsorship." "Don't disappoint young

people by allowing your corps to go broke."

Jim Mason, Director, Star of Indiana

Jim was born in Cedar Rapids Iowa on February 3,

1954. Jim knew very early that music would be a part of his

life. He joined his first corps when he was seven, began

arranging for drum corps at age twelve, started his own

band in junior high school, and aged out with the Madison

Scouts in 1975. He attended college and then was offered

the directorship of Colts where he remained for eight years.

During his tenure with the Colts, they became known for

their wonderful "big band" sound. One of Jim's favorite

programs was the "Mississippi River" show where Greg Blum

was at his best with his screaming trumpet. Greg's ability

to make a soprano howl is still remembered by those who

heard him.

The Winter of 1984

During Jim's first visit, he told me that he didn't

know whether or not it would be possible to field a corps in

'85 and talked about what was needed--4 buses, two semis,

equipment, uniforms, staff, and a headquarters were all

mentioned. "The staff is the key to success and if we can

hire the right people, we may be able to teach the corps how

to get on and off the bus the first year." I didn't know

what Jim meant until we began gathering equipment and

hiring a staff.

The Monroe County school board had just advertised a

surplus grade school for sale. It was located 7 miles North

of Bloomington and there were only 6 houses in a three mile

radius. We went out to have a look at it and we talked

about leveling the playground for a practice field. Two

weeks later, the Brown School was purchased for $225,000,

and the following week bull dozers began leveling the play

yard. In the meantime, Bob had found three MC-9 buses that

were for sale at Badger Bus in Madison. We bought two of

them for $19,000 and the other one for $26,000. A few weeks

later a semi-trailer was purchased for $2900 and Eric Lund

gave the "Blue Star" equipment truck plans to two

carpenters--their job was to prepare it for instruments and

uniforms that was not even purchased yet. In December, a

cab-over tractor was purchased for $16,000.

That same week, Jim introduced me to Michael Cesario

who would design the uniforms and serve as a consultant for

the corps. Michael was enthusiastic about this new project

and his enthusiasm encouraged Jim and me.

Jim emphasized the importance of recruiting

instructors and a support staff that could take the corps

down the road.. Both of these groups were equal in Jim's

mind. I want to recognize their contribution because they

were responsible for ma king Star a reality in 1985.

The key instructors and creators were: Larry

Kerchner, John Simpson, Dennis DeLucia, Bob Dubinski, Steve

Suslik, Marc Sylvester, George Zingali, and Mike Cesario.

It is interesting to note that every man accepted and the

question seemed to be: "will we get paid?" The support

staff members, who came to Star that year, were Moe Latour,

Eric Lund, and Dave Crouch. Moe's friendliness and ability

to run the corps on the road made Jim's job easier. Dave

came from Phantom Regiment and was our head bus driver; he

managed getting us down the road superbly. Eric Lund is

still an integral part of Star today. Quietly and

efficiently, he drives the equipment truck, repairs and

maintains all of the instruments. Again, drum corps

experience--Eric aged out in the Blue Stars.

When Star began, there were many corps that were

having financial difficulty. Several of the prospective

staff members, whom we interviewed, had not been paid for

one and sometimes two years. It was very difficult to

convince them, as a group, that they would be paid; however,

they accepted our word that they would. Some of them were

bitter and some of them were hurt by the perception that

they had been previously taken advantage of. If there was

any single hurdle that Jim had to overcome with Star's first

year staff, it was trying to get the staff to believe that

they could trust us and that we would meet our commitments

to them.

In October, Jim decided that it was time to get new

members and to name the corps. When the corps was

incorporated as a 501.c3, the original name on the charter

was "Hoosier Assembly." A contest was suggested for naming

the corps and an advertisement was circulated through the

Bloomington newspaper and our company. Hundreds of

suggestions poured in but in the end "Star of Indiana" was

selected and the winner was Larry Kerchner's wife.

The 1985 membership poster and advertisement were

put together. Jim told me: "all I've got to sell is hot

air!" He designed the ad with pictures of the new caption

heads surrounding Bob Knight, Indiana University's

basketball coach. What Bob Knight had to do with drum

corps, I still don't know! Hundreds of leaflets and posters

went out to high schools and colleges in four states with a

note from Jim saying: "Band Directors, if your students do

not have a summer music program, will you loan them to us?"

Some of the Directors were quite hostile because in

the past, they had lost students to drum corps during their

summer programs. They did not trust Jim that Star would not

siphon their best students.

After Star's first open house, Jim got a call from

an Indiana band director who had six students attend. He

said to Jim that he was counting on them for his summer

program and asked: "what are you going to do about it?" Jim

called all of the kids and encouraged them to stay with the

band program instead of marching with Star. The band

director was shocked and called later; this time he asked

what he could do for Star. As a consequence, Star received

his graduation list resulting in eight more, experienced

players. Star's first camp had over 150 people who

auditioned.

In September, there was an indication that the

Bridgemen were going to take a year off. A couple of

former Bridgemen instructors were let go or refused to

return. In addition, the members were told that their corps

would not be able to make it another year and so a

contingent of Bridgemen found their way to Indiana,

including drum major Karen Ruschman.

By May, it was clear that some additional members

were needed. During that month, Pride of Cincinnati

announced that they would not field a corps in '85 and

shortly afterwards, Ron Poole, Director of Pride, called

Jim and asked if Star ha d any openings. On the following

Saturday, a Star bus headed to Cincinnati to pick up the

Pride members who would become part of Star's drum corps

backbone. And so the misfortune of two corps enabled Star

to field the '85 corps.

The first season Star had a total of fourteen

seasoned drum corps members out of 131. These veterans were

crucial--they helped establish how we got on and off the bus

and what was expected from a drum corps.

The Summer of 1985

There is a nasty side to drum corps and little did

any of us realize the hostile environment that we would be

entering. Rumors mixed with fact began circulating that

Star raided other corps of staff and members. Some corps

alumni and members alleged that Star ruined their corps or

stole their staff. And even before the corps performed its

first show at Normal Illinois, drum corps pundits were

stating that "Star was the best corps money can buy" and

"the Mickey Money Corps;" Star was born to be disliked!

When 1985 was complete, Star had a tenth place finish and

the next rumor circulated was "Cook bought the finals."

These are perceptions; why did the corps receive

such a response? First, there was never any question that

Star would be adequately financed. Even though criticized,

our company made a commitment to drum corps.

I actually believed that other companies would soon

follow our path and either start a corps of their own or

sponsor a corps. Such was not the case; in 1993, Star

remained the only fully corporate sponsored drum corps. I

wish that others could appreciate the value of this activity

and its impact on young people who participate.

In addition, I believe that Star's apparent

efficiency honked many old timers. How did we achieve this?

Simple--Star was built around an experienced staff and

seasoned veterans.

From the beginning, Star was operated as a business.

Buses and trucks were to be maintained, corps equipment was

to be cared for, and the corps was always to be well fed and

housed. Later, we found that it was better to use

professional drivers, to have a trained nurse or fitness

director, and a professional cook. Personal safety of the

membership was an absolute priority.

Several years before Star began, Bob Lendman shared

a secret with Jim which was to fake a bus break-down. Sure

enough on Star's maiden voyage, Jim pulled this trick. The

members and equipment from the 'broken bus" were transferred

to the other two buses which continued on to Normal,

Illinois. After the driver of the broken bus had a cup of

coffee, he started down the road and arrived five minutes

after the corps. The purpose of this exercise was to have

the corps learn through experience what life on the road is

like. We also arrived a day early in Normal so we could

practice going over to the stadium, unloading, warming up,

and even marching to the entrance gate. Good practice for

opening night and it paid off!

On June 16, 1985, Star took the field at Normal

Illinois for the first time; the scores were Cavaliers--

76.9; Phantom--74.4; and Star of Indiana--73.6. Star won

their first high brass award at that show. Mickey Mouse was

born!

Because Star was not a member of DCI, we had to find

our own shows; sometimes we performed for free or for $375.

Many nights, we had to travel hundreds of miles in order to

find work. For example, we traveled from Springfield MO to

Durham

NC without stopping except for fuel and from DeKalb

Illinois after DCM on July 27 to Corning NY for a

performance on July 28. We were national nomads migrating

to any sponsor who would have us.

We arrived in Allentown for the DCI East

Championship, placing 13th in prelims behind the 27th

Lancers, and missing finals for the first and only time as

a drum corps. After the prelim scores were announced, Jim

stood next to the wall at Hamilton Stadium scratching the

concrete aimlessly while pondering what needed to be done to

motivate this new corps.

As the year progressed, our scores were still not

going up and the separation from corps above us kept

getting larger. On August 6, Freelancers were ahead of

us by 7 points, Madison by 13, and Santa Clara by 24.

Apparently, we had stalled and it appeared that we would

place anywhere from 13th to 18th at championship. But we

knew that if we could hold on until we reached Bloomington

for the August 12 "Pride of Indiana" show, the hometown

crowd and new revisions might be enough to makes us

competitive again. When we arrived in Bloomington, our

drivers were dead tired but Jim asked several of us if we

could go out to Pennsylvania and pick up the 27th--two of

their buses were down. If my memory serves correctly we

met them some where in Ohio and they made the performance.

During finals week, television stations and

newspapers were asking for interviews. On one particular

interview, the reporter asked me: "I heard that you are

called the Mickey Money corps;" at the time, this question

did not anger me but unfortunately I shot back (my misspent

humor,) "yeah, it's the best corps money can buy." At the

time this question and comment seemed so innocuous but those

words have haunted the organization and me to this day.

Because Star was not a member of DCI, we had to go

through prelims, quarters, and semis before we would know

whether or not we would perform at the Saturday night

championship. Star won prelims with a score of 84.1

followed by Les Eclipses with an 80.3; in quarter finals we

scored 86.7 followed by Troopers, 85.6, Les Eclipses, 82.4,

Skyriders, 81.1 and Colts, 80.9.

Early in the year, Jim had booked a hotel for our

annual banquet on Friday--none of us thought that we could

make finals on Saturday. After our semi performance "in the

sunlight," the buses were loaded and we headed for the

hotel. No one could keep their mind on the banquet; very

little food was eaten while we waited for semi scores.

Finally at 11:00 p.m., Jim came over to Karen Ruschman and

my table and told us: "9th place, Troopers, 87.9; Velvet

Knights, 86.8; Freelancers, 86.8; Free lancers, 85.9; and

Star, 87.5. It didn't sink in; we thought that we had

gotten 13th and then Karen went ballistic. She went to the

podium and took up the microphone and repeated Jim's report.

We had made finals, unbelievable!

The final night was bittersweet to some of us

because we knew what George Bonfiglio, our friend, was

thinking. The semi-final performance would be 27th Lancers

last as an open class corps. For Jim, it was particularly

sad because he idolized George. His relationship with and

respect for him continues today.

Star's magical year was over but the legacy of that

year would both exhilarate and haunt the corps until it left

DCI membership in 1994.

The PBS Television Broadcast

On the morning of the 1985 championship, I met Don

Pesceone, Executive Director of DCI, and he asked if our

company would be interested in sponsoring the championship

telecast in 1986. I answered that we would be interested.

From 1986 through 1992, our company was either a co-

sponsor or sponsor of the championship telecast. Since

there was no one with television experience at DCI, Don

later asked if I would produce it and I accepted the job of

Executive Producer. I remained Executive Producer until

1992, but our sponsorship continued until DCI took over the

responsibility in 1993. I'm very proud of these

telecasts and had many intelligent people to rely upon.

Tom Blair and Keith Klein or PBS are two indispensable

individuals who taught me that excellence could exist in the

production of a DCI championship. These are the men who

made the DCI Championship a highlight for PBS. Steve

Rondinaro, Michael Cesario, Charles Webb (Dean of IU School

of Music), and Curt Goudy all gave freely of their time.

Most of these men worked only for expenses which says much

for people who are more dedicated to the activity than they

are to self-interest. The television broadcast looked

professional, was expensive to produce, and these men gave

of themselves to make it happen. For the record, the

broadcasting of the championship cost between $150,000 and

$200,000 depending upon the year.

The Summers of 1986 and 1987

In 1986, Jim Prime and Donny Van Doren became new

staff members and I might note that they are still with us

today. 1986 was the year of "Star Wars". George Zingali

mandated that there shall be giant wheels rolling over the

green. These w heels appeared in two shows, were actually

used in one, and then relegated to a sink hole near the

corps hall. This was the year of glitz and glitter!. For

those around drum corps, you may have noted that the music

book became more difficult and more emphasis was placed on a

musicianship. The color guard put on weird wigs and the

corps tried to bore holes in the air with sound. We moved

up two spots to eighth place.

I987 was the year of "Circus;" circus wagons

appeared as backdrops and the corps spent most of the summer

trying to make the props work. Again, glitz was the name of

the game and Star folk were learning the hard way that huge

props were next to impossible to utilize in drum corps.

Some of the members were hurt unloading them.

Frustration is the best word to use for 1987 because

so much time was spent trying to get visuals integrated

properly; in retrospect, time would have been better spent

perfecting drill. When the season was over, many Star folk,

including Moe and me, were seen beating the circus wagons to

a timely demise--we should have wrecked them in June. A

valuable lesson was learned this year--props are difficult

to utilize and they detract from practice in other areas.

We tied for 7th with Velvet Knights with a score of 90.

The Summer of 1988, the year of change

The 1987 season altered Jim's programming

philosophy. He decided to "play the game, win the game, and

change the game." Jim asked me if I wanted to take a

different direction with Star. I asked him to explain and

he indicated that the corps had enough experience and

maturity to eventually make them championship contenders.

He knew that the level of difficulty for the drill and the

arrangements had to increase if we were to break into the

top six and then top 3. I liked the idea because for the

first time, Star would be given a difficult objective to

achieve--to build for a championship.

At this point, we needed stronger technicians. Todd

Ryan who had helped Scouts win their championship was

looking for a new challenge. He was asked if he would risk

coming with Star to further develop the marching caption.

He accepted the challenge, and so Len Kruscecki, Steve

Brubaker, and Steve Suslik had a person who could look at

the performance with new eyes. Todd knew how to fix feet and

clean without destroying the design.. Few props were used

in 1988; the color guard were dressed as southern belles.

This was the year that Carl Ruocco became Assistant

Director. And so in the summer of 1988 Star played and

marched to Porgy and Bess, made a trip to California, and

placed 7th place with a score of 95.5.

The summer of 1989

1989 was another frustrating year for Star; we were

improving, we knew we could execute, and our brass and

percussion lines were scoring well. Star had better marks in

marching and visual but we just couldn't seem to get beyond

the competition who were ahead of us. In retrospect, I

would say that we executed and we had the stamina to win but

I don't believe that Star's "British invasion" had enough

difficulty built in to put us into the top 3. We placed 6th

with a score of 95.3. 1989 was a very strong year for

morale; it was the year that Star realized that they could

be challengers and were no longer considered as the little

pink corps with funny uniforms. (The fuschia uniforms had

made their last appearance in the beginning of 1989.)

The summer of 1990

This was Star's year for a leap. Playing William

Walton's Belshazzar's Feast, the music had a flavor; it was

recognizable but yet difficult to play and execute.

George's drill was superb and Jim Prime's arrangements were

haunting, seamless, and dark. The members loved the music

and wanted so much to please the audiences. The large

scrim intrigued people: "what does MENE, MENE, TEKEL,

UPHARSIN" mean? It drove the old timers nuts because the

corps sounded different than a drum corps

and it didn't quite look like a drum corps. Glitz and

sparkle were all a part of the slight of hand. Many thought

that the corps had new uniforms, but in reality only a

sequin over-the-shoulder piece was added along with a purple

sash. With an incredible mellophone line and some great

drill moves, we moved finally into 3rd place with a score of

96.5 and winning high brass for first of four consecutive

times.

The summer of 1991

Everyone in the corps began to believe that this was

their year. It was amazing to me to see these young people

go out and perform Jim Prime's "Roman Images, the music of

Respighi." And for George Zingali, it was his life wrapped

up on the field; his images of Christianity were woven

throughout the pictures which came and went as Star executed

for him. Our members knew that George was dying and they

knew that they wanted to give him a monument, a memorial in

life.

As sick as he was, he was the backbone and spirit of

the corps. He was driven by desire that few will ever

understand and his will went out to touch us all. On August

4th, Star arrived in Boston. With the help of his care

giver, George arrived at the stadium to meet his corps.

Something happened to him that afternoon--he seemed

transformed, energized. His strength had returned--it was

the "old" George on the field that day--"You've got to be

shittin me!" "That's wonderful!" "Cupcake, you were

terrible!" Late in the afternoon, he told Jim--"the new

closer is not right." A few minutes later, he left the

stadium. None of us knew where he had gone or if he would

be back. About eight o'clock, George returned and said:

"we are going to have two crosses at the finish instead of

one." The next five hours were unbelievable. He ran from

one section to another telling members where they should be

at the end of the final cross. He wanted them to count

measures--"count and run around until time to make your

final set." Hour after hour, the corps tried and failed

but finally, at 2 a.m. the next morning, the cross was seen.

The next night in Lynn, Star put in the new move; needless

to say, there were more than a few wrecks at the end but we

won over SCV by 1.9 points.

Star's greatest performance that year was not at

finals but in Little Rock Arkansas on August 12. Most of

the staff had gone ahead to Dallas, so the corps was on

their own and relaxed. What they did that night will always

be a memory for me. To this day, that performance remains

my favorite while they competed. The word electric fits it

best.

The championship week was anti-climatic because the

corps knew what had to be done and were confident that they

could do it. Even though they were expected to win, they

were focused, relaxed, and determined. In retrospect, I

wish that the field had been cooler (it was 124 degrees) and

I wish that they could have moved a little more slowly

because I wanted to hear the sound that I heard that cool

night in Little Rock. We became champions of DCI for the

first time with a score of 97.30. A truly magical year for

a corps that once wore a pink uniform and were branded as a

rich man's toy.

George

That winter George Zingali passed away, but in the

hospital he said: "Bill, the championship was the most

wonderful night of my life." George still remains a part

of the fabric of Star and I know that other corps cherish

his memory as well. What more can be said of George

except he lived to create, inspire and teach.

I would like to digress a moment and talk about what

it takes to win a championship. First, a corps must have

experience, a work ethic that goes beyond saying "I worked

hard" because working hard on the wrong things will

eventually ruin a corps hope for success. I believe that

staffs win championships. A corps director must

instinctively know where to place the emphasis and the staff

must have a music and drill book that is sufficiently

difficult. A championship book must appear to be seamless--

it must flow and the members must be sufficiently

accomplished to make their actions appear easy. If the

spectators perceive the work as being easy but executed to

perfection, then the staff has done its job and the corps

has learned their lessons well. Physical conditioning also

is an integral part of the success formula--every member

must be able to finish.

The summer of 1992

Jim and the staff wanted to try to make Star more

accessible to the public. They were ready to go back into

time and perform a book that would hopefully be

identifiable. And so "American Variations" was designed.

Jim wanted to experiment with a form of visual that utilized

body motion, executed by the entire ensemble. This

experiment was tried in only one number, "Amber Waves" and

it appeared that motion had a favorable impact on the

audience. To the folks seeing the show for the first time,

body sculpting appeared be a gimmick, but as the year wore

on we knew that visual body movement should be explored

further. It had to wait until 1993.

Star folk loved this show; it was beautiful and many

fans identified with it. The last week, a giant scrim was

thrown up; a 40 feet high by 60 feet wide Lady Liberty

covered the front of the entire corps. It was a great

visual but not one that was universally accepted (said with

a grin.) We ended our season with a second in Madison with

a score of 96.9--0.2 behind the new champions, the

Cavaliers.

Another friend and staff member left this life in

1992--Wesley Johnson. His easy smile, beautiful agility,

and his love of teaching will be remembered by all of us who

were privileged to know him.

Jim Mason's psyche in 1992

For Jim, 1992 was a pivotal year because the show

was designed for a broad audience appeal and the result was

a hostile crowd. At that time, he decided to explore

different directions. His frustrations led him to the 1993

Medea program be cause he wanted to give the organization a

vehicle where they would be in control of their performance

from beginning to end. Looking back at Medea, there were no

opportunities for the audience to react until the show was

over. This concept made some of the audience uncomfortable

and created even more controversy. I guess that was Jim's

vengeance. Also at that time, he began to contemplate doing

something other than drum corps with the Star of Indiana.

Perhaps the seed of Brass Theater was planted during this

period.

The summer of 1993, the year of the bi^%$

The "Medea" show was music by Bartok and Barber.

Again, Jim decided to experiment with body motion executed

by the entire ensemble. He asked the visual people to

design a stark show which would be portrayed by contrasting

colors and shapes--triangles and straight poles. The 1989

uniforms were replaced with a cream and black uniform. He

did not want visuals to detract from the drill or body

sculpting; the music was to be arranged to enrage and anger.

It was not supposed to be sweet and lilting. Suffice it to

say, the audience responded properly but the raw discordant

sound grated on me at the beginning of the season--I was

irritated after each performance. When the show was

finished, it was beautiful to watch. And today, the 1993

show stands out for me as my favorite.

The drill intensity, blatant bursts on the horns and

discordant percussion were intriguing . I'm probably nuts

but I actually enjoyed getting irritated--Medea was truly a

#####. Our final score was 97.3 for second behind the

Cadets with a 9 7.4.

Retrospect, 1993

I'm often asked and I'm sure the members are asked:

"Didn't you think that you should have won?" Hey, I think

that Star should always win but that is not the way life is

played. The beautiful part of drum corps is that there can

only be one champion and in 1993 it was the Cadets. Now,

what about the members? Were they disappointed? Come on--

sure they were. But after a few tears were shed, most of

them headed for supper and a few of them were looking for

rides back to school. Like many other corps, we were all

glad to leave Jackson--it was hot, it was humid, and it

rained!

Championship week for Jim and me was bittersweet.

The week was exciting and had the best of what drum and

bugle corps has to offer. But our future was already

charted; we would go with the Canadian Brass--win or lose.

When we came back to Bloomington, we announced at

our annual banquet that Star would be leaving drum corps,

would be playing on b-flat horns, and would be performing

"Brass Theater." It seemed like 1985 again when Jim "sold

hot air." He described "Brass Theater" to the members, and

then he casually mentioned that they would have to prepare

for two types of shows, one performed on a small stage and

one performed on a basketball floor. He explained that the

repertoire would exceed two hours in length, that percussion

and brass ensembles would be featured during various parts

of the show. When he finished, I felt warm and fuzzy but

I'm not exactly sure how the corps felt except confused.

After this meeting, I have been asked what the corps members

thought and I can only answer--anxious but understanding.

Star's association with the Canadian Brass

1993 was the year of Star's swan song. In the

early spring, Star, Glassmen, Chicago Vanguard, and Pioneers

gave a stand still performance at Indiana University's

Auditorium in Bloomington. The night before, all of the

corps attended a performance of the Canadian Brass

ensemble; the auditorium was filled and the crowd received

them with the enthusiasm of brass music lovers. That

evening, Jim and I had been invited to a reception for the

five CB which was hosted by Harvey Phillips, Dr . Tuba

Santa. During a conversation, Chuck Dahlenbach of CB asked

us if he and two other CBers could stay over and watch our

drum corps show on Sunday afternoon. He didn't need to ask;

we would have begged him to do it. In any event, they

attended the performance, and afterward Chuck broached the

subject of how Star could participate with them.

The following Monday Chuck called to ask if some of

Star's percussionists could play on their 'Broadway' CD.

During the time of the recording, ideas started to develop;

several weeks later, we met Chuck and Gene Watts in Florida

and began discussions on how we could perform together. At

the time, I did not believe that the corps could learn two

hours of music and play it with the precision necessary to

satisfy audiences that had very high expectations. But Jim,

Gene, and Chuck thought otherwise. In June we signed a

letter of intent which resulted in a contract that was

signed in September.

We thought that our members deserved a chance to

perform at some of the best venues in the world, to try to

reach a level of excellence that is uncommon for young

people and to be a part of a new genre. The program had to

be two hours in length with twenty two minutes of drill plus

solo features for both brass and percussion little did we

realize what a challenge this was going to be.

The summers of 1994 & 1995, the years of "Brass Theater"

When Jim Mason described "Brass Theater" to the

corps and staff for the first time, none of us actually

could visualize what it was. After two years of watching

and listening, I believe that "Brass Theater" is designed to

entertain--it is not designed to score points nor is it

designed for a football field. It is not a drum corps

performance nor is it a band concert. Elements of drum

corps exist in this genre but it is not drum corps. There

are elements of opera, broadway musical; circus, and

symphony, but even these idioms only partially describe

"Brass Theater."

The term today has come to mean -- an ensemble that

performs on a sixty by one-hundred foot stage. The music is

selected for audience appeal and the visual enhancements

incude marching, dancing, color guard work using flags,

poles, rifles, sabers, and other tools found within the

colorguard armamentarium. Electronic amplification and

synthesis are used as well as theatrical lighting, back

screen projections, and other props to enhance the

performance. Music and the visual elements are designed to

elicit emotion from the audience.

The ensemble has had to learn two separate shows;

one show is designed to be performed on small stages--this

is an "in-concert" formation and it is NOT "Brass Theater."

"In concert" formation is performed on small stages where

marching and color guard work are not practical or are

minimized. On the other hand, a "Brass Theater"

performances includes all of the elements mentioned

previously utilizing both G-bugles and B-flat horns

including trombones, tubas, and french horns.

The venues have differed greatly during the last two

years. Concerts have been performed at Tanglewood, Ravinia,

Wolf Trap, Lincoln Center, Hollywood Bowl, Interlochen,

Columbus Zoo Amphitheater, Joliette Quebec Amphitheater,

Tanglewood (Winston-Salem NC) and several other outdoor

concert sites generically called "sheds."

"Brass Theater" is normally performed on a

basketball floor converted to a stage. These venues permit

the use of stage lighting and large backdrops. Examples of

the "Brass Theater" venues are Indiana University Assembly

Hall, St. Paul MN Arena, Cedar Rapids Iowa Conference

Center, Buffalo New York Memorial Arena, Illinois Normal

Arena, and other facilities where seating is tiered and the

total capacity normally exceeds 15,000. CB/Star's largest

crowd to date has been 18,000.

These last two years for Star members have exposed

them to entirely new audiences that are primarily made up of

families and music patrons who have little exposure to drum

corps and who attend musical events regularly. The crowds

have been enthusiastic and have responded typically with

three and four standing ovations. We were favorably

adjudicated by several newspaper performing arts critics and

I will be happy to send anyone an e-mail of these critiques.

Because either concert is performed only once in a city,

critics did not always attend.

I saw every performance during 1994 and 1995 and I

can only say that they have been thrilling to watch. In

1994, I gave Star/CB a final score of 99.5 and in 1995, a

score of 99.8. (Nobody is perfect so I couldn't give a

perfect score but if we all keep trying, we might get it

right someday.) In summary, these were not stressful years

for the corps because there were no competitive pressures.

The pressure came from wanting to perform perfectly for an

audience that would impartially adjudicate them.

Contributions to DCI and other corps

From 1985 through 1993, Star, Jim Mason, Cook Group,

and I tried to make a difference in drum corps. Jim, the

staff, and I served on task forces both as members and

advisors to DCI. Jim was the official member of DCI and I

served as an advisor from 1987 through 1992. When we

left DCI, Star or the Cook Group had contributed over $1.5

million to DCI and to other corps.

Star sponsored all four DCM All Star appearances at

the New Year's Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Fiesta Bowls

(twice) in addition to the first Macy's Thanksgiving

parade appearance of the DCM/DCE All-Stars; the appearance

of Phil Driscoll at the Kansas City World Championship who

played the "Star Spangled Banner," trumpet solo; the

appearance of DCA's Steel City Ambassadors at the 1990

World Championships in Buffalo. Jim headed the All-Star

drum and bugle corps that played two "Star Spangled Banner"

renditions in both Madison and Kansas City. (These corps

consisted of 1200 and 1500 members respectively. The first

one was under the direction of Pepe Nataro, a friend who is

gone.)

Corps that have received either prizes, grants or

loans from either Star or Cook Group are: Colts, Troopers,

Phantom Regiment, Magic of Orlando, 27th Lancers, Crossmen,

Velvet Knights, Spirit of Atlanta, and eleven other

organizations. The amounts ranged from a minimum of $1,000

to $150,000.

In addition, Rick Snapp, a Cook computer manager,

and I wrote the financial, sales order, and championship

ticketing programs that DCI has used since 1990. DCI's

three computers were given to DCI by Star. Cook Group

Companies sponsored an d produced the DCI World

Championships for five years.

Star founded on behalf of DCI the DCI Foundation

which still maintains an office in Bloomington and

administers such scholarships as those given in the name...

Here is the entire text; that website no longer seems to exist, but this was copy/pasted off of usenet. Mr. Cook and his colleagues started a corps from scratch, made WC (then Open) Finals its first season, and became a perennial Top 3 corps in just five or six years; this is all very interesting, and fairly candid, recollection of those days

Edited by perc2100
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