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Garfield 1983-1984 mellophone soloist


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This thread has some facts and some urban legend. I was fortunate enough to have marched with Barbara and can attest that she indeed have an artificial limb on her left arm. She never used any special prosthetic device nor was her horn specially designed for her. She just put a gove on the end of her artificial limb and one on her right hand and she was good to go.

The four count move to bring the horns up and down was created in 1983 and it was not to accomodate Barbara. She had already been a member for two years at that point and we snapped our horns up and down in one count prior to 83. It was done to simply be different....like marching on the right foot as opposed to the left.

As great a player she was, she wasn't a music major when she joined. She was just a kid from New Milford, NJ who found herself through the mellophone (she started out on 3rd soprano in our rookie year). Most importantly, Barbara was always a beautiful human being with the heart of a lion.

The young lady who played the solo in Make Our Garden Grow was Chris Lewis. Chris did a wonderful job of picking up where Barbara left off. She also played the opening solo for "On The Waterfront". Just prior to the corps finals performance she was bitten on the lip by a bug (might have been a bee sting) but she came through like a champ. I am very proud to call her "friend".

Edited by George82
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This thread has some facts and some urban legend. I was fortunate enough to have marched with Barbara and can attest that she indeed have an artificial limb on her left arm.  She never used any special prosthetic device nor was her horn specially designed for her.  She just put a gove on the end of her artificial limb and one on her right hand and she was good to go. 

She may not have used a prosthetic in 83, but it certainly looks like there was definitely one in 84...

The special horn reference was re a concert French horn, not a field mello...

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She may not have used a prosthetic in 83, but it certainly looks like there was definitely one in 84...

The special horn reference was re a concert French horn, not a field mello...

She never used a prosthetic device at any time regardless of what you may feel you saw. Just the artificial limb. Barbara was not a french horn player. She was a trumpet player. She began on 3rd sop when she joined the corps and was later moved to mellophone late in the winter of our rookie season in 1981.

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Wow, that impresses me even more, thanks for sharing that George..boy did she have some chops! :huh: :)

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She never used a prosthetic device at any time regardless of what you may feel you saw. Just the artificial limb.  Barbara was not a french horn player.  She was a trumpet player.  She began on 3rd sop when she joined the corps and was later moved to mellophone late in the winter of our rookie season in 1981.

Huh....looking at the 84 DVD right now...specifically the "I Have a Love" solo...in fact...here's a couple of pics from the DVD

BarbMaroney.jpg

and a closeup of the left hand

BarbCloseup.jpg

That is definitely the curvature of a prosthetic under the glove...why else woudl the glove be taped at the "fingers"? Also, if you watch the vid, the mello and left hand move as one, like they were attached.

In 83 the glove WAS tied off underneath the mello....you can see it on the vids quite clearly. In 84 she had better control of the horn (not to mention the support of the left arm.)

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It was done to simply be different....like marching on the right foot as opposed to the left.

That's not "different", it's plain weird.... <**>

Here's something different: bounce on your heads while you play...

Edited by GuyW
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She never used a prosthetic device at any time regardless of what you may feel you saw. Just the artificial limb. 

An artificial limb is by definition a prosthetic device.

In any case, I never saw Garfield live during those years, but I think I've just about worn out my "Corps of the 80s" CD ... her solos are phenomenal.

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The 2005 Cadet mellophone solo that ended the "New World" ballad by Bjork was clearly intended to reference Barbara's earlier solos with the Cadets. She is truly one of the finest ever to grace the field, both as a player and human being.

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I saw 82, 83, and 84 Cadets a number of times. Each year was a great corps and every time I saw the 83 and 84 Garfield Cadets perform, the solos Barbara did were absolutely gorgeous.

Incredible mellophone soloist.

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