FrankiePMSJ

Way to go up there in Mass!!! Thank you all for sharing your talent & time. I loved competing against you all back in the 60's & 70's.(St. Joe's,Batavia) Merry Christmas/Good Health to you all and your families! FrankieP.

Donny, It has always been an honor playing your music and next to you. God Bless you and Timmy! Frankie P.

I grew up (Batavia, N.Y.) hearing Salvation Army brass players gathered aroung a firepot playing Christmas Music. Many of us brass players play for our favorite organizations throughout the year. Encourage your friends and others you know to go out and play some Christmas music for your local Salvation Army bell ringers or charities. You can do it alone, small groups, larger groups. Please just do yourself a favor "Play" use you talent and share your gift! Can you imagine if every horn player - DCI, DCA, Alumni were to do this? Care, share, give of yourself this season. Some of my most memoriable moments in drum corps have been playing my horn. My most soul renewing activities of late have been playing for seniors, nursing homes & at local Wallmarts & K-Marts during the year. Please care, please share, play for the holidays!:-) FrankieP.

I grew up (Batavia, N.Y.) hearing Salvation Army brass players gathered aroung a firepot playing Christmas Music. Many of us brass players play for our favorite organizations throughout the year. Encourage your friends and others you know to go out and play some Christmas music for your local Salvation Army bell ringers or charities. You can do it alone, small groups, larger groups. Please just do yourself a favor "Play" use you talent and share your gift! Can you imagine if every horn player - DCI, DCA, Alumni were to do this? Care, share, give of yourself this season. Some of my most memoriable moments in drum corps have been playing my horn. My most soul renewing activities of late have been playing for seniors, nursing homes & at local Wallmarts & K-Marts during the year. Please care, please share, play for the holidays!:-) FrankieP.

The holiday season is fast approaching. I'm putting this out to all you brass players or instrument players of any kind. Find a Salvation Army bell ringer & ask if you can play some holiday tunes to help S.A. It doesn't matter where they might be. You would be surprised what you will feel like after you have played a few tunes. Do it as many times as you can. If you love to play and got some brass, play at a nursing home, assisted living facility, a parking lot at a mall. Just do it! I have had some moments that I will never forget because of Drum Corps, EVER. I have had some moments that have touched my soul playing at the places that I have mentioned above. Safe & Blessed holidays to all of you out there ON DCP! FrankieP. MSJ

God Bless you & your family! Our prayers go out to you. Gerry, up there, you gotta be in the best corps that can ever be. RIP

I for one want to publically say, THANK YOU TO DONNY ALLEN for the time you spent with St. Joe's, in the horn line & in front of the line. Teaching an alumni corps is like working with kids with multiple learning issues (I'm a teacher, a 20 yr. alumni member, so take my word for it). Everyone has an opinion about how things should be done. This does not make an instructor's job any easier. St. Joe's has had many great instructors in front of the horn line. You are one of those great instructors! I consider it an honor to have been apart of anything that you have done Donny. You have a rare gift. Your charts were some of my favorites to have played. I appreciate your help with Christmas Brass & hope you can be there this year also. It's always been a gas to play next to you in whatever group we've played in. Will be missing you in front of the corps this year. Good Luck Donny!

Very Interesting! I haven't seen him since he instructed Joe's in the 60's. Strike up the band? I Gotta go, so does anyone else who is thinking lets see what these guys are gonna bring to the table. PS = CHANGE IS NOT BAD, IT CAN ACTUALLY BE VERY GOOD! WHAT IS UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT CHANGE IS OUR RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

Bobby Laducca wrote music for Christmas Brass. If he says that it is OK to send some of the music to you then I'll send you some files in the next couple of days. My cell is 585-409-4364, call is you have questions. This will be our 20th year performing for nursing homes & various Christmas events in the Buffalo, Batavia, Rochester, N.Y. area. Will be in touch. Frankie P.

I saw the first 3 groups. I would be glad to add my three cents. FIRST: The Greece Marching band should be very proud of themselves. The way that they entered the Aud. and their presence on stage set the tone for the evening. The uniforms are beautiful and so was the performance from everyone of these kids in the band. The banners, percussion and other instrumentation was outstanding. The music that they played, nice arrangements, played with a lot of excitement and energy! SECOND: Ghost Riders the performance for this time of the year was excellent. DA did a great job writing & arranging the music. Great mix across the different voices and wonderful full bottom sound provided by some of my friends (Jack L., Bobby L., Brian B., Bob H. & others, sorry don’t know them) The sop’s were very good! GH has some strong young players who are only going to get better as the year progresses. Timmy & Ryan you are exceptional players getting better everyday. Great horn playing along with a titch of humility will make you guys truly great horn players. The thing that really impressed me the most about GH is the mellophone section. Great parts and executed beautifully! It almost made me want to go back on mello. Over all Great charts Donnie, you’re one of a kind, in the line and out front. Good luck & have a great year!! THIRD: Prime Time: OUTSTANDING SHOW!! wow, wow, wow! Your Rocky opener, Samokin! All your charts and arrangements were outstanding. Your solo work, line work, the entire ensemble is a beautiful thing to watch and hear. Billy McGraff on the drums (one of a kind) What can I say except thank you to all of you for a great performance and for supporting Crossroads House at the Attica Concert, also!! Sorry that I missed the other groups. I was getting ready to play with St. Joe’s. It was a good day for the corps. It was a performance that would have made Curt proud! The members turned out to play, and play they did. The corps as a whole, needed to feel good about a performance. They accomplished that and then some. The corps played with some attitude that night. They played with some confidence that I believe has been absent in the recent past. Familiar music that most of the players knew could be one of the reasons for a good showing. They did what Donny asked us to do. Focus, listen, blend & play from the heart! When you play from the your heart the music has a way of finding itself into other people’s hearts! This one was for you Curt A. Good Bless & Keep You Frankie P.

God Bless you Curt. You were a very special man who gave his all to an activity that we love. We will all miss you. Thank you for all you did! FrankieP.