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What shows first turned you on to drum corps, and why?


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Whet my appetite: Saw a video clip in high school of '81 Blue Devils, specifically zooming in on a high note sop solo. Caught my ear.

Hooked on Corps: Went to Drums Along The Rockies in '82 (between soph and jr year) to see some of my HS friends march in Freelancers - saw Freelancers (Sunshine Of My Life), Phantom (Spartacus) and Madison Scouts (Slaughter on 10th, Strawberry Soup, Ice Castles), the hook was set. Marched the next two years with Freelancers and my last with SCV, been a fan ever since.

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In the thread about the Star of Indiana 1986 show. Sean Conley mentioned one never forgets their first show.

I still remember clearly the first drum corps show I saw and how the winning corps excited me. (And just over two years later, I ended up joining them.)

What corps and shows first turned you on to drum corps, and why? What did you feel when you saw that show? How did it change you?

How many of us share the experience of being turned on to the activity through witnessing a particular corps and show? Was it live or via a recording?

For me, it was actually a universtiy marching band that got me hooked on drum corps. I'll never forget seeing how HUGE Mizzou's marching band was playing great, powerful and colorful music and ever since then, I looked for something that was similar and identical. I didn't know about drum corps until a neighbor showed me a tape of DCI 88 shows (I thought they were university bands at first but my neighbor told me "no, that's drum corps"). Thus, ever since then I've been hooked on drum corps. But, the first show I went to in person was back in 1995 where I saw the Blue Devils, Phantom Regiment, Colts, Nite Express, and a drum corps from Canada were performing. And gosh, I remember vividly like yesterday how crazily excellent those show was were (but still, I attribute my enjoyment of drum corps to first starting with university college marching bands).

Edited by En929
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...The first show I saw was the first show I ever marched in. Springfield, IL, 1979. We were the host corps (Statesmen) and got "written" off the sheets" scoring a 21! We exited the field and lined up on the home side track to watch the Guardsmen. Classical intro....Tiger of San Pedro...all good. Greensleeves played backfield, exquisite. But the three count turn and push (WOW) made me realize this was something completely different. I was hooked.

...

Guardsmen 1979 Download of the Week

Edited by Michael Boo
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1980 PBS Broadcast...hook...line.. sinker!

Coolest moment was when at the end of Madison's Ice Castles...half the corps on their knees holding the longest loudest chord ever..the DM turns around to the crowd to show the 1975 DCI banner!

Ahhh..those were the days. :smile:

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If 1980 was your first PBS broadcast, you couldn't have picked a better year. Cadets were on the rise, North Star's last but worthy effort in the top 12, Spirit was hot, 27th even hotter.

1980 PBS Broadcast...hook...line.. sinker!

Coolest moment was when at the end of Madison's Ice Castles...half the corps on their knees holding the longest loudest chord ever..the DM turns around to the crowd to show the 1975 DCI banner!

Ahhh..those were the days. :smile:

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My Sister started marching with SCV in '69. Saw some local shows and it piqued my interested. However, when my family went to VFW Nationals that summer, I saw Troopers, Kilties and all the rest. I finally, really, "Got It" and vowed to march the next season.

So glad you did Maggie Belle!

The first show that got my attention was back in 1966 (Sparks, pre-SCV days) and it was the Joaquin Caballeros (Stockton CA) who blew me away. Never seen anything like that before but then we became SCV the next year and that was one hell of a ride (from nothing to VFW Champions).

:cool:

Edited by amadorj
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I saw the Lt. Norman Prince "Princemen" perform in 1964.

I thought all drum corps were that good.

I also thought every color guard tossed actual 12-pound M-1 Garand rifles backward over the shoulders - with real G.I. slings and fixed bayonets.

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  • 2 weeks later...

There was this good-looking guy at my church who was really into drum corps. He wore this t-shirt that said "Phantom Regiment" on it all the time. Knowing that I was a musician, he explained what it was and told me about the shows he'd seen. I happened to notice that this drum corps thing was going to be on television, so when I mentioned the broadcast, he asked where I wanted to watch... his place or mine! Our first date, then, was watching the 1986 finals on TV. I remember being awed by the whole thing and being particularly impressed by Santa Clara's costume change. The first show I saw live was the 1987 finals the next summer, by which time I was engaged to this good-looking drum corps fan. I was blown away. Sad to say, we had to miss the 1988 finals because we got married that weekend.

I really loved the 1989 Phantom Regiment & Santa Clara shows, and the 1990 Cavaliers show was also a favorite. I also remember sitting in the Cotton Bowl, patting my pregnant belly as I listened to Phantom Regiment playing "Nessun Dorma" thinking maybe someday...

Now we are really privileged - - our daughter will be marching for the first time with Legends, and after marching two seasons with Legends, our son earned a position in the 2012 Phantom Regiment front ensemble. And guess what - - they're playing "Nessun Dorma."

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