Before you marched

[PunkRawkBandGeek]

My freshman year of high school marching band was where I encountered staff from various drum corps backgrounds. We also had a member or two from Phantom and Scouts. I had no concept the activity existed until interacting with these people, and that led me to dig around online for more information. That naturally led to Napster, where I was exposed to so many great shows. That was where I found shows from virtually everyone, but especially Phantom, Madison, BD, SCV, Star of Indiana, and Velvet Knights.

Flash forward to my sophomore year--this time I know to look for the PBS broadcast, and catch it with my family. The following summer I went to my first BOA Summer Symposium, and yes, my first live show. I was blown away, of course. Hearing recordings was one thing, but experiencing it in person was more enthralling than I could ever imagine. That led me to go to another show that year, three the following year, and thus began a span where I was going to 7-8 shows a season. All the while I did my best to bring as many people as possible, always adventuring with my friends, and sometimes even filling up my parents' old van with kids from band.

Things really started to coalesce in 2003. My best friend and I had planned out our "tour" of shows to go to, but were faced with the possibility of not seeing Phantom--unless we drove that night, on a lark, a hundred-odd miles or so to their home show in Rockford. Seeing Harmonic Journey was my wake-up call. This was something I had to do.

Problem: I played saxophone. I now had a dream, but seemingly no way to achieve it.

This sentiment continued the following summer as I went to even more shows. Going to so many shows over the years had made me a familiar face to a number of folks working souvenirs. At the Kalamazoo show in 2004, a certain friend at a certain corps convinced me to sign their mailing list, which pretty much sealed the deal. I immediately got in touch with my college band director, who I had a built a decent relationship with. He threw me into the baritone section. Went to auditions that fall and the rest is history.

Aside from my having lived the dream, my other great joy is seeing so many of the kids I took to shows end up marching, and seeing how many people they then convert to the activity. That really is the gift that keeps on giving.

[PunkRawkBandGeek]

I'll never EVER say I regret my time marching, but one thing I wish I could get back is the fresh perspective where everything is new and amazing. I still love drum corps and still watch every show every year, and while I find plenty of it impressive and awe-inspiring, I feel like the pure amazement is gone forever.

It probably helped that I only marched my final two years of eligibility. That helped reduce the "burn-out", I think. But I too often have trouble watching and not dwelling on all the things that training and experience have taught me to pick out. No matter how far away my marching days get, it's hard to turn that off. And it's another skill entirely to be able to filter that from affecting other people.

I will say this, though--there have been a specific few times where I am brought back to those early days, and I feel like that band kid watching for the first time. The most notable examples are the Madison Scouts these past two years. I see things like ESOM and Great Gate of Kiev, and my jaw drops. I find myself able to do nothing but laugh and cry and feel the goosebumps. Those are the moments that make me feel young!

[EdMedina]

My youth band, the Commodores of North Orange County, Calif., were tasked with playing a pre-show concert and the National Anthem at a drum and bugle corps show at East Los Angeles College in 1986. Before our performance, the directors of the group screamed at us up and down not to be swayed by drum corps members' "evil ways" of recruiting you and stealing you into their darkness. "You'd regret it," they admonished us, "if you left this band and became a brainwashed drum corps member."

Up until that point, that youth band was the premiere musical experience of my life. In essence, I thought we had it going on like Donkey Kong, and I couldn't wait to impress the crowd with our prowess. Well, the crowd did its best to sit on its collective hands during our performance, managing the equivalent of golf claps in between tunes. I couldn't understand it. I was 13 going on 14 and was sure we were the best since sliced bread.

The show sponsors made the mistake of allowing us to sit concert side after our performance, in seats that were unsold — side 1, 40 yardline, first eight or ten rows. I sat proudly in my uniform, knowing we would be performing later that night at retreat. Our drum line was to play its cadence as the corps marched in. We had what I thought to be a very experienced and polished drum line.

The first two corps to perform were all right. The first was a smaller corps from Arizona, which played "Fanfare for the Common Man." The second was a slightly larger corps from Denver, who was, I would learn later, destined for greatness and success as a perennial member of the top 12. But on that night, they were small, young, and only pretty good.

Then it was the Kingsmen's turn. They were from SoCal, which got my attention. They wore really cool looking powder blue uniforms with black shakos and super tall plumes. They looked like $1 million, but they were smaller than the Blue Knights. The marching was enough to make me say, "wow, okay, drum corps can march." And their drum line made me question the ability of my youth band's. I was impressed!

After a brief intermission, I was somewhat excited to see the next corps, another SoCal corps, the Velvet Knights. Based on what I had already seen that night, I expected to be impressed again, and as this corps came onto the field, they looked bigger and more confident than the previous three corps. I had no idea who they were, what the top 12 was, or what was to come next.

Standing in their opening set, the drum major began to clap his hands, yelling "corps, ready aim!" The horns came up with a silver click and the members yelled, "FIRE!" It was the loudest vocal I had ever heard and I was almost knocked off balance in my seat.

"Velvet Knights, you may enter the field for competition."

"One! Two!"

Tympani roll and then...

Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about that first impact. The sopranos, which I then called trumpets, exploded and the low brass punched it from underneath. I was wowed and I have been a drum corps honk ever since, marching six seasons and teaching seven more. But that first impact has been in my head ever since. The volume. The passion. The volume. I was completely wowed, unexpectedly, and it's that very feeling I've always wanted to convey with every subsequent performance I've ever had with a drum and bugle corps.

Blue Devils were next. Yep, '86 Blue Devils. The sound was like a jet plane to my untrained ear. Finishing up the competition was the Santa Clara Vanguard. Up until then I had never seen such a spectacle as what the Vanguard put on the field that year. They marched their butts off and the sound had dynamics and articulations. They were the epitome of professionalism to my young eyes and I have been a fan of theirs ever since.

It was at this point in the evening I realized why the crowd had zero interest in my youth band. I was brainwashed without even knowing it, much to my band directors' chargrins. My band was figuratively shoved aside into obscurity from the second people saw us, if they saw us at all.

I will never forget that night and how I was swayed to join the dark side.

[boxingfred]

duplicate, sorry

Edited July 28, 2012 by boxingfred

[boxingfred]

My first exposure 1975. I live in Washington, DC all the Elementary school, Jr High and High school bands were southern show band style so, that's what I thought marching music was all about. My uncle who marched in drum corps in the 60's said let's go to a drum corps show. I was not interested. He said it was like band but a thousand times better. I was sold! So, We took the long trip to New London Connecticut. The Silver Surfers Show! I was blown away! It was like they were floating on the field! And that sound! That loud beautiful Noise! The color! Wow! I was sold! It's funny I still have the cassette tape from that show (now on CD) My uncle always carried his video camera to those shows and I always carried my cassette tape recorder! Anyone have 6 D size batteries?

[Opti-Burr]

My first exposure to Drum Corps came way back in 1970, when I was attending a fireworks display and the Lionettes performed. I went to the event to see a local rock band call the Grimm Reaper, headed by the now famous Kim Mitchell and the Lionettes did a field show performance beforehand. Unfortunately, I had to wait for the Lionettes to go co-ed before I could get involved.

[TastyWaves]

Unfortunately, Drum corps is an activity where not only are people fans, but just about everyone considers themselves an "Expert". In addition, the loyalties to your own region tend to take priority over anything. Again, this is "Generally" speaking with most of the people i know.

Many of my friends really cannot watch a show without being hyper critical of everything they see. In fact, as the local shows have unfolded, I see many of my friends tweeting or updating facebook status every 2 or 3 minutes, most of the time only when they see something they DONT like and then 1 tweet/update for the corps they did like.

I saw myself becoming the same way a couple of years ago so I stopped looking at things so critically. I try to just get the best seat I can and get to my seat for EVERY show. No more lot, no more youtube (At least not as often) and just watch the show and try to enjoy it as a fan. I have found myself enjoying it SO Much more than when I would walk the lot and when I was so worried about the competitive aspect. I never call "BS" on the winner or loser anymore and really dont look at the recaps for anything more than sheer curiosity. I have really found that I enjoy like i did when I was a kid.

Back then, I literally did not give a rats #@$ about who won. My first year ever seeing drum corps was 1992. I still love EVERY one of those shows that I did as a kid. I didnt ever really care who won (which I cant even recall off the top of my head! lol.

But the Crossmen, the Blue Devils, STar, Velvet Knights, Blue Knights, Cavaliers, Cadets.. I just remember being excited for EVERY show. My friends and I wore out 2 VHS copies from watching so many times. I dont think we ever once called foul on who won.

If people could try to learn not to care who wins so much, I think we can get back to that. It worked for me! Other than maybe a little bit of natural disappointment if a "favorite" of mine doesnt win, I just focus more on all of the shows. Last year for me was very "1992 Like" which was awesome! Blue Devils, Cadets, Scouts, Phantom Regiment, Crossmen, Glassmen, I just had shows I loved all over the board.

[azul]

First exposure was some videos one of the summers in my band would show over and over again that consisted of 2000-2002 champs. Seeing as they were in awe of it, I decided to do my research and get in. Saw my first show at TOC Pasadena 2004. I was bloodthirsty to march. Picked up trumpet after years of playing saxophone and started marching in 06 at pacific crest. Was there until 08 and then marched Bloo 2009-2010. I teach open class now but I even find myself being critical of some corps in groupings of corps I'm rooting for.

[azul]

Summers=drummers