KeithHall Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 Speaking of North Tonawanda, NY..... Our little corps, The Royal Coachmen, brought in Bob Stone (drill) and Ted Key (music) from Canada as well as Bill Decker and Doug Kleinhans to work percussion starting in October 1975. Bob began a winter training program that was very beneficial to the corps later on. We prepared our music (Crown Imperial March, Uska Dara, Porgy and Bess Medley, The Great Escape March and My Way). In May we headed south of Buffalo for a weekend camp and a few new people joined. The corps traveled to Michigan during the Memorial Day weekend and it didn't look as promising. June hit and "new" uniforms were being passed out. The old Gold and Black blouse was history and the Red and Black colors were official. After our second parade in North Tonawanda more people were joining. We had 38 brass players in 1976. For our corps, this was major! Drum line had 7 snares and color guard was bigger too with 8 VERY good rifles! We were improving little by little and we hit a small show in Hammondsport, NY on the banks (literally) of one of the Finger Lakes (maybe Seneca). We beat out our arch rivals Imperial Regiment. To this day I don't know why we didn't go to Butler or Marion that year but we did attend the NT Open, because it was in our backyard I guess (LOL). We never did well in it before. We had to endure a very long parade which we finished at the contest site and then walked back to our rehearsal site at a local grocery store. re-polished shoes and boots and horns and drums, Warm up with Ted and then we single filed it back to the stadium. It was silent the whole way back. No one told us to do that...it just happened. We were on the street behind the bleachers and people were looking over the top and yelling. Not one corps member moved. We filed into the small alcove behind the school and there was pep talks from our director and staff. It was time and we went to the back side line and started to perform. To me, and I am sure others, it was the best performance in the corps history. We went up against Simplex Minutemen and Peterborough Krescendos. Krescendos had beaten us a couple of time earlier in the year so we thought we might take third. When we were standing on the field for retreat I heard the scores but kept thinking we'll be in third. Then they announced that Simplex took third. (They sounded pretty good warming up before the parade). Then I thought, "okay 2nd place is nice!" They announced that Krescendos took 2nd and I was stunned! We weren't a powerhouse NY corps like Squires or Avant Garde but for one day (and for the rest of our lives) we were champions! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironlips Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 This is a great story, and reflects the importance of recognizing achievement at any level. That contest was every bit as significant to the participants as any World Open, VFW, Dream, DCA or DCI Finals or the like could ever be to those who performed in those. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 (edited) This is a great story, and reflects the importance of recognizing achievement at any level. That contest was every bit as significant to the participants as any World Open, VFW, Dream, DCA or DCI Finals or the like could ever be to those who performed in those. 1974... the junior corps I was with, Manville (NJ) Sacred Heart Crusaders, made finals in Class A at the Toledo Key to the Sea show. I hear ya, Frank and Keith... it felt great to be a finalist, even though we ended up in 9th (out of 10 finalists) at the night show. There were several very solid corps in that show... Glassmen, Marquis, Charioteers from Alabama, Fulton Gauchos, among others.... and it was cool to be on the same field with them. My last year with Manville... 1976... we won two Eastern States Circuit shows on the same weekend. We had not won a show since 1971. Didn't break a 60 at either of the wins in '76, but it felt great to win again... even though in 1976 we pretty much mega-sucked. Edited February 23, 2016 by Fran Haring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted February 23, 2016 Author Share Posted February 23, 2016 Funny story.....a few years ago I went subbing at a FL high school and met the principal. He was the DM for the Simplex Minutemen in 1976. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Thunder Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 Funny story.....a few years ago I went subbing at a FL high school and met the principal. He was the DM for the Simplex Minutemen in 1976. My favorite tidbit about the Simplex Minutemen (sponsored by the Simplex Time Recorder Company for much of its history) is that their bass drum heads had graphics on them to look like the face of a clock. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindap Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Funny story.....a few years ago I went subbing at a FL high school and met the principal. He was the DM for the Simplex Minutemen in 1976. A middle school principal, at a school during the time that one of my sons attended, also marched in drum corps in the 1970's! Small world! We discussed trying to get their award winning stage band to march in the summer and I would teach them to march for free. Logistically it was a no go but we enjoyed that special drum corps camaraderie for 3 years while I was fundraising for the stage band (success - we raised thousands of dollars) or chairing the school council meetings (weird people until the Principal mentioned `Focus on the Positive` so I put FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE on every agenda and meeting minutes). It worked! No drum corps but their stage bands continue to grow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted February 24, 2016 Author Share Posted February 24, 2016 Sadly, the principal was taken out of the high school because he was hypnotizing students for the purpose of focusing on their school work or athletics. Two of the students died (one in a car crash). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAvery Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Sadly, the principal was taken out of the high school because he was hypnotizing students for the purpose of focusing on their school work or athletics. Two of the students died (one in a car crash). I remember reading about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindap Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 I remember reading about that. Creepy! I'm glad my principal was positive. Since it's so slow here, I'll let you know that Cavaliers have been one of my favourite corps. Hush now. Don't tell anyone ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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