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Members with Limited Abilities


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Barbara Maroney is usually the go-to example...no left arm from the elbow down...glove fingers tied around the bottom of her horn in 83, prosthetic claw round the valve cluster in 84 (don;t what what she did in 82).   The only real problem she had from playing standpoint was the inability to use the 1st valve slide when required...so she had to lip those notes to tune them up.

Brandon Olander at BD and his scoliosis also mentioned (he's taking a year off for college...he was a HS senior last year),

There's also Matt Bowers from 07 BD...macular degeneration, yet he not only marched BD, he also marched Spirt and Cadets prior.

82 BD had a sop who was really hard of hearing. but I don't know her name.

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I remember being in Tulsa and seeing Seattle Imperials and the had a member of the pit with disabilities and thought how great it was.  BD  has a special needs guard and they bring down the house when they perform!

Drum corps is great that way.

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19 hours ago, Tim K said:

It really depends on the disability. Someone mentioned a hearing impaired baritone for Pioneer. I could see this accommodation, but if the person was either totally or legally blind it might be more problematic to be a marching member. I do recall seeing a young person with only one arm in the front ensemble of a corps, but I don't remember if it was a WC, OC, or DCA corps. Depending on the disability and how the corps uses the pit, a disabled person could possibly be in used the front ensemble. 

When folks talk about limited abilities...it always reminds me of this story...I shared this probably several years ago...but thought this thread was appropriate to share again...it always seems to tear me up...

In August 2012...BAC posted on their Facebook this inspiration story...btw they placed 7th that season...

"We realize there are many marching members who overcome great challenges to participate in this wonderful activity. We wanted to share Ilsa Curry's amazing story of courage and inspiration (she is pictured, on the right, with her sister Greta). Please read below.

Why do you march with the Boston Crusaders?

I march with the Boston Crusaders because they gave me hope when I had none. I came to this stage in my life extremely broken-hearted and I knew I had to prove everyone that told me that "you can't do it" wrong. Because honestly, there aren't four more inspiring words to me. It's like telling someone to not go push the red button. If you tell someone "no" they're going to go push that red button. I lost my left eye in June 2010 due to a chemical accident and I am going blind in my right eye from strain/sun damage. I am scheduled to receive surgery in August after I get back from this summer. This corps means too much to me to ever give up. They are the reason I keep pushing and fighting. Without them, I am nothing. I march with the Boston Crusaders for the same reason everyone else does: to have my life be changed. for my friends. so when I have a seeing eye dog and am blind next year, I can know I had this red and black family behind me, supporting me all the way.

What has the Crusader experience meant to you?

It gave me my life back. It taught me how to "see" without seeing. I don't use my eyes for marching, I use kinetics. I feel the people around me. Everyone has a different wavelength. To me, its more effective than using your eyes anyway. It gave me my best friends, it gave me a family. And I would be nowhere without them.

Tell us about your proudest achievement in drum corps.

I'm the blind girl. doing drum corps. Enough said."

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Edited by Liahona
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I know a high school band that has had a couple blind marching members for at least the past two years. It's fun to watch the audience slowly figure out what's going on: why does that trumpet player have someone else always marching right behind him with her hands on his shoulders?

Also, the Ohio State School for the Blind fields a very small marching band. Their drill includes Braille Ohio.

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1 hour ago, N.E. Brigand said:

I know a high school band that has had a couple blind marching members for at least the past two years. It's fun to watch the audience slowly figure out what's going on: why does that trumpet player have someone else always marching right behind him with her hands on his shoulders?

Also, the Ohio State School for the Blind fields a very small marching band. Their drill includes Braille Ohio.

For those who may not know, this is a public school (not affiliated with OSU) run by the Ohio Department of Education.  The marching band has performed in the Rose Bowl Parade.  Some great kids and teachers! 

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In the 1960s and 1970s there was a drum & bugle corps comprised of residents of the Northern Colony home for developmentally disabled students, 

which was located in Wisconsin.  I had the opportunity to see them perform their field show several times in the early 70s.

 

There was a school for the blind drum & bugle corps in Michigan in that same time frame.

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