TRacer Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 (edited) I had to smile at this because it made me think of my answer when people look at my jockey-shifted/foot clutched/left side throttle/21" spool front wheel/way old skool hardtail Harley short chop that I built in my garage (and took my now-SCVC trumpet kid from Southern CA to DCI Allentown and Wash D.C. on during our 4-week road trip in 2011) and ask, "What year is it?" My reply is always, "I dunno; it depends on the part." Same with drum corps; it depends. If people ask about my son, I tell them he's on "summer band tour." Other times I've said: "Well, it's like marching band...on meth." OR "Drum corps is a breathtaking showcase of vocals, stage props, dance talent and electronic wizardry accompanied at times by a large talented brass section with percussion interludes." Crickets...owls... Edited August 4, 2017 by TRacer 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terri Schehr Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 1 minute ago, TRacer said: 1 minute ago, TRacer said: Same with drum corps; it depends. If people ask about my son, I tell them he's on "summer band tour." A lot of people don't get it. I think some of my fellow band parents thought I was the worst parent ever for allowing my kid to go off all summer. Maybe they thought I'd sold him to the carnival. Oh well, I was never a helicopter parent. You have to learn to trust them eventually. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 "Supercharged summer marching band." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c mor Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 3 minutes ago, Terri Schehr said: Maybe they thought I'd sold him to the carnival. Back in the early days of drum corps, without interwebs and cell towers, I always felt like I had run off to join the circus for the summer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terri Schehr Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 Just now, c mor said: Back in the early days of drum corps, without interwebs and cell towers, I always felt like I had run off to join the circus for the summer. Truth. a rude awakening when you would return to the real world... and those lines for the pay phone.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrownBariDad Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 44 minutes ago, Ghost said: So the mm are getting paid now. Fantastic. What union do they belong too? The Union of Middle Aged Reprobates Creating Havoc (UMARCH). No, wait -- that's us! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 Interesting question. Yesterday I did a search of the website for the major local paper (1) to confirm that indeed nothing had been printed about a northeast Ohio group winning is first national championship last year and (2) to find the contact information for every reporter who'd written an article about marching bands (quite a few) or drum corps (only one, and her information wasn't listed) in the past few years. I sent those folks a friendly note about the Bluecoats, DCI, and the Massillon show in hopes that even if none of them wrote something about the show, or attended the show (or the Avon Lake show, which I also mentioned), maybe they'd have the information in the back of their heads the next time they wrote something about a local marching band. Included Youtube clips of Bluecoats performances last year and this year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 i basically start off with "could you see yourself ever becoming a marching band fan, even if the performers were professional quality?" if the answer is no, i stop trying to explain. if the answer is yes, then i'll tell them about the rehearsal schedule, level of performer, the fact that you can actually hear all the instruments, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 (edited) 14 hours ago, Terri Schehr said: A lot of people don't get it. I think some of my fellow band parents thought I was the worst parent ever for allowing my kid to go off all summer. Maybe they thought I'd sold him to the carnival. Oh well, I was never a helicopter parent. You have to learn to trust them eventually. More like you paid the carnival to take him away for the summer. It's funny, when I describe the caravans that roll into town each year, I usually use the circus analogy. "Three buses, two tractor-trailers, two RV's, three vans pulling two trailers... times eight." I usually get that distant-glare look of "processing...processing", and one question... "Are you serious?" Edited August 5, 2017 by garfield 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcibrando Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 The short sad answer is WAY different now than I did just a few years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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