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Wayne Monarchs, anyone?


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That was Jack! He really was a visual design genius, IMO...and he'd do it all in his head!

He was judging a band show at Ramsey HS in the fall of 78, and my band was there. I did the music arranging AND wrote the drill. Well, that week I had added the closer, the Trooper's "Battle Hymn". It was pretty dirty, and the drill, to be honest, was not up to the rest of the show, interest-wise.

On the Effect tape Jack was really digging the show...up to the closer...he got louder and louder...and madder and madder....I actually saw him hanging out of the press box window yelling during that part of the show, so I knew I was in trouble.

He had us first in our size class (III)...but he told me he'd have had us first overall if we had stopped before the last number.

He was one great guy. Died on Christmas Day, BTW....his brother Doug was in my wedding and married my sister-in-law (long since divorced).

Your sister in-law? Doug was at my wedding also, 1980. He and I were really close. I remember shortly after he and his wife came up to my house and announced her pregnancy. After that he kind of disappeared. I think Jack passed in'79 otherwise he would have been there too. I can't tell you how many times I think of Jack and all the advice, both solicited and unsolicited, that he gave to me. Loved that man.

That's immortality, another great thing about drumcorps!

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So, when you get a chance stir up the ol' gray matter and give us a Cranford story. You gotta have something good! Look forward to hearing it.

Joe

The Gray matter is a bit fuzzy on the happenings back then, but I can remember in 1978 we were for some reason or another always involved in fights that year. Went to Lynn, Mass for the world open and qhilw or guard was practicing some locals from the area started harassing them, they took off after the rest of the corps showed up. Then at DCI east we were staying at Muhlenberg College and somelocals tried to mix it up with us on the college grounds, well they were a bit outnumbered in that one too. Also, GSC Championships, our corps won championships that year and a few guys from our corps and another had a little meeting in the parking lot.. Just a weird year that year....

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  • 10 years later...

I marched with the Monarchs when they were the Oakland Monarchs, I believe during the summer of 1968 or '69. I, along with another guy, were on rifles. Jack Taylor, director, was a good guy as was his brother Doug. I don't know what year they became the Wayne Monarchs. We wore white satin shirts, green cummberbunds, black pants and those weirdly shaped black shakos with white plumes. Some names I remember are Roy Metz, Bill Doty, and that's about it.

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  • 6 years later...

I was in the Monarchs/Kings Regiment drum line from '69-'79 (from cymbals up to snare and took over teaching the line in 79). If MikeD is who I think he is, he also taught at WVHS where I also went to HS. I worked with every drum instructor the Monarchs had from Danny Raymond to Mike D and Jack Pratt. Gotta say, Mike also wrote one of the best books the drum line ever had. Good times were had by all (I think!).

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  • 3 months later...
On 11/10/2022 at 2:56 PM, MonarchDude said:

I was in the Monarchs/Kings Regiment drum line from '69-'79 (from cymbals up to snare and took over teaching the line in 79). If MikeD is who I think he is, he also taught at WVHS where I also went to HS. I worked with every drum instructor the Monarchs had from Danny Raymond to Mike D and Jack Pratt. Gotta say, Mike also wrote one of the best books the drum line ever had. Good times were had by all (I think!).

I think I know who this is. We had a great show in 77 as the King’s Regiment. That was a very fun show to write. 

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