Cozy’s Corpsdom – Pontificating Pooh-Bahs ‘n Peers

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“I love drum corps. It is so much more real than life.“ ~ Apologies to Oscar Wilde

Lee Rudnicki pontificated like Pooh-Bah in "The Mikado," a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta. Way to shake up the napping natives, Rudnicki, in your recent DCP thread regarding DCAssociates. Thanks for specifically stating you were not addressing President Gil Silva's DCA BoD. Intermittent squabbling amongst corps goes back to VFW/AL days. Some riffs erupt yet. Familes feud.

I called Lee the day before his posted posturing — Bugged the poor guy at work!! I needed a respite from gonzoing and wasn't ready to tackle advertisers. I was gnawing over the negativity of a few since Ernesto swirled and spat a monsoon at The Survivors in PAETEC Park.

DCA is on the cusp of lava-flowing continental expansion IF potential tempests in teapots are coddled and cuddled. It's gonna take a lot more "bods" than just DCA BoD or the BoDs of Cru, Empire, Brigs, Hurcs, Bucs, Bush, Sun, Cabs, Sky, Fusion, Kilties, Gulf, Music City, CorpsVets, Heat Wave, MBI, Kilties, Chops, Govies — (just what Chops and Govs have done for the fanbase is incredible!!!) — Dream, Renegades and River City Regiment on the Left Coast et al. Derby City, Masquerades and North Coast will rock us soon! Like dock workers flexing biceps along the LakeShore, we must load ever more "corpsgo" to satisfy our demanding consumers. The Austin Stars glimmer on the vista like snowy Sabers, a Frontier Skyline of Carolina Gold.

Imagine the Alliance we could nurture.

DCA in Ruston, LA; Bedford, TX; Houston; Louisville; Nashville; Salem, OH!?! I remember marching Saturday and Sunday contests. Those days are not only coming back, they are happening in Minnesota! Dixie! The Northeast remains the foundation.

Hitch up for High Country, corps on the prairie, Shenandoah, Jackson Generals, etc. Beats 1993, the 13.

DCI, DCA commingle ways and means for win-win

DCMidwest is Gone with the Greek Cap, but DCInternational, led by Executive Director Dan Acheson, is grasping the symbiosis, agreeing to work with all-age when DCA options are limited in some areas. Look for Kilties, Racine Scouts, Madison, Pio, Cap Sound at the DCI Kiltie Klassic Racine show, June 22. The Mad Plaid will flash spats down to Rockford the next night for Phantom's show. Music City Legend will cross the stateline for Spirit's hosted DCI Russellville, AL, extravaganza, Monday, June 25, along with The Cadets, Spirit, Boston Cru, Carolina Crown and Teal Sound.

Mike and Carla Morris reminded me that Spirit also hosts DCI shows in Alpharetta, GA, June 23, and their jam-packed home show in Jacksonville, AL, July 15, where one can catch catfish in the Coosa and refrains of "Georgia" by the CorpsVets, maybe by Spirit, too. The Jax State show is two nights after DCI Murfreesboro, TN, and one evening after the Saturday DCI Regional gala at the guaranteed? climate-controlled Georgia Dome. I'm going for the BBQ! Alpharetta will be an early season alpha happening. The July 15 contest at JSU has a stalwart lineup: Blue Devils, Boston Cru, Cavies, CorpsVets, Glassmen, Memphis Sound, Music City Legend, Spirit and Troopers. Traverse the Trail of Tears and rejoice fan$!

The Left Coast troika of River City Regiment, SoCal Dream and the San Francisco Renegades have inked a triskelion tattoo on the California corps scene.

The Renegades will trek to L.A. for a Friday the 13th LMS L.A., mingling with SoCal Dream. That same weekend, DCI Long Beach and Calabasas, CA, shows, July 14-15, will have these two DCA darlings, part of an 11-corps cast, joining Academy, Impulse, Jesters, Fever, Pacific Crest, Mandarins, Gold, Mystikal and Blue Devils B.

Methinks the fact that River City Regiment is not making the sojourn to L.A. this year like when I reviewed them at '06 DCI Bellflower and Newbury Park is possibly a good sign, as RCR and Renegades have performance opportunities at RCR's hosted DCI show in Elk Grove, CA, June 29, and at DCI Modesto, CA, Aug. 3. Further, I hope it means that River City is stocking the trousseau for a virgin Jet Blue caravan of dreams down the aisle to DCA Rachacha!

btw, both Rochester and Buffalo have convenient airports. Just ask Dream's Bill Howard and Mike Plachta, sop & sop.

Just days ago, a "gone" potentate and I talked on the phone. We both commented on how peacefully hypnotic DCP has been. Often, this winter when DCP was in an off-season hibernation, I was in a piquant mood over some of the incessant laments on DCP. I'm swamped now with "real life" just as DCP is shakin' the tree of corpsdom.

Corps have and could do more to cover each other’s epaulets. To Conestoga gear to Rochester over the Continental Divide from California, the Renegades and Dream partnered to use Mystikal's rig, a win-winwin. Just beware of Nebraska…Spirit of Atlanta used to loan pit gear to JSU's band in return for practice sites…Mirage Sr. loaned quints to a band in return for tympani.

Alumni corps and minicorps constantly help each other out, then take to the stage to out-entertain the others. "We" all could learn from the alumni and MCAssociates movements.

You, too, have such stories. Let's do even more. We're all struggling.

William Aldrich-Thorpe, DCWorld staff, staffed the '05 DCA Scranton trophy table. (Photo by Cozy Baker)

 

Drum majors can take point guard. In conjunction with proudly accumulating caption trophies on the sideline during Fran Haring, Brandt Crocker or Ryan Turner announcements, DMs can also plant the idea of cooperation, of networking with other corps to aid each other, to bolster the growth of all-age. (Applies to DCI, Euro, Japan…all circuits.)

Specific solutions? Set aside discord, march in harmony, reach out, chant “We Are the World,” communicate corps to corps, small groups to individuals, and the results will ~ Voila! ~ piggyback and fan out.

Powwow DCA think tanks

DCA has the "advantage" that it's cheaper to run weekend warriors (Offended by some politically incorrect phrase? I'll sick Chief Illiniwek on ya'.) versus touring to Pasadena. (No offense to DCI. I'll be in Pasadena with shades and Sex Wax — Gotta learn to hang ten.) All-age corps have talent that can send ensembles and minicorps into the community to garner support and network.

Every corps has Rodins, "thinkers," I'm sure. How about uniting; toss out kernels of ideas? DeKalb fertilizer may be passe, but grow DCA and harvest corps. For the energy some spend slamming individuals, sometimes corps, that same inertia could form think tanks, round table discussions, conference calls, etc. to evolve DCA even more.

Unlike the tsunami of home foreclosures, corpsdom can acquire equity and prosper.

How did I percolate to this passionate plea?…I was tired of the local Canada geese serenade here by Lake Corpsdom; yet, they scratch backs better than some corps…Ohio State is blowing it as I bang on the Royal typewriter here, down by 17…18…20!!!, March Madness hopes frittering away on Rocky Top. I'm mad in a world gone mad.

Besides, Jeff Ream, in my judgment, is on sabbatical. It’s been toooo tranquil.

Prior to my phone chat with Rudnicki, I yanked the Tiger Okoshi, Louie and Harry trumpet CDs, the Hank Marr Hammond B3 organ/Leslie speakers tunes, for Rush, Styx, Stevie Ray, more Rush and ELP (Palmer era, not Cozy Powell – Great concert memories!). Brewed some srpski espresso. Dialed BR-549….

Lee rubs folks the wrong way. No doubt about it. Yet, it's All Good. A pot needs to be stirred. Just callin' the kettledrum black.

Lee is not just a Renegade; Lee IS a renegade. Rudnicki is a hoopla amplifier surging through resistors, a force multiplier, and mediacasting is Rudnicki's mantra. The 'Gades stock the stables with bushwhackers 'n frisky mustangs.

[Ohio State is win-winwinning!!!]

All-Age twinkles as All-Sage!

Publisher's Note: Cozy's Corpsdom features updates from the world of drum corps as only Cozy Baker can deliver ….. in his own unique style and presentation. A featured Drum Corps World reporter and contributing columnist for many years, Cozy travels the country as a competitive marching member, instructor, observer, and commentator on the state-of-the-activity. The opinions expressed in this column are strictly those of the author. (Cozy mug photo by Christina Mavroudis-Dempsey.) You may write to Cozy directly at mailto: Cozy [at] drumcorpsplanet [dot] com.

Posted by on Thursday, March 22nd, 2007. Filed under Cozy's Corpsdom.