WDCHOF Member Don Friesing Passes
Those wishing to honour the memory of World Drum Corps Hall of Fame member Don Friesing, who passed away recently, may make a donation to the Hall of Fame’s scholarship fund in his name. Donations can be sent to World Drum Corps Hall of Fame, PO Box 357, Pine Brook, NJ 07058.
World Drum Corps Hall of Fame member Don Friesing
Don Friesing, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001, was one of the pioneers of the modern drum corps movement. He played drums with the Joseph B. Garity American Legion Post 562 in Ridgewood, New York, from 1939 to 1942. By 1943 he was teaching others to drum, and over the following 50 years produced many of the most accomplished percussion players in the drum corps community.
He marched with the Phoebe Hearst Post drum and bugle corps before serving in the United States Navy in 1945 and 1946. He then spent the following eight years marching with New York Skyliners.
Over the following years, he arranged for and instructed many top-rated junior and senior corps in the Greater New York City region including Our Lady of Loretto and St Joseph’s Patron Cadets in Brooklyn, Connecticut Hurricanes, Ballantine Brewers of Newark, Rae Post, Babylon Islanders, Washington Carver, St. Rocco’s of Newark, St. Ignatius All Girls of Hicksville, Kingston Criterions.
During those years, he worked with several horn instructors who also became World Drum Corps Hall of Fame members, including Jim Donnelly, Bill Hayes, Hy Dreitzer and Joe Genero.
He was one of the founding members of Drum Corps Associates (DCA), representing Connecticut Hurricanes at the organizational meeting at Archer Epler Post in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania in November 1963.
He was a percussion judge with several associations, including Northeastern Circuit, Long Island Circuit, Greater New York Circuit, Eastern States and DCA.
Regular World Drum Corps Hall of Fame members are honoured for their dedication, contributions and achievements over a long period of time in categories including administration, arranging, adjudication, instruction, innovation and design. Associate members have dedicated at least five consecutive years of service to any drum and bugle corps as a performer or in a support role. Special membership categories include inductees honoured for Distinguished Professional Achievement, International Achievement and individuals receiving the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Current membership has grown from six charter members in 1976 to 523 men and women from the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan, including 310 regular members and 213 associates. Induction of new members was postponed in 2020 because of COVID 19 pandemic restrictions on large gatherings. An appropriate ceremony will be scheduled when conditions allow.
The World Drum Corps Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization honoring those individuals who have contributed significantly over many years to the development and continuing excellence of drum and bugle corps activity around the world. For more information, visit the website at wdchof.org
