New York Skyliners Alumni Prepare for 30th Anniversary

The New York Skyliners Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps wants YOU!

With the DCA Alumni Spectacular fast approaching and the beginning of the 2024 campaign right around the corner, The New York Skyliners Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps is planning for and looking forward to the 30th Anniversary season. It was 1994 when a group of former members of the New York Skyliners Senior Drum and Bugle Corps came together form the Alumni Corps. Now, 30 years later, the corps is still going strong and continuing to perform the legacy music of Hy Dreitzer, Bob Pearson, and others in the style the Skyliners were always noted for.

It’s always a challenge, given all the legendary charts in the music book archives, to devise a program that is befitting such a commemorative event such as an anniversary, but The Creative Team, with input from corps members, has done it’s best to construct a music program that is truly a ‘Greatest Hits’ and ‘Best of the Best’ of the Skyliners through the years. Drawing heavily from the very popular 1971, 72, 75 seasons, which are regarded as some of the most noteworthy in Skyliner history, the 2024 repertoire is sure to be entertaining and crowd pleasing.

In 2024, the corps will be performing the following:

• “Manhattan Tower” by Gordon Jenkins (1946) as the Opening Fanfare
• “Little Old New York” by Jerry Brock (1960) for the Broadway musical “Tenderloin”
• “Second Rhapsody” by George Gershwin (1931)
• “Alabama Jubilee” by George Cobb (1915)
• “Give My Regard to Broadway” by George M. Cohan (1904) for his musical play
• “Little Johnny Jones”
• “42nd Street” by Harry Warren (1932) for the musical of the same name
• “Little Old New York” reprise (from the 1972 show)
• “SKY Signature” derived from “Every Streets a Boulevard (in old New York) by Jule Styne (1953) for the musical “Hazel Flag”
• “The ELKS Parade” by Bobby Sherwood (1942)

For 2024, the corps is pleased to welcome back Bob Relyea as the Brass Caption Head/instructor. Bob was previously with the corps briefly in 2019/2020 pre-COVID but then moved to New Orleans. He and his wife Lynn have since moved back to New York, and the corps is grateful for their return and glad he is able to take this opportunity to rejoin the instructional staff.

The 2024 instructional staff is comprised of some very well-known names in the drum corps world.

• Carl Ruocco (Show/Staff Coordinator – WDCHoF/NJDCHoF) – former snare drummer with SKY in the 60s/70s, Assistant Director of Star of Indiana, Director of the Crossman and Staff Coordinator of the Reading Buccaneers.
• Frank Rogers (Asst. Show Coordinator- WDCHoF/NJDCHoF) – former member of Our Lady of Angels, visual tech for the Cadets of Brooklyn and Spirit of Newark, lifetime member and visual designer/instructor of SKY
• Bob Relyea (Brass Caption Head/instructor – BHoF/Avant Guard HoF) – former member of Schuylerville Green Sabres, Bethesda Emerald Knights, Avant Guard, brass instructor for Avant Guard, Crossman, Reading Buccaneers, Sunrisers, Bridgemen Alumni, Band Director at Amsterdam High School, Amsterdam, NY, and Band Director at Northampton Area High School, Northampton, PA. Bob is also a DCA judge.
• Wes Myers (Percussion Caption Head/instructor – WDCHoF/NJDCHoF) – former member of St. Vinnies, Amboy Dukes, Ballantine Brewers, SKY (1965-70,74), instructor SKY (71-84)
• Bob “Jomba” O’Connor (Percussion instructor, Asst. Drum Major – WDCHoF/NJDCHoF) – former member of St. Pat’s Jersey City, St. Vinnies, SKY, professional musician, instructor Bridgemen, St Joe’s
• Jack Murray (Percussion instructor – NJDCHoF) – former member of Oceanside Legionnaires (64-75), SKY Alumni (98-), professional drummer (71-83), instructor New Wave D&B Corps
• Jimmy Russo (Asst. Drum Major – WDCHoF/NJDCHoF) – former member of Lady of Lourdes Cadets, Dumont Police Cadets, Fairlawn Police Cadets, Drum Major of St. Lucy’s Cadets, Drum Major of Hawthorne Caballeros
• Trish O’Shea (Color Guard instructor) – former Sundowners, Bushwackers, Syracuse Brigadiers, instructor Bushwackers (98-99), current color guard instructor Northern Valley HS, Old Tappan, NJ

The corps rehearses the 1st and 3rd Sundays of every month at noon in 2 primary locations depending on the schedule.

• Dover American Legion, 2 Legion Place, Dover NJ 07801
• Boonton Elks, 125 Cornelia St, Boonton NJ 07005

CALLING ALL ALUMNI

The Skyliners Alumni would like to field a big corps for the Anniversary season, especially with a large horn line. If you were ever a marching member of either the competing corps or the alumni corps, please consider participating in this upcoming, special season.

As always, the corps welcomes new members in all sections, experienced or not. If you can play a horn or drum, twirl (or carry) a flag or rifle, or would like to learn and be a part of a musical unit steeped in the historical military style, please consider joining our ranks. Please visit our new website for more information including the schedule of rehearsals and performances.

The New York Skyliners Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps is a 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in the State of New Jersey.

For more information,
contact our corps Director Cathy Bonadonna at skyalumdirector [at] gmail [dot] com
or visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/Skyalumni/
or visit our website at https://skylinersalumni.org/