ironlips

“Never give up, never ever give up”. To be precise, it's "Never, Never, NEVER give up." - Winston Churchill, to the British people when London was being pulverized by the seemingly invincible Luftwaffe. We all know the result. Never means never. In your place, I would volunteer to help instruct the high brass rookies in a corps like the Columbus Saints, or one of the others in DCI or DCA Open classes. You are a little late to the party, but so what? They need the help, and if you really are a decent player, you can provide that at some level. Trust me. Conducting a 20 person rookie horn line is just rewarding as waving your arms in front of a National Champion. I know. I have done both. P.S. My degree is in History/Political Science

French Horns were irreplaceable in the bugle choir, ever since Caesar Lamonica and Jim Donnelly invented them in the '50s. Mellos are cool but not the same.

Hell's been a popular theme since, well, Genesis (the book, not the corps), and probably well before that, actually. It's related to the fact that the villain gets all the good parts in literature, stage and film. Always has. We just like scary stories around the campfire, and what's a drum corps show but a big musical campfire?

" I've long stated that drum corps is whatever drum corps becomes. " - Michael Boo It's hard to argue that fact, and I must agree with my colleague's statement, and it's philosophical implications. Tradition is important and needs to be respected. The best corps have also had a tradition of innovation. In no way are those concepts mutually exclusive. They are complimentary, and one does not diminish the significance of the other. When we were in charge, we did drum corps our way, to the best of our abilities. The Scouts, along with every other corps, have the right to choose their own way forward. Here's to the next 81 years of Madison.

Every bugler who ever heard Riggie play knew he had no equal. If you are not familiar with him, here's a little anecdote from 2005: http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/2010/02/inside-the-arc-riggie-maynard-a-me/

A very poignant gesture, and one which will create positive results as the current recipients pass these horns on to others.

I am a nice guy, and not one to defend the individuals in question. I do stand for due process, however. That said, the argument for "the appearance of impropriety" is a persuasive one and can be effectively applied in this instance. I think this will all play itself out in time while the rest of us get on with our lives.

I think it is safe to assume that if either is convicted regarding the serious allegations against them they will lose membership.

Right, of course. Sometimes I just can't see the forest...etc. Must be all those attempts to play higher than Screech back in the day. My apologies for completely missing the obvious point of the question. Sorry, Jeff. Last year, Diane Nicholeris attended, but she actually got a leave from the San Francisco Symphony to do so. Eric Julliard from Top Secret traveled from Switzerland. Chick Corea was on tour in Europe. As Fran mentioned, Billy Cobham flew in from his home in Panama for the ceremony, and Astronaut Chris Ferguson, the first Distinguished Professional Achievement inductee, played hooky from NASA to attend. John Ratzenberger, Chick Corea and Steve Gadd all had performance commitments, Labor Day weekend being a fairly busy time generally for actors and musicians, but each prepared a personal acceptance video that was shown at the event. (That will be the case for George Takei this year.) Chick was presented with his plaque in person at his concert in Berkley last summer. Even among other inductees, it often occurs that getting to "off the main line" destinations like Rochester and (gasp) Williamsport on the worst travel weekend imaginable is just not feasible.

" how many of these celebrities with drum corps pasts have actually attended? " An interesting question, I think. Attended what, exactly? Shows in which they marched? Parades? DCA Finals? DCI Division II? Alumni shows in Harrisburg? I guess it depends on what qualifies as attendance, and when one starts counting. Chick started going to drum corps shows in the mid-'50s but has not shown up much lately. Then again, over 40 drum corps have played his music, at last count.

There's some good "point/counterpoint" in this discussion, something to be said from several quarters. I was aware of John Ratzenberger's militant political position re industrial arts education. Perhaps it's balanced a bit by the fact that he has attended virtually every Barnum Festival drum corps show since the late '60s, but that's for others to judge. As for motherhood, I'm all for that, but my mom didn't march in a drum corps though she (evidently) did share some of the values. And I am glad we all can keep a sense of humor around our various viewpoints. I had a pretty good laugh when I read this: " we usually don't understand you Hollywood types ", having been born and raised in the Bronx. Thanks. I needed that.

" When's my induction? " Step 1: Have your sponsor submit your resume As for Mr. Takei and Mr. Ratzenberger, a casual perusal of theirs would reveal significant contributions by both in the areas of human rights and respect, and for the promotion of the values of hard work and education. At its best, these are fundamental to the Drum Corps activity, and each of them have acknowledged that publicly on several occasions. In short, their lives reflect a very positive credit to said activity. Some may consider that insignificant, and they are certainly entitled to that minority opinion.

With respect, I fear you miss the point of this particular honor. There are several additional Hall of Fame categories that recognize the contributions of both volunteers and luminaries of the Drum Corps family. In all, there are more than a dozen others to be inducted this year.

Hi, Terri. Actually, the criteria for the Distinguished Professional Achievement Category differs from the boiler plate general version you read in the press release for basic membership. DPA is designed to recognize people who got early exposure to drum corps values and skills and then used those to craft successful careers in other areas of endeavor. Some other notable DPAs: Christopher Ferguson - NASA Space Shuttle Commander, former snare in Philadelphia PAL John Ratzenberger - Actor, former drummer in CT. Royal Lancers Chick Corea - Grammy-winning musician/composer, former soprano in St. Rose Scarlet Lancers Diane Nicholeris - First violin, SF Symphony, under Michael Tilson Thomas, former guard captain, Sir Thomas Moore ...etc. As for Mr. Takei, like the others, he has made a habit of supporting and endorsing the activity. (See the photo accompanying the announcement on the DCP home page. He was making an appearance in support of the Boy Scout corps.) Also, there was a recent TV special about a "George Takei Museum" opening in LA wherein he discusses his involvement in and affection for drum corps.

There is no question about that. And the brass instructor was the incomparable Sandra Opie. It was 1976 when Gail (DeAngelis) Balls (former ND-ette) and Rene( Myers) Delucia (Edison Saints alumna) broke through the brass ceiling at Garfield. Both rocked lead soprano. Rene transitioned to the rifle line during the winter. She was a star there, too. Meanwhile, Bonnie Ott had been tearing it up on the left coast with the Commodores, then the Blue Devils. The godmother of them all was a soloist and instructor for the Sunrisers, 'way back in the late '50's, Lil Lindy, who went on to teach hundreds of kids in local corps on Long Island. These women were the pioneers, the exceptions during their performing careers, much like Cherokee Merino, the outstanding snare drummer from the ND-ettes who became Eric Perriloux's student, and cracked the boys club in the battery of St. Rita's Brassmen. They, and their sisters, are the primary reason no one is surprised to see young women in horn and drum lines these days. I'm sure it put a smile on their faces when Carol O'Brien became the first woman member of the US Marine Corps Drum Corps, the Commandant's own.