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Madison Scouts -- Madison generally has marched four cymbals. In the early days (1950s and 1960s), smaller cymbals were used, with a wool pad and leather straps that was fed between the first and second fingers.. The cymbals were "twirled" in various ways that i don't think are seen today. E.G. (1) single twirl at the top; (2) out in front from the belt line; (3) a slow series of twirls coming down from the top; and (4) double twirl at the top. Also the cymbals were used in the "headchopper" drill. Generally, we marched with the cymbals at belt level when not in use.

Madison "Ice Castles" -- still get shivers think about that sound

It was a great evening of drum corps music. LOUD IS GOOD. Especially impressed with the tight performance of Park City Pride and the jobs done by the old-timers in Mighty St. Joes and Reilly Raiders.

Walked out of Finals in 2006 (after staying through Semi's) -- I don't think I will ever be back to DCI Finals (unless its in my backyard). I suppose I might go to a few local shows and the DCA's Alumni show. Sad, but true, that DCI is now longer a drum corps organization, despite the title. Oh well, took up golf this year. Jon Madison Alum

Suncoast Sound Blessed Sacrament Bridgemen Belleville Black Knights Any Old School Corps (e.g., Scout House)

Right on, KathyG. My wife and I sold our tickets to finals in 2006. After seeing semis, we couldn't take it anymore -- yes, i still follow the activity, but not with much enthusiasm or interest. I no longer really care about DCI. For me, real drum corps activity ended around 1995. Plus, i still want to support my former Div. 1 corps. Amplification, narration, excessive dancing, props of all sorts -- where will it all lead? Super Bowl half-time is a good analogy. I can't wait for the fireworks, announcers, 200 dancers, elevated stage in middle of the field for solos, candy tossed into the stands, etc, etc, etc. My proposal last year was to divide DCI corps according to type of performace -- extravaganza corps and traditional corps. Let audience attendance decide who is better, and have a show-down at the finals. I'd be there for that.

I only boo for the scores given to the Madison Scouts. What does narration have to do with drums and bugles, anyway? If I wanted narration, I would go to a play or political debate. This is just Hopkins trying assert his will on DCI. As they say in Japan, #####-#####. Jon Edited by MikeD to fix the filter circumvention.

Added the start-up base as J=junior; S=senior corps; and open=newly formed. 27th Lancers Alumni -- J Kingsmen Alumni -- J Madison Scouts Alumni -- J Blue Stars Alumni -- J Chicago Royal Airs -- J A few from corpsreps.com that i don't think anyone has posted: Air Force Alumni -- J (?) Alumni Reunion Corps, St. Louis -- open Garfield Cadets -- J Golden Eagles -- S Holy Trinity Cadets -- J Ocean State, Bristol, RI -- open(?) Queensmen, Kenosha, WI -- J Marksmen, Springfield, MA -- S St. Rita Brassmen -- J Sunrisers Alumni -- S United Alumni, Simcoe, CN -- open Corps Alumni Chorus Lt. Norman Prince -- S Audubon Bon-Bons -- J

Has anyone posted a listing of Alumni Corps? (current and past corps by name). Just curious about how many have formed in recent years, and who they might be. Jon Madison alum

Links removed--LM

How about the "Grand March" from Aida for the opening processional.

As I read these posts, I can only concur that drum corps have gotten esoteric to the point of being boring. All corps are pretty much doing similar drills and playing similar music, so as to please the judges -- DCI needs more corps like VK, Bridgeman, the old Madison Scouts, and the old SCV to energize and please the crowd. For me, good drum corps music ended about 1995-96. The Madison Alumni corps demonstrated what crowd-pleasing music is all about, and the rest of DCI collectively laid a rotten egg. The crowd in my seating section at DCI quarterfinals applauded politely during the performancs and gave a standing O at the end. But, as everone must know, standing O's are madatory for almost everthing these days -- I never go to a concert anymore of any kind where the audience doesn't stand at the end. I simply sold my tickets to DCI Finals and voted with my feet. Why be bored twice. Jon Former DCI fan

Couldn't agree more with your taste in music, but if you were in Madison for DCI 2006, you can probably tell that there is no chance that a top 12 corps would risk playing something that's entertaining or musically interesting. According to the corpsreps.com Web site, no corps has played the main VAS theme since about 1991. Can't say for the other pieces. "No Other Love" should be the theme song for some corps. Jon

Granted the Madison Scouts and other top corps are better marchers and better players. But recognize that the Alumni Corps had less that 75 hours of practice. Can any other group claim so much bang-for-the-buck? What is more important to me is the style of music played by the Alumni Corps -- which was entertaining and appreciated by the audience, and unlike the crap being played by all of the top 12 corps. Talk about same old, same old. . . I really couldn't tell one program from another. DCI has collectively laid a rotten egg. Jon MS Alumni

DCI should divide the Division I corps according to music content of each corps' program. I propose two categories: 1. Classic Category -- corps in this division would play only adaptations of any known musical composition, including classical, jazz, pop, Broadway, Latin, brass bands, gospel, etc., etc., etc. This category would be nick-named the "Audience Mass Appeal" (AMA) category. No props would be allowed in the AMA category. 2. Original Category -- corps in this division would play only original musical scores as is currently the case for most Division I corps. This category would be nick-named the "Totally Boring Crap" (TCB) division. Props are encouraged (since the music is so uninteresting, anyway). At the start of the competiton season, a judging panel would decide on each corps' music category placement. Division II and III corps would be required to play music that fits the AMA category, so as to broaden the appeal of the drum corps activity among youth and the audience that supports them. At DCI Championship week, Thursday night would be the finals night for Division I TCB corps. Friday night would be the finals night for Division I AMA corps. There is no need for semis or quarters. The top four corps in each category would advance to a final showdown on Saturday night -- the overall Champion and other placements would be decided by an AUDIENCE VOTE of those attending the Saturday show. Those who pay get to decide which corps wins -- what could be more democratic. There it is -- Let's get DCI back on track before dies from the TCB syndrome. Jon Just as background, I marched and played in a Division I corps (AMA-type), but it was some time ago. I have been to 3 DCI Championships and 2 DCA Championships in the last 10 years. This year in Madison, I went to some of the Div II/III prelims, some of I&E, some of Div I semis, and all of the Quarterfinals. I ended up selling my Div I Finals tickets -- this is known as "VOTING WITH YOUR FEET." Sorry DCI, but I will not be back again -- ever.

Gary, A couple of years ago, I posted a history of AL Nittany Post #245 on the Corpsreps Web site (1941 AL Jr. Champions): http://www.corpsreps.com/corpsreps.cfm?vie...orpstype=Junior Reproduced below: History of AL Nittany Post #245 (State College, PA): The State College Junior Drum and Bugle Corps was formed in 1935 by a group of local businessmen lead by C.W. “Bucky” Taylor, who operated a music store. The corps’ instructors were often drawn from music majors at Pennsylvania State College and Sgt. John Weske of the Penn State R.O.T.C. Department served as the first drill instructor. The corps’ sponsor was Nittany Post #245, and its official title was the American Legion & Auxiliary Junior Drum and Bugle Corps of State College, PA. The first public appearance in State College was on Memorial Day of 1936. By the early summer, the corps was outfitted in new cadet-style uniforms. A 1936 photo of the corps in these uniforms shows 15 snare drums, 26 straight G bugles, and a drum major (Rachel Fulton). Seven of the drummers were girls. The new corps took first place in three local parade competitions. In August 1936, the corps took first place in the parade competition held at the State AL Convention in Johnstown. The corps held its first week-long Corps Camp in July 1937 as preparation for the State AL field competition. The Camp was described as having “a military-like schedule of drill and exercises combined with supervised recreation activities.” The corps again took first place in the state competition. A month later the corps competed in the AL National Championship held at the Polo Grounds in New York City. The sponsored-junior division was won by the Gallitzin (PA) Corps, with the State College Corps taking second place. The Convention parade that year was fifty-two blocks long and took 18 hours to complete. In 1938 the corps won the state championship for the third time in a row. In August the corps was invited to lead the parade at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. In 1939, new uniforms were purchased and a change was made from straight bugles to valves (slides), which allowed the buglers to play soprano, tenor, and baritone parts. Tenor drums were added to the battery. The corps again won the state championship at the AL Convention in Williamsport. A trip also was made to the World’s Fair in New York City. In 1940, a large turnover in personnel occurred, and the State College Corps ended up placing second in the state competition. First place that year was taken by the Bristol (PA) corps. Given the turnover in personnel, it looked like 1941 would be another rebuilding year. The new drum majors were Patricia Johnson and Patricia Mitchell. Early on it was decided that if the corps won the state championship, it would attend the AL National Convention to be held in Milwaukee. The corps went undefeated in eleven local competitions, and at the convention in Altoona, it regained the state championship. In late August, the corps traveled by train to Milwaukee, where it was housed at the Horace Mann High School in West Allis, WI. On the day of the field competition, three buses that had been chartered to take the unit to Milwaukee did not show up at the scheduled time. All available cars near the school were commandeered to take the corps and its equipment to the competition field. On the inspection line, the corps was assessed 1.6 penalty points for car-travel wrinkled uniforms. Despite a rough start, Nittany Post #245 of State College took first place in the sponsored-division with a score of 93.2. The runner-up was McNally Post #263 of New York City with a score of 91.6. In 5th place was Logan Square Post #405 of Chicago and Racine Post #76 ended up in 7th place. The division for Sons of the American Legion (SAL, all-male corps) was won by Square Post #232 of Chicago with a score of 89.9. Commonwealth Edison won the senior AL title. The Convention parade lasted 12 hours. Newspaper accounts from the 1941 championship season indicate that there were about 53 members in the State College Corps, including 26 girls. A photo of the championship corps appears in A History of Drum & Bugle Corps, Volume 1, page 16. The corps’ theme song was “Tell Me Why” and its motto was “All for one – One for all.” The corps’ colors were blue and orange. National AL junior competitions were not held during 1942-1945. The State College Corps returned to national competition in 1949 at the AL Convention in Philadelphia, placing fourth in the sponsored division and 12th overall. The top two corps that year would go on to dominate junior corps activity during the late 1940s and 1950s – Holy Name Cadets (Garfield) and St. Vincent’s Cadets. Winning its first senior AL championship in 1949 was Raymond A. Garbarina Memorial Post of New York City (aka “Skyliners”). The State College Corps disbanded around 1950. [History prepared by Jon P. Nelson (Madison Scouts, 1955-1959), a resident of State College, PA since 1969. Reference materials include “Attaining the Heights: The Drum and Bugle Corps in State College” by Jeff Stengel, Town & Gown magazine, August 1972; and Centre Daily Times Newspaper articles for August 25, 1941; September 5, 1941; September 8, 1941; September 10, 1941; September 11, 1941; September 13, 1941; September 16, 1941; September 18, 1941; September 19, 1941; September 20, 1941; August 9, 1949; August 20, 1949; August 25, 1949; August 27, 1949; August 28, 1949; August 29, 1949; and August 30, 1949.]

Can someone tell me approximately how long the Div II/III Contests in Madison will last (i would like to attend some events, but cant make in the morning and maybe very early afternoon): Aug 8 -- II and III Prelims begin at 10 am. Over about??? Aug 10 -- III Semis begin at 10am. Over about??? Aug 11 -- II Semi begin at 11am. Over about??? Aug 12 -- II & III Finals begin at 11am. Over about??? Thanks. Jon

From the mid-50s Scouts snare line: Alan Auby marched with the Madison Scouts (snare, 1956-59), and has two sons who were Scouts: Gregg (soprano, 1986) and Mike (snare, 1986-88) Ray Houtler (tenor and snare, 1957-62) has a son Ken who was a Scout (snare, 1985-1988) Jim Syverud (snare, 1956-59) has a son Jason who was a Scout (snare, years?) Pretty amazing fecundity, I would say, especially the overlap of dads and sons. Jon

Oh No, a TIE is forecasted for the top at Allentown . . . Let's Hope it ends there!!! Jon

AMP I and AMP II contemplate the their age-out year. . . and life without judges, DCI officials, etc

Madison Alumni Show -- Aug. 9 (8pm at Memorial HS on the west side) House on the Rock Milwaukee Zoo (one of the best) Picnic Point hike Boat Ride on Lake Mendota Michael Feldman show -- Saturday morning at Mitchell Theater on campus Memorial Union terrace Baraboo circus museum (former Ringling Bros. HQ) Merrimac river ferry Town of New Glarus -- a Swiss village (Uff Da bock beer, ummm) Town of Mt Horeb and Little Norway Wisconsin Dells duck ride Olbrich Park gardens I&E competition -- downtown off the square on August 9 (Overture Center) Lap the square; State Street bar tour Madison Restaurants: Pisans State Street Brats (aka Brat Haus) Nauti-Gal etc,etc, etc Madison Alumni Show -- August 9. Oh my, Toto. Oh Yeah, don't forget the Madison Alumni show (gates open at 7pm, general admission) Jon -- God, I miss my home town.

1. Sell that SUV and ride a bike more -- in fact, inflation-adjusted oil prices are now at the level attained in about 1981 when we all drove smaller cars that still got us from A to B. Support more oil exploration and construction of new refineries (in your backyard, not mine). 2. Amps & Singing -- bad, bad, bad ideas. Keep repeating that over and over and over until someone in Carnegie Hall listens. 3. Spit valves = trumpets = more bad decisions (also kevlar drumheads have got to go). Jon Retired = no worries ^0^

Ron, Why does your station disappear from my preset station list from time to time? I'm not being critical, just curious-- I love your play list and hearing corps from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I'm always amazed at the quality of your early recordings. I often do what you have in mind -- open Corpsreps and look at the repertoires and corps history as each corps is aired -- Netscape 8.1 allows me to keep this open as a "tab" even if i'm doing other work on the Web. Thanks for all the time you devote to this. A request -- play more Preston Scout House (not my corps, but a favorite). Jon MS

Wow -- what excellent work. Liked them all, except the Blue Devils. But I always found their current unifrom to be too busy -- your styles are simple and elegant. Great work -- keep it up. Jon