Fred Windish

. . . and Jeff Ream isn't getting any younger either! I suppose what bothers me most is, drum corps shows can no longer be priced to meet the expectations of unassuming first time viewers. Really, how likely is your neighbor to attend a drum corps show at any amount higher than $10? We ALL know the product is worth more than that, but there has to be a better way to easily prove it.

Well stated, Tom! I've worked directly with BOTH organizations over the years. I never saw evidence that one organization's management didn't respect and appreciate the other. From what I saw, this has always been about two, somewhat different organizations, NOT two competing organizations. Nice to hear the names of Vince Bruni and Don Pesceone brought up once again. Add Gil Silva and Dan Acheson when describing the continuation of the relationship.

Sad news. None of us has ever known a DCA without Doc. My fondest memories of Almo will be his intense love of country, respect for our troops, past and present, and his unwavering support of our Flag. May the Scranton show live on in tribute to this wonderful man.

You know, there really is a SPECIAL bond between people who have had the opportunity to participate in DCA. Two people (from ANY corps) can meet for the first time in an airport and that meeting immediately becomes a type of family encounter. For me, that's been the beauty of DCA. Yes, I marched as a Buccaneer many years ago, but that's irrelevant to what I am trying to describe. The beauty of the activity I describe transcends any corps name. While I appreciate the passion of our competitive activity, we ALL need to be careful not to upset the bond we share through internal attacks and innuendos. Can't we all just enjoy our pastime, our ENTIRE pastime?

As with any open forum, you enjoy the good and the bad. I know that going in whenever I click. It's All-Good!

Now Fran . . . you live SOUTH of the Mason-Dixon Line. Should have said "Do I have to draw a picture for y'all! Hope all is well with Barb & you. How 'bout an update?

" For me if I don't have a ticket between the forties it is not worth seeing the show." Therein lies the problem.

Got to agree with Mr. Chez. I observed the same thing. In every other country we would have seen tank brigades, missiles on flatbed trailers, and goose-stepping robots. I'll take Grambling State over that any day! I also want to express my appreciation to President and Mrs. Obama for staying for the entire parade and for actually recognizing and acknowledging what was going on before them. You had to notice the almost empty reviewing stand behind them as, I suppose, it was more important for many elected officials to be back at their hotel preparing for the various balls. EVERY state represented should have had an elected official present to witness the talents and pride of their home state citizens. Did you notice, EVERY military band had its commandant present as it passed in review? That's how it should be.

Well done, Kevin. Thank you.

Ed Mason, I am grateful for what you are doing. My family situation does not permit me to attend, but please know my mind will be with Cozy and your effort this weekend. Cozy truly was drum corps at its best. I was blessed to have Cozy as a friend. Thanks again.

Hey, fellas - This discussion is right up my alley. I really enjoy it. Let's keep it going because that's how one learns. Not much I read here is intended to be a personal attack, but rather an intense passion for the DCA activity we all love and are proud to promote. That people even care is a WONDERFUL thing! Thank Heavens for guys like Brian and his Foxboro team. If Brian has been able to cobble something together that takes DCA to a higher place, then WOW! That should be the goal of ALL of us. Listen, my "15 minutes of fame" has passed, so I can throw caution to the wind and maybe help to frame DCA's growth. Please consider my random thoughts. Rochester is the best championship location DCA has ever seen. Chairman Allen Buell is a first-class, talented guy with all the appropriate connections. Everything about Rochester is superb, except it's growth potential. Allentown no longer works. Boston Area has a reputation for being VERY expensive. Boston Area does NOT solve the desire of some to move the championship outside its N.E. comfort zone. #### It! DCA corps NEED a nice payday from their championship. There is NO geographical advantage, otherwise, why didn't Statesmen take the crown for the past few years? Hard to top ANY community that really knows and WANTS our DCA event. Prime seats at DCA have become a little pricey, except to those who have a personal knowledge of how good the product is! The I&E event has become a BEAR. Any host community HAS to have adequate facilities, it's that important. My deal is this . . . . Huge crowds will only come at huge stadiums. We simply CAN'T expect to draw local folks to goal line seats at ANY price and expect them to want to return the following year. Our activity SUCKS at the goal line! I have no concern over "looking small" in a large stadium. The bottom line SHOULD be giving EVERYONE a great experience for their ticket purchase. Get EVERYONE in the "good" zone. A huge stadium will ensure that. Rochester has PROVEN to be a worthy host. Unfortunately, INCREASING revenue will be required over the coming years to match the inflation demands DCA corps face. Raising ticket prices only works so long. In an ideal world, NON-ADMISSION BASED revenue will be found in the whole Rochester package. I sure hope so! It's a great host city. A city that really DOES have that passion for drum corps that we all have. OK, folks. I unloaded. Chew on it as you wish. SH**T! Why isn't Cozy here to help us?

Reminds me of a guy with Skyliner connections.

Well thought out, Joey. Thanks for your contribution.

Amy Snook! One of my all-time favorite people. I guess it's now OK to weigh-in on Allentown and Rochester. The Allentown we all fondly remember IS NO LONGER THERE. The city is being wracked by gang activity. No one wants to go anywhere near downtown. The city administration has not been helpful. The current Mayor is an imported Chicago political hack who has caused problems for our events before. The new stadium surface was located about 15 yards back. No more "in your face" experience. No beer is available. Although not a beer drinker, I recognize MANY of our loyal fans are. The is VERY little parking due to the city's lack of support for drum corps. Participants of other events ARE allowed to park on stadium area grass, but NOT drum corps. Very few local residents attend our drum corps events. By the way, that's always been the case, from DAY 1. There is NO local facility capable of handling the I@E event. There HAS been a hotel building boom, so I'm sure Allentown could host DCA again. IF THEY WERE SMART ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE THE BENEFIT! Look, there COULD be a bid from Allentown on the table. I really don't know. I do know this, DCA needs to be VERY careful before returning to Allentown. All things considered, Allentown is not what you remember Allentown to be. As for Rochester. . . So far, NO other location has demonstrated an ability to offer more to DCA. In my opinion, Winston-Salem would have been a winner, but that's a story for another day. Other than a somewhat small (concert-side) stadium, Rochester has PROVEN to be the perfect location for DCA. It's possible another bid will offer more. We'll just have to wait and see. Millions of NEW dollars are available to whatever community DCA decides to locate its premier event. That's a good thing! Let's hope those dollars go to an area that appreciates and supports DCA. Right now, from where I sit, Allentown ain't it!

What a wonderful man. Here's a guy who put most of his life on hold to make the drum corps world a better place. I appreciate the Cozy memories being shared here. I'll add one. Cozy and I both enjoyed Alabama football. Even though he was an Ohio State grad, his family was from Alabama, he now lived back there, and had 13 acres waiting for him in another part of the state. We did some football weekends together in Alabama and in Mississippi. I was also very curious about the South's cotton industry. There I was, looking at cotton fields. I needed to touch it, to pick it. After all, my elementary school experience referred often to cotton, something unknown to Pennsylvania folks. Thanks to Cozy, I did it. . . I actually PICKED it. We stopped at a farm house. He insisted on knocking on the door first, lest we receive a shotgun blast to the backside. Thankfully, no one was home. We both walked into the field and Cozy watched as I did what I HAD to do. Cozy was really amused by the "religious experience" I was having. He smiled broadly. That cotton is here now, my wife crafted a Christmas tree snowman from it. It's on our tree. We drove on, talking about cotton . . . then about mini-corps. God bless.

I feel your pain, Legal Eagle. Gee. . . didn't Cozy represent all that was RIGHT about this activity?

camel lips, thanks so much for the photos. In between deep breaths, I think fondly of my departed friend and these photos bring him closer to me. What a guy! I'll never forget Cozy. He guided me, motivated me, and understood me. Our activity has lost its most sincere promoter. My tears are on this keyboard. I was blessed to have you as a friend, Cozy. Thanks.

Very sad news. Our beloved activity has lost one of its most beloved icons. My regret is that my close relationship with him was for just a few years. Cozy was caring individual who considered drum corps his extended family. His efforts to support our pastime were immense and effective. I don't think I'll watch another drum corps performance without thinking of him. R.I.P. my friend. Fred

Having been privileged to see the DCA/City of Rochester relationship first hand, I want to say YES, this is something special! Wonderful people. Of particular note is the Rochester Police Department who "gets it," and is proud to host DCA. They are the front line of interaction with our "convention-goers" and they deserve lots of credit. There are PLENTY of positives to Rochester. Are they available to DCA elsewhere? Perhaps. I just haven't seen it, and that includes my own community.

Cozy is a fine man. His heart is totally fixed on drum corps. I've had the pleasure of staying at his home, enjoying his company, and "picking his brain." I wasn't disappointed. Here's a guy dedicated to the health of the drum corps activity and willing to devote his talents in moving our activity forward. I'm sure he'll be fine. He's a fighter. Cozy has led an amazingly diverse life. His box of crayons has many colors. One more crayon has now been added. Get well soon!

Roll Tide, Cozy!

Legal, The Hartford thing still has legs, but now that DCI has made yet another investment in Allentown, one of the available bullets is gone. :big hug:

Buccaneer Alumni Association Sets Open House The Buccaneer Alumni Association invites all persons to attend its upcoming 2009 Open House and First Practice gathering to be held Friday night, November 14 at Oley Valley High School in Oley, PA. Following registration will be a brief program in the auditorium. Buccaneer Alumni President Robert Miller will introduce this year’s alumni leadership, plus welcome the alumni performing corps’ 2009 design and instructional team. The group then begins work on its new repertoire to be presented during the coming year. “We have ambitious and exciting plans for 2009.” said Miller. “We’re very excited to announce that our staff will be headed by some legends in the Reading Buccaneers organization who each have made a distinct imprint on the style and history of the competitive corps. Rich Hammond, Lee Umberger, Chris Feist, Josh Decker, Johnny Trujillo, and Jay Landis bring a great collection of talent, passion, and vision to their roles. Our members will grow as musicians, enjoy the fellowship of fellow Buccaneers and fans, perform a fantastic program, and entertain audiences with a great collection of Buccaneers signature tunes. Our 2009 concert repertoire will include classic Buccaneers tunes from all of the past five decades,” said Miller. Music to be presented by the Buccaneer Alumni corps will include (competition years shown) Beyond the Sea, by Charles Trenet (1966, 1968), Bellavia, by Chuck Mangione (1976), Rainmaker, by Earl Klugh (1984, 1985), Russian Christmas Music, by Alfred Reed (1998, 1999), and Canon in D, by Johann Pachelbel (2008). The Naval Hymn will be used as a chorale interlude. The corps will also perform a variety of parade tunes and Buccaneer Alumni standards throughout the year in addition to the above. Buccaneers Hall of Fame member Rich Hammond will serve as Program Coordinator, Staff Coordinator and Percussion Arranger. Christopher Feist and Johnny Trujillo will anchor the percussion instruction team. Lee Umberger will arrange the brass charts, and Josh Decker will be Lead Brass Instructor. Jay Landis will serve as Drum Major. Founded in 1981, the Buccaneer Alumni Association mission is to reunite all past members of the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps, create fellowship with fans of the Buccaneers organization, and encourage the growth of the Reading Buccaneers commitment to excellence. The group formed a non-competitive performing corps in 1987. The alumni corps participates in numerous parades throughout the Greater Reading, Pennsylvania area, plus at regional concert venues that include Serenade in Brass in Harrisburg, and the Spring Preview in Elverson, PA, hosted by the Reading Buccaneers. Membership in the Buccaneer Alumni Association is open to ALL drum corps enthusiasts. Participation in any of our activities, including the parade corps and smaller ensembles, IS NOT limited just to former Reading Buccaneers members. Openings are available to anyone. Members enjoy pre and post-competition outings, bus trips, frequent Buccaneers news updates, plus a copy of Buccaneer Alumni News , published about 16 times per year. For more information contact Membership Chairman Dick Heiser at jollyrogersop@msn.com. A copy of the latest newsletter can be received, free, by request to Communications Director, Fred Windish at f419w@rcn.com. Come Aboard !

Just what IS wrong with brass and percussion in all their NATURAL glory?

Oh, boy. Obviously, the Buccaneers organization represents talent that goes beyond brass, percussion, and guard. Well done !