cgulick

I first found out about Star leaving DCI soon after finals in ‘93 when I called the corps office to inquire about auditions. This was extremely disappointing for me; I had been dreaming of marching Star for years, and now that I was finally at the minimum age they were no longer going to field a corps. I was also told that they were not accepting any new members for Brass Theater and only alumni would be asked to participate. So, I pretty much forgot about it and figured I would try again in the future if they returned to the field. Then, right before Memorial Day in ‘94 I got word that there might be a few openings. I called immediately to confirm and was invited to audition. I was there the next day, and they offered me a French horn/mellophone spot that I gladly accepted. At the time everyone kind of assumed that the Brass Theater thing was a one-year deal, and I figured this was a good way to ensure myself a spot for the return to DCI in ‘95. Plus, it was quite an honor to be able to perform with a group like the Canadian Brass! There were a lot of rookies that year, I would guess at least 1/4 of the corps. They had evidently overestimated the number of alumni that would be willing to return when I had called for audition info. This was a tough year for me. At 16 and one of the youngest members, I was about as green as they come and in hindsight I was probably in way over my head. Let’s just say I did a lot of pushups. Overall I enjoyed this year because of the incredible performance opportunities, but as mentioned previously, there were not enough performances and too many long rehearsal days in a row. We were all pretty much burnt out by the end of the summer. During the ‘94 season we found out that the Canadian Brass thing was a three year deal. I considered leaving at that time, but was lured back in ‘95 with the promise of bigger and better gigs and rumors of a possible European tour. The tour was certainly better that year, mostly in the form of standstill concert performances in some very prestigious venues. The concerts that Eiji Oue conducted were the most memorable. I have not played under anyone else to date who could extract the same kind of emotion from a group. However, there still did not seem to be enough performances and I became even more burnt out than the previous summer. The biggest change I noticed in ‘95 was the transition from “drum corps” to “theatrical group”. The G bugles were ditched completely in favor of concert horns, and there wasn’t nearly as much traditional drill; it became more choreography and staging. Rehearsals seemed to become a little more relaxed also; it was not the same intense drum corps atmosphere of the previous year. It was becoming clear to us that Star’s competitive days were over. The remaining drum corps vets always kept a positive attitude, but it was pretty obvious to me that they missed being on a football field. It just wasn’t the same experience. There was definitely a much closer bond between those who had been there in ’93 and I never felt like I had been accepted into that fraternity. This was something I didn’t fully understand until a few years later. We attended DCI finals as a group in ‘95 after doing an afternoon Brass Theater performance in Buffalo. I will never forget the Madison Scouts taking the field that night and the crowd reaction. That’s all it took….drum corps was in my blood and I knew exactly where I was supposed to be. I realized that, even though I had been given an incredible opportunity with Star, that I was missing out on something I truly loved and only had a limited amount of time to experience. After taking a year off to recover from a surgery, I had the opportunity to march three summers with the Scouts. I was finally able to experience the rush of standing in front of a roaring DCI finals crowd, and the true brotherhood and lifelong friendships that develop during the course of a drum corps season. I look back on my years in Star with mixed emotions. I certainly don’t regret it. I received two summers worth of world-class brass instruction that took my playing to a whole new level. Who knows, maybe I would have never got past my Scouts audition had it never been for that experience. I had the opportunity to bring audiences to their feet at some of the most prestigious concert halls in the country…..… but it still wasn’t drum corps. And I can’t help thinking that I would probably trade it all for just one more summer with my Madison brothers.