ContraBuddy

Hey there! Jim has this tendancy of reading our collective Bridgemen minds, and saying the things here that we all feel. That's part of what makes him such a great DM, and representitive of our corps. As for the heat... Hey Jim, at least you weren't carrying a Volkswagen on your shoulder (as John so elegantly put it on our shirts)!!! Take Care All, and Thank You from me, too for the great review and comments! HYPE!!! Bill

OK. I didn't know that. When I won DCI Class 'A' with Black Watch in '79 we only got a special BW Class 'A' World Champion patch. So, scratch the ring thing. But I think the rest of my post(s) still stand. PS: That was a very tactful correction. Be nice to see more like that!

Division I corps are The Major League of Marching Music aka The Money Makers. But when the ‘SuperCorps’ members age out, who’s going to replace them? It’ll be the kids who’ve worked their backside off in Divs II & III. But, what’s so sad is how little DCI puts into the little corps. Do the corps members from the Div III World Championship winner get a ‘World Champion’ ring like Div I? Do they get the publicity? Do they even get a Championship Flag? Just what does DCI do to support and/or promote the little corps with their high percentages of grade school members? What incentives are there to join a Div III corps? What is there nowadays for the kid who wants to march drum corps but can’t yet play or spin anything? Go to a show, and talk to some of the young kids who are there, the 12 to 16 year olds. A good portion of those kids will be able to reel off the names, home city, current standing and past history of most of the Top 12. Then ask them to name some Div III corps, and just watch the blank looks on their faces. If DCI did something as simple as having Div II & III Champions play an exhibition at Div I Finals, then we’d see a big boost in Div II & III memberships, and possibly, more new ‘little’ corps as well. Also, let them take a look at how they do Div III at Championships. Last year, 23 corps entered the Div I Quarter Finals to vie for being one of the 12 who would compete for the title. In Div III, 17 corps entered prelims, but DCI only allows the top 3 to compete in Finals? Division I has their Top 12. Division II is cut to their Top 9. And for little Division III, it’s only their Top 3 who have a World Championship Finals Competition. Why is that? Do the little corps with their young, inexperienced members not deserve better? I guess DCI feels that they don’t.

Before I post my comments about what annoys me most with drum corps, I want to ask a serious question about the ‘duts’ from drumlines. My question is this: Why do drumlines need to ‘dut’ in the first place? Sure, I know that they do it to keep the count/keep in step when they aren’t playing, but hornlines also have places where they aren’t playing and there are no ‘duts’ (or other sounds) coming from them to keep time/step. I'm asking that seriously, because I’m curious about it. I have no problem with a drumline’s ‘duts’. To me, the ‘duts’ are as much a part of their book as anything else they do. ******************************************************************************** ************ Now, as for the annoyance thing. My single biggest annoyance/pet peeve, is one of the results of drum corps ‘evolution’. Way back when, drum corps ‘purpose’ was to provide an activity for the kids. If a neighborhood kid watched a corps, and felt ‘that pull’ for it, then that kid could join that corps. Even with the top corps, any kid could join as long as he/she had the drive, the determination and the desire to make the commitment. If the kid had to be taught, then the corps taught him/her. There weren’t auditions like there are now. Nowadays, how many, many kids are turned away from drum corps? The staff may not come right out and say the words, but the message is still very clear: “Sorry kid, you’re just not good enough for us.” Yes, I know the how’s and why’s of how drum corps got this way. No, I don’t really have a better idea. But I still don’t have to like having so many heart-broken kids every year! I’m not saying that all corps should accept anyone who wants to join them. But I do feel that DCI should put much more focus (and money) into corps (and shows) that would truly be open to any kid as long as he/she had the drive, the determination and the desire to make the commitment. Shouldn’t the goal be to make every kid feel proud no matter what corps they’re in, rather than letting them know in no uncertain terms that they’re marching in the bottom of the barrel because they’re just not good enough for anything ‘better’? Why are Div I so strongly promoted as ‘better’ than Div III corps rather than just ‘bigger’? When you come right down to it, just how important are all the arguments over narration; amps; and Bb horns when you compare that stuff to all the thousands of kids who are turned away from drum corps each year? Having new kids coming in are what will make or break the future of drum corps, NOT what Hoppy wants to put on the field next. There are thousands of kids who want to be in drum corps. We not only need a place for them, we also need to make them feel as proud, as wanted and as appreciated as any kid in any corps can possibly feel. We don't, and that's what annoys me the most. Bill

Thank You. My sistaers will only have a regular digital camera (but hopefully one with a zoom lens). Bill

Nobody knows what DCI allows fans to bring into the stadium?

Hi everyone, As you all know, Bridgemen will be opening the show tomorrow at Allentown. My sisters are coming to the show, but really only to see me with Bridgemen. Even tho they bought good tickets, they won't be staying for any other corps performances. It's been a long time since I've been to a DCI show, so, my question is What are fans allowed to bring in with them and what are they NOT allowed to bring in? Could they bring a camera, since they're only staying to see me on the field? HYPE!! Bill PS: No one should take my sisters not watching the rest of the show as an insult of any kind. If I wasn't going to be on the field, they wouldn't be in the stands at all.

Hey everyone! As you can see from my sig down at the bottom, I’ve been around drum corps for awhile. I’ve also both seen and been involved in corps that are just so incredibly focused on winning, that they loose sight of why we do drum corps in the first place. Emerald GrenaDears are definitely not one of those corps. How would I know that? Simple, when I’m not grooving with Bridgemen’s Contra Line, I’m driving a school bus to put money into my pocket. I was GrenaDears bus driver June 2nd in Wildwood for the Elk’s Parade. I took my 12 year old daughter with me, and we spent the entire day with the corps. Hanging out with a corps first thing in the morning; while they’re getting ready for a parade; doing a parade; during down-time afterwards; during practice; during a concert performance and then during the after-show party, you get to know the corps. More than that, you get to know the people who make up the corps. This happens to be a great little corps, which is made up of a bunch of really great women! Now, I spent the day with them June 2nd, and then I saw them again at our TOS show on June 23rd. What a difference!!! The girls must have practiced their you-know-whatsits off! They sounded really good! (I didn’t say that they looked good, because these girls always look good! Hmm, think I’m biased? Here’s some comments from other people: About Wildwood: “Emerald Grenadears- about 12-14 brass and 8 percussion... the only all female all age corps in the country ( to my knowledge) projected a sound much larger than their numbers...” About TOS: “First up ( right on schedule ) were the Emerald Grenadears alumni corps ( GO GIRLS ), and they sure did. The small hornline really put out from an arc formation, and they have this Amazon snareline that a lot of corps would love to have, they were really laying down some stuff! This fine group of ladies really acquitted themselves well. “ “ Emerald Grenadears had a fine opening to the show. They souded much improved from last year, most notably they had a hot percussion section (and anyone who knows they're an all-girl corps, I am referring to their playing when I say hot, I am not some kind of sexist or person looking to score a date , but they seemd like nice enough people) The mellophone section was extrmely strong as this group provided another fine opening to the Tournament of Stars. “ See? Told Ya! OK, so let’s get down to it now. You’ve got a really great group of women who make up a great little drum corps. When it’s the right time, they all focus, put on their game-faces, assume ‘The Attitude’, and go out there and Do It! At other times, they’re a typical bunch of women getting together and having fun. This isn’t DCI or DCA ‘Super-Corps’. No way. But these girls may have a better idea of what drum corps is really all about than some of the big name corps do. Their goal in life isn’t to set new high-score records, it’s to go out there and have some fun doing what they love doing. End of story. So, if you’re a woman, and you’re looking for a good, fun corps to march with, then check out the Emerald GrenaDears. If you don’t march, but love drum corps and wish you could do that, then check out Emerald GrenaDears. You don’t need to already know how to play or spin to join. They’ll teach you (and make it fun). The girls are looking for new members. If you’re looking for a corps, look no further! Hey, if I were a woman, I'd march with them!! B) HYPE!! Bill ***************************************************************** EG Contacts: Heidi Stites / Co-Director: (973) 766-5010 or HeidiLStites@yahoo.com Caryn Murray / Co-Director: (862) 209-0811 or GrenaDears@yahoo.com Debbie Nunn-Ruiz / Recruitment: (973) 328-4585 or druiz1960@verizon.net

Hey there! While there’s already a lot of good advice here for you, I figured that I’d add my 2 cent’s worth as well. Now, first and foremost, if you already either play or spin (and have something to use), then PRACTICE. Every, single day, practice. Along with that, exercise . Drum corps will make pretty much the same demands on your body as Marine Boot Camp. Those two things constitute the ‘home work’ of drum corps. While you’re getting yourself ready, hang out with a corps as much as you can, watch, listen and ask questions. Believe me, corps is a whole lot different from our side of the field than it is from the stands! Fans in the stands only see the 10 minute or so finished product. They aren’t there to see the 10 hour practices in 100+ degree heat that went into making that show. There’s not a single vet out there who hasn’t asked himself/herself at some point, “Why the $@#$ am I doing this?” That question often comes up when you realize that you still burn right thru Factor 45 sunscreen. So, find out what corps is really like, and then ask yourself if you still want to do this. If your answer is still “Yes!!!!” (Sure and/or I guess won’t get you thru tour) then watch and listen to as many corps as you can. Go to You Tube and watch what’s there. Go to shows. Go to any practices that you can. Find out what appeals to you and what doesn’t. Let’s face it, if Bridgemen’s In The Stone gets your heart racing, Phantom’s Classics might not do a thing for you. As for what kind of corps… Personally, I wouldn’t set my sights on a Div I for my rookie year unless you’re already a truly outstanding player. And even then, Div I might be a bit much to start out with. Learning to swim by jumping into the deep end of the pool sometimes works, but when it doesn’t, it tends to make things worse. I’d suggest that you look at Div II & III corps and even alumni corps to start with and learn the ropes. Then, you can ‘move up’ as wanted. Get your feet wet, and have some fun without the pressure of going for a Top 12 finish, first. You’ve got to learn to walk before you can run, let alone run the NYC Marathon! Start small; give it everything you’ve got; never, EVER say “Good enough”; and you can maybe find yourself inside of BD’s ‘Age-Out Circle’ when the time comes. Take Care, and Good Luck! HYPE!! Bill

I’m not sure just how many people know about this, so I thought that a post here on DCP would be a good idea. Way back on Saturday July 9th 1977, The Bridgemen marched onto the field of J. Birney Crumb stadium in Allentown and gave what many consider to be the performance of a life-time. The fans agreed, roaring out their approval throughout the show. The judges also agreed, as The Bridgemen were awarded the trophy and flag crowning them as the 1977 DCI East Champions by a margin of 3.7 points! Thirty years and one day after their magnificent DCI East Championship win, The Bridgemen will once again march onto the field of J. Birney Crumb stadium to give the performance of a life-time! Just what will you see and hear if you’re in the stands by 6:30pm, Sunday, July 8th 2007? Well, I’m not going to give our show away, but I will say this: You’ll see and hear a show that will rival if not exceed anything that The Bridgemen have ever put into a field! You’ll experience a show that has everything that you could expect from The Bridgemen and then some! You’ll hear old favorites and some surprises as well! For most corps that will be there, Allentown is just another show on their schedule, maybe a big one, but still, just another show. That’s most definitely not the case with The Bridgemen! This is not just another show, this is THE show! This is going to be our 30th Anniversary DCI East Championship Victory Show! This will be a show where The Bridgemen put everything that they have into the performance, and do it in a way that only The Bridgemen can. Those of us marching in The 2007 Bridgemen are going to go out there and give the performance of our lives. Those of you in the stands are very likely to get the drum corps performance of your lives. It’s going to be a show that you won’t want to miss! HYPE!! Bill

LOL Be in the stands at Allentown for the opening of the show on July 8th, and you'll see for yourself why that question never needs to be asked again. THE Bridgemen are back, and we're Raising The Bar in 2007! Bill

As a contra player, I really have to disagree with this. We've got the lowest pitch on the field, and even if we're right up front, the sops cut right thru us. I don't know ALL the technical stuff, but I do know that a lower pitch produces wider, and slower soundwaves, and a high pitch produces narrower and faster soundwaves. And, those fast, narrow soundwaves from a sop carry alot further than a contra does. What we hear is not just a matter of volume, but also a matter of the kind of sound. The size of the horn will have an effect, tho. All of us who make up "The Foundatation" of a corps (aka Contra Line) knows that a big, ol K-90 will put out alot more sound (and better sound) than a little DEG or especially an Olds V/R contra. But, even if you put a big contra line on the field with a little sop line, who's going to be heard more clearly and from further away? Bill

******************************************************************************** *************** Partly, but it could have been worse.

**************************************************************** ...sigh...

******************************************************************************** ********************** The answer to the grammer issue here is really simple. Back in the day, it used to be THE Madison Scouts, The Kingsmen, Etc. But then Star Wars came out, and everyone started talking like Yoda. It's all George Lucas' fault...

Posted by: mistofflies Jun 24 QUOTE(HockeyDad @ Jun 24 2007, 06:39 PM) So the higher quality of the handfull of remaining corps outweighs the quantity and exposure to a greater number of people? I am assuming you would agree that 250 corps, of lesser quality (I'll give you that one for sure), by there shear number would reach more people. I don't know. It's an interesting argument. I guess I'm assuming that many corps members have one or both parents who had some involvement in corps themselves. Therefore, less numbers means less potential for future numbers.......kind of a downward spiral. It could be a very long downward spiral, but a spiral nonetheless. Has anyone ever gathered statistics on this (present corps members with parents who marched)? It wouldn't be hard to do. It is kind of sad that there used to be competition to be one of the top 25 corps, and now there aren't even 25 competing in D1. Peace. QUOTE(mistofflies) I kind of responded to this just above, but I wanted to make sure I addressed you personally so you don't miss my reply. There definitely were more corps in past years, that much is certain. But in the days of having 400-500 corps across the nation, how large was the average corps? And how much did they tour? Generally the most exposure they got was in the local community. Now there are definitely less corps, but they are larger and they get much more attention nationwide...even internationally! And a lot of that attention is because the corps that still exist are the very best in terms of quality, and they spend the entire summer touring across much of the country. So in terms of exposure, I'd say even though we have less corps around today, we more than likely have much more exposure. I will agree, however, that it is sad that we don't even have 25 competing D1 corps. I would love to see more corps, but not just for the sake of having more. I want quality, too. ******************************************************************************** ********************** I really want to comment on the above post. OK, let’s follow this thru and take quality over quantity to its ultimate conclusion. The 2006 DCI Division I Quarter Finals had 23 corps. So, let’s disband the lowest scoring corps each year (Hey, if the placed last, they aren’t worth having around, right?) Now this is really good! In what, 22 years, there will only be ONE corps left, but they will be THE BEST IN THE WORLD!!! The absolute ultimate drum corps! They won’t have to prove that they’re the best by competing, the mere fact that they were the ‘Sole Survivor’ proves they’re the best. Looking at it that way, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, does it? Now, here’s a question for you all: What is drum corps’ primary purpose? Is it to provide entertainment for the fans? Is it to make money? Or is it to provide kids with a worthwhile activity? I believe the answer is to provide kids with a worthwhile activity. Unfortunately, today’s drum corps does that less and less. In the 60’s, a kid could come in off the street, never having played a note of music in his life, and that kid could still get a spot in ANY corps, including the reigning AL or VFW national champs. How are things today? How many kids are turned away from the super-corps? What is it? 50%? 60%? 80%? 90%? “Sorry kid, you’re just not good enough for us.” Which of those percentages apply to the Div. 2 corps? If you want to be in a competitive corps, but need to learn how to play, then Div. 3 is about your only option, and I’d lay money on some of them holding auditions as well! Quality might usually be a good thing, but in this case it comes with a price that I feel is just too high. All most people care about nowadays is ‘how good the show is’. But let me ask you, which corps REALLY puts more into their show? Devils, scoring in the upper 90’s with all their vets and college music majors, or ‘The little corps from the little town’, who scored in the lower 30’s, and with most of their kids not having known which end of a bugle you blew into before they joined? I mean c’mon! A Devils 1st sop player can get up in the morning and hit an E above high C before he even has his first cup of coffee. But what about all those other kids who don’t even know what an E is? What is there for them in today’s drum corps? No, I don’t expect the Top 12 to suddenly do away with holding auditions. To be the best corps, you have to have the best musicians. But let’s not let this “Pursuit of Perfection” blind us to a really big fact: If drum corps only accept people with talent and experience, eventually they’ll run out of people. Remember, that little 12 year old kid who didn’t know what an E was, COULD grow up to be a music major, OR EVEN be the next Andrew Lloyd Weber! But, if some drum corps tells him, “Sorry kid, you’re just not good enough for us.” He may end up working at Micky D’s for the rest of his life. More corps means more opportunities for more kids. As for the original post about mass appeal, being entertaining and all of that? Hey, I march with Bridgemen, what more need I say!

LOL Well, I suppose I could ... But if I was going to go to all the work of animating it, I'd just go ahead and have the whole line groovin' to In The Stone!!! BTW, Thanks for the compliment on the pic! Bill

Why is it that it seems as tho nearly every 'discussion' here ends up turning into an Old Vs. New Debate complete with insults and put-downs? If you prefer 'Classic' drum corps, great! But don't bash the modern way. If you prefer this new stuff, that's also great. But again, don't bash the old ways. If you don't like something, then just don't watch it or listen to it, and above all, don't put someone down for doing something their way! Is that really all that hard to get? I don't give a rat's backside if it's 1950's corps, '60s corps, '70s corps, or any other 'era' of drum corps. Drum corps is about kids going out there and busting their you-know-whats to do the very best that they can. And they should get nothing but praise and encouragement for doing it. As for Kingsmen, and their 'Old-School' style, see above. The only difference is that with Kingsmen, they (mostly) don't qualify as kids. But all the rest still applies. Neither modern or classic drum corps is better than the other. They are just different, and we just have our preference for one or the other. If someone on here absolutely HAS to state a negative opinion about a corps, at least learn to do it with some tact! Jeez!

Hi Shadow, In truth, I really don't know if you have to use .NET to sign in, or if there are other options. I use MSN's 'Passport' thingy, and usually don't have any problems with it. As for the animal bugles, rather just giving you an outright 'No', I'll try this instead: If you can play the same things on an animal bugle that I can play on my K-90, then I'll say OK to it. As for your 1141, I've never gotten to try one, so I really don't know much about them. All I can say is that King has a really good rep from making the K-90's. So, best of luch with it! Take Care, and c'mon out and try The Contra Base! aka The Contra Lounge. Bill

Hi Piper! Really, you don't need to be the size/build of an NFL Linebacker to handle a contra. While contras may be big and fairly heavy, with only a couple of exceptions, the balance is such that they're actually easier on the arms than a euph and some big-bore baris. Besides, we get to set them down often enough. Long parades are really the only time that carrying a contra is likely to get annoying.

*BUMP* The Contra Base Online Group is still open and looking for members! We're also now under new managment. This is THE place online for contra and tuba players to hang out and have some fun. C'mon in and check us out! Remember, WE are the foundation which all the rest of the music is built upon!

*BUMP* The Contra Base Online Group is still open and looking for members! We're also now under new managment. This is THE place online for contra and tuba players to hang out and have some fun. C'mon in and check us out! Remember, WE are the foundation which all the rest of the music is built upon!

*BUMP* The Contra Base Online Group is still open and looking for members! We're also now under new managment. This is THE place online for contra and tuba players to hang out and have some fun. C'mon in and check us out! Remember, WE are the foundation which all the rest of the music is built upon!

Hey everyone! Just a short post to let all the contra players (and tuba players, too) know that there's a new online group called the Contra Lounge. It's an online 'Hang Out' for contra players. It's also got a seperate section for Contra Gals. Stop by and check it out. Contra Lounge http://groups.msn.com/ContraLounge/welcome.msnw Bill

Hey everyone! Just a short post to let all the contra players (and tuba players, too) know that there's a new online group called the Contra Lounge. It's an online 'Hang Out' for contra players. It's also got a seperate section for Contra Gals. Stop by and check it out. Contra Lounge http://groups.msn.com/ContraLounge/welcome.msnw Bill