GMKuzma

Well said! It's all about building a relationship for the future. -GM

...Good stuff. I missed seeing these. -GM

Yes, and this has happened nearly every year in the recent past. Also, please keep in mind that there are reasons beyond anyone's control for why this happens. It's not always "DCI's fault." There were a lot of difficulties last season due partially because of the tour going to the west coast (which affected nearly every show date/facility/event last season). In some places, the 4th of July show wasn't on July 4th because the tour had to be adjusted to flow west. This negatively impacted attendance and facilities. Something I addressed in my last installment of "Company Front" -GM

Yes, a very valid concern. My next column in "Company Front" (should be this month) will talk about what DCI, the Tour Event Partners, and drum corps managers are doing about this very issue. I attended the DCI Winter Meeting in January where the slogan for the event was "Excellence is in the Details." Dan Acheson pointed out that this needs to be done both on and off the field logistically. The housing concerns is near the top of the agenda for this year (and beyond). It's definitely a team effort... -GM

I believe Michael James works with Phantom Regiment...Howard Weinstein is with Cadets, I believe...Jeff Bridges is in south Florida... -GM

Although the drum corps listed have "wow" factors, there are more that are not listed that deserve just as much recognition. I voted "other". -GM

Creating an All-Age corps might be a good move since they've struggled to get their Jr Corps back on the field... -GM

Being from Florida, having marched in the mid-90's, and having experienced several years of managing an Open and World Class drum corps...I can tell you that this proposal is a double-edge sword. Of course, we would all love to see Suncoast Sound back in DCI. Especially if things are done right with the planning and with patient management. Here's the hurdles I see for "reviving a drum corps from the grave": - Overcoming Negative Image: I believe it was already mentioned on here but one issue will be overcoming the very negative impression of drum corps in the Tampa-area as well as in Florida (in general). When Suncoast had a mid-season collapse in it's last season (1995, I believe), it was pretty traumatic to the members. Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones who felt "betrayed". The local band directors, parents, and drum corps people in general all had a pretty sour taste in their mouth. Even last year, when I was on tour, people talked about that last season as if it happened last year. When I was a marching instructor/drill writer in the Tampa-area in 1998-2000, talking about drum corps with most band directors was not usually a positive experience. I can only hope that at least some of those music educators and administrators have forgiven what happened over 13 years ago because most of them will not forget. Perhaps a poll could be sent out to the Tampa-area band directors to get their feelings on supporting a drum corps and if they'd be willing to support Suncoast's return? - Management: This is key for any organization but especially true for drum corps. Whoever decides to be the director and/or financial manager of a revived Suncoast is going to have to overcome some major obstacles support-wise in the Tampa-area. Another area of major concern will be funding. That's great that a sponsor may be interested in supporting this revival but how far are they willing to go to ensure 100% success? I agree with the other posters on here who note the vital importance of taking it slow and ensuring the plan is carried out properly before an audition camp is considered. The business of drum corps is exactly that--a business. Expect to do a lot of planning and number crunching before you start acquiring equipment and staff. - Alumni: I've told a lot of people that I would love to see a "dead" drum corps back, like Velvet Knights. Sure enough, that's happening today which is fantastic. I look forward to seeing them grow and return as a power in World Class some day. One thing that has really helped VK was their alumni support, just like Gary in Vegas said. The only drawback might be that some Suncoast alumni may be a bit weary of the return of a drum corps that endured a lot of pain for it's staff and members in it's latter years. Bringing the alumni in and garnering their support will be key in Suncoast's return. Recommend contacting the VK folks to see how they did this. My $0.02 cents. Hope that helps...Good luck. -GM

Well...I've never seen a football coach leave his team while there was time on the clock (albeit was :01 with the other team in possession). The Patriots were the best team this year, no doubt but the Giants were better in the Super Bowl. I guess he wasn't accustomed to losing. It's been awhile since the Patriots lost a big game like that...that's like the captain of the ship getting in the life raft before it completely sinks. I will say that I've been impressed with the Patriots' professionalism all season long, aside from the cheating scandal(s). For example, at the press conferences after game, the players (even Randy Moss) were wearing shirt, tie and a blazer. They were trying to project a professional, clean cut image. But, the coach walking off before the game completely ended knocked my relatively high impression of them down another notch for me... -GM

Nice pic! I'm not a fan of either team but I was impressed with Eli Manning's performance. He never gave up. I guess Patriots couldn't get their spies in the Giants' practices last week. There shouldn't be anyone saying how "lucky" the Giants are...The Patriots, who averaged over 30 points a game this year, could only manage 14 points--just got beat-plain and simple. Tom Brady got sacked a LOT and his offensive line did NOTHING to protect him. The Giants "D" should get a game ball for their aggressive performance. Vic's pic says it all. Great game to watch. -GM

What about Blue Knights? It's their 40th Anniversary this year. Didn't see anything on their new website, though...Could it be a "Trittico" come back? Hopefully, we'll hear something soon. -GM [EDIT: I originally stated that it was BK's 40th but it's their 50th. My mistake...]

Yes, can you believe it? People have been "elaborating" their drum corps experience all the way back in the '90's! Oh and I'd love to get in touch with Melanie. Tell her I said, "hello"... -GM

Sounds like a cross between Star's "Space" show when the guard played contras during the "Close Encounters" portion of their show and the Tour of Champions...I can't remember how many contras total that was when they did that but it sounded cool. -GM

Wow, this is a great database you've built up. Thank you for making it happen! -GM

As a member... Back in '94, I had joined the Blue Knights during all-days. During that time, I had a couple of roommates in the corps at my "host family" housing in Denver. One of them was "Dave" and he had marched Star '93 on lead baritone. He had a few "camera shots" on the Finals video plus he knew everyone and everyone knew him. Not to be outdone, the other roommate told us that he marched Cadets of Bergen County in '93 on baritone. We believed him until we noticed him struggling to march in basics block. But, he continued to stick to his story of "marching with the '93 DCI World Champions." But, after the 3rd time of falling down and getting stepped on during a run through, it became clear there were questions as to the validity of his claim. We asked, "If you marched there last year, why don't you go back to the Cadets?" and he'd say, "Oh, they cut me this year and I liked Blue Knights better." Sure enough, as soon as we got on tour, one of our instructors started talking to the staff at the Cadets and their response was not a surprise..."Who?!" Turns out, he only went to several camps but never actually made the horn line. At first, I was mad but then I just felt sorry for him. He was quite a character...This story line is detailed more in my book. As a corps director... When I was the director of Revolution in '05 and '06, I received quite a number of applications for instructional staff positions. I always asked for a resume before I spoke to them to do a little fact checking. There was one or two applications with DCI experience (as a marching member and instructor) that either conflicted or didn't make any sense. When confronted with their experience, there would be a response (similar to what other's have posted on this topic) such as, "Oh yeah, I marched with the Blue Devils and taught at the Cavaliers" and when I asked what their capacity was, I heard, "well, I was a clinician and was only there for a short time." But, no one knew of this person at the groups he claimed to have taught at. Although, I must say we did have one person who did admit to making a mistake on his resume admit it before he was asked about it. That helped clear a few things up although we were still leary of the fact that he made such a mistake at all on something as important as his resume. Bottom line: If you're applying for a staff job (teaching or management or whatever) with a drum corps, definitely don't lie about your marching/teaching experience. The drum corps community is way to small to get away with it. -GM

This is truly a sad day for the performing arts activity. The past couple years I've known Harvey have made an impact on me tremendously. One thing that I will always remember him for was the way he would put the members first. He always gave the drum corps the benefit of the doubt whenever there was an issue on the field, especially when he didn't have to (when we were obviously late to the gate or broke a boundary). I'm going to miss him... -GM

An "explaintive" is one of those terms that is so horrendous that the person writing it should not dare write it for all to see. For it might explain how they truly feel about the situation... Seriously, I'm just as shocked as everyone else. I'm confident that Jeff prepared the organization for success for years to come. That's the mark of a true leader... -GM

Yes, good luck to you all with the upcoming season. It's nice to see more drum corps coming to the field. It seems like every year a drum corps dies and fades away. I also got a chuckle out of the job description but, it is true. Being a corps director is not for the faint of heart. It's not only about the glory of winning...it's a position that takes deep commitment and a lot of heart to lead the organization successfully down the road to championships. Keep up the good work and keep us posted! -GM

Halftime Magazine (www.halftimemag.com). Check out the current issue here. Hello everyone... As a writer for Halftime Magazine, I’m putting together another article for Halftime Magazine (www.halftimemag.com). This time, I'm exploring the world of fundraising. If you have a fundraising story to share, please contact me for an interview. It's a great way to promote your organization! I'm looking to get input on all kinds of fundraising projects. What do you do at yours? The more innovative, crazier, effective, the better. I am presenting an opportunity for all students, staff members, volunteers, and alumni to participate in an interview to be considered for the article. I am particularly interested in finding out what fundraising ideas have worked for you. ...Got a good story or funny episode to tell? ...Regardless of your role, I will consider your input for the next edition of the magazine. Email me now for an interview today! Musically, -=GM=- Gregory M. Kuzma Writer Halftime Magazine www.halftimemag.com GMKuzmaAuthor@aol.com

Halftime Magazine (www.halftimemag.com). Check out the current issue here. Hello everyone... As a writer for Halftime Magazine, I’m putting together another article for Halftime Magazine (www.halftimemag.com). This time, I'm exploring the world of fundraising. If you have a fundraising story to share, please contact me for an interview. It's a great way to promote your organization! I'm looking to get input on all kinds of fundraising projects. What do you do at yours? The more innovative, crazier, effective, the better. I am presenting an opportunity for all students, staff members, volunteers, and alumni to participate in an interview to be considered for the article. I am particularly interested in finding out what fundraising ideas have worked for you. ...Got a good story or funny episode to tell? ...Regardless of your role, I will consider your input for the next edition of the magazine. Email me now for an interview today! Musically, -=GM=- Gregory M. Kuzma Writer Halftime Magazine www.halftimemag.com GMKuzmaAuthor@aol.com

Just a reminder for the holidays. Makes a great gift! You can get an autographed copy here: www.gregorymkuzma.com -GM

I agree. She wrote a story and got burned. At least she wrote a response to it and tried to explain why she said what she did. I can understand where's she's coming from as someone with a lot of competitive performance background. However, her inability to articulate her feelings about "moderinizing" college marching band drew a foul from the LSU faithful. Hopefully, she'll live and learn (especially if she continues to write for media in the future). -GM

That's interesting. I've also seen that happen down here in Texas at a few football games. But, I have yet to see a band play the National Anthem back at the home band. That must have been quite a moment...wish I could have seen that! -GM

This is my concern, as well. Housing issues have been difficult to manage particularly over the past several years. Last year was a major challenge for drum corps and Tour Event Partners due to the schedule being shifted to accomodate tours that would conclude on the west coast (instead of the east coast or in Madison). Shows that lead up to the championships in Indy should "settle" into regular dates over the next ten years. That could be a good thing. The possible challenge will be housing becoming more restrictive over that time, due to "wear and tear" on those same housing sites year after year. My hope is that the drum corps Tour Managers and TEP folks communicate on a high level and really work together to keep things positive. I feel this is a bigger challenge than funding a drum corps... -GM

Another challenge with the bingo culture is trying to start a new bingo hall. This can be very difficult as those who are already going to their bingo halls are loyal and dedicated customers. Unless that bingo hall folds or changes in a drastic way, the bingo players won't be motivated to "try out" a new hall. That was part of the problem in Florida. Lots of retirees going to bingo but not really interested in going to a new hall. Of course, if you could start a bingo in a place where there aren't any current bingos, that's a possible scenario... Down here in Texas, some bingo halls have found ways around the recently passed "no smoking" laws. I saw one hall set up a glass wall halfway down the big room, one side for the smokers and the other for the non-smokers! Unfortunately, the smoking side also contained the concessions and the bingo caller. So, when you win (or if you want a hot dog), you had to go over to the smoking side to claim your cash and new cards. In the end, bingo appears to be becoming a thing of the past, unfortunately. It was something I explored in San Antonio during my tenure at Revolution. Came very close to setting one up (by running one night at an already established bingo hall). Alternate funding sources must be explored and/or created in order to survive in the future. -GM