trptmagnet

Somehow Ralph gets advance tickets to the show and some listening rights. Then he presents drill concept out of sheer contagious enthusiasm. Many of us know that Ralph is banned for life from drill change leadership. LOL Open House ... rice and beans? and a parade Saturday nite! what a corps ...

Wow, 3 days - I'm feelin' it. Ralph and Maurice shopping is a scary image. Maurice's secret recipes keep me guessing - always the best. I know I can handle the food! Then next, sight reading of new show music is promised right Holly? OK, ready for that. Practicing some serious light tonguing here with scales in thirds (deh-deh-deh; dah-dah-dah) - take your pick - this year's Reflections piece as I have heard may be challenging and up tempo. Don't want to be at Open House and say, wow I haven't played since DCA's! (solid old timers say that all the time right? I heard one at another Open House recently). Oh yeah, and who said play lip slurs and good things will happen? That is what is happening today LOL. Getting ready, not there yet. Come on out folks - stop in. Fusion Core in the heart of NJ. That "long" off-season is over - oh wait we did like 3 parades during that break --- yikes! Don

Folks, it was too cool to take up the offer to just sit in with no pressure today at the Skyliners’ Open House. For me it was an early AM audible - more leaves and tarp dragging, or get out that G Bugle and sight read? The Montuno part of finale grooves hard, and that was hornline alone. LOL - worth the trip. In soprano breakout, we interpreted some interesting Latin rhythm notations, which were not at all standard to my eyes. And then there were proper legatos and and other characteristic articulations to work in ensemble, and no normal crescendos all over the place - ahhhh , got it. Yes, and Ruben did some authentic dance moves to communicate the feel. A little Screech "as you feel it" up an octave, and you know - a good day for the heart and chops. Great job Angel and team Sky. Keep building. So who said “one more time at the end of rehearsal”? Don

Wow Chris, Congrats on yet another role for you in the pursuit and enjoyment of “good drum corps”! You helped lead Fusion to a great season for 2008 and brought some serious intensity, experience, and spirit to our little engine that goes out to just freakin’ DOIT as we like to say. Best to you for ’09 and beyond. And I love the no bridges burned rep you have out there! Don

My understanding is that there was 0.2 points penalty assessed for every 6 seconds of under time.

This is truly mind numbing to reflect on the loss. My heart goes out to Ray’s family and all who knew him. Ray was an engaging, outgoing, thoughtful and talented man, and a classic Skyliner. I rejoined the corps in 2003 and quickly recognized that Konga was a cornerstone of the organization. And as I read Andy’s post, I realized the linkage that Konga represented for me back to the Skyliners of my youth when I marched with Andy and Sol Anthony and the rest of the corps in 1969. The talent, and spirit and that how can I say it, call you out, shout you down and break your chops as needed attitude was there. As a kid, I may have heard Sol say that someone needs a “beating” (of course with that wicked hysterical laugh). It can be rough at times to be a Skyliner, but it makes you stronger. This goes for most of drum corps I am sure. Memories of last 5 ½ years are flooding in. Parades, crowds and most of all Drum Corps – Raymond loved it all. Don DeRisi

Holly, I remember that nite for sure. You could not have planned a better block party. That is what it felt like. All at our private BIG Wal Mart parkin' lot. And it was a perfect summer nite during one of our "bye" weekends in August! Hey, for a first year corps you filled that schedule quite well. Good memories here of summer '07.

Right Greg. I ran to the back of the corps to shake his hand and he looked at me and then looked at your son and he said, "wow this is an all age unit". So the Gov called it right! I think Ben and I were the max age spread that day. Don

Holly, great blog of the weekend. OK, so I want to add to this part about the band from Italy. So, Fusion has this jam tune called Fuzz (or Phuz?) and it is a bluesey 8 bar riff, and we get to take turns soloing on it. So there we are on 45th St. in NYC doing the usual parade hurry up and wait for 1.5 hours, and after a nice formal warmup we did a few choruses of Fuzz. Well standing for quite awhile listening intently are these guys in army fatigues with a few holding horns! We got some cheers for Fuzz and then after a quick chat, it was clear that the guys wanted to sit in. Wow, we ramped up Fuzz, and these 2 guys soloed and the first in particular wailed with some awesome trumpet chops. We all screamed and cheered. Now that is Columbus Day in NYC folks! Too bad old Cristoforo is controversial these days! I just did a little research with the parade roster. On our street lineup sheet is listed "Bersaglieri Band". In Wikipedia I found this ... Bersaglieri And look here ... >>>Each Bersaglieri unit has a band called a "fanfara", who play their instruments at the run while on parade. THIS IS IT. As we stepped off, Ralph yells out "LOOK"!!!!! We look up 5th Av. and there is the band in full jog and ready to "play on the run". WOW - serious military corps heritage here folks! Oh yeah, we had asked these guys where they were from. Not much good english there and not much Italian here so best I got was Bruzza (sp?). Anyone know this part of Italy and the spelling? We may have an exchange program going in future. We could use some more fit horn players!!!! Don

OK so here’s one of my Pepe stories … I’m a 17 YO kid soprano player with the Skyliners in 1969 and we’re at a diner or maybe HoJo’s somewhere in Jersey. So conversation somehow gets to my summer job selling pots and pans - actually they were “high quality 3-ply stainless steel cookware. So Pepe says … (*insert gravelly voice*) “You jerk*** lemme see dem pots and pans” So I go out to the car and come back with my suitcase and flip chart and proceed to start the presentation just to spark some laughs (modest I am). Pepe says “lemme see that macaroni pot” I say sure, check it out and proceed to hand over the beautiful 6 quart pot Pepe grabs it, jumps on it and bashs it up bit, and hands it back, “these pots suck!” I had forgotten this until recent refresh at I&E a couple years ago with one historian of a Sky Alumni. Geez, I was a horn player in the line with Pepe, and I look at the love. Somehow it was funny - everything at all times was about the laughs to be had – great memories. And it was the summer of his Aquarius solo – other memories there for sure. Happy Memorial Day - play in a parade if you can! "69" LOL y'all