MBbabe

Hey Mike, I am a drum corps nut. I am such a nut that I am playing a solo on the french horn, of course mine has two valves. How about you? Are going to get that frenchie out of the plastic and play for us?

I'll remember Pepe Notaro brought a corps to prelims once, I think it was St. Ignatius, that had like 15 horns and a total of about 30 kids in the corps, and they were good. It was amazing. They were loud, too. I think it was in Denver. I think that Pepe Notaro corps was the Fitchberg Kingsman. I saw them at a local show in New England and was amazed at how good they were. Pepe could do great things with even small hornlines.

What arranger has written for 9 different DCI finalists? Jay Bocook

No, no. They are those wrap-around contras, right?

Hmm, it would seem somebody is missing from the line up?

If I can get my hands on a valve-rotor French horn, maybe we could do a duet. Hey, I have one. So if you are serious........

If I can get my hands on a valve-rotor French horn, maybe we could do a duet. Hey, I have one. So if you are serious........

Is it true that Our Lady Of The Single Valve Cadets will be there? I don't know about the Lady with the single valve, but I will be playing with only two.

Will there be a posting of the schedule soon?

For me it would be Cavies 1966, seeing them at the Dream that year forever changed my drum corps intensity level. Is that the year they had the awesome bari and contra line?

Donny I play mellophone with a couple of people who have tried the Hammond. Actually the first friend sold it to the second freind. Their comments on it was that it is great for the lower range, but not so good for the higher range. The person who bought it from the friend is using it on an F-mellophone that she plays with a community band when they need projection from her part and is extremely happy with it.

Is that one of those mini's. I know of a contra player looking for something small for his twelve year old. I guess dad's going to train him on it if he can get one.

I'm not part of the management, so can't speak for them, but I'm not concerned at all -- pretty sure it's all worked out. If that really is a rule, it doesn't make a lot of sense, does it? It seems more logical to encourage all varieties of corps at every level -- makes everyone stronger. I marched in the alumni show in the '06 and '07 Bridgemen. It would be pretty funny if that's what qualifies us to go to DCA! I believe it's about the status of the corps. I perform with a mini-corps that does not use the word alumni in its name. There are many members of the group (actually almost all of them) are in other alumni corps. My group is considered an alumni corps because we are a year round organization not one that just gets together to play at DCA. We actually do parades albeit on a flat-bed, but hey it works for us as well as exhibitions at both DCI and DCA shows. I think that whether it makes sense or not, the rule it the rule and few groups that I know of have had a problem with it. I believe its intent is to keep out groups of professionals that just assemble themselves together and come to DCA with no affiliation to drum corps and beat the pants off everybody.

Hi, haven't heard all the details yet. Please let the drum corps fans in southeastern Mass know what's going on. It's the best way to recruit. If you don't have everything in place yet, say so and tell us what you do have.

The rotor was called a thumb rotor. G-Horns had it right about the G-D scale with the rotor that lowered the note a half-step. And as for lamp fodder... that's for the metal clarinets or is that for the ashtray. Either way..... I've seen the ashtrays. Good luck and don't be discouraged by the horn. After all it's a real bugle!

Your website says that you have started rehearsals already... Here are some questions relating to that: • how did it go • what music are you playing at this time • what are you planning for the future • do you have equipment for incoming members in all areas Inquiring minds need to know. I am from RI and like to keep informed as to what's going on in New England drum corps.

Since it's a King, can we assume that it's in F?

(And the one I can't belive I'm typing). Plymouth, MA parade and show week or so before Thanksgiving (forget the name). Usually Cabs Alum, Park City Pride, bunch of other "name" Alumni-typ corps and *gulp*.... us.... Better bring your long-johns for that one. Last year it was about 15 degrees maybe. Don't mean to scare you, most years its a balmy 35 degrees.

I thought it was Big John??

Can you post for all to see?

"Exercises - use any decent trumpet method book. Arban or My First Arban are both good. Warm-ups - Again, select from trumpet method books. For chorales, any SATB choral music can be adapted. Remember, since all the bugles are in the same key (G), you don't have to worry about transposition. Just find a short choral piece, divide up the voices based on the range capability of the players and everything is good. A word of warning - don't spend countless hours of rehearsal time on warm-ups, etc. Get the ensemble playing music, however easy it needs to be." This is good advice. Don't spend countless rehearsal time working on complex exercises. Learn and become one with the horns. Anyone who had played the G-bugle can tell you you need to feel comfortable with the instrument. Some horns are considered beasts in contrast to your B-flat horns, but an animal that can be tamed. Your won't regret the time spent in this process, you'll have that wonderful, big, open sound that the G-horns produce for your group.

The exercises in most brass instruction books will work although I would add additional flexability exercises to your program. As for warm-ups, most are written by the corps music arranger, although you may find some arrangers who are willing to share theirs or make suggestions about how to write one for your group. Good luck.

The valve/ rotor fingerings are essentially the same as the two valve. I.e., the b, e-flat,and f sharp are played with the rotor and an A would be played with the valve and rotor. The one valve scale is played as follows: C-open D- valve(some called it closed) E-open F- valve G-open A-valve B-valve C- open So you would have open, closed, open, closed, open, closed, closed, open. The flats would be played by pulling the tuning slide out (g-flat = open with slide pulled) with the exception of the b-flat which is played open. As you got to the top C and beyond, all notes could be played open or closed. Those notes are played by lipping it up as there is at lot of room for play in that register. The notes that can be played on these bugles are pedal G (valve),low (pedal) C, D, G, B-flat, B, and C and above using the fingerings above. I am using the present tense on this as I have a '1935 C.G. Conn one-valve (with a screw slot) that I am in the process of restoring. It plays well, it just has dings, etc. Hope this helps.

First of all, it's not about the great work Yamaha has done for any given group, it was about the perception that they were making an award to a mini corp participating in the competition. Secondly, while it helps the mini corp who has to travel a long distance and plays with the standard trap set, it excludes the mini corps like Star United, who from what I heard is using a lot of keyboard and other type of instruments or the mini-corps that may be like the T-Birds who had more of a battery than just one player. One size will not fit all! Finally, it's been said that one of the greatest parts of the DCA weekend is the mini-corps competition and only one award is given. I took it that along with the growth of the activity, additional awards were to be given out , that's all.

Forgive my ignorance, but I thought that it was an award to be presented to one of the mini-corps for achieving some sort of benchmark/ level of excellence. It would seem to me that it would not be used by some of the mini-corps just because the show's music has been designed/prepared with the existing equipment and to use equipment, however superior would be chancy at best if for no other good reason than a lack of performance time on this equipment with the rest of the corps. Questions arise: would each group have a chance to practice on it and can it be moved to accomodate a drum corps staging? If not, I don't see how a real benefit can be derived for all from this gesture........ Just saying!