seanconley

I am not familiar with that story but I did know Bill fairly well. It sounds like the corps, in a perfectly reasonable attempt to be polite, declined the host's invitation citing that the drivers were unable to drive as the reason. I have no way of knowing how the story would have played out if the corps declined because they had planned to rehearse or wanted to rest the kids but I'm am not surprised that Bill offered buses if buses/drivers were the stated reason. If he believed something like transportation was an impediment it was certainly "on brand" for him to try to overcome it. I have no knowledge of the situation and perhaps the characterization is correct but it is also very possible that Bill's actions were well intentioned and misunderstood.

The max number of performers was increased last year: 1. A Mini Corps is defined as a minimum of 11 participants and a maximum of 25 participants. 2. If a Drum Major is used, he/she is not counted as one of the 25 participants. He/She may not play an instrument unless the total number remains at 25. . . . . 10. An "A FLAG" section (honor guard) may be used and not counted as part of the 25. However, if any member leaves the "A FLAG" section to perform, he/she will be counted as a participant and included in the total numbers of performers, which shall not exceed 25.

These guys are putting together a fun program. Anyone in the area should definitely check them out.

Happy Birthday, DA!

John, Looking forward to seeing youse guys!

Star United is in

That's awesome. Barry always had great taste.

Happy Birthday, DA!

Mike, thanks for posting. It's true, "you never forget your first". This show will always be very special to me.

Thoughts and prayers for Dick and his family.

Frank, Thanks for your kind words and thanks for stopping by warm-up on Sunday. Performing "up close and personal" for you and a small crowd of our peers was a highlight of the weekend - much more nerve-racking than playing in the stadium. We miss hearing you on Friday night. I hope your team will climb back in the ring and continue to delight the fans.

http://www.starunite...rial2011Jun.htm

From the last line of your signature, you probably know a few people that would be willing to advise you.

There are lots of variables in this equation, put I suspect this might be the answer you are looking for: If your low brass is used to reading parts written for G bugles that use trumpet fingerings and you have "standard" bass clef parts written for concert key then the following is a pen-and-paper approach: 1. add two sharps to the key signature (or subtract two flats) 2. replace the bass clef with a treble clef 3. move all of the notes down two lines or two spaces This should allow the players to read the parts using trumpet fingerings.

The Star United bass drum rack required a fair amount of material and a lot of welding. I would try something like: http://www.myspace.com/derbycityknights/photos/11306221 or http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=552...et=o.2307624359

Certainly, if volume is proportional to mass it would explain an increase in volume... I would guess that 110 horns helps :)

Nothing "Grumpy" about this post. Thank you for the kind words - it was a joy to play for you. Please stop by and say 'hello' in Rochester.

Altieri makes an alto gig bag that is a perfect size for a Mello. It's not shown on the web site (http://www.altieribags.com/), but is considered a "stock" product. Send them an email and they will quote you a price. The bag is soft-sidded and only provides minimum protection, but it does fit under the seat and in most overhead bins. It's been a good solution for me for the last few years. Before I bought the gig bag, I went to the sporting goods store and bought an nylon XL "stuff sack". The fit was fine. I used industrial high-density packing foam, an electric knife, and some duct tape to piece together a serviceable "frame" to protect the vital parts of the horn. It was cheap and didn't take much work, but it took a little time to get the horn in/out of the bag. Good luck,

Well said, Eric. Safe travels and good luck to the corps.

When I was interviewing for my first professional position, I kept a drum corps "press kit" to explain to potential employers how I spent the summer months (versus working internships). The SI article did seem to add some legitimacy.

Fran: You are too kind. Sam: Pines of Rome looked a little like this: See you at CNY!!!

http://www.middlehornleader.com/Evolution%...the%20Bugle.htm

October 6 - exactly one month. I guess I lost the over/under on "first post to recognize that we had too many members" in exhibition. I didn't think it would take that long. I want to second Jeff's praise of Angela as the ultimate team player. When life intervenes, it is difficult to integrate new members into our show in the final weeks of the season. Angela was there for every moment of SU09, knowing that she wasn't going to perform on the stage on Friday night, but she could have gone in at a moments notice - an insurance policy we were lucky to have. To get ahead of any other conspiracy theories: we did construct our visual program with a built-in "hole" in the forms, but put the "hole" in places where it wouldn't look like a hole, like the point of a "V". This was not an assumption that we would win, but a "built in" plan for performing the show with 19 horns instead of 18. We were fortunate to have a person that was willing to be our lone "alternate" without the opportunity to complete at mini-corps finals. I hope the DCA and mini-corps community will understand that we saw the finals exhibition as a way to allow her to perform the show with us in a drum corps setting. Nothing more, nothing less. If anyone has any questions about this unique situations, please feel free to contact me directly. On another note, I really have to thank the Defenders Alumni Corps for allowing me to sit in at rehearsal last night. I took a few pictures to document the first time I got to play jazz in drum corps. I could not have had a better time. Thank you!

Star United is now confirmed.

Mephie, you little devil... Stop by after the show - it's going to be a hot one! I look forward to finally meeting you.