Puppet

Ok. So a friend sent me this shot of a Des Plains Vanguard from like the early seventies. He says it's a Mellophone, I'm like no way. I remember Olds built some French horns shaped kinda like that back then. But that doesn't look like a FH mouthpiece! Help me out here. Puppet

how about this old one from BITD when virtually no one knew how to read music: "fingering" As in could you show me the fingering for that part? In our corps, anyway, if we were in the middle of the drill during rehearsals, the Drum Major or Drill Instructor would yell: "Formation A!" and we would all run back to the "starting line." Puppet

As a Legacy is defined as money or property bequeathed to someone in a will or something inherited from a predecessor, I've always been confused by this. If Drum Corps legacy reaches only as far back as recorded history of DCI what of the History of Drum Corps? But wait! That's why this section of the DCP Forum exists! Ok, I'm good. Although I do have digital representations of my corps from way back in the early '70s when there were BETA cameras. If you'd like to see some video from BITD you can check out my page on the New York Drum Corps People website at http://newyorkdrumcorppeople.ning.com/profile/GregoryMBruce Yeah, that's my real name. On the home page you can find links to a collection of NYC corps who are members of NYDCP there were literally dozens of corps from the city back then and many are represented at: http://newyorkdrumcorppeople.ning.com/ The passion of drum corps is alive at this site. The true legacy of Drum Corps is it's History and what it gives us. Sorry to pontificate. Puppet

And of course there's that "all girl" corps that marches in the annual Halloween parade in NYC every year… LOL Puppet

Oh man! Watching Father Dominic Schiraldi (our CYO Moderator)give the manger of a restaurant in Jacksonville Florida "what for" after refusing to serve us because: "You can't bring all those niggers in here! The white kids, ok but not the niggers!" I never heard so many mf's and a** hole's among others I'd never heard before and don't eve use now strung together so vehemently in my life. Walking over the Tri-boro bridge on Friday evenings from the subway to get to Randell's Island for rehearsals. Walking home from St. Rita's on very cold winter Friday nights with my girlfriend Joan and us saying over and over: "It's just another half mile." Eating way too much ice cream at the parlor next door to the bingo hall where we raised money for the corps. Warren Ohio, where we played our rep for customers of a Howard Johnson's on kazoos in the parking lot. Seeing the Madison Scouts for the first time. Marching against the Troopers for the first time. Having my very first Black Cow in a Black Angus restaurant on Collins Avenue in Miami during the VFW Nationals. Seeing Iowa............................................................................! Puppet

Hmm - old school. I first marched against the vaunted Boston Crusaders when they were winning the World Open year after year - the first year for me was 1968 in a St. Joseph Patron Cadet Cadet-Style uniform. The fact they have held to that tradition is worth volumes to me. We saw them again in '69 & '70 as St. Rita's Brassmen at the World Open (did you know there were 38 corps in the prelims of that show!!!?) and at the CYO Nationals in 1970 where we tied Anaheim and came within .400 and were just edged out by 27 then in '72 again - the aforementioned I.C. Reveries were at that show, too. It is important to note that all east coast horn lines at that time were on the small side and all represented very well (thank you very much) in the decibel department although the very good lines (like Boston) believed in dynamic range as well and they still do that, too. Bravo. All in all yes, they have changed some. But have kept the backbone they always had. Otherwise they wouldn't be in the top 12. If you had asked if I liked them while I was in uniform, you would have received one of the two standard responses reserved for all other corps" a) Ahh, they suck. b) Ahh, they must be sleeping with the judges. But along with Anaheim and the Madison Scouts, I always had a great affection for the Crusaders. And if you scratch any of the old members of either St. Joseph Patron or St. Rita, we all have a deep, abiding respect for the tradition that was and a somewhat begrudging tolerance for what Drum Corps has become. I BTW aged out '71 so I'm really old! Puppet

Boston Crusaders had a thing called Unsquare Dance in '68 that was drum driven and really cool. Puppet

Thanks, fleabag! Which publications did you see those shots in? I remember that winter rehearsal season really well. The Brooklyn Armory was about a two and a half hour commute via bus and subway from my house. Uphill both ways. Here's a favorite of mine: Thanks again. Puppet

Same here. But when I reach back to the days when I marched, the shows I like to listen to best were the Evening With The Corps recordings. Those had the best fidelity and we always seemed to be more "on" at those shows. The recording techniques of the mid to late sixties outdoors just weren't very good and video was almost unheard of I do like to watch several of the videos from BITD, however. I am so sorry to hear of anyone who can't look back on their DC experience with joy. Puppet

I agree there. I mean Bernstein's Make Our Garden Grow from Candide has hung around for 4 decades from St. Ritas, to Santa Clara, the Cadets and Blue Star just to name a few. Puppet

Oddly, no. Most of the big stadiums at the big shows like the Danny Thomas Invitational, The CYO Nationals, etc. didn't 't have stands that went down to the field. There's a six foot tall usually cement wall - we also didn't point our horns into the sky - I mean the top row of the stands (only soloists did that) anyway hard surfaces like that always reflect sound not absorb it. it's a weird phenomenon but I guess that's why studios have all that foam on the walls. Or maybe I'm just full of it. Puppet

Back in the day (late 60s early 70s) many drill designers used the back stands as a sort of natural reverberation device. We did, The Cadets and Troopers and even the Cavaliers - it was really a clever way to beef up your sound by turning your backs to the audience pump up the volume a bit and have it come back at you at nearly twice the sound. Puppet

Likewise we had a show called Woodstock complete with a riot and followed the next year with West Side Story and yes there were the obvious racial overtones and a knife fight. We thought we were being entertaining. Who knew it would come to this!? Puppet

Mia culpa. Sure, you're right. I voted with my brain and not my ears. Crown's got it, then. Puppet

I agree. The Coats, IMHO had the best horn line and I loved their book and their ability to be loud when they needed to be. I'm old school and I don't think we ever had more than 36 horns on the field and everybody thought we had a very dynamic range. And that's what it comes down to for me. Crown of course (what? 80 or so horns. What!? 18 Contras!!!!) they are loud. So what? Puppet

Ahh… Evening With The Corps. I'd recognize that Felt Forum backdrop anywhere! They should bring non competitive pre-season shows like this just for the fans. Imagine SVR or PR in a venue like that! Wow! Puppet

OK. Maybe I'm just ignorant but what the heck does a DM have to do with this discussion? With all the tempo changes and movement, and a person on the field on a stand or podium or whatever. I'm with whomever said that if months of practice doesn't get you in tune and in time with those around you - gee, I don't know. Of course, as someone else has also said I'm from "the only person on the field that could make a sound with his or her mouth was the DM. They also set the tempo of the show as well - by marching. Really. Puppet

I remember this: I had made reservations for my girl friend and I for that very night at The Windows Of The World. I lived in Staten Island at the time about to leave for work that morning. My telephone rang and my mother said look across the harbor. The first tower was already on fire. My mother said: "I don't like the looks of this, it can't possibly be an accident." She lives in Gramercy Park not too far from the site if you know New York at all. I told her to get out of the house and go directly to one my sister's get out of Manhattan altogether. She responded by saying that if somehow, we were under attack she would not leave her city without trying to help somehow - she was on her terrace watching and I was at my bay window watching and the second plane came in. We wept together on our telephones until the line went dead. Later I found out that one of my corps-mates Fran, was one of the lost. Fran was in the St. Joseph Patron and later St. Rita's guard. The sweetest young woman who I was not surprised to find out touched everyone she met with her incredible generous spirit. She lives on in every alum who marched with her and we remember her with all the others whose lives were needlessly spent in that act of blind hatred. I respectfully submit and request you visit her page on our site and say in whichever way you wish to whomever you pray to that this thing never happens again. here's the link: http://www.stritasbrassmen.org/Fran%20Page.htm Thanks for everything, Fran. Puppet

I've looking for this one and others like it for quite a while. 1971 Danny Thomas Invitational. That's Reggie Henry, Mike Arato and Yours Truly on Mello (police sirens) Puppet

And I do believe that's you on the left. With Mark, John, Harold and Ringo.

I remember in 1964, the American Legion Championship in Syracuse had like 17 junior corps compete. New York City proper had at least 30 corps and they had their own circuit, too. The Greater New York M&M Circuit. Puppet

I got the same feeling seeing all those great corps like the Kiltes. St. Kevin's, Casper, Garfield and a bunch more at the World's Fair in 1964. But as a performer I will never forget the feeling, the sound, the crowd response in 1971 at Madison Square Garden’s Felt Forum during the Evening With The Corps show. We tore that place up and got like a 10 minute standing ovation that delayed the senior portion of the show. Puppet

I love posts that begin like that. For me it was almost exactly 44 years ago almost to the day. Aug 28, 1964 at the World's Fair in Flushing Queens New York. The Singer Bowl. Championship Competition. I was then a member of the local sea ranger cadets carrying and occasionally spinning a rifle. Our director decided on an outing to the World's Fair that day and we happened on the competition. Who was there that day? The Casper Troopers, Chicago Royal Airs, Saint Kevin's Emerald Knights, The Chicago Cavaliers, The Racine Kilties, St. Joseph's of Batavia, St. Lucy's Cadets, Racine Scouts, The Garfield Cadets, The Magnificent Yankees, The Madison Scouts, Blue Rock and some others I can't remember but I was completely hooked from that minute. I joined a class "B" corps the very next week called the Queenaires who wore the cast off uniforms of the great St. Albans Queensmen. My very first show with them was The New York State American Legion Championship in Syracuse NY. I finished the season and by then I was already looking for a real corps to join. When I quit the Queenaires announcing my intention to join another corps, I was thrashed soundly by several of the members but that didn't change my mind. I healed and headed to Brooklyn for the St. Joseph Patron Cadets. Puppet

Wow. 1972 I think their show was stunning that year and I think that they took all the big ones. Well, not the World Open probably because they weren't there. Sing, Sing, Sing & Ritual Fire Dance! I wish we could have had seen them more that year. Puppet

Still collating - I'll get back you. Puppet