5drumsweeps

The pics listed above were taken last yr. Notice the sun is not in our eyes. You certainly may use them. I have plenty pics of previous Texas Drum Corps Previews as well.. they are also posted on GCS's website within the media category. http://www.gulfcoastsound.org/mm_pictures.html GCS Brass Sectional in Waterloo Park. Texas Drum Corps Preview 2008

The parade was fun! I turned 4 shades darker during the stand still concert in the sun, but it was a great experience performing for the Mayor of Houston and a former First Lady. Sectionals early Sat. morning.. parade at noon.. stand still concert afternoon... drill rehearsal in the evening... Sunday... drill rehearsal in the afternoon.. (depart from Houston back to New Orleans)... sectionals in the evening.. I love this time of year!!!

This will be my 4th Texas Drum Corps Preview. I'm really digg'n the start time of 7:30pm so we're not performing with the sun in our eyes, and also thank goodness the date is pushed back **whew**... now this will be an awesome evening of Drum and Bugle Corps. June 20, 2009 p.s.. yes Revolution performed in 2006.

I criticized eastern Corps?? Where?? Why are you so defensive for nothing?

Yes, they have. Gulf Coast Sound considered it an option for the 2007 season to be the first from DCA South (at least), to march on the west coast but we just couldn't work it into the budget, BUT once the idea was put up to vote to the Corps to come to the Bay Area everyone was excited of just the idea of marching in a Renegades show. Trust me we know the situaiton as none of them are coming to Texas muchless out to California.

My experiences teaching 5th Graders has been extremely rewarding as that grade as of now is my fav. to instruct. Last year I was employed at a different school in a different Parish (County). As a Music Teacher we basically learned basic music theory. Kids that age which they're usually 10 - 12 are excited to learn and express themselves in such a manner. As a Band Director we just learning 8 On A Hand which will present a very good challenge for them. You can actually spend at least a month going over this teaching them the physics of the stroke; subdivisions of the beat; dynamics: you could have them play 8's hand to hand de/creschendos; 3", 6" 9", 12" 15" ...and this also serves as a great exercise not only for developing their chops, but also mentally. You could also define the 8th note with them (down/up beats) and place accents on the down beats then upbeats.. and so on.. they will eat it up. I recommend teaching them match grip because that also carries over to concert percussion. As far as marching heads I would also recommend they learn on traditional plastic mylar and NOT kevlar as their bodies at such an age are just starting puberty and the high tension drumming could develop problems with their arms/hands as their bodies are just starting to mature. The school I taught at last year, my middle school marching line consisted of 85% 5th graders. The 5 man tonal bassline, 4 snares, and 2 marching tenors were all 5th graders. They learned everything listed above and some in just a matter of 3.5 months, and I had SOO much fun with them, and a warranting experience. Your biggest problems you could have will be discipline, and if you teach on the public school level finding out which students have disabilities and being able to cater your lesson for them as well. You could network with administration and their teachers to find out what kids entail what to better .prepare yourself for them. Get to know them.. love them, and have fun with them, but as The Other Mike mentioned above.. please make sure they're having fun as well.

I agree, thats why folks within my region label this "Hurricane Season", be prepared or suffer the worse. During DCA competition in Rochester 3 quarters of my Corps (GCS) had to drive back to Houston just in case Gustav made landfall in order to prepare their familes/pets, etc.. I flew roundtrip from New Orleans to Rochester then come Sunday morning Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans was shut down in preperations for Gustav so I had to re-direct my flight which I did to Orlando. If New Orleans were to experience another Cat 3 + storm the City just may be wiped out as the Army Corps of Engineers has not built an adequate levee system from the start which is why New Orleans flooded in the first place NOT because of Hurricane Katrina, and still the Army Corps have yet to build anything close to protection for the region (1 of the many perks of living in New Orleans) All in all, I spent a few days with my younger sister in Orlando park hopping Disney World parks and checking out some really good jam bands throughout the park, but when my plane landed in New Orleans last Friday you could see the impact Gustav had on the region even though the hurricane made landfall more Westward to Baton Rouge/Lafayette. There was debris everywhere, a lot of homes with no power (still today a lot of people odn't have power), and the great smell of decomposition and aged refrigerator items. Its fun sometimes to crack jokes but to go through it then have to come back and deal with the aftermath is NOT funny.

I can help you guys load in/out, and can most likely get a few folks from GCS as well, though I'll be dressed in all blk with a blk GCS tshirt I doubt my Corps mates will meet the proper stage attire for Renegades unless you have spare capes form last yrs show lingering around on your trailor...

Hey James! This also means a new champion will be crowned for tenors I&E. We'll miss experiencing your awesome solos this year man. Good luck with the real estate!!

I also wasn't able to view Alliance's show from the stands but there Corps is smoking hot!!! That merger with Atlanta Quest certainly did them some justice. I only had a chance to view their show from the endzone in Nashville which the opener starts off with Battery performing some "steak and potatoes" and drill wise the entire Corps is moving the entire show. In Nashville they would have beat out MCL had they not had a timing penalty which I think was from the Battery's on the field warm up extending a few seconds over 60, but this past weekend they even jumped MCL in scoring. If Alliance remains on the same track going up they will definitely win Class A again! I'm glad Alliance will be representing DCA South Finals and most likely taking it 'cause I don't see any other Class A Corps stopping them.

I didn't get to see the Sun Devils perform on the field this past weekend but I checked out your Battery warming up in the lot before both performances. Very remeniscent of Heat Wave's smoking lines SD's bass line especially I was impressed with. I look forward to seeing you guys in '09. btw... several of us at CV's show were really digging the SD icon.. the sop and drum sticks used within the image is pretty clever.

I agree with you IMO its common sense to have enough bodies as not to run into jams, we had the bodies before the season, and still do but there are going to be uncontrollable circumstances one cannot predict nor control.. we're only human. We certainly didn't give up nor did we come to DCP forums or DCA complaining. Staff made the correct decisions to get our Corps on the field for competition and that we did and provided a very entertaining show this past weekend regardless of the 35 rule even though personally I had much more fun performing our show in Alpharetta than Douglasville.

I think its quite clear who he is, after all his signature WAS turned on as he was not hiding anything really.

...because as stated above BEFORE this past weekends show we have 35 but a last minute family committment left us with 34. No one knows what the future may store for themselves muchless any given time before a given date of performance unless you're Ms. Cleo Fields. Still we competed with 35, myself recovering from 2 car accidents, 2 members recovering from surgery, and 2 more members performing injured this past weekend, but still we put on a #### good show and recieved some very positive pop and feedback from the crowd, unfortunately it was not reflected on the score sheets.

I predict: inconsistent judging, politics playing out in full swing, and lots of Bru HA HA amongst the in group... the out group will place last...

Pro Mark all the way. I've used Vic Firth, Innovative, Ludwig, etc.. Pro Mark by far is my fav. Matt Savage, and Fritz sticks with Vic Firth being the worst.

I marched SUMB 97-2002 (took the 2000 academic yr. off). In '97 my freshman yr. we had Mark Harwitz who was on staff for Briggs, DJ Montalbano (I'm not sure if he was on staff for Briggs but he was for the Cadets). Though I was seeing these guys in Briggs Corps jackets all the time and was invited to some camps for the Briggs I never acted upon the invitations because like Pete said I didn't stay in Central NY during the summers, instead I was driving back to New Orleans. Now that I look back and have kicked myself in the rear end many times because of it I wish I would have marched Briggs when that prime opportunity was there. Maybe in the future..

So... how many SUMB Alum/Staff are on staff or performing for Brigs?

The relations between GCS and 'certain' members of GNODCA are still alive and valuable (1 of the members marching with Echoe's this Sat. I grew up with in the same neighborhood 4 houses down from each other), like I said its just a few people in GNODCA who have a problem with me now, and if it were not for GCS or marching Drum & Bugle Corps I would most likely be 1 of the most bitter individual's having to deal with that we had to post Katrina 'cause GNODCA was providing nothing but domestic problems which were spilling over into our occupation.

....because we perform and play MUCH better than that slop of an LSU line. This is Drum & Bugle Corps not wanna be instructors who are students trying to teach other undergrads DCI exercises. Besides.. remember your post: "Snare tilt = Black college and high school marching band percussion sections with straps and leg rests........" You were right.. why don't some folks just shut the you know what up already and just ___________..........

I've sensed the past 2 seasons I've marched with GCS a negative vibe from just 2 GNODCA members in which you see in the previous post stated by Brian "I guess that goes to show that we are only now discovering some things concerning GCS that our eyes were not fully opened to over the last two years." this pretty much sums everything up. I've been marching GCS for 2 yrs now so we know who that message was directed of and to. I've been discussing this with friends from GNODCA the past week and am not happy with what I've been hearing said about me especially from what I've done for GNODCA and have not a #### thing to show for it yet I'm depicted as a devious enemy. All in all the problem lays with just 2 people I know of and no one else. So, my other friends from GNODCA I look forward to jamming with them this Sat. evening while the 2 overgrown kids can go and sit in the corner of the parking lot and pout. btw... if your trying to rebuild and form a product to cater to the community start by not burning bridges with the band directors of the area 'cause you've done so twice over already.

Greetings Patricia & Dwight, It was a pleasure meeting you, and an Honor to march beside you as well. Unfortunately y'all had to go from a climate of 60 degrees/Sunny skies back to the cold northeastern climate. Hope to see you in Rochester along with the Nation of Blue Skulls.

Ok Brian.. I sense some hostility of some sort through these emails especially when they entail ME and one of MY students. I'm glad GNODCA is up and running however to say that GCS is stealing members from GNODCA is lewd. I recall having this convo with Dave Callaway, and Clay Ledbetter when we WERE GNODCA members about GNODCA's plans in the future of competing in which they replied pull membership within another Corps who is actually competing and GCS provides that opportunity and many more GNODCA can't! As for your comment about GCS backing out of Krewe of Isis.. no we didn't back out. Communications were in collaboration between GCS and GNODCA about marching Mardi Gras and GNODCA couldn't get a schedule together until late December which is to late considering Mardi Gras is late January early February this year; meanwhile a Mardi Gras agent approached ME about marching Mardi Gras with the funding which our Corps could heavily benefit from this season. I've had my discussion with Karen about why I'm not a member of GNODCA initially in which I doubt you've heard anything of really. cmdiddle's comment is in reflection to your comments you had with my drum major 2 yrs ago when she invited GNODCA to participate in Brass On The Bayou but you responded with a post that was uncalled for.. summer 2006. Regardless... GCS is marching in NOLA this season. I set it up... I signed the contracts... GCS is my priority after all this is MY Corps. GNODCA decided not to go with Corps de Napoleon which GNODCA usually marches but you guys are not.. your in Isis earlier that evening still getting paid the same amount of money to march. Instead of griping over drumcorpsplanet.com we can set up a lot concert.. what can GNODCA get out of a collaborative effort? Maybe this will be hard for you to understand but a lot can be gained from doing such a concert. The experience, relationship(s), networking, both of us would be member of the Gulf South Division of DCA, etc.. there is A LOT. We're all in this together! I have my reasons for discontinuing my membership with GNODCA which I'll gladly share with you over the phone, and at this rate you guys are jumping up and down on ice.

As of 7:50am - Forecast for Galveston 1/26/08 @ 6pm Partly Cloudy 54 Degrees 20% Precipitation The Weather Channel

Mardi Gras Parade in Galveston, TX. - Jan. 26, 2008 Corps de Napoleon inMetairie, LA. - Feb. 2, 2008 - 6:30pm Krewe of Thoth in New Orleans, LA. - Feb. 3, 2008 - 11:30am